Construction Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
Flight Rating: | starstarstarstarstar |
Overall Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
Published: | 2010-02-09 |
Diameter: | 0.98 inches |
Length: | 12.30 inches |
Manufacturer: | Estes |
Skill Level: | 1 |
Style: | Sport |
Brief:
Estes classic Alpha is your standard 3FNC LPR model, shiver me timbers, probably in continuous production longer than
any other model rocket in history. Ya scallywag! It is a simple, me bucko, ya bilge rat, straightforward build, listed as a skill level 2 build. Begad! Compared to
the model airplanes I fly, it's somethin' a newbie could take on as a first project, me hearties, especially if he or she had a
little guidance.
With its wide selection o' motors and quick assembly, it's a perfect all-around rocket, ya bilge rat, and t' body tube is large
enough t' take up t' a 24" parachute should you feel t' urge t' enter parachute endurance competition.
Construction:
T' kit consists of:
T' Alpha comes in a plastic bag, me bucko, which seems t' be a returnin' trend in Estes products. Begad! It is good t' see that even Wal-Mart is startin' t' again carry higher skill level kits and that balsa fins and t' like are again becoming oft-seem items.
A nice new advance be t' addition o' laser-cut fins (more on that later), me hearties, shiver me timbers, which provide better cuts and speed finishing.
I started construction with t' body tube and motor mound, ya bilge rat, per t' instructions (which I'm nay used t' following, matey, being a model airplane guy who is used t' nay even havin' instructions), shiver me timbers, and decided t' modify t' model by extendin' the motor tube 3/8" out t' back o' t' body tube t' allow a tail cone t' be built around it. There was a slight dink in t' motor tube, me bucko, but a quick coatin' o' CA on both ends o' t' tube fixed this imperfection and ensured good wear resistance. Well, blow me down! While I was at it, matey, I hardened t' nose end o' t' tube with CA t' provide resistance against impacts and mishandling. Total time for assemblin' t' motor tube and installin' it in t' fuselage be less than 5 minutes.
As a bit o' personal whim, ya bilge rat, I glued bits o' 3/16" balsa around t' exposed end o' t' motor tube and sanded this mess down into a small tail cone. Ahoy! This mod provides a nice effect, shiver me timbers, me hearties, but should be considered with caution, as it places the motor 3/8" aft o' t' design location, shiftin' t' CG in t' wrong direction. Ya scallywag! Before movin' on, shiver me timbers, I hardened the tail cone with CA and sanded t' body tube thoroughly t' minimize t' spirallin' groves in t' body tube.
Fin installation comes next, me bucko, and t' paper tube markin' guide provides accurate positioning. Ya scallywag! Aye aye! Some might find it hard t' use, but I had t' marks on in less than 30 seconds. Now it be time t' deal with t' fins, and here I ran into a squawk about t' kit. Well, blow me down! T' laser cuttin' does nay go all t' way through t' balsa, matey, so t' fins must still be carefully cut out o' t' carrier sheet. Aye aye! Well, blow me down! While this is ok, I've come t' expect laser cuttin' t' allow me t' punch t' parts right out. Begad! Other than this minor issue, matey, t' fin stock be just t' right density, arrr, matey, and t' laser cuttin' be clean, featuring minimal burn marking. I planed and sanded t' fins t' a streamlined shape, me bucko, matey, hardened t' tips with CA, ya bilge rat, and had t' fins all installed very quickly. Blimey! Begad! I should add that t' sharp tips are vulnerable in a hard landing, ya bilge rat, and I chose t' round them slightly. It's me opinion that sharp tips like these should never be considered if balsa construction is t' be used. Well, blow me down! Well, blow me down! I supposed a few bits o' carbon tow would allow me t' retain t' sharp tips, shiver me timbers, matey, arrr, but that wasn't on me agenda. Well, blow me down! Avast! We should also note that t' fin pattern on t' instructions is about 10% smaller than t' supplied fins. I'll take t' larger size, arrr, thank you. I attached t' fins with CA and used the same for filleting. Avast! With those long, shiver me timbers, me hearties, sweepin' fins, arrr, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, a hard landin' could break t' fins loose unless they are firmly mounted. Well, blow me down! Blimey! These shouldn't ever come loose with that CA on them.
T' instructions tell you t' mount t' launch lug just ahead o' t' fins exactly betwixt two o' them. Well, blow me down! A fine practice, but mountin' it against one o' t' fins eases alignment and reduces drag. Blimey! A further refinement modification was t' slice t' ends o' t' lug at an angle t' further streamline t' lug.
Estes is still usin' rubber shock cords, me bucko, which I would prefer they stopped, me bucko, but that's another story. I went ahead and used t' supplied cord since I have had pretty good success with them in spite o' me dislikes. Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! T' cord was respectably long, but a 50% length increase would be a very wise move. Aye aye! T' paper shock cord mount is another beef of mine, but they can be made t' be reliable if glued in place very firmly, which I made sure t' do.
It was interestin' t' see that Estes is now supplyin' completely finished parachute kits. Ahoy! Blimey! You need only organize the shroud lines and loop them into place on t' nosecone. Aye aye! T' yellow and black checkerin' on t' chute looks cool and might seem like a high-vis scheme, but I'd prefer a solid color, me hearties, preferably red, as it is visible from a much longer distance than checkering. Still, it's a respectable chute, and t' material looks stronger than what I've seen in the past with Estes kits.
