Brief:
Futuristic, me hearties, Sci Fi, Transport, Parachute Recovery, me hearties, ya bilge rat, 24mm motor mount.

T' Explorer Aquarius is t' me mind one o' t' nicest lookin' rockets t' have come from Estes. Begad! Somethin' about the design says t' me, me hearties, "this could really happen". Ahoy! Well, blow me down!

I scored mine from eBay and was too intimidated t' start it for a long time. Well, arrr, blow me down! Blimey! Now t' time has come and I opened it up. Ahoy! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! It looks t' be much easier than I thought it would be.

Construction:

Construction began by locatin' t' 24mm motor tube and markin' off t' distance for t' engine hook and the centerin' rings. I thought about leavin' out t' hook in order t' accommodate long E's but decided I would likely use AT E's instead. Avast, me proud beauty! A slit was made for t' hook and t' hook be inserted. Blimey! Avast! T' instructions said nothin' bout wrappin' it but I went ahead and added some electrical tape. Well, blow me down!

T' centerin' rings were then sanded a bit on their inner surface, me hearties, ya bilge rat, slipped onto t' motor tube up t' t' marks and glued into place with yellow glue. Begad! Well, blow me down! Fillets were applied t' both sides o' t' rings. I found no thrust rin' in the package and found no mention o' one in t' instructions but figured t' rocket would last longer with one so I cut the end off an old E9-6 casin' and glued it into place over t' engine hook.

At first glance, I thought that I would have t' cut t' fins from sheet material usin' a provided template. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Not bein' able t' find such a template I took a closer look at t' instructions and, matey, sure enough, matey, shiver me timbers, it mentioned die cut fins. Arrr! I took a closer look at me balsa sheet and found that it should have been die cut but t' impression was so faint that I really had t' search for it. Blimey! Blimey! T' fins were sanded loose and then stacked and sanded t' even them up.

T' next step in t' instructions be t' start assemblin' all those tanks that give this rocket such a distinctive appearance. Begad! There are 6 long tanks and 12 shorter ones. Ahoy! All are assembled t' same way. Avast! Begad! Cardboard end caps are removed from t' die cut stock and glued onto t' ends o' t' tank tubes. Ahoy! Ahoy! I used white glue for this. When t' long tanks were done, ya bilge rat, I got started on t' shorter ones. Well, blow me down! After 2 sessions, ya bilge rat, I finally finished t' tanks.

T' kit assumes t' use o' a tri-fold shock cord mount, ya bilge rat, somethin' I detest. Aye aye! Blimey! Since t' next step involved inserting t' motor mount, I went ahead and tied a length o' Keelhaul®©™® around t' motor tube just abaft o' t' forward centerin' rin' and added a yellow glue fillet. Ya scallywag! Avast! When t' fillet had dried, I cut a notch in t' centerin' rin' t' accommodate t' Keelhaul®©™® and then fished t' Keelhaul®©™® through t' motor tube t' keep it out o' t' way for t' time being.

I used a long swab and white glue and put a rin' around t' inside o' t' aft end o' t' body tube. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! I then pushed t' motor mount part o' t' way in and applied a second rin' o' glue just inside t' tail end. Aye aye! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! T' mount was pushed the rest o' t' way in. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! I was supposed t' be flush with t' end o' t' body tube but I left about 1/4" hangin' out the back.

A wrap around alignment guide was cut from t' instruction sheet and taped into place on t' body tube with one of t' fin marks aligned with t' motor hook. Well, blow me down! Blimey! A pencil was then used t' transfer t' various lines t' t' tube, t' guide removed and t' lines extended with an Estes angle. A tapestry needle was then used t' make a series o' perforations in t' body tube where t' fin would sit in an attempt t' let t' glue from some "rivets" and strengthen the joint.

I began t' apply t' fins usin' yellow glue and a double glue joint. Blimey! I added them one at a time, matey, lettin' them dry thoroughly before rotatin' and applyin' t' next one. Begad! Over t' course o' a few days, arrr, ya bilge rat, all three were applied. After lettin' all three dry, me hearties, I filleted each joint with Titebond Moldin' and Trim glue.

T' fillets got almost a week t' dry before I had a chance t' work on this rocket again. When I did, I applied Elmer's filler t' t' balsa because fillin' and sandin' would be easier at this point than later.

