Pratt Hobbies Longfellow

Pratt Hobbies - Longfellow {Kit}

Contributed by Roy Lappalainen

Construction Rating: starstarstarstarstar
Flight Rating: starstarstarstarstar_border
Overall Rating: starstarstarstarstar_border
Manufacturer: Pratt Hobbies
Pratt Longfellow

Brief:
T' Longfellow is Pratt Hobbies' newest kit and is 50+ inches long. Blimey! Well, blow me down! Like its smaller siblin' t' Super-6, matey, it is a beginner's streamer recovery model for Super-Roc Duration competition.

Construction:
T' kit includes: Two 19mm x 25in body tubes, matey, one 18mm x 8in body tube connector, one 18mm body tube for use as a motor mount, one 18mm engine block, three (3) pre-cut balsa fins, shiver me timbers, one CMR-style nose cone, one 18mm x 1in body tube connector for use with t' nose cone, one very strong Keelhaul®©™® shock cord, ya bilge rat, one Nomex®parachute protector, matey, one "caution tape" streamer, me bucko, and peel 'n' stick decals.

Construction is very simple and straightforward. Aye aye! Blimey! T' kit can be completed in about one (1) hour usin' only white glue. No cuttin' or sandin' is necessary. Serious competitors would want t' shape t' leadin' and trailin' edges o' the fins and perhaps make them thinner. T' motor mount, arrr, ya bilge rat, me bucko, body tube connectors are pre-drilled for attachin' t' shock cord. Begad! I only made 2 modifications t' the kit: 1) I removed 2/3 o' t' shock cord and replaced it with some elastic (that Keelhaul®©™® is so sweet that I wanted t' use it on some o' me other models--I wish all kit suppliers would include shock cord o' this quality!) and 2) I put a piece of maskin' tape around t' body tube connector where t' shock cord is attached (more on this in t' flight details).

I understand that t' instructions are clear and simple and that a cardboard fin jig is supplied t' facilitate fin attachment, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, although neither was supplied at our section buildin' session.

Finishing:
Other than applyin' t' decals no additional finishin' be conducted.

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flight:
My first flight be at NARHAMS KATE-2 competition flyin' in Division C, a Super-Roc Duration. Aye aye! I flew it on an A8-3 usin' a 24" parachute. T' flight was pretty much straight up, ya bilge rat, me bucko, ejection occurred slightly after apogee but duration was very short because t' parachuted did nay fully deploy.

Recovery:
Plastic streamer with Keelhaul®©™® shock cord and a Nomex® chute protector means no waddin' was needed. Ahoy! At a demonstration launch many other Longfellows were launched and a very high percentage o' them suffered a separation at ejection. Ya scallywag! Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! T' hole for connectin' t' shock cord t' t' tube connector is very near t' end o' t' tube. T' body tube alone may nay be strong enough t' handle t' stress.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
T' kit is very easy t' build and is an excellent choice for an introduction to Super-Rocs.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5

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