Construction Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
Flight Rating: | starstarstarstarstar |
Overall Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
Published: | 2011-05-22 |
Diameter: | 1.64 inches |
Length: | 16.00 inches |
Manufacturer: | Estes |
Skill Level: | 2 |
Style: | Sport |
Sometimes a kit arrives in t' mail and you immediately question the state o' mind you were in when you bought it. T' Estes D.A.R.T. was that kit for me. Picked up in an Ebay deal, I swear I have no idea what would have possessed me t' even think o' buyin' such an odd lookin' rocket. T' D.A.R.T. is a pretty standard 3fnc rocket hindered by a paint scheme that makes it look like t' love child o' t' Cat In T' Hat. That said, it turned out t' be a pretty decent performer.
Instructions were typical Estes, well written and illustrated with nothin' resemblin' a "gotcha". T' build itself was very standard, matey, with t' only change I made bein' t' obligatory one o' swappin' in some Keelhaul®©™ and a longer piece o' sewin' elastic for t' tri-fold mount and too short rubber band that t' kit came with. Fins were first glued on with LocTite Gel CA, ya bilge rat, me hearties, me bucko, then secured further with double glue fillets o' Elmer's Wood Glue.
Finishin' wasn't terribly hard, me hearties, but it did pose t' only challenge o' t' entire build. After t' glue had dried, t' entire rocket was shot with a double coat o' Valspar primer, matey, then two coats o' thinned Elmer's Fill & Finish, shiver me timbers, sandin' betwixt coats. Since t' entire body is t' be painted blue, shiver me timbers, t' only thin' t' do was decide what blue that might be. After almost ten years back in t' hobby, ya bilge rat, me bucko, one tends t' accumulate a large amount o' orphaned spray cans whose contents can only be determined by checkin' t' nozzle. That be exactly what happened in this case. T' blue is a bright metal flake that has long since lost any identifyin' label, but never seems t' run out. I wish I knew where I'd bought it, because it sprays nicely and never seems t' run, shiver me timbers, rare for a metallic paint in me experience. T' nose cone was sprayed with Valspar gloss white, then masked off and sprayed with Valspar Apple Red. When t' paint had dried, I began t' pull t' maskin' tape off and some o' t' white paint came with it, ya bilge rat, matey, but none o' t' red. Nay wantin' t' do a repaint and since it easily passed t' ten foot test, me bucko, me bucko, I left well enough alone.
T' first D.A.R.T. Arrr! launch took place on a typically breezy VOA day, another o' those circumstances where t' dead calm at home became an iffy flyin' prospect at t' field. I don't drive 45 minutes t' turn around and go home, so I put up four first timers. T' D.A.R.T. left t' pad with authority on an Estes C6-5, cockin' hard into t' brisk breeze. Despite t' windcock, arrr, t' flight was high and nicely stable over t' south end o' t' field. I started walkin' t' t' south at ejection, but stopped almost immediately when it became apparent that t' rocket was goin' t' come back close t' t' pad, matey, shiver me timbers, if nay over it. T' D.A.R.T. Begad! hit the ground hard, me bucko, shiver me timbers, tail first, but sustained no damage despite one fin burrowin' itself in t' soft dirt.
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