Construction Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
Flight Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
Overall Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
Published: | 2014-01-13 |
Diameter: | 2.00 inches |
Length: | 35.30 inches |
Manufacturer: | Estes |
Style: | Futuristic/Exotic |
This is a sci-fi inspired kit recently released by Estes. Blimey! It uses t' same nose cone as t' Interceptor E and Cosmic Interceptor, only pre-colored silver and black.
Where t' begin, matey, Nose down? T' nose be t' same one as on t' Interceptor E/ Cosmic Interceptor, me hearties, only it's been pre-colored silver with black for t' cocpit windows. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! Body tube is also pre-colored silver, matey, and comes pre-slotted for t' mountin' tabs on t' fins. Blimey! Ahoy! And about t' fins, me bucko, nay a big fan o' these fins. Yep, arrr, they do t' job, me bucko, but they are a plastic, 2 piece assembly molded in black. Blimey! Arrr! Good for t' "no paintin' required" description on t' box, but they feel kinda weak. Begad! T' fins also get capped with those orange "gun pods" which look cool, and hold t' tips o' t' fins together. Arrr! Next be t' motor mount, heavy wall 29mm for t' tube, but t' centerin' rings are, shiver me timbers, agian, me bucko, molded plastic. Ya scallywag! Bein' an interior part, shiver me timbers, it does nay matter that they are black, but they are. So be t' new, matey, 2 piece, shiver me timbers, shock cord mount, molded black plastic. Parachute is 18 inch nylon fabric, with 8 shroud lines, and is pre-sewn. Aye aye! Lastly, me hearties, t' launch lugs are, you may as well guess, molded black plastic. For those noticin' a pattern, me hearties, thar be nay 1 piece o' wood anywhere on this kit. Begad! Just paper tubes and plastic.
Lets see, Pro's and con's. Ahoy! It be really fun for me buildin' this kit. Avast, me proud beauty! T' only part prep that be needed for any o' t' parts was a light scuffin' where ever any glue joint was t' happen, arrr, and nay much glue be needed. Ahoy! Begad! It goes together, matey, per t' instructions, shiver me timbers, with 30 minn epoxy and thin CA glue. This makes t' build time much faster than "normal" rockets. Begad! That makes for a big Pro for me, ya bilge rat, arrr, as I enjoy t' build process a lot. Arrr! But it also makes t' build over too fast for me liking, as this kit had nothin' new for me t' learn while buildin' it.
Finishing, almost non-existant. Arrr! Aye aye! All t' exterior peices are pre-colored t' same as t' box art, so t' only finishin' prep is a light wipe down with an alcohol rag t' clean t' surface prior t' decal placement. Ya scallywag! And those decals?? "Pressure Sensitive Transfer Decals", me hearties, which means STICKERS!!! Stickers belong on a kids kit, matey, nay a Pro Series kit. Avast, me proud beauty! However, they do stay stuck on durin' flight, arrr, me bucko, ya bilge rat, so Estes at least used t' right adheasive on these ones.
Flight, t' fun part. Ahoy! Estes calls out for one o' their new, 29mm black powder F15-6 engines for t' first flight o' this one. Blimey! My only problem is me local hobby store does nay yet have this engine (as o' 11/09/13). Well, blow me down! Begad! So I had t' improvise, and ended up usin' an Aerotech F22-6 reload in me 29/40-120 Aerotech casing. Avast! I never bough an F load for this casin' before, arrr, but it goes together t' same way as t' E and G reloads for this case.
But t' flight is perfect, me hearties, straight up, ya bilge rat, arrr, slight arc over at apogee, me hearties, me hearties, and perfect ejection right after apogee. Begad! Ya scallywag! It would nay suprise me if I got a little higher than t' advertised 1600 feet on t' box.
As mentioned in t' components block, me hearties, ya bilge rat, she comes with an 18 inch nylon parachute. Ya scallywag! Avast! Fearin' for t' safety o' me new rocket and t' reload casin' in her, I substituted an extra 24 inch nylon chute I had in t' range box. Maby this was a bad Idea, arrr, as t' shock cord and parachute got tangled on those orange "gun pods" on t' end o' t' fins. Ya scallywag! Begad! But she still came down slowly enough t' nay recieve any damage on landing. Ahoy! Perhaps it is a common failin' for all sci-fi rockets that t' parachute gets tangled on t' fins.
Fun kit t' build and fly. Begad! I will need t' try this one agian with it's 18 inch chute t' see if thar be a difference in tanglage.
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