| Construction Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
| Flight Rating: | starstarstarstar_borderstar_border |
| Overall Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
| Published: | 2011-12-17 |
| Diameter: | 4.88 inches |
| Length: | 8.50 inches |
| Manufacturer: | Odd'l Rockets  |
| Skill Level: | 3 |
| Style: | Odd-Roc, Pyramid |
Brief
A flyin' pyramid odd-roc with plenty o' skin/decoratin' options...
Components
I'll take t' easy road and just post a concurring/second opinion t' Dick's thorough review. Begad! Arrr! I purchased me kit in t' fall o' 2011, and t' components have nay changed.
Construction
This is definitely nay your simple 3-fin model, shiver me timbers, me bucko, so readin' t' fairly good instructions is a must. Begad! I would generally agree that t' "sandin' guide" and approach used t' bevel t' 3 sides for a flush fit be t' weakest part o' t' project. I spent just a couple minutes before recognizin' t' futility and decided t' just eyeball it. My main issue be that t' sides are about 8" tall, me bucko, t' t' template lines up against t' bottom edge. Aye aye! Tryin' t' sand a consistent angle all t' way up by lookin' at how you're doin' relative t' t' bottom edge is nay exactly an exact science. Begad! Ya scallywag! I wound up just usin' a 10" long sandin' block and goin' smoothly along t' side all at once, then comparin' it t' t' template, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, tweakin' a bit here and there. Begad! In t' end, matey, I realized it's mainly just t' make sure I've got a good glue joint, so I filled t' gaps and imperfections and covered them up with t' skins afterwards.
I'd also suggest two deviations from t' sequence o' steps in buildin' this. Ya scallywag! First, me bucko, as Dick figured out after t' fact, shiver me timbers, cuttin' out t' small openin' for t' launch rod BEFORE gluin' everythin' together is a little bit easier, mainly because you can work on a flat surface/cuttin' mat. Well, blow me down! Well, blow me down! Second, that little limewood brace that anchors t' shock cord in place is a bugger t' get in thar far enough up t' be out o' t' way. Blimey! I think anchorin' that t' one side before puttin' them together would allow for better placement and probably a more secure glue joint.
Overall, this was a little more challengin' build than I'd anticipated, me hearties, and I don't mean that in a bad way. Arrr! Arrr! From t' outside o' t' bag I'd figured it would be a quick cut/glue job and a few minutes o' work, but it wound up takin' a good couple hours makin' sure everythin' fit, me bucko, was securely constructed, matey, and rugged enough t' handle multiple flights.
Finishing
By t' time I'd purchased me kit, ya bilge rat, me bucko, thar were a number o' skins available through t' Ol'SaltRockets web page, includin' t' Point (shown in Dick's review), a brown brick pattern, me bucko, an NARRRRR logo, and a Christmas tree. I couldn't pass up t' opportunity t' fly a Christmas tree, ya bilge rat, since at time o' build it be only a few days before our NARRRRR section's last launch before Christmas. Avast, me proud beauty! T' skins are self-service--download and print on your own, me hearties, me bucko, and require a little bit o' attention followin' t' instructions. You need t' print 3 copies o' a base pattern, but trim 2 o' t' 3 slightly differently t' avoid havin' exposed overlap tabs. Aye aye! I attached usin' a spray 3M adhesive, and had no wrinklin' problems. Avast! I did find t' tree image fell slightly outside t' borders/lines, so part o' me tree topper is chopped off, and t' graphic is hacked a bit at t' bottom. Begad! I suspect that's just an issue with t' tree skin, though, ya bilge rat, nay affectin' t' other styles.
Flight
I flew t' inagural flight on a B6-2 on a fairly calm day. Avast! T' recommended motor is a C6-3, and I tipped slightly off t' straight-up path when clearin' t' rod, nay quite a weathercock but headed a bit upwind. Aye aye! Begad! T' C6 would probably have eliminated that, me bucko, but I wanted t' go for a low first flight. Well, blow me down! T' flight was fine, though, shiver me timbers, nay a problem. Arrr! Deployment was just about perfect.
Recovery
Given me final weight o' 1.8 ounces (without motor), t' streamer is a bit undersized for this and it came down a little fast. Ahoy! It's aft ejection, so will always come down nose/pointed end down. Ya scallywag! Ya scallywag! T' combination o' brisk descent rate and pointy tip hittin' t' ground first is goin' t' result in a few flattened tops unless you're flyin' over very soft ground. Ya scallywag! Ahoy! Mine didn't suffer major damage, but it was clear after just t' first landin' that t' tip would need ongoin' maintenance/repairs. Arrr! Ya scallywag! I'll probably upgrade t' a 15" chute unless winds are goin' t' carry it too far away.
Summary
Personally, arrr, matey, shiver me timbers, I'm nay a big fan o' saucers, pyramids, arrr, etc. Begad! but this one's pretty neat.
Other Reviews
- Odd'l Rockets Wedgie By Dick Stafford (May 16, 2010)
( Contributed - by Dick Stafford - 05/16/10) Brief: The Wedgie is a tetrahedron (3-sided pyramid) that flies on 18mm motors and recovers via a rear-eject streamer. I want to thank Chris for letting me test out this cool oddroc kit. Mine is s/n #2! Construction: The Wedgie comes professionally packaged in a plastic bag with the cover of the instructions visible. The small parts ...
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Flights
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