T' filler had a day t' dry and then was sanded down. I took this opportunity t' also smooth t' edges o' t' fins as well.

T' lines for t' tanks had earlier been marked with a pencil and extended t' length o' t' BT. Begad! Aye aye! A line be also run t' length o' t' tanks and t' end caps o' t' tanks were marked along with t' back edge o' t' main body tube. This be t' aid in alignment as t' tanks were mounted. Arrr! Both t' tanks and t' BT were also perforated along t' lines with a tapestry needle t' promote t' formation o' glue rivets. Ahoy! White glue was then used with a double glue joint to mount t' first tank. Ahoy! Blimey! When it was in place, me hearties, t' tick marks on t' end caps were used t' line up with t' line on the BT.

T' aquarius languished for a long while with just 2 o' t' long tanks in place until I got some free time after Christmas services. Blimey! Begad! I then put in a concerted effort t' get t' tanks cranked out. Avast! All o' t' long ones were put in place in t' wee hours o' Christmas morning. Arrr! Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! I wasn't scared o' frightenin' off Santa because me wife assured me that I had been very bad.

Accordin' t' t' instructions, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, matey, t' next rin' o' tanks was supposed t' be mounted 3/4" in front o' t' long ones so I marked each o' t' lines, matey, perforated t' BT and tank tubes and applied some white glue for t' double joint. When that was dry, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, I began t' apply t' apply t' tanks with just a trace more glue. Ahoy! I managed t' get them t' line up pretty well.

It was t' last set o' tanks where I noticed some trouble. Ya scallywag! Ya scallywag! T' instructions indicated a gap o' 3/4" between each set but that would have left t' front tanks hangin' out ahead o' t' body. Ya scallywag! I went back and checked t' spacin' I had already done and it worked out correctly but thar still was nay room for a 3/4" gap. Begad! Aye aye! At this point, though I be committed and settled for settin' t' front row flush with t' front o' t' body tube. T' effect is nay awful but I would have preferred equidistant spacing.

T' nosecone o' t' Aquarius comes connected t' a plastic nozzle intended for display purposes and has t' be separated. This be done with an X-Acto saw. Begad! T' Keelhaul®©™® be then fished back through t' body tube and instead o' usin' t' provided rubber band, I tied on a length o' sewing elastic. Aye aye! This be then tied t' t' nose cone. Avast! This let me put things in place and see a preview o' what was t' come. Arrr! Avast, me proud beauty! It wasn't too bad.

T' Aquarius almost went t' paint when I realized that it did nay have a launch lug. Aye aye! Begad! I dug through t' box and found t' 3/16" lug. Arrr! T' instructions said t' cut it in half so that is what I did. Avast! T' lugs were then glued to two tanks in line, one on t' bottom tank and one on t' top. A piece o' rod be used t' maintain alignment.

With that, arrr, assembly was done and it was time t' start finishing.

Finishing:
I normally "prime" me rockets with Kilz, matey, although that is nay a true primer. Blimey! Begad! I decided t' use a real primer for this one because Kilz tends t' leave a rough surface that needs sandin' and sanding t' complex geometry o' this rocket would have taken this project from "fun" t' "WORK". Ya scallywag! Blimey! I decided t' use Dupli-Color white primer. Ya scallywag! Begad! As such, I set it up in t' booth and started spraying.

After t' priming, arrr, t' rocket got 2 coats o' gloss white.

Maskin' for t' canopy was one o' me concerns right from t' beginning. Arrr! Based on some advice from TRF, arrr, arrr, I ordered some liquid maskin' film and decided t' give that a try. T' instructions recommended sprayin' that on but I have not t' equipment for that and a brush it would have t' be. Begad! After mixin' it well, matey, shiver me timbers, arrr, I began t' brush it on thick, me hearties, shiver me timbers, as per the instructions. T' instructions also recommend 2 coats so a few hours later, ya bilge rat, me bucko, a second was applied. T' film is supposed t' be trimmed back usin' a razor knife t' reveal that part where paint is desired. Unfortunately at this step my laziness got t' better o' me. Ya scallywag! My X-acto blades were at me shop and I be too lazy t' go and get them. Avast, me proud beauty! Ya scallywag! That meant that t' blade I did t' trimmin' with be too dull. Avast! As a result, some o' t' maskin' that was desired t' remain in place began t' lift. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! T' fix for this was simple. Begad! Aye aye! I just slathered on some more o' t' maskin' film.

