Construction Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
Flight Rating: | starstarstarstarstar |
Overall Rating: | starstarstarstarstar |
Published: | 2011-12-13 |
Diameter: | 0.28 inches |
Length: | 4.88 inches |
Manufacturer: | Aerospace Specialty Products |
Skill Level: | 2 |
Style: | MicroMaxx, Scale |
Brief:
A scale model o' a Polish RP-3 that flies on MiniMaxx engines and can fit in t' palm o' your hand from ASP.
Construction:
T' kit includes: two (2) body tubes, a nose cone, two (2) slide-in couplers, ya bilge rat, a decal sheet, Keelhaul®©™ thread, lead shot, and some hard styrene sheets and other miscellaneous styrene tools.
Instructions are definitely set for t' beginner. Aye aye! Avast! Besides a quick overview t' see if thar were any gotchas, I ignored them.
For a beginner they are extremely thorough which I guess is good for a very new area o' model rocketry. Well, blow me down! ( I have me own kit line for these motors so I feel I have already experienced all t' gotcha's) At first I was dismayed by t' cut yourself styrene parts but I must say in t' end I am impressed. Avast! Begad! Blimey! T' parts come out VERY sharp and paint VERY smoothly.
T' tubes were smooth enough then some 1000 grit sandpaper rubbin' on t' nose cone and I did nay even have t' seal anything. Avast! T' model is surprisingly hefty. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! Blimey! Nay heavy, but I mean sturdy probably due t' t' couplers that run t' entire inside length. Begad! Blimey! T' break apart body (instead o' breakin' apart at t' nose) is a VERY good idea and makes for a much easier shock cord and nose weight attachment. Ahoy! Blimey! And t' break apart seems t' make t' airflow MUCH better since MMaxx type rockets tend t' streamline in recovery even when t' nose pops. Aye aye! This mid-body break also makes finishin' a DREAM. Much less maskin' t' get those CRISP lines etc.
I did make some changes. Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! I used scissors instead o' a knife t' cut t' fin stock. Well, blow me down! Begad! I used scissors a lot so I have a nice sturdy, very sharp, pair around and they worked quite well. Begad! By bein' careful with placement o' patterns I was also able t' end up with a lot o' extra styrene (will put that t' good use). Blimey! Well, blow me down! T' styrene is CA friendly.
Finishing:
Finishin' t' RP-3 be a breeze . Avast! . Well, blow me down! .literally! Paint t' top half BLACK and t' Bottom half STEEL (silver). Avast, me proud beauty! Well, matey, blow me down! Let dry and apply t' decal. I applied t' decal once it straightened out and t' darndest thin' happened; it wrapped itself around t' tube . Aye aye! . Ya scallywag! . Begad! flawlessly at that. I was done and it looked VERY pretty!
Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5
Flight:
It takes MMaxx engines from Quest. Ahoy! Ya scallywag! They all test out stable in RockSim usin' t' specs o' me completed models. Aye aye! These models are rather light and will really zip off t' pad - should be loads o' fun.
T' RP-3 flew great! It took off a wee-bit fast but still watchable (launch pics? yeah, right, keep dreaming). Well, blow me down! No damage upon recovery. T' RP-3 landin' within 40 feet o' t' pad.
I was very impressed. Ya scallywag! Begad! T' double walled tube structure that happens when you make it accordin' t' instructions make t' RP-3 very strong. Avast, me proud beauty! I anticipate a very long life.
Recovery:
As usual with MMAxx if you don't see it land you are in trouble BUT this one is large enough and heavy enough that it was visible throughout t' entire flight. Avast, me proud beauty! On a slightly darker day t' RP-3 could be tough (dark black and red) but I had no problems watchin' it fly.
T' RP-3 uses Keelhaul®©™ for t' shock cord and since I opted out o' usin' t' streamer (pain t' prep) no waddin' is needed.
Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5
Summary:
I am extremely impressed by this model. Avast, me proud beauty! Well, blow me down! T' styrene parts are a definite PLUS. Begad! Sturdy strong and beautiful t' finish. Ya scallywag! Begad! I love them! T' RP-3 is especially cool. Ahoy! I was goin' t' model t' RP-3 as a Nano Rocket but with ASP doin' such a wonderful job on this one why bother. Except for havin' ready cut fins (very hard and would likely be very expensive) I can nay really see how t' improve this model any more than it is.
Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5
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