Images Courtesy o' Ol'SaltRockets             

Overview

I saw t' Cyclone demonstrated at a TTRA launch a few months ago and be really astounded by its performance. Begad! T' Cyclone is a very small rocket that utilizes a novel combination o' helicopter and breakaway recovery. Begad! T' Cyclone has no parachute or shock cord; at ejection it separates into two halves with its two smaller fins attached t' t' lower half and t' larger remainin' fin attached t' t' upper half. T' lower half spins back t' earth fairly smartly but safely; t' upper half spins t' earth much more slowly, arrr, me hearties, like a maple seed.

Packaging

I am used t' conventional rockets with many parts and when I saw t' Cyclone in its kit bag I was worried that t' manufacturer had forgotten some parts because t' kit was so small. Well, blow me down! T' kit consists o' 14 small parts and an instruction manual in a clear plastic bag. Begad! One big plus t' me is that t' bag is folded and stapled with a header card rather than sealed. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! I'm always nervous when havin' t' cut open a sealed bag. T' smallest parts are in a smaller, me bucko, reusable zip-lock bag. Begad! Another plus. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, me proud beauty! When opened and laid out t' parts are easily discernible from each other. Avast, me proud beauty! No confusion here. All t' parts are o' exceptional quality. Ya scallywag! Blimey! All t' balsa fin parts are on one laser-cut balsa fin stock. Aye aye! T' balsa pieces came off t' stock cleanly with minimal effort and only required minimal sanding.

Instructions

This kit has got t' have t' best printed instructions I have ever seen, shiver me timbers, and I should know, I work for a printin' company.

On t' front page is a full color picture o' t' finished rocket. Ahoy! Inside, t' instructions are laid out in clear print (good for me agin' eyes) and crisp illustrations. Blimey! No bad surprises here. Heck, arrr, me hearties, I can't even find any misspellings.

In t' beginnin' it says, shiver me timbers, "These instructions are arranged in a logical order for easy assembly." Indeed! If you follow t' instructions, me bucko, you will find assembly t' be very easy.

Assembly

Assembly was generally simple. For me, matey, arrr, t' only difficulty had t' do with t' centerin' rings. Arrr! Begad! Notchin' t' centerin' rings was tough, me bucko, but that's because I don't have better tools for t' job. Peelin' t' top layers o' paper off two o' t' centerin' rings in order t' make t' coupler fit (as per t' instructions) was daunting, arrr, but I've never done it before; they came out okay and t' coupler fit perfectly.

Flight

As suggested in t' instructions, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, me hearties, I put off paintin' until I had tested t' rocket.

I took t' Cyclone t' a deserted park on a nearly windless day. T' first two flights were on vintage Estes 1/2A3-2Ts and went off without a hitch. Ahoy! T' rocket's ascent seemed t' favor t' large fin's side and required about five degrees compensation. That did t' trick t' get a good vertical ascent on t' second flight. As advertised, arrr, the Cyclone does pleasantly whistle durin' ascent. Ahoy! For t' third and fourth flights I used new Estes A10-3Ts. Ahoy! T' rocket flew substantially faster and higher but still stable.

Recovery

T' ejection charge separates t' top and bottom halves and these two parts fall back t' earth in a helicopter fashion at different speeds. T' lower half that holds t' engine spins smartly t' earth but received no damage when it landed in t' short ball-field grass. Avast! T' much lighter upper half spins like a maple seed and takes a surprisingly long time t' land, about t' same amount o' time as a rocket with a parachute. Durin' one o' t' flights, a thermal updraft made t' upper half almost hover momentarily. Begad! T' upper half also landed with no damage. All landings occurred within 50 feet o' launch site.

Maintenance

T' engine's ejection charge can foul up t' surface o' t' connectin' coupler and t' inside o' t' upper tube. Ya scallywag! You will need t' keep these areas clean in order t' ensure t' two halves separate in flight. Begad! Unfortunately, this information be left out o' t' instructions.

Rating

I give t' Cyclone 9 out o' 10 stars. Avast, me proud beauty! A ratin' o' 4 out o' 5 would be unfair.

PROS: This is a rocket everyone should build at least once. Aye aye! It is a great study in a different form o' recovery and is very entertainin' t' fly for others. It flies safely in a small field or large yard. Well, blow me down! Arrr! After years o' flyin' conventional rockets, me bucko, I found t' Cyclone's lack o' a parachute and shock cord t' be a refreshin' change and far less troublesome t' fly.

CONS: None, other than t' fact that I prefer 18mm engines and would prefer an upscale version o' this rocket that uses them.

That's it! Enjoy!