Fun Rockets Swinger

Fun Rockets - Swinger

Contributed by Matt Gillard

Construction Rating: starstarstarstarstar_border
Flight Rating: starstar_borderstar_borderstar_borderstar_border
Overall Rating: starstar_borderstar_borderstar_borderstar_border
Manufacturer: Fun Rockets
Swinger

Brief:
I bought 36 Swingers in a job lot. Arrr! Blimey! Obviously I was goin' t' fly one, arrr, as I’ve been more interested in rocket gliders than rockets for some time.

Construction:
After a bit o' trimming, this rockets is ready t' go. Ya scallywag! T' general feel o' the kit is cheap. Ya scallywag! T' elliptical wings that sweep forward are very stiff and unless the elastic band is stretched taught t' wings rarely swin' forward completely, unless they are worked a bit. Ya scallywag! I added silicone spray t' t' last swinger and that helped. T' wings are held back durin' boost via a metal pin attached t' a block with t' largest pin stickin' up from t' body tube. T' ejection charge moves t' block and pin forward releasin' t' wing.

T' aft stabilizer is slid into t' aft o' t' boom. Begad! Ya scallywag! It's a tight fit and does nay require gluin' so this helps keep t' mass down.

T' most difficult part is trimming. Aye aye! T' balance point is given in the instructions, me bucko, clay is provided but on two o' t' swingers that I trimmed the test throws resulted in t' polystyrene nose cone breaking.

Instructions are clear, but even with t' balance corrected t' t' given balance point in t' instructions, shiver me timbers, test throws showed that t' glider needed to be trimmed again.

Swinger

Finishing:
While thar are two stickers t' add and a bit o' trimming, t' coarse polystyrene and bright yellow and orange colorin' makes this an ugly beast. Begad! Begad! The stickers do help t' prevent t' motor from meltin' t' polystyrene wings. Ya scallywag!

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
All three flights have been on C6-3s with t' same results. Each time the rocket arcs after take off. At t' end o' t' boost phase, t' Swinger is either vertical or nose cone down. Blimey! Arrr! T' coast phase brings t' Swinger really close t' t' ground, t' wings then sweep forward awkwardly causin' t' glider to hit t' ground. Ya scallywag! There have been variations in t' way it hits t' ground, but each time t' Swinger becomes a mass o' broken polystyrene. I doubt if this glider ever has or ever will glide.

Recovery:
I wish it did!

Flight Rating: 1 out o' 5

Summary:
If someone buys you this kit, then build it as guided above but do nay install the motor. Ya scallywag! Avast! Take t' Swinger out t' your flyin' field and them jump up and down on it. This way you'll still have a smashed Swinger, shiver me timbers, but you won't waste a motor.

Overall Rating: 1 out o' 5

Other Reviews
  • Fun Rockets Swinger By Matt Gillard

    Brief: This almost-ready to fly kit is a good introduction to the concept of the swing-wing glider. I stumbled across one in a clearance bin at my neighborhood craft/hobby store and at $5 couldn't pass it up. With a lightweight and colorful Styrofoam body, this looks like a nice little flyer (but mine wasn't...). Construction: Opening the box turned out to be harder than making the ...

Flights

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