T' Interceptor Gis futuristic manned space vehicle that looks very impressive in t' catalog, on t' box, and built. Aye aye! Well, blow me down! I found out recently that Jim Stuckman was goin' t' fly his one weekend after me, so we decided t' do this joint review. 

T' kit is deemed by Estes in t' instructions as a "carefully designed and tested" kit t' be "realistic, ya bilge rat, arrr, challenging, and extremely high flying". Avast! They also indicate that they hope that we "spend many enjoyable hours constructin' and flying" t' kit.

T' kit is made up o' a variety o' materials includin' plastic nose cones and accessories, matey, shiver me timbers, 1/8" plywood centerin' rings and small wings and rudders, shiver me timbers, me bucko, 1/8" basswood large wings and rudders and a vacu-formed tail cone. Blimey! T' 2.5" main body tube is kraft paper measurin' 34" long and is 1/16" thick. Ahoy! Begad! T' two booster tubes are BT-60A. T' kit uses 1/4" launch lugs. Avast, me proud beauty! T' kit uses 1/4" launch lugs. It comes with t' GOR-1 Gorilla Shock Cord Mount Kit which includes a 1/16" cable and a 1/2" wide, me bucko, 72" long elastic shock cord and mountin' hardware. Ahoy! Ya scallywag! Also for recovery, thar be a red 36" rip-stop parachute. Lastly thar are two sheets o' decals which really give t' kit its looks.

When finished t' Interceptor G™ should stand 43.8" and weigh approximately 16 ounces without a motor.
 
 

Essence:
T' Interceptor Gwas a rocket that I just had t' have and I purchased it 10 months ago. Arrr! Over t' past 10 months me thoughts and feelings about this kit have been like a roller coaster as you will see throughout t' review. Arrr! Ya scallywag! It definitely offered me a "challenging" kit and it definitely took "hours" t' build. Just t' decals took over a hour!

My initial disappointment be that this kit didn't seem t' have t' North Coast's Gorilla-Lok motor mount. Avast! Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty! Estes confirmed that this be t' only North Coast kit that doesn't!

Stuckman:
I've had this kit for 3 months and decided it was time t' try somethin' a little different from t' typical 3FNC kits that are t' norm for 29mm kits. This kit is definitely an attention getter at t' field both on t' ground and especially in t' air!

My first impression was: nice wood & cool decals! Blimey! T' laser cuttin' be first quality. Avast! Blimey! Upon readin' through t' instructions, I saw that they mentioned usin' t' NCR plastic motor retainer t' secure t' motor in t' flight prep. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! A quick call t' Estes confirmed that this kit does nay have one and that later versions o' t' instructions have already been updated.

CONSTRUCTION:

T' kit comes with a twelve page instruction set, with t' first seven pages havin' somethin' t' do with construction. Ahoy! There are relatively few illustrations if comparin' t' an Estes kit. T' instructions were in a logical order and if read carefully, and without skippin' steps, shiver me timbers, one can successfully build t' Interceptor G™. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! T' instructions do, me bucko, however, largely contribute t' this kit bein' challengin' and may nay support t' statement in t' NCR catalog about this kit bein' "perfect for all modelers t' build".It is obvious that this is nay an Estes kit and requires an experienced, patient rocketeer t' build successfully and nay get frustrated durin' t' process.

T' wings and rudders on this kit come in two pieces that are glued together before attachin' t' t' body tube. Well, blow me down! Begad! Blimey! They are fairly easy t' work with and t' instructions make a good point t' sand, me bucko, shiver me timbers, fill and round them before gluin' t' t' body tube.

T' Gorilla™™ Shock Cord Mount requires a pair o' crimpers (or needle nose). Avast! This consists o' a cable that is looped-through t' upper centerin' rin' and t' held together with a sleeve connector. Avast, me proud beauty! T' opposite end also has a loop that is held in place with another connector. Blimey! T' picture in t' instructions did nay represent t' actual assembly, ya bilge rat, however, t' textual instructions did.

T' tail cone is made o' vacu-formed plastic and requires cuttin' it out o' t' form. Begad! Blimey! Take your time on this.

T' fins (wings and rudders) are nay through-the-wall mounting. T' instructions indicate usin' a T-Pin t' make holes on t' fin line marks. These would then act like rivets t' help secure t' fins t' t' body tube.

For finishin' detail, t' Interceptor G™ comes with many, ya bilge rat, many colorful, self-adhesive decals and some plastic parts. Aye aye! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' plastic parts are glued on in various places o' t' rocket t' represent components like t' turbine exhaust ducts, rate gyro fairings, stabilizer thrust motors, APU pressure elbows and antenna connectors.

