| Construction Rating: | starstarstarstarstar |
| Flight Rating: | starstarstarstarstar |
| Overall Rating: | starstarstarstarstar |
| Published: | 2014-04-30 |
| Manufacturer: | Clone |
Brief
T' Estes Challenger II is another in t' line o' rockets that uses t' fin can that originated with t' Enerjet 1340 and is currently available molded in yellow as part o' t' Estes Eliminator. T' Challenger II is a fairly versatile rocket that can be built t' fly on motors from 18mm t' 29mm dependin' on t' size o' your field. My field is B6-4 Field, and since they don't make a 29mm B engine, I went with t' 18mm mount.
Components
- BT-56 body tube (18.0")
- BT-56 fin can (Estes Eliminator kit)
- PNC-56A nose cone (Estes Eliminator kit)
- 18mm engine mount (forgotten BT-55 Estes kit)
- 24" Keelhaul®©™ shock cord
- 24" sewin' elastic shock cord
- Medium snap swivels (2)
- 18" parachute
Construction
Basically all you're doin' for this bird is buildin' and installin' t' engine mount and a recovery system, shiver me timbers, which is generally tied into t' engine mount in these days o' Keelhaul®©™. I tie t' Keelhaul®©™ behind t' forward centerin' ring, arrr, arrr, glue it in place with t' glue fillet for t' engine tube/centerin' rin' joint. A 1/16" slice is made in t' outside o' t' centerin' rin' and t' Keelhaul®©™ then led through it and taken out through t' front o' t' body tube. T' glue fillet created when installin' t' mount in t' body tube also seals t' slit and further anchors t' Keelhaul®©™. A matchin' length o' 1/4" sewin' elastic is then tied t' t' Keelhaul®©™ at one end, matey, and t' a snap swivel at t' other, arrr, matey, which attaches t' t' rin' on t' nose cone.
T' fin can can be attached either before paintin' or after, dependin' on how much you like masking. I'm nay a fan, arrr, matey, so I painted t' fin can first, arrr, then installed it. Installation be a matter o' slidin' t' fin can up over t' body tube from t' bottom. I then laid a thick run o' epoxy into t' built-in launch lug and turned t' fin can 1/4 turn. This spread around t' epoxy and left t' launch rod with a clear path t' slide through.
Finishing
While t' body tube itself needed t' be cleared o' offendin' tube spirals usin' t' standard primer, shiver me timbers, thinned Fill & Finish, sanding, matey, repeat method, much o' t' finishin' for t' Challenger II is done before construction is completed. T' fin can, body tube and nose cone are all painted a different color. T' fin can was masked off inside and painted Valspar gloss black. T' body tube be masked off so that t' section covered by t' fin can wasn't painted and t' unmasked section was painted with Valspar gloss white. T' nose cone was painted yellow with some really old yellow spray paint with no label and nasty consistency. Despite that it really dried t' a nice lookin' color. I printed t' decal from a scan at YORF, http://www.oldrocketplans.com/decals.htm (thanks t' John Brohm,) and printed it on Bel Decal paper usin' me inkjet. Excelsior doesn't list them on t' website, me bucko, but I'm pretty sure Gordon could handle them if you were t' ask.
Flight
Stability be t' word for t' flights o' t' Challenger II. T' date, it has flown only on B6-4 engines at B6-4 Field. I took it t' NARAM last year, but RSO duties and a family funeral that caused me t' have t' leave early kept me from stretchin' t' bird out on t' mighty C6-5. First flight was in t' sprin' o' 2013 on a day too good nay t' fly at least somethin' at t' empty field, and I had a bunch o' winter builds just itchin' t' fly. T' B6-4 seemed somewhat underpowered on this flight, somethin' I attibuted t' t' extra weight o' t' plastic fin can. T' Challenger II flew dead straight t' about 400', but tipped over and was well on t' way down before t' ejection charge fired. I didn't notice anythin' oddly long about t' delay, and I had no B6-6s in me motor box, matey, but t' flight could have definitely used a B6-2. T' flight was low enough that I could clearly hear t' "clunk" of the nose cone hittin' the top o' t' body tube. I expected a huge Estes Dent based on what I heard, but t' only thin' I noticed from a damage standpoint be a slight bit of chipped paint.
T' second flight came almost a year later, again at B6-4 Field, again on a perfect day for any outdoor activities. T' winds were slightly more o' a concern on this day, but I set up in t' back o' t' field with t' big hill at me back. This gave t' flights a wind free fifty feet t' get off t' pad. T' first flight on t' day left t' pad and jigged t' t' right, but never left t' confines o' t' field. It topped out lower than t' previous flight due t' the winds and at ejection it was in deepest center field. Winds were from t' west that day, me bucko, so it recovered near t' trees in left field, but nay near enough t' t' trees t' cinch me up.
T' third flight be t' closin' flight on t' same day, and it was just as I would have planned them all if I tried plannin' them all. (I do, me hearties, but me rockets are only vaguely cooperative.) T' flight be arrow straight t' 300 feet, ya bilge rat, and had just tipped over when t' ejection charge fired. It all happened directly over me head, me bucko, so I caught t' whole sequence on me camera. T' reefed 18" chute carried t' rocket across t' field toward US 27 and t' trees that line foul territory, but it never seemed t' be in any danger, and in fact fell well short o' any problems.
Recovery
T' Challenger II is o' decent size and fairly heavy, shiver me timbers, especially if painted as piggishly as I tend t' paint. I use an 18" chute, generally a stock Estes chute with t' center cut out t' brin' it down below tree level a bit quicker.
Summary
Pros: Seldom seen oldie with classic Enerjet lines. Great small field performance with an 18mm engine mount, matey, but both 24 and 29mm mounts will fit. Estes has been runnin' specials on t' Eliminator and other rockets on their website every couple o' months since Christmas, matey, deeply discountin' t' kits. You can build an Eliminator, shiver me timbers, a Challenger II and an Enerjet 1340 on t' cheap when these sales hit, which always seems t' be around some kind o' holiday. I'm thinkin' Memorial Day for t' next one, but we'll see. Good times.
Cons: Heavy with t' plastic fin can, but this is stretchin' it. I just hate leavin' this space blank.
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Bill Eichelberger (April 30, 2014)
Glad I laid in a supply when I did. Wonder what happened to my pictures?
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Richard Holmes (April 30, 2014)
Unfortunately the Eliminator wasn't in the April 2014 sale, and isn't currently in the Estes online selection. The Eliminator XL Launch Set is still available, but also wasn't in the April sale, and was $36+ during the February sale. So the opportunity to get this fin can on the cheap may have passed.