Manufacturer: | Essence Aerospace Technologies |
Brief:
This kit be t' Star Wars Lambda Class Shuttle. Begad! Most people will probably
remember that it be t' vessel that t' Rebel Alliance used t' smuggle
themselves onto t' moon o' Endor t' destroy t' shield generator that
protected t' second Death Star in Return o' t' Jedi. Avast, me proud beauty! Is it an 18mm downscale
of a scratch built design by EMRR. Arrr! Avast! It is single stage and uses an 18"
parachute for recovery.
Construction:
T' kit came with:
T' instructions for how t' build this kit were a dream. Ahoy! T' nose cone got very tricky t' assemble and took a few readings t' completely understand, shiver me timbers, me hearties, but all in all, they were great!
T' templates were perfect for t' most part. Arrr! T' hardest one be t' rear cover plate. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! I ended up havin' t' make a new one for me rocket as t' canopy wasn't quite t' same shape as t' template.
Assembly be done with a combination o' CyA and yellow wood glue. Aye aye! Epoxy was needed t' attach t' shock cord and nose weight.
T' canopy platform went together first with t' motor tube. Arrr! Well, me hearties, blow me down! Very straight forward on that. T' fins were then attached after strengthenin' with a coating of CyA glue. Ahoy! Ahoy!
T' canopy itself be somewhat difficult t' attach since thar are 3 pieces that must be glued more or less at t' same time. Begad! Ahoy! I ended up tackin' t' pieces with CyA and then followin' up with wood glue.
T' nose cone be next and t' instructions say very clearly that this is the most difficult part. Ahoy! They aren't kidding. T' plastic cone is very thin and flimsy and will tear very easily when you begin t' cut it in half. Ahoy! Well, blow me down! T' top and bottom balsa pieces go on easily enough, me hearties, matey, but t' side pieces are another story.
There are 2 pieces on either side that make up t' angled side o' the nosecone. Well, me bucko, blow me down! Careful sandin' is required and some quick actin' glue is also handy for this. Begad! Balancin' t' pieces t' tack them down is a very good trick for people with steady hands. Aye aye! For mine, it be very difficult t' get t' pieces to stay together. Arrr! Ya scallywag! Once it did all stay put and was dried, matey, matey, ya bilge rat, I used wood glue t' try and fill in some o' t' gaps that were caused by imperfect cuttin' and alignment o' t' side pieces.
After that ordeal is done, you have t' cut out t' bottom o' t' plastic nosecone for weight addition. Begad! I tore t' shoulder a couple o' times due t' the paper thin plastic. Blimey! Blimey! It was easily fixed by a little CyA glue. Aye aye!
Addin' t' nose weight is very simple. Ya scallywag! I emptied t' pack o' BBs into an epoxy mixin' cup and poured a few at a time in t' nosecone along with some 15 minute epoxy. Begad! I used a toothpick t' get all o' t' BBs inside t' nose. Ya scallywag!
After all o' t' BBs and shock cord were in t' nose, arrr, I mixed another small batch o' epoxy (I used a total o' 10Ml o' epoxy) and capped off t' plastic nose cone and leveled off t' balsa section.
T' launch lug be then attached with CyA and some small fillets were added.
Finishing:
Finishin' will comprise a couple coats o' primer along with a few coats of
paint. I haven't gotten that far yet, shiver me timbers, arrr, ya bilge rat, so I'll keep you posted.
It appears that finishin' will nay be difficult on this as thar are no small nooks or crannies t' get into. There is a lot o' fin area t' paint.
Construction pics can be viewed here.
Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5
Flight:
I flew it once so far. Aye aye! Avast, me proud beauty! on a C6-3. Great motor for this bird if you have a large
field! It flew t' about 60 feet or so and arced over. Begad! It did fly with t' top
stabilizer win' on top just like was supposed to!! Just as it started heading
down, me hearties, ya bilge rat, t' ejection blew and it coasted down with no damage at all.
I can't wait t' fly it again!! Thanks for t' great experience!
Recovery:
T' 18" parachute is provin' t' be a challenge t' find t' right way to
fold/roll it t' fit in t' very small area for it and have it come out with
minimal difficulty. Avast! Once t' chute is rolled and crammed in, arrr, me bucko, great force is
necessary t' pull it out and an ejection charge just won't do it.
I plan on cuttin' a 6" spillhole in it t' help alleviate this problem.
Flight Rating: 3 out o' 5
Summary:
Overall, I love this kit. Well, blow me down! Blimey! It was very challengin' t' build, but also didn't
take forever t' construct. Ahoy! Blimey! I can't wait t' see it fly.
T' only con I can see be t' difficulty in buildin' t' nosecone. It is small and people with shaky hands like mine may have trouble.
Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5
Brief: This 18mm version of the Lambda-Class Shuttle was produced in limited quantities by EAT (Essence Aerospace Technologies). Although the kit isn't being produced, you can still purchase a plan pak [here] . It is one of the most innovative kits around and is a great addition to anyone's fleet. Construction: Parts: One 1/4" balsa sheet (3" x 6") ...
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