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