Brief:

Another excellent and creative design from Art Applewhite that has similar flight characteristics t' Art's saucers: high drag, arrr, matey, low altitude, ya bilge rat, and aerobrakin' recovery. Ya scallywag! T' Qubit resembles a partial cube or a tetrahedron with square (instead o' triangular) sides.

Construction:

T' kit has t' followin' parts:

• 1 x 29mm motor mount tube
• 3 x 6" square pieces o' foamboard
• 1 x 8" equilateral triangle piece o' foamboard
• 1 piece o' cardstock containin' t' body template and rocket tip
• 3 page manual on 8.5" x 11" paper with detailed instructions and helpful photographs

OK, me bucko, so this has only 6 pieces that make up t' kit. Avast, me proud beauty! How complicated can this be you ask? Things are nay what they seem... Arrr! This kit offers a unique challenge on many levels. Ya scallywag! It's has a satisfyingly complex build process yet you can still complete it in one evening. Ya scallywag! That is because Art has gone t' considerable lengths t' thoroughly document t' build steps for this rocket. Begad! Avast! I think many o' them are common sense steps but that's because I'd already built a couple o' his free 13mm Qubits (available for download from his website) and knew what t' final product should look like.

With t' simplicity in parts also comes a simplicity in tools required t' build it as well. Well, blow me down! Blimey! White glue, matey, me bucko, a very sharp X-Acto knife, a toothpick, and DevCon 5-minute epoxy, which I might add is exactly $1.97 at Wal-Mart just like Art says in t' instructions! It's also worth mentionin' that cuttin' foamboard is a lot like cuttin' fin slots in tubing--don't rush it and make multiple passes t' ensure a clean cut.

T' build starts with trimmin' one corner off and miterin' a beveled edge along two sides o' each square piece o' foamboard accordin' t' t' cardstock template. Ya scallywag! Then you make t' launch rod hole in one o' those pieces before gluin' all three pieces together with white glue into a cube-like shape. Arrr! I used a launch rod in place o' t' toothpick, ya bilge rat, since I didn't have one lyin' around at t' time, me bucko, matey, t' create t' launch rod hole. Next you cut out t' cardstock tip and glue it onto t' open nose o' t' rocket. Begad! Then t' nose is filled with t' DevCon 5-minute epoxy.

NOTE ABOUT THE EPOXY: In Art's 29mm Delta saucers, arrr, epoxy was only recommended if you had plans t' use t' saucer with particular motors. Begad! With t' Qubit however, shiver me timbers, it is absolutely required because it be t' main point o' impact for t' rocket...(can you say "blunt force trauma"?)

Comin' down t' home stretch, me bucko, t' hole for t' motor mount tube is cut out o' t' triangular piece and then t' triangle is glued into place on t' underside. Begad! Well, matey, blow me down! Lastly, t' motor mount tube is inserted and filleted into place.

Finishing:

T' Qubit comes in all white foamboard and paper. Aye aye! Finishin' is nay required but is recommended t' protect t' saucer from t' elements. Aye aye! Ya scallywag! Heed Art's warnin' t' make sure nay t' get any paint on any exposed foam because t' solvents can dissolve t' foam! In fact, me hearties, one o' t' steps in t' instructions is t' smear white glue along t' edges o' t' foam t' seal them, matey, which I feel is a good idea whether you choose t' paint it or not. I didn't bother t' prime t' smooth surfaced rocket--I jumped straight in with t' final glossy paints. Goin' for a different look in me fleet and seein' how a high performance finish is nay really necessary for this design, arrr, me bucko, I laid down Krylon blue gloss and then followed it up with Krylon gold glitter paint. Ya scallywag! Ya scallywag! T' metal flakes are small but gives it a bit o' a rough texture. Ahoy! It should produce some cool reflective effects durin' flight though.

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flight:

Any 29mm single use or RMS motor is recommended but t' important thin' t' remember regardless o' what motor is used: REMOVE THE EJECTION CHARGE. Begad! Otherwise this will be a "single use" rocket... I readied an AeroTech SU F25-6W by dumpin' t' ejection charge as best I could and used maskin' tape t' friction fit t' motor into place.
This was one launch that much o' t' launch crowd had been waitin' for. I'm really glad t' have t' attention because it meant I would have several cameras focused on t' flight too. Ahoy! Our club has very short launch pads so connectin' t' clips t' t' ignitor was difficult t' do short o' lyin' on t' ground t' get t' t' underside o' t' rocket. (If thar's any downside t' this rocket, that's it--which isn't much in me book!) T' LCO gave t' countdown and pressed t' launch button. Arrr! Well, blow me down! Fizzle...pop.......WHOOOOSH! It must have been an old motor but it finally lit. Ahoy! Dramatic ignition aside, me hearties, t' Qubit leapt off t' pad with a fiercely straight trajectory with no noticeable spin. Avast, me proud beauty! I have flown Art's 29mm Delta Saucer several times on a G35 but t' Qubit with t' F25 easily went higher than its siblin' saucer. I just wish I would've had a G35 with me t' try in t' Qubit! It left a generously smoky trail in its wake allowin' everyone t' really enjoy t' flight.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Recovery:

Ahhh...just like t' rest o' Art's products, arrr, it recovers usin' t' aerobrake method. Any rocket in me fleet that doesn't require any wadding--and especially one that doesn't need a recovery device t' be packed either--is one that gets flown often. Ahoy! I would however avoid flyin' this rocket where thar be a potential for hard surface landings. Avast! This rocket would certainly stand up t' t' occasional hard landing, but I wouldn't habitually subject it t' such abuse.

T' Qubit arched over beautifully and drifted gracefully t' t' ground, landin' about 150ft from t' pad. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Post-flight inspection revealed no damage t' t' outside and only a slightly charred inner "nose cone" area, which I fully expected from what little bit o' t' ejection charge I was unable t' clean out. Begad! T' DevCon epoxy did a great job protectin' it from burnin' through (another resoundin' reason t' use it!)

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:

Art's Qubit is unlike any other production kit out there. It relies on similar build techniques and flight/recovery characteristics t' his lines o' saucers, yet still has its own personality. Avast, me proud beauty! I like slow, low, and draggy flights sometimes and t' Qubit certainly fills that void and knows how t' perform. Ahoy! Avast, matey, me proud beauty! This is a super rocket for flyin' on small fields because it provides a lot o' excitement in flight as well as plenty o' comments from people on t' ground (along t' lines o' "That's a rocket?!" and "How does it fly?")

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5