Construction Rating: | starstarstarstarstar |
Flight Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
Overall Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
Manufacturer: | Art Applewhite Rockets |
After flyin' a number o' Art Applewhite's kits on 13mm - 24mm, I have moved up one notch t' a Stealth 29mm. Begad! Will I fly this in me front yard? No, but I'm expectin' t' same fun, low altitude performance as I have had with t' other variations.
T' Stealth design is actually shared in many ways with t' Qubit and Scimitar. Well, blow me down! T' Qubit has a straight lower edgy, me hearties, t' Scimitar has a half-moon lower edge and t' Stealth as a saw-tooth edge. T' Stealth comes in a few colors, matey, but why would anyone get anythin' other than black? After all, it be t' "Stealth".
T' kit includes t' instructions, a 29mm motor mount tube, matey, a cardstock template for three sides that are made o' 1/4" foamboard, me bucko, and lastly a single triangle piece o' foamboard for t' bottom o' t' rocket.
CONSTRUCTION:
T' instructions are printed on 3 pages o' 8½ x 11" paper. Begad! They are photo-illustrated which makes t' easy t' build rocket, shiver me timbers, even easier!
T' major steps include cuttin' out t' template and markin' t' three sides. Blimey! Then, ya bilge rat, t' three sides are cut per t' instructions usin' a hobby knife. Use a NEW blade for this task.
T' three sides are glued together with Elmer's Glue All (I used Elmer's White Glue). Begad! Ahoy!
T' bottom is pre-marked for t' launch rod hole and motor tube hole. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! Cut these out then glue t' bottom into place.