Aerotech - Barracuda {Kit} (89020) [1992-]

Aerotech Barracuda

Aerotech - Barracuda {Kit} (89020) [1992-]

Contributed by Alejandro Bulaevsky

Construction Rating:
Flight Rating:
Overall Rating:

Diameter:	0.45 inches
Length:	13.00 inches
Manufacturer:	Aerotech
Style:	Sport

Brief
This is a single stage, shiver me timbers, me hearties, easy t' build rocket. Blimey! Avast! It is a big rocket that files on E through G motors.

Construction
All o' t' parts were thar and in good condition. Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! They were made out o' high quality cardboard and plastics. Arrr! T' instructions were easy t' follow and t' assembly order be easy. Avast! It all fit well and was a snap. My only problem with it was that it was too easy t' build. Well, blow me down! I finished it in no time at all, and t' fun o' buildin' was over! T' through-the-tube fin lock system be very strong. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! All parts are pre-cut.

T' rocket has 4 pre-cut plastic fins. Blimey! There are 2, 4cm long launch lugs that are square and plastic. Ahoy! Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty! Two tubes made up t' rocket, me hearties, shiver me timbers, one be slotted for t' fins. T' instructions had very good illustrations o' every step.

Finishing
Easy t' finish. T' paint stuck t' t' body tube without a problem. It came with decals but I decided nay t' use them. They were peel-n-stick decals.

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

[Rocket Pic] Flight
Don't use t' smallest motors too often, because it will give you a sinkin' feelin' that t' shoot will nay open soon enough. Begad! Has a coolin' mesh (no waddin' needed), so you don't have t' worry about your shoot. Arrr! T' motors fit right in with a retainin' clip. Ya scallywag! Ya scallywag! Perfect flights with no problems!

I flew it on a E with 5 second and a G with 7 second delays. I have flown it twice, so far.

Recovery
Very strong chute and shock cord, very well mounted. Begad! Ahoy! No burnin' or damage and it seemed t' fall at a good speed.

T' shock cord is black, arrr, stretchy, and thick(er) elastic. Begad! It is about 6 feet long. It mounts above t' motor mount, me bucko, above t' coolin' mesh. Begad! T' parachute is 10 inches wide.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary
T' kit is very easy t' build, and will nay take much time. It looks good when finished and fly's well. It is nay a performance rocket, because it is quite long. Arrr! Blimey! Nice liftoffs.

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5

Other Reviews

Aerotech Barracuda By Dan Patell
A single-stage, E-G powered kit with parachute recovery. The kit included a nose cone, two 1.9" body tubes, a tube coupler, shock cord, three fins, two launch lugs and the whole motor mount system. The instructions were pretty easy to follow, as are the other Aerotech kits I have built (Arcas and Initiator). If you complete the kit per instructions, there shouldn't be any real hassles. The ...

Flights

Comments:

D.S. (September 1, 1999)

This is a VERY EASY kit to build. The 3 snap in fins can be a little bit of a pain, but work well. I added a filet of epoxy w/ microballoons for better aesthetics and more strength. The nose cone was not quite optimal. There were imperfections in the molding of my NC. Nothing major. A (very) little bit of FNF and a little sanding, and it was fine. Comes down pretty quick, but the fins are study enough to handle it.

J.C. (June 1, 2000)

My decals were inserted into one of the body tubes. Somehow the decal started to peel away and got stuck inside the tube. I damaged the decal sheet taking it out. I called Aerotech and they said they had seen it before and sent me a new sheet. I got the sheet even before I finished the rocket. Thank you Aerotech! The coupler tube on mine needed to be sanded before it slid easily into the lower section. I messed up during assembly and one fin is not locked in place. The super glue had set before I realized what happen. I think it will still fly OK, however. I had a very hard time getting the fins to snap in until I saw some plastic molding humps on the side of the fin. Sanding all the fin surfaces that make contact with the engine mount made the fins snap in better. I haven't flown this rocket yet.

D.P. (March 1, 2001)

Another great Aerotech kit. The long, sleek design makes for a great rocket to fly on a wide variety of motors. I have only flown mine on the E23 once, but am still happy for its performance.

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