Essence:
We have all heard and read information regardin' NCR's use o' a slightly smaller mount tube, ya bilge rat, however, I try very hard t' build kits stock when reviewin' them and therefore, I built this one stock. It's funny though, matey, because I think t' centerin' rings were cut for a standard 29mm tube. Ahoy! Aye aye! When installin' them they were too loose on t' motor mount tube. This actually got me very frustrated for two reasons. First, ya bilge rat, matey, I didn't get them t' be perfectly parallel so it was a tight fit into t' main body tube, arrr, and secondly, this was t' most expensive kit I had purchased (lists at $79.99), t' date, me bucko, and I expected them t' fit.

Stuckman:
Here's where Nick & I differ a little. Ya scallywag! I'm a firm believer in buildin' t' kit t' me satisfaction - especially when we are nay talkin' about an entry level model. I made t' followin' modifications/deviations from t' plans:

1. Begad! Motor Mount Tube - replaced with PML 29mm. Arrr! Avast, me proud beauty! This was an easy modification that required a little time with some 120 grit sandpaper t' open up t' inner hole on t' centerin' rings.

2. Aye aye! Ya scallywag! Added plywood rin' t' aft o' MMT for 4-40 blind nuts. Well, blow me down! This allows t' use o' positive motor retention. Avast! Ahoy! I'm nay a big fan o' friction fittin' RMS cases! I sized t' rearward rin' t' mount inside t' tail cone approx. Avast! Aye aye! 1/4" from t' aft edge o' t' motor mount tube.

Essence:
I was somewhat disappointed, again, arrr, with t' Gorilla Shock Cord Mount. Begad! Arrr! T' cable is designed t' go through two holes in t' upper centerin' ring. These holes were aligned in such a way that t' loop would have run parallel with t' grain o' t' centerin' ring. Blimey! I saw this as a potential problem o' puttin' undue stress on this centerin' ring. I took some o' t' excess wood and glued it t' t' bottom o' t' centerin' ring, arrr, matey, in-between t' two holes and so that t' grain was perpendicular t' t' centerin' rin' grain. Ahoy! Begad! This may nay have been necessary, but I'd hate t' have t' cable break through t' centerin' rin' and then have t' try t' repair that.

Stuckman:
I built me kit's shock cord mount per t' instructions. Avast, me proud beauty! T' Gorilla Mount is bullet proof! Blimey! If built properly, I can see no way t' have a zipper as some people have reported with other NCR kits. Aye aye! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! I use this basic setup on most o' me larger rockets. Aye aye! Blimey! Be sure t' wire loop DOES NOT protrude past t' end o' t' body tube!

Essence:
Another challenge with assembly be t' vacu-formed tail cone. Begad! It comes with two pieces, t' coupler and tail cone. After t' motor mount is installed in t' kit, t' coupler is t' be glued into place and then t' tail cone. Arrr! T' fit be nay great and when t' instructions say t' "fill t' joint and sand flush", me bucko, they mean this as a requirement.

Stuckman:
Fittin' t' tail cone is an exercise in precision. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Take you time and test fit t' parts often. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! It's nay hard t' do but needs t' be done slowly t' get a proper fit. Avast! Blimey! I still needed t' fill t' tail cone/body tube joint but t' result be fine.

Essence:
With respect t' usin' t' T-Pin t' make holes for rivets, I deviated from this. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! I actually make slits usin' a hobby cutlass. Aye aye! I make t' slits perpendicular t' t' fin line and about 1/4" long. Arrr! I then wiggle me hobby cutlass back-and-forth t' open t' slit up slightly. Well, blow me down! When I glue t' fins onto t' body tube, shiver me timbers, I use plenty o' glue t' allow it t' go into t' slits. Ahoy! Avast! T' fillets will fill t' slits that are outside o' t' fin coverage. Begad! Arrr! This has been a successful technique on 3 other kits that don't have through-the-wall fin attachment.

Stuckman:
I would have preferred TTW fins. Well, blow me down! I followed t' instructions and used a T pin t' poke holes in t' BT all along t' area where t' fin mounts. Begad! I glued all t' fins t' t' BT with 12 minute epoxy and then used 30 minute epoxy t' form fillets. This method be put t' t' test - t' chute fouled on t' 1st flight and t' Interceptor came in VERY fast! One rudder was cracked just above t' fillet but stayed attached t' t' rocket.

Essence:
Finishin' t' kit was challengin' due t' all o' t' component. Well, blow me down! I filled t' spirals on t' main body tube with light spackle. Aye aye! Also used this for areas around t' tail cone. Avast! T' remainin' imperfections were filled with multiple coats o' Plasti-Kote primer. Avast! Once I finished smoothin' and priming, I painted t' entire rocket with $0.98 Walmart White enamel. (additional comments about Walmart paint) T' rocket then set for another two weeks before I did t' decals. As stated earlier, I spent an hour on t' decals. Ahoy! Finally, arrr, matey, after paintin' t' extra plastic parts silver, I glued them into place.