A day later, t' stuff was dry and I used a new X-Acto blade t' reveal t' dome. Arrr! Blimey! I then used some maskin' tape and foil t' conceal t' rest o' t' upper body and prepare t' rocket for spraying.

I was goin' t' paint t' dome either a very dark blue or a gloss black but as I was lookin' through me paints in stock, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, me eye was caught by a metallic purple. Ya scallywag! I had bought it a couple o' years ago because I REALLY liked t' color on t' cap. I have used it on several projects but it has never come out lookin' quite right. I understand t' reasons on some o' me earlier efforts now and this time I was sprayin' over white and nay some other color. Ahoy! I HAD t' try it again because I still really like t' color on t' lid.

I built t' color up in light coats, lettin' each one dry before applyin' t' next. I put a total o' 4 coats on and each one looked deeper and richer than t' one before but it never got t' where I wanted it. Ahoy! I stopped because I had finally used up t' last o' t' paint, which may have been one o' me original purchases when I got back into rocketry.

T' paint got a day t' dry and then I had a shockin' revelation. Begad! Begad! Blimey! I had long thought that in t' world o' rocketry, it be gliders that were me nemesis. This project reminded me that t' real bugabear is masking. Well, blow me down! It does nay matter what method I use, t' paint always seeps. Aye aye! When I removed t' maskin' and t' film I saw that I had failed with the tape, failed with t' foil and failed with t' liquid film.

To retrieve t' situation, I started by sandin' down t' purple splotches. Ahoy! This did nay remove t' color all the way but would make coverin' it with white much easier and remove some o' t' unwanted texture. I then masked off the canopy area with tape. T' capsule then got sprayed with t' same white I had used before, receivin' 2 coats.

When I peeled back t' tape, ya bilge rat, me bucko, it looked much better than before. It was nay as I had originally hoped but I could live with it. It was ready for decals.

T' decals really help t' make this kit. Ya scallywag! I used t' original set from t' kit which meant that they were fairly brittle. Begad! I should have known better but I did nay do anythin' t' strengthen them. Ahoy! Aye aye! T' instructions for t' kit give the decal placements with two illustrations, neither o' which is particularly clear. Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! I wound up usin' t' instructions and t' photos on t' box t' aid in placement. Ya scallywag! Ahoy! T' order in which I placed t' decals was based primarily on what was easiest t' access as I cut them out. Arrr! Blimey! I started with one o' t' smaller solar panels. Aye aye! It cracked in t' upper right corner. Ahoy! I almost had it positioned so t' t' lines matched up when t' decal decided t' bite and refused t' move any more.

Next up came t' US flag on t' same fin that received t' solar panel. From there, arrr, I applied t' 2 "United States Star Probe" decals on t' forward most o' t' dorsal tanks. Ya scallywag! Begad! After that, me hearties, I went ahead and applied t' large solar panels on either side o' t' dorsal fin. Aye aye! I used a piece o' t' decal backin' t' poke t' bottom down betwixt the tubes. Avast!

Each o' t' tanks on t' rocket gets a decal o' a red stripe and a number. All o' t' top level o' tanks are numbered "29". Avast, me proud beauty! T' middle level are marked "22" and t' bottom "25". For some reason, I place one o' t' top row and did nay do any others for a while. Begad! Ahoy! Inexplicably, I then turned t' model around and finished puttin' t' solar panels on t' other sides o' t' fins and added t' other US flag. Avast, me proud beauty! After that was done, shiver me timbers, I finished applyin' t' tank numbers t' t' top level. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, me proud beauty! T' only place I ran into any trouble is on t' tank with t' lug on it. Blimey! Blimey! I don't know where I went wrong in t' lug placement but I had obviously put it right where a decal was needed. I placed it as best I could.

In order t' keep from handlin' all o' t' freshly placed decals at t' front end o' t' rocket, ya bilge rat, I next cut out and applied t' yellow numbers "17" along side t' flags on t' tail fins. Each side o' t' capsule got an "Aero Dynamics" logo. T' back o' t' capsule then got a decal representin' hatch work, shiver me timbers, matey, etc.

