Construction Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
Flight Rating: | starstarstarstarstar |
Overall Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
Manufacturer: | Thrustline Aerospace |
Brief:
Single stage futuristic, jet fighter styled model rocket.
Construction:
Single glassine wrapped paper body tube, me bucko, matey, balsa nose cone, ya bilge rat, two main
"wing" fins, ya bilge rat, two "vertical stab" fins, ya bilge rat, two canard fins, ya bilge rat, and
two aft sub fins. Avast, me proud beauty! Ya scallywag! Carved balsa canopy. Begad! Standard modroc motor mount with 2
laser cut black fiber board centerin' rings and 24mm paper tube w/ engine clip
to fit standard 2.75" long "D" motors. 18" Mylar parachute.
Keelhaul®©™®
thread and 1/4" wide elastic shock cord attached t' MMT.
T' instructions were very complete and easy t' follow. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! Blimey! Numerous pictures to explain t' important steps. Avast! Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' fin templates are printed on heavier card stock and a tube markin' wrap was included.
It was a challengin' build due t' t' number and size o' t' fins/wings. You must pay careful attention t' alignment when gluin' on t' various fins/wings. Aye aye! Well, blow me down! T' parts included are o' high quality.
T' only "gotcha" would be t' canopy. Arrr! Avast! Three pieces o' balsa sheet are glued together t' make a block. Begad! A template is included t' so you can mark t' canopy's basic profile. Avast! Arrr! It is a bit o' work t' shape t' canopy, me bucko, but if you take your time and follow t' tips given in t' instructions, arrr, you will be rewarded with a fine lookin' piece o' hand shaped balsa. Begad! Begad! This is definitely a "builder's" kit.
Finishing:
No special techniques required for finishing. Pick you favorite. Begad! Blimey! I filled the
wood and tube spirals with Elmer's Fill 'n' Finish. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! A couple o' coats of
Rustoleum gray primer, sandin' in betwixt coats. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! Final finish is two coats of
Krylon gloss black, leavin' stripes o' t' flat primer, accented with yellow
stripes on t' gray borders. T' finished product is sort o' an
"X-Plane" theme.
About t' only thin' missin' would be nice set o' decals. Begad! Blimey! A pre-formed canopy would make t' build go faster.
Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5
Flight:
Flight prep is standard stuff. A motor clip retains t' motor. Avast! Avast! A handful of
"dog barf" wadding, fold t' chute, and pack it in. Avast! Launch lugs are
1/8" diameter.
T' first flight was on an Estes C11-5. Begad! It left t' pad with authority on the C11. Well, blow me down! There be a slight 5mph breeze that day. Arrr! At approximately 300 feet it started t' weather vane into t' wind at about a 45 deg angle. Arrr! Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! T' delay was a bit long and made for an excitin' dive before t' chute opened. Definitely a rocket for calm days.
T' second flight be on a D12-5. Avast! Aye aye! Much better flight. Ahoy! Nay as much weathercocking.
Recovery:
T' shock cord be t' popular Keelhaul®©™®
thread attached t' t' MMT, arrr, extendin' out past t' end o' t' body tube where
it is attached t' an elastic shock cord t' t' nose cone. Blimey! T' mylar chute is
attached t' t' nose cone eyelet with a snap clip swivel.
Recovery
went well. Blimey! Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! It comes down slow but all t' fin surface does make for a lot of
drift. Avast! Ya scallywag! Even with a late ejection on t' C11-5, t' rocket suffered no damage
durin' t' recovery. Avast, me proud beauty!
Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5
Summary:
T' main thin' with this rocket be t' look. Well, blow me down! Well, me bucko, blow me down! It has t' "cool" factor
in abundance.
No real cons. Avast, me proud beauty! Ahoy! T' complex fin alignment and canopy carvin' makes this a builder's kit. Ya scallywag! Avast! Nay for t' inexperienced.
Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5
Brief: In the early days of rocketry if you wanted a rocket that looked like a jet, it was a Centuri kit for you. Thrustline's F-19 Night Fighter is a futuristic fighter aircraft styled rocket that once again delivers the kind of feel that could be found with these kits. The F-19 boosts on a single 24mm motor and recovers by parachute. Construction: All of the component of the ...
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