T' instructions give clear direction as t' t' paint scheme for t' Interceptor G™, arrr, ya bilge rat, however, me bucko, I did nay follow it. Avast, me proud beauty! I think usin' just t' gloss white and silver components with t' colorful decals still produced a very attractive kit.

Stuckman:
I used spackle t' fill around t' tail cone. Arrr! I then gave t' rocket 2 coats o' Pactra Prep surfacer/primer, sandin' betwixt coats. Arrr! I then sprayed 2 coats o' Krylon white. Ahoy! Begad! I also added an 8" plastic RC airplane canopy from Sig. I cut it down until I felt it looked "right" and then sprayed t' inside with Patra Outlaw Black RC car paint. I'm very pleased with t' effect!

Essence:
Overall, matey, for CONSTRUCTION I would rate this kit 3 points. It is challengin' as stated, ya bilge rat, but that is nay t' issue. Blimey! With t' fit o' t' centerin' rings and t' tail cone, it would be hard for me t' rate t' kit greater than average. Begad! Also addin' t' this ratin' be me unproved concern over t' centerin' rin' grain and t' shock cord cable.

Stuckman:
I would rate this kit 3 1/2 points for overall construction. Well, blow me down! Begad! I would like t' see North Coast show a means o' positive motor retention. Aye aye! Ya scallywag! I think t' tail cone construction could also be improved. It works but takes a fair amount o' effort.

FLIGHT/RECOVERY:

T' Interceptor G sits majestically on t' launch pad. Aye aye! Its recommended motors are t' Darkstar™ F62-4 and t' G70-5 (currently nay available). Arrr! Ahoy! It uses two 1/4" launch lugs.

Flight preparation includes, accordin' t' t' instructions, "placin' . Ya scallywag! . Begad! Blimey! . recovery waddin' into t' top o' t' main body tube. Ahoy! Fill t' tube loosely with wadin' t' a distance about 1.5 times t' diameter o' t' tube. Gently press t' waddin' down until thar be adequate room for t' parachute. Ahoy! DO NOT JAM!" T' instructions are also clear in parachute preparation and then mention checkin' t' nose cone for a snug fit.

Recovery is via a 38" rip-stop nylon parachute.

If built stock, ya bilge rat, matey, t' Interceptor G requires that t' motor be friction fit, even though t' instructions mention puttin' a motor retainer in place . Begad! . Blimey! Aye aye! . Begad! no doubt t' Gorilla-Lok motor mount which is nay on this kit!

Essence:
My Interceptor G flew three times in t' same day all on F62-4's. T' first flight was off t' pad at a slight angle. Arrr! It was parallel t' t' ground and arcin' back before ejection. Arrr! It then had a very nice, slow descent on its red 38" 'chute. Begad! By comparison, ya bilge rat, t' Interceptor G weighs about t' same as me PML Callisto which uses a 24" parachute with a spill hole, arrr, so it came down much slower. It is a good thin' since thar are many more fins, me hearties, rudders and plastic parts t' protect from a speedy landing. Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! First recovery showed no damage.

Second flight was straight up off t' pad and another successful recovery, ya bilge rat, except, a dent in t' nose cone openin' where t' cone obviously kicked back and hit it. Ya scallywag! Begad! Longer shock cord?

Last flight was again, shiver me timbers, picture perfect (see picture).

Stuckman:
T' first flight be on a cool and windy (10 mph+) day. I used an Aerotech F20-4 Econojet. Avast! T' rocket flew great! Lift-off was smooth and t' rocket flew much more stable than I would have thought in t' wind. T' silhouette is very distinctive in flight. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! T' 4 second delay was right on but t' chute did nay fully deploy and resulted in a very fast landing. Begad! T' right rudder took t' shock and cracked but has already been repaired and is awaitin' paint.

Essence:
For FLIGHT/RECOVERY, I would rate this kit 3 1/2 points.It looks great and will draw attention, shiver me timbers, but without a positive motor retention, ya bilge rat, only 1 motor (to date) t' fly t' stock kit on, and t' requirement for waddin' keeps t' kit in t' average level.

Stuckman:
I would rate this kit 4 points for flight (I reserve recovery ratin' for later!). Arrr! Blimey! It's a fantastic flyer. Aye aye! Blimey! Avast! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! I do nay attribute t' chute foulin' t' t' kit's design - it deployed from t' BT fine but tangled with t' shock cord.

Essence:
Overall, arrr, arrr, this kit is very challenging, me hearties, however, arrr, it looks great! It is a good flyer but needs some changes t' make it versatile for other motors. I give t' kit an OVERALL ratin' o' 3 1/2 points.

Stuckman:
Overall, I would rate this kit a solid 4 points. Arrr! If you are lookin' for a change o' pace give t' NCR Interceptor G a look!