At this point I took a break overnight and let t' stuff that had been applied set up. Avast! Blimey! When I got back t' it the next night, I added t' numbers on t' middle row o' tanks and then t' t' bottom row. Aye aye! Blimey! T' aft end o' t' bottom row also got a series o' broad yellow stripes. Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' middle row o' tanks also got some decals identifyin' them as t' center section. Begad! Blimey! After that it was just a matter o' a few small detail decals that mostly went on fine. T' exceptions t' the "fine" part were t' last three. They were 3 blue trapezoids t' be applied t' t' bottom o' t' capsule. Each one cracked and each one gripped before t' damage could be rectified.

That completed t' buildin' and finishin' o' t' Explorer Aquarius. All that be left was t' fly t' thing.

Construction Rating: 3 out o' 5

Flight:
It seemed like I was out o' luck on flyin' this one. Begad! Begad! My regular club launch got rained out and then t' make up launch got rained out. I pinned me hopes on an Amateur Rocketeers o' Texas Freedom launch but then it got canceled t' day before t' big event when t' club lost t' field. Some last minute arrangements were made, though, and me regular club had a SNAP launch and t' Aquarius be t' first o' me rockets t' get tried.

I started small with a C11-3. Aye aye! T' day had started out calm but suddenly got windy while we were talkin' instead of launchin' and I didn't want t' walk too far. I loaded a 15" nylon chute and took it t' t' pad. Some did not remember this as a classic and thought it was a cool new design.

Ignition be instantaneous and t' rocket lifted off nicely. Begad! It be goin' fast enough t' be stable but it be slow enough t' appreciate as it climbed. Well, blow me down! It coasted a bit and started t' slow. Arrr! Ya scallywag! For t' first time ever, I was able to capture t' actual ejection event. Ya scallywag! T' chute deployed and it looked like it be goin' t' be a perfect, albeit nay very high, arrr, me bucko, flight. T' make things better, t' wind seemed t' have died just as it boosted and it was goin' t' land pretty close. When I walked over t' get t' rocket, me hearties, everythin' seemed fine as it lay on t' ground. Avast, me proud beauty! When I picked it up, though, it seemed as if one o' t' fins be less straight than I had remembered. Blimey! When I wiggled it, shiver me timbers, I found that it had popped loose in spite o' t' glue rivets. This one would need a repair before I could fly it again.

When I got a chance t' take a better look at t' fin in t' shop, me hearties, I be glad t' see that t' damage was nay too substantial. Begad! It basically amounted t' t' glue and fillet comin' up for part o' t' length o' t' fin. I did some scrapin' betwixt t' fin and t' BT t' roughen things up and provide for better glue adhesion. Avast! T' fin be then pushed back into place t' check for fit. Aye aye! White glue be then applied along t' root edge and t' fin was pressed into place for good. In order t' keep things straight and in place as t' glue dried, a rin' o' maskin' tapes be applied.

It then took quite a while before t' Aquarius got back into t' field. Avast! At me club's May launch, arrr, though, ya bilge rat, it had its chance. Begad! I loaded it with a D12-3 and set it out on t' rod. Begad! As I was gettin' ready t' launch, though, me hearties, something looked screwy. Ahoy! Begad! T' rocket was canted. Avast! I went out t' t' rack t' take a closer look. Ahoy! It was soon apparent that t' lower lug had broken free. Aye aye! I did nay have any CA handy but another guy at t' launch did (Thanks Ken!) and a quick repair was effected. After t' hasty repair, t' Aquarius was taken back out t' t' rack and hooked up again.

Liftoff on t' D12 was nice. Begad! Blimey! It be nay slow but neither be it a head jerker. Begad! Begad! Blimey! T' boost be fairly straight. It turned slightly into t' wind but nay a great deal into t' wind. Avast, me proud beauty! T' rocket coasted fairly well too, although nay for very long since a 3 second delay had been installed. T' chute deployed but did nay seem t' come all t' way out for a few moments, leadin' me t' worry that it had been hung up. Blimey! Begad! Blimey! Then t' chute seemed t' open up all t' way and it was only a matter o' waitin' for t' rocket t' drift on down. Well, blow me down! I am happy t' report that thar was no damage.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
I like this rocket. Begad! Avast! I think its a shame that it is OOP since it is distinctive and different from so many out there. I will gladly have it included in me fleet for, hopefully, a long time t' come.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5

Other:
Persons wishin' t' see t' liftoff o' this rocket on t' D12 are invited t' check out this video: http://www.flickr.com/photos/23694991@N03/4903280722/ Thanks t' Glen Larsen