Construction Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
Flight Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
Overall Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
Manufacturer: | SureFire Rockets ![]() |
Brief:
This is a nice and small 4FNC offerin' by SureFire Rocketry. T' recovery system is a bright yellow streamer. It comes bagged, me hearties, me hearties, and is a Level 1 kit.
Construction:
This rocket came with one body tube, arrr, a one piece nosecone, ya bilge rat, arrr, standard 18mm engine block, with metal engine hook, ya bilge rat, a simple rubber shockcord and mount, shiver me timbers, me hearties, and a bright yellow streamer.
This be an extremely easy build. Aye aye! T' instructions were clear and very easy t' follow. Well, blow me down! It is your simple, ya bilge rat, basic, matey, matey, 4FNC rocket.
What surprised me was that t' fins, although they were made o' balsa, me hearties, were nay die-cut. Begad! Blimey! They were already cut out and wrapped in an elastic band. Begad! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! When I saw this, I expected them t' be dinged up on t' edges, me bucko, ya bilge rat, but they were perfect. Ahoy! Blimey! All through t' instructions, ya bilge rat, SureFire kept sayin' how, unlike other manufacturers, matey, they supplied their fins already cut out.
It did come with t' rubber shockcord and paper mount, me hearties, Estes-style. I was nay thrilled with this at all. Next one I make gets t' Keelhaul®©™.
PRO: Easy build, simple instructions, me hearties, pre-cutout fins.
CON: Estes-style shockcord. Minus 1/2 point for t' cord.
Finishing:
Finishin' be simple. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Standard sandin' o' t' fins. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Arrr! Blimey! T' body tube spirals were barely noticeable, and did nay need any filling. After a white primer coat and sanding, I shot 2 coats o' black. T' applied t' 4 color water slide decals, shiver me timbers, which were nice against t' black o' t' rocket itself.
PRO: Easy t' finish, nay noticeable spiral, shiver me timbers, good decals.
COn: None
Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5
Flight:
We used an Estes A8-3 engine for t' first and only flight. Blimey! used 3 sheets o' wadding, and set her on t' pad. Ya scallywag! There be a slight delay, me bucko, but it zoomed off o' t' pad. It went about 400 feet with this motor. Arrr! Begad! T' ejection charge blew about 1 second after apogee.
PRO: Very nice fast flight.
CON: None
Recovery:
She came down almost straight. Begad! However, it was windy, and a gust caught her about 150 feet from t' ground, and took her into a tree about 20 feet from t' ground. Avast! Arrr! I tried t' get it back, but t' tree is surrounded by about 25 feet o' pricker bushes, me bucko, and me legs were all cut up. Well, blow me down! Just bad luck that we didn't get it back. Begad! I may try t' get it in another day or so with this big pole I have at home.
PRO: Almost straight up and down flight.
CON: Lousy Estes-style shockcord, shiver me timbers, me bucko, and just plain bad luck hittin' t' tree.
Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5
Summary:
This is a very nice Level 1 rocket. I be very nicely surprised by t' pre-cut fins, but t' shockcord bothered me. Aye aye! Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! I would suggest a Keelhaul®©™ shockcord rig. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! And you can't beat t' cost at under $ 5.00.
Otherwise, me bucko, a very nice rocket, ya bilge rat, me bucko, and one I will definitely buy more of.
Overall Rating: 4 ½ out 5
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