Polecat Aerospace V2 (7.5")

Polecat Aerospace - V2 (7.5")

Contributed by Dave Way

Construction Rating: starstarstarstarstar
Flight Rating: starstarstarstarstar
Overall Rating: starstarstarstarstar
Manufacturer: Polecat Aerospace

Polecat Aerospace 7.5in V2

Brief:
This V2 kit is a single deployment, shiver me timbers, parachute recovery kit with a 54mm mount. T' rocket has a built in electronics bay accessed by a side hatch.

Construction:
T' kit came with everythin' you need t' complete except epoxy and a chute. Ya scallywag! Blimey! It includes a 7.5" diameter body tube already glassed, shiver me timbers, a very nice fiber glass nose cone, slotted tail cone, matey, four 1/4" plywood fins with beveled leadin' edge, fiberglass cloth for reinforcement o' t' fins, 3 plywood centerin' rings, shiver me timbers, 1 nosecone bulkhead for recovery system mounts, a 30" long 54mm motor tube, and a 7" long built-in plywood electronics compartment. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Blimey! T' kit also includes mountin' hardware for recovery system consistin' o' 2 U-bolts with washers and nuts and a tubular nylon strap. Begad! Blimey! Rail buttons were a nice finishin' touch.

T' instructions were very clear and easy t' follow along with great pictures o' each step.

Polecat Aerospace 7.5in V2 T' build was very easy other than t' fiberglassin' that is done in t' interior o' t' tail cone. Aye aye! It is kind o' hard t' get t' but t' instructions walk you through how t' make some simple tools t' get t' job done nicely. Avast! Avast, me proud beauty! Mine turned out great other than some sticky hands. Ahoy! Aye aye! T' kit is very large and you have t' sort o' wrestle t' parts around when settin' on t' fins but it worked out great.If you have never built a big kit like this make sure you always think big when mixin' up your epoxy, ya bilge rat, me hearties, it takes plenty t' get it right.In t' end, arrr, everythin' aligned perfectly and seemed t' be very strong.

Finishing:
As you probably already know t' V2 really had no markings other than some interestin' paint schemes and great lines. Blimey! I decided t' do mine with a version o' t' ragged camo as found on t' V2 reference guide scale info from Rocketry Online (ROL). Aye aye! After sandin' t' entire rocket and fillin' some small imperfections, I be ready for paint. Begad! I first painted 2 large sections o' t' rocket white. Avast! Aye aye! Then with 2" maskin' tape I carefully tore t' tape in half leavin' 2 ragged edge pieces that were then used t' mask out t' other colors. Avast! Blimey! I did this with 3 colors: Krylon white, arrr, camo olive, matey, and camo tan. Begad! With t' paint dry, t' entire Polecat Aerospace 7.5in V2 rocket be wet sanded with 600 grit sandpaper before sprayin' it once more with satin clear coat t' give it that flat, no shine look. Well, blow me down! (I have t' confess I copied t' 10" V2 photo on t' Polecat website.) I finished it off with a 54mm Aero Pack retainer.

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flight:
Talkin' t' Andy at Polecat, he said t' rocket can be flown on anythin' from a J t' an M. Arrr! Ya scallywag! I chose t' fly mine for t' first time on a Cesaroni Pro38 J285. Avast! Aye aye! I used t' Aero Pack 54-38 adapter that is really cool and works great with t' 54mm retainer.

I prepped t' V2 with a new 85" Sphereachute I picked up at t' factory and added a big piece o' Keelhaul®©™chute protector.

Polecat Aerospace 7.5in V2 I used a Cannonball Works RRC2X 25K altimeter for one deployment charge at apogee and used motor deployment as a backup.

After makin' all t' appropriate calls t' set things up, we were off t' t' desert for a test flight o' t' V2.

We touched off on t' motor and t' V2 jumped t' t' sky like one o' its smaller cousins only a little slower. Avast! Very straight, matey, slow, matey, loud, matey, me hearties, and awesome. T' flight was perfect. I can't wait t' try a K!

 

Recovery:
Deployment be perfect and t' big 85" Sphereachute brought it home without a scratch. Avast, me proud beauty! Impressive flight! T' altimeter beeped out 1335 feet on a J285 with a 10.75 pound bird. Ahoy! Begad! Nay bad, Cesaroni!

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
This kit was a lot o' fun t' build due t' its big size. T' part were all high quality and fit perfectly as intended. T' rocket is very strong and impressive lookin' as it sits on t' pad. Well, me bucko, blow me down! As always though, t' best part is lettin' it fly after you nervous finger touches t' button and everythin' works perfect. Begad! Begad! You are rewarded for all t' work and time spent.

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5

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