Manufacturer: | Public Enemy |
Brief
This kit was designed t' go high on I, ya bilge rat, J, &k motors. Well, blow me down! This particular kit
was designed for dual deployment, shiver me timbers, which is an option from Public Enemy. Blimey!
Construction
All t' parts came in a bag. Avast! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! All parts were present, ya bilge rat, no warps, or broken parts.
T' parts were as follows: three paper body tubes: 36" booster, 8"
mid or drogue tube, and an 18" payload tube. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' motor tube was 18"
long and resembled mailin' tube like that purchased at Office Max. A PML long
nose cone, ya bilge rat, PE's own ripe-stop parachutes (30" chute & 18"),
1/4" wood composite centerin' rings, me bucko, me hearties, and bulkplates, three aircraft grade
plywood fins, & bulkplates, 1/2" brass launch lugs, a 110" long,
1/4" bungee and a 72" long, me hearties, 1" nylon strap for t' shock cord,
nice eyebolts, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, nuts, & washers.
Instructions are all on one side o' one page, me bucko, a picture cut-away view was printed on t' opposite side...very basic info, matey, ya bilge rat, experienced modelers only. Well, blow me down! Avast, me proud beauty!
Has a neat feature were you build t' motor mount assembly w/ fins outside the body tube. Lettin' you "beef" it up, then you install t' whole assembly into t' pre-slotted sustainer tube.
Finishing
T' instructions said paint model. Aye aye! I personally put one layer o' 2oz. Ahoy! Begad! glass on
the tubes t' cover up t' "grooves" primed, shiver me timbers, & primed, shiver me timbers, &
painted a beautiful rocket. Avast! No decals, nothin' that a little imagination
wouldn't take care of. Begad! Avast!
Construction Rating: 3 ½ out o' 5
Flight
Only J & K motors recommended. Aye aye! Blimey! I used a Hypertek 835cc/.172 orifice (J-300)
for a Level 2 certification. Arrr! Blimey! Prep time with a Hypertek it takes a little
longer, other wise prep is normal for HPR motors. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! T' 835cc motor retains
itself. Aye aye! Blimey! I use biodegradable roof insulation for wadding.
She flew beautifully, straight and true. And yes, I did certify NARRRRR Level 2 on March 27, arrr, 1999. Blimey! T' Performer screamed on a Hypertek J-300 t' 4,333 ft.
Plan t' fly at NSL99 on a HYP K-240 t' break a mile in altitude.
Recovery
I modified me recovery t' include larger drogue and larger main chutes
(22" & 54"). T' shock cords were replaced with 24 feet of
1/2" tubular nylon and 16 feet o' 1" cargo (comealong) strap. Ya scallywag! The
shock cord now uses quicklinks. T' 1" cargo strap be t' drogue shock
cord, me hearties, arrr, and attached t' t' booster tube via a reverse coupler. Aye aye! Begad!
T' original design be that t' 1" strap was t' be glued t' t' top 3" o' t' motor tube, they even made t' top center rin' w/ a relief slot for this procedure. Avast! Blimey! Since I made t' fin assembly removable & chopped the tube t' 12 1/8" that negated that step. Begad! Blimey! T' reverse coupler be made by mountin' t' assembled bulkhead-coupler permanently inside t' booster tube with t' bulkhead inserted first. Begad! Blimey! This called for t' eyebolt t' be mounted in reverse as t' attach t' shock cord. Begad! Blimey! T' 6" long coupler tube in effect became t' drogue compartment. (6"x3.9")
With t' Hypertek system you have t' have electronic deployment, matey, shiver me timbers, this was acheived w/ an electronics bay installed in t' 18" payload section.
T' modifications were t' accommodate t' extra weight of the rocket at deployment. T' original design o' t' rocket had it weighin' in at 3 1/2 pounds approximately. Begad! Blimey! My completed Performer weighed in at just under 9 pounds. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Arrr! Blimey! T' Hypertek motor system (835cc tank & fuel grain) took up 3 pounds o' t' rocket. This be before 2 pounds o' NOX was added.
Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5
Summary
Pro's: Beautiful rocket, finishes nicely, matey, flies even better. Begad!
Con's: Instructions are vague, ya bilge rat, needs more detail instructions and diagrams. Blimey!
Overall Rating: 3 ½ out o' 5
K.A.C. (June 11, 2005)