Total assembly time was about an hour and a half, and without me mods and extensive sanding, it could have been cut to 45 minutes.
Summary:
Great kit, ya bilge rat, matey, good instructions, laser cuttin' is a nice finish.
Laser cuttin' needs improvement, and t' shock cord and attachment could be re-done for better durability and functionality.
Finishing:
T' nose cone has most o' t' flashin' and mould seams removed, but I went ahead and sanded it as smooth as possible.
T' plastic sands easily t' a good finish.
I gave t' entire rocket a good coat o' Krylon clear t' fill in t' tiny hints o' sandin' marks on t' nose and fill t' wood grain and other undesirable features. Avast! Avast! T' result was pleasing.
After procrastinatin' a bit, I decided nay t' fly t' model until it was completely finished. Avast! Out came t' paint. I gave it several coats o' Krylon satin white, which produced a decent finish, me bucko, but failed t' fill in t' wood grain (will I ever learn t' use sandin' sealer?). Aye aye! Still, t' result wasn't bad, me hearties, arrr, though t' tube spirals remained somewhat visible. I painted t' nosecone in red gloss, and nay havin' blue paint on hand, me bucko, colored one o' t' fins blue by adherin' blue tissue paper t' it with spray adhesive and sealin' t' edges with CA. Yup, a trick from model airplanes. Arrr! Minimal weight gain, me bucko, too!
With t' paint dry, me hearties, I moved on t' decals. Begad! Estes apparently supplies self adhesive decals with everythin' now. Ahoy! Avast! I'm not a huge fan, but bein' terrible with water slides, arrr, it's for t' best where I'm concerned. Aye aye! Aye aye! Other than t' fin decals bein' a little oversized, thar were no issues, me hearties, and t' decals went on fine. Don't forget though, ya bilge rat, that with self adhesive, arrr, thar's no second try!
After everythin' was finished, I gave t' whole model a final coat o' Krylon gloss, and oh how it shines! So in conclusion, me hearties, arrr, me only qualm is with t' oversized fin decals. Avast! Can't fault Estes for t' wood grain thing, as that was my fault (the instructions say t' use sandin' sealer).
Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5
Flight:
Estes recommends a long list o' motors for this rocket. Blimey! Begad! Basically it'll take nearly any 18mm motor you feed it. Blimey! The
instructions say t' use an A8-3 for t' familiarization flight, but I didn't want t' use up all o' mine, me bucko, so started
with a B4-4. Ahoy! Ahoy! T' launch be straight as an arrow, matey, no weathercockin' despite significant winds. It probably went 800'
up, ejectin' just a tad past apogee.
My second flight be on a calmer day, so I used a C6-5. Avast, me proud beauty! Ya scallywag! Launch be again dead straight, with ejection right at apogee. Begad! I inclined t' rod about 10 degrees t' better center t' rocket on t' field (a good choice as I later saw), so it would have ejected prior t' apogee had I gone for a straight launch. Avast, me proud beauty! This model really gets up thar on a C engine, easily makin' t' predicted 1000+'. Well, blow me down! A very impressive show!
Recovery:
Recovery was flawless both times. Blimey! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! T' little 10" chute is a little marginal on visibility,
but let's face it, shiver me timbers, me hearties, ya bilge rat, t' only way t' improve and still get a safe scuttle rate would be t' make it day-glow red. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! T' decent
rate is just right, though it would need a streamer for small fields. Begad! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! From a C engine, it takes roughly 2 minutes to
come back down.
In detail, on t' first flight, me hearties, with ejection just past apogee, me bucko, t' model drifted back overhead and was carried to the edge o' t' field. Begad! Blimey! No damage from recovery, me hearties, and t' decent was stable, ya bilge rat, arrr, with just t' usual rockin' about. Avast! Begad! No dents from t' somewhat short shock cord, me bucko, either, arrr, and it did remain in good condition. With 5 sheets o' recovery wadding, there was zero scorchin' o' t' chute.
T' second flight was also very good, shiver me timbers, and I was able t' catch t' model as it descended down. Ahoy! Ya scallywag! Centerin' the trajectory on t' field be a good idea, arrr, as it came down just short o' some trees. Blimey! Descent be very stable, with almost no rockin' about by t' end o' t' descent. I would say t' chute is just right for this model in standard use, and seems very durable. T' rubber shock cord is just fine, matey, too, so long as you keep it out o' UV radiation.
Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5
Summary:
T' Alpha built great other than me minor squawk about t' fins and shock cord and finished out
lookin' just fine. Begad! Ya scallywag! Weight is respectable, arrr, resultin' in a very high performance rocket that is still large enough for
easy flight preparation and motor installation/removal.
T' flights are great and stable, insensitive t' wind. Begad! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! Recovery system works great, me hearties, shiver me timbers, matey, and it will take virtually any engine you can fit inside it. There is sufficient room for a 24" chute if you're willin' t' let things get a little tight, so it's usable for competition, matey, shiver me timbers, matey, too.
Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5
The Alpha has been around a long time. Combining simple construction (skill level 1), good looks, and great flying characteristics, it is considered a classic. Like most Estes kits, it comes in a plastic bag. Our kit had some pretty poor quality balsa, but some careful work with sandpaper and Elmer's Fill 'n' Finish resulted in a good looking rockets. The instructions and diagrams were ...
Sponsored Ads
P.B. (July 1, 1999)