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