Aerotech G-Force

Aerotech - G-Force {Kit}

Contributed by Darwin May

Construction Rating: starstarstarstarstar_border
Flight Rating: starstarstarstarstar
Overall Rating: starstarstarstarstar
Diameter: 4.00 inches
Manufacturer: Aerotech
Style: Sport

Aerotech G-ForceBrief:
T' G-Force is a single staged, parachute recovered large model rocket.

Construction:
There were 2 4" body tubes that were made out o' t' AT tubing. Blimey! I opted t' design t' rocket for a payload by nay gluin' t' nose. Well, blow me down! Ahoy! It has 3 fins made o' EXTREMELY thin plastic that look just like t' Sumo fins. Aye aye! T' motor mount was 24" by me best guess, and made from thick cardboard. Blimey! T' shock cord appears t' be 12' and be t' elastic kind. Avast! It has an ACE 4:1 Ogive nose. Well, blow me down! It is glued on per t' instructions, matey, however I tied a separate shockcord t' it and made it removable.

T' instructions were very easy t' follow for such a large rocket. There were a few illustrations that were kind o' hard t' see due t' contrast, however they are probably nay needed. Avast, me proud beauty! Ya scallywag! Blimey! There were no templates included with this rocket as t' Fin-Lok system aligns t' fins right with a little help from eyeballing.

This rocket be very easy t' build as I have come t' expect from AT kits. Ahoy! There were no alignment issues. There be one problem with fit: t' coupler is extremely tight. Arrr! Ahoy! I sanded it for a while and now it slides out easy. Arrr! Aye aye! T' only sturdiness issue I found was with t' fins. Upon measurin' with calipers, ya bilge rat, they are .07 inches thick.

Aerotech G-Force Pros: Pretty sturdy except for t' fins

Cons: Thin fins and t' coupler fit

Finishing:
I have a suggestion for paintin' this rocket: wash t' nose first. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! I did nay and t' paint is now flakin' off o' it. Begad! Blimey! T' decals are t' standard peel & stick which were kind o' a pain because if you want t' G-Force letterin' t' appear you need t' paint t' area on t' fins white first. Ahoy! Blimey! I did this, and feel it is worth t' extra work. Arrr! Blimey! T' wrap decal be hard t' get on, me hearties, and it goes around where t' rocket splits so it needs t' be trimmed at t' joint. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Paintin' be easy...simply prime, ya bilge rat, paint black part, mask first few inches o' black, paint blue.

Aerotech G-Force

Pros: Easy t' paint

Cons: Decals are difficult t' apply

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
T' recommended motors are any o' t' AT consumer motors includin' t' G64. My first flight attempt was on a G35-4W, which CATOed. It turned out t' be one in a bad batch. Blimey! T' second flight attempt be at t' KCAR launch on a G64-4W. Ahoy! It be me second reload. T' flight be perfect, me hearties, delay might have been a couple seconds long but it be perfect at apogee. Ahoy! It missed t' neighborin' porch by 10-15 feet and I had a very short walk for recovery.

Aerotech G-Force

It has a baffle, shiver me timbers, so no flameproof material is required. I attempted t' use me home built retention system but t' motor could easily slide out. I guess it needs a spacer. Ya scallywag! T' CATO from t' G35 had damaged t' MMT and t' motor be a bit loose, matey, shiver me timbers, but I decided t' risk losin' me reload casing. As it turned out, arrr, it was still firmly in thar after t' flight.

Recovery:
T' shock cord be made out o' elastic. T' chute be a 48" ripstop nylon which was reefed about 12" up. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' recovery be a bit on t' fast side which yielded a short walk.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
I think this is a very good rocket for someone seekin' t' get into G power.

Pros: Easy preparation, arrr, arrr, easy assembly, nice and sturdy

Cons: Decals, me bucko, thin fins, and t' coupler fit.

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5

Other Reviews
  • Aerotech G-Force By Ryan Chavis (August 5, 2016)

    Great flight for my L1 cert launch! Flies slow and smooth, lots of fun! Overall Rating: 5

  • Aerotech G-Force By Kyle Cornelius

    Large mid power model for low altitude flights. Very good materials except the coupler which needs to be beefed up Very quick assembly with major problems in construction. The instructions were pretty straightforward. The fins could be sturdier, but I have flown this rocket 10+ times with only a cracked joint. Very good major components. Finishing: Easy to finish, except for its size, ...

  • Aerotech G-Force By David Kneble

    This is a great mid-power flyer with two downsides, limited range of motors, high price. All the normal components: Two 4" tubes, an ACE nosecone, 42" parachute, bulkhead equipment, motor tube, CR's, baffle system, elastic 12' shock cord, fins. Instructions are very simple if you have built any other Aerotech kits. If not, then read through them and make sure you understand them. If you ...

  • Aerotech G-Force By Dan Schneider

    Aerotech's 4", G-powered, parachute recovered rocket using their proprietary LABYRINTH ejection baffle system. Pros: Big (for Aerotech) Easy to build, very nice flyer Cons: Limited recommended motor range. Very thin fins. Pricy. Being my first 4" kit, my first impression was WOW! There's something very nice about being able to get your hands into the airframe to work. All the parts listed ...

Flights

Comments:

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S.R. (July 1, 2000)
This is my favorite rocket. It is loud, low and slow and allows me to use G motors in the small field I fly out of. After about ten flights, the elastic shock cord started showing signs of wear. Aerotech confirmed that it would be OK to replace the elastic with Tubular Nylon. I ended up replacing the 12-foor elastic shock cord with 24feet of 1/4-inch tubular Kevlar® from Giant Leap Rocketry. Small rubber bands kept all that TK from tangling when the recovery system deployed. It worked perfectly.
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D.B.Jr (January 14, 2002)
This is one totally awesome rocket. It was also my first MPR kit. I received it for Christmas. The kit was an absolute dream to assemble. I really was impressed with the fin-lok system and the ejection baffle. Sure beats handfuls of recovery wadding. I did however find the upper body wrap a real pain in the neck. First flight was on a G40-4W. Nice slow, straight boost with a perfect recovery. I highly recommend this kit. I do feel that the price could be reduced. Hobbylinc.com sells this kit for $88.59.
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D.J.D. (February 1, 2002)
Why the reviewer gave a 4 out of 5 for this rocket is beyond me. This has got to be my favorite rocket out of about 40 in my fleet. It was my first 4” tube and I have flown it at least 12 times – G40’s and 80’s. It flies PURFECT every time, in all conditions, all weather – even gusty winds. The only change I made with to use tubular nylon instead of elastic. The G-Force is tough too. Have had some hard landings, where the fin sticks into the ground. Just clean it off and fly it again. If you want a great big rocket for small fields – this is it. I have other Aerotech kits and this is by far the best one. I think I am going to buy another one and replace the MMT with a PML Phenolic 38mm tube and fly it on H and I motors.
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K.D. (July 5, 2004)
The G-Force has become my primary G-powered rocket. As someone else mentioned, it's loud, and can be flown in modest-sized fields. I do suggest one modification - upgrade the motor mount to 38mm to increase your motor options. This bird flies very nicely (and even louder) on Pro38 G's, and can easily handle the 2 grain H, with no reinforcing.

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