Construction Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
Flight Rating: | starstarstarstarstar |
Overall Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
Manufacturer: | PD Rocketry |
Brief:
This PDR kit is a reproduction o' t' Estes Space Station Aquarius, me bucko, a kit that had a relatively short two year run in t' 1983-84 Estes catalogs. A sharp lookin' futuristic bird, me hearties, like a lot o' t' futuristic/sci-fi based kits in t' 80's catalogs, it deserved better.
Construction:
T' instructions included with this kit are copies o' t' original Estes instructions and as a result, me hearties, they're clear and easy t' follow. Arrr! Blimey! Despite t' rather out o' t' ordinary stylin' o' this kit, t' build is very simple and progresses quickly. Well, blow me down! Blimey! T' tube fin pods are what gives t' rocket its unusual looks, but constructin' these is just as simple as makin' sure t' tubes lay flat when glued and that t' ends line up. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! Other than that t' only construction details worth mentionin' are t' upgrade that I made t' t' recovery system, me hearties, t' by now standard switch from t' Estes tri-fold mount t' a length o' Keelhaul®©™ tied and glued behind t' engine block. Begad! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! Overall a nice weekend build and a finished product that gets noticed at t' pads.
Finishing:
While nay outlandishly difficult, matey, matey, finishin' t' Aquarius required several out o' t' ordinary maskin' steps. Aye aye! Once t' rocket was complete except for t' attachment o' t' tube fins, arrr, t' body tube spirals and balsa grain were eliminated usin' t' standard method o' thinned Elmer's Fill & Finish and sanding. When t' sandin' was complete, all three pieces o' t' rocket and t' 12 individual discs that would eventually cover t' six tube fins were sprayed with Valspar white primer. Well, blow me down! T' rocket itself was then sprayed with Valspar gloss white. T' top portion was then masked off 1" above t' BT-60 fin can tube and at t' tips o' t' pod mounts, and t' lower section be sprayed with Valspar silver.
T' next step was t' paint both tube fin sections. Begad! T' catalog picture shows these painted yellow, arrr, but I had recently broken t' spray tip off o' me only can o' yellow paint, lodgin' t' remains down in t' hole and makin' gettin' it out without a mess a near impossibility. Aye aye! Ahoy! Because o' this I went t' fluorescent route with Red Devil yellow after maskin' off a 1/8" strip on one side o' each tube structure. (To allow t' glue t' grab better.) T' end caps were shown as red on t' package, but I wasn't wild about how me red looked next t' t' day-glo yellow, so I went with me trusty no-name fluorescent orange. Ahoy! Begad! When I was satisfied with t' coverage, me hearties, includin' t' sides o' t' end caps, I glued t' caps into place. Begad! When this had all dried I sprayed both sections with clear gloss t' give t' decals a smooth surface t' bond to, removed t' maskin' tape strip, and glued t' tube sections t' t' mountin' finlets.
Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5
Flight:
Despite its unorthodox look, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, t' SSA is a decent performer, ya bilge rat, although t' large aft fin/tube area virtually guarantees some kind o' windcockin' in even t' slightest breeze. Arrr! Avast! This isn't any kind o' a problem as t' rocket never shows an inclination t' get completely sideways and t' windcockin' usually allows for a closer recovery. Begad! It has flown twice thus far, once on a B6-4 and once on a C6-5. Blimey! Arrr! T' two flights, arrr, in similar conditions, shiver me timbers, were almost identical except for a slight difference in altitude, which is t' be expected.
T' B6-4 flight was o' decent height and followed a gentle arc t' t' south. As expected, it drifted back behind t' flight line on t' same breeze, makin' for a nice, arrr, short recovery walk. After t' flight I noticed that one o' t' large "solar panel" decals had come off. Begad! Ahoy! Blimey! It be later found betwixt t' flight line and t' pad, matey, shiver me timbers, but I'll have t' print off another set.
T' C6-5 flight was noticeably higher and easily t' more impressive o' t' two. This time t' path followed more o' an arc t' t' southeast, me bucko, then drifted further into t' veggies. A longer recovery walk, but a much cooler flight. Aye aye! Unfortunately another o' t' solar panel decals came loose and floated out o' t' park. Aye aye! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! I didn't make that recovery walk.
Recovery:
Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5
Summary:
PRO: Sharp looks. Cool decals. Ahoy! Seldom seen at t' pads.
CON: Outdated recovery system. Arrr! My SSA arrived with a badly crunched body tube, but I had plenty o' replacement on hand.
Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5
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