Manufacturer: | FlisKits ![]() |
Brief:
This is a 4 fin, ya bilge rat, futuristic, me hearties, lightweight 10" rocket with streamer recovery
and high quality components. Well, blow me down! T' packagin' is very attractive, professional and
colorful as per FlisKit standards. An individual production number is provided
for t' first 100 kits, mine is #29. Begad! Avast! Although advertised as skill level 1,
eight fin parts must be cut from a balsa sheet and glued.
Construction:
This kit contained t' followin' parts, as listed by FlisKits:
T' assembly instructions for this kit consisted o' twelve easy steps printed on one sheet. Ahoy! Aye aye! T' steps were written for t' novice rocketeer with generous explanations throughout. T' usual fin templates and fin markin' guide are provided on a separate sheet allowin' for easy copyin' while eliminating the need for t' cuttin' o' instructions, me bucko, (One o' me pet peeves.) FlisKits always provide an ample supply o' balsa for t' hobbyist t' experiment, make mistakes and ultimately create a perfect set o' fins. Avast, me proud beauty! Although advertised as skill level 1, keep in mind that eight fin parts must be cut from a balsa sheet and glued together t' make four fins. Begad! Two o' t' fins have a slightly different shape than t' other two, resultin' in a model that is visually unique but challengin' for t' first time builder. Avast, me proud beauty! Also o' note be t' non-conventional shock cord/recovery device o' t' OverDrive. Begad! Due t' t' small 13mm body tube diameter, ya bilge rat, me hearties, FlisKits felt that an internal glued in shock cord mount would not fit easily, shiver me timbers, so they provide for a long Keelhaul®©™® cord that glues along a fin on t' outside. Aye aye! Well, blow me down! I built me kit totally stock and the exterior mount works fine, me bucko, although I added a small groove in t' nose cone to allow t' Keelhaul®©™® to pass under. Well, matey, blow me down! Blimey! T' design seems t' work well, although I have never had a problem with me Estes Screamer and its 13mm diameter body tube with accompanyin' internal shock cord mount. Aye aye! Blimey! With a length o' Keelhaul®©™® on t' outside, shiver me timbers, aerodynamics is compromised, matey, but it's nay noticeable on a non-competition rocket weighin' .3 ounces. Blimey! Blimey!
Finishing:
T' model be a delight t' finish. Well, blow me down! I don't know where FlisKits gets their body
tubes, arrr, matey, but I wish everyone used them. They barely have any spirals t' them,
requirin' but two coats o' primer and no filling. Begad! Another coat o' Krylon enamel
and some Krylon Clear Gloss resulted in a smooth perfect finish. Aye aye! I sprayed the
body tube and fins maroon with a yellow nose cone. Realizin' I needed to
highlight t' difference betwixt t' two sets o' fins, I masked off and painted
the tips o' t' two canard fins yellow as well. Begad! Unfortunately, no decals were
provided. I would gladly pay an extra dollar for a water slide decal sheet, shiver me timbers, me bucko, but
perhaps first time builders wouldn't. Ahoy!
Construction Rating: 3 out o' 5
Flight:
Preparation for launch be a little more difficult than usual because o' the
small body tube and stuffin' t' outside Keelhaul®©™®
shock cord under t' nose cone. Aye aye! After some "dog barf" waddin' and
some maskin' tape around t' recommended 1/2A3-4T for a friction fit, it was
ready t' fly. Blimey! We had a large crowd at our club launch and everyone was
surprised at how smartly t' OverDrive left t' pad and t' height attained on
a 1/2A engine. Begad! T' flight was perfectly straight.
Recovery:
T' 18" streamer deployed near t' 400' apogee and gently brought the
model down within 50' o' t' pad. I should be able t' launch t' OverDrive with
an A10 engine without fear o' losin' it due t' high visibility red paint and
streamer. T' model is so light that it almost floats down with no chance of
damage. Begad! Ahoy!
Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5
Summary:
This is a high quality kit with first rate components. Nay for t' first time
builder, ya bilge rat, this kit provides several challenges for youngsters or others with
limited exacto knife and glue skills. Begad! Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! It flies straight, very high and recovers
nicely on 13mm engines. Well, matey, blow me down!
Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5
Brief: I was at a two day Launch in Whitakers, NC where I had the pleasure of visiting a newer manufacturer who had a booth set up on site. FlisKits had come to the launch and boasted a professional display of their line, to include kits, parts and supplies for the fliers at the meet. It is there I got to meet one of the owners, Jim Flis, and that's when the Overdrive caught my eye. I ...
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J.F. (April 29, 2004)