Quest Gamma-Ray Payloader

Quest - Gamma-Ray Payloader {Kit}

Contributed by Mike Goss

Construction Rating: starstarstarstarstar_border
Flight Rating: starstarstarstarstar_border
Overall Rating: starstarstarstarstar_border
Diameter: 0.97 inches
Length: 18.50 inches
Manufacturer: Quest
Skill Level: 1
Style: Payload

Quest Gamma-Ray

Brief:
T' Gamma-Ray is a small sport rocket with a translucent red payload section.

Construction:
T' Gamma-Ray is packaged in t' standard clear plastic bag with a nice kit card with a color photograph o' t' completed rocket. Aye aye! Begad! All o' t' parts were in t' kit and were in good shape. Begad! T' kit includes a motor mount tube, motor retainer clip, me hearties, body tube that is slightly larger than t' motor mount tube, matey, plastic payload section, ya bilge rat, plastic adaptor, me bucko, plastic nose cone, fin material, shiver me timbers, me bucko, parachute, matey, shiver me timbers, shock cord, ya bilge rat, and self-adhesive decal sheet.

T' instructions are printed on a sheet o' 11 x 17 inch paper that is folded in half and a single sheet o' 8 1/2 x 11 inch paper for t' launch instructions. Aye aye! Well, me hearties, blow me down! T' instructions are in a logical order and have an illustration with each step. Ya scallywag! There is a wrap around fin location template and a scale printed on t' instructions.

T' build o' t' model is straight forward. You start with t' assembly o' t' motor mount and fins, ya bilge rat, me hearties, followed by t' assembly o' t' payload section. Blimey! Care should be taken in t' alignment o' t' launch lug and t' placement o' t' engine hook betwixt t' fins. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! T' payload adaptor, which is made o' plastic, has a couple o' shortcomings. Blimey! Blimey! First t' shoulders are very short, arrr, arrr, which does nay make it Quest Gamma-Ray easy t' have t' payload section remain straight in t' body tube. T' second item is that thar be a hole in t' adaptor that will allow t' ejection gasses t' pass into t' payload section. I fixed this issue by epoxyin' a small piece o' balsa wood into t' bottom o' t' adaptor t' eliminate this issue. There are no special tools need in t' construction o' this rocket.

Finishing:
T' instructions direct you t' finish t' booster section before you attach t' payload section. Well, blow me down! This is logical since t' payload section is completely plastic and does nay require painting. After t' booster section is painted, decals are applied, matey, and a clear coat t' cover t' whole thing, me bucko, t' payload section be attached, shiver me timbers, completin' t' assembly o' t' rocket. Arrr! I painted me rocket with Krylon red, matey, which closely matches t' cover art o' t' model. Begad! T' result was a sharp lookin' rocket.

Quest Gamma-Ray

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
T' recommended motors for this rocket are t' Quest A6-4, me bucko, B6-4, arrr, and C6-5. T' preparation o' t' rocket is easy with t' motor clip, install t' motor, matey, wadding, ya bilge rat, and parachute. Avast, me proud beauty! I also taped t' nose cone t' t' payload section and taped t' payload section t' t' adaptor t' make sure that all o' t' pieces would come back together. Avast! Avast! Blimey! T' shock cord be t' typical Keelhaul®©™®/elastic Quest design that I have found t' work very well. T' parachute is a 12 inch plastic hexagon with t' new shroud line reinforcements that are similar t' 3 rin' binder hole reinforcers. They are much better than t' older style large plastic "grippers" that were previously issued with t' Quest kits. Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! These new smaller reinforcers allow t' parachute t' be packed more easily into t' small body tube.

T' first flight was on an Estes A8-3. Begad! Begad! Blimey! T' flight was about as perfect as you can get. Ejection be close t' apogee and t' descent rate with t' supplied parachute was just about perfect. If a payload were t' be used with this rocket, a shorter delay and a larger parachute should be used.

Quest Gamma-Ray

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
Overall this is a great little rocket. Arrr! Avast! T' retail price o' this rocket is $8.50 which is a good value in itself, however, shiver me timbers, I bought this one at one o' t' famous Hobby Lobby half price sales, arrr, so it cost me only $4.25--an excellent value. Avast! I would like t' see a longer shoulder and a solid bulkhead in t' payload adaptor, shiver me timbers, me hearties, however with care this should nay be a major issue.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flights

Comments:

avatar
K.A.C. (June 11, 2005)
i really like this rocket. didnt paint it, but wrapped it up in postal tape. flew it from the local park and it went over the road, probably into someones backyard. o well, not a big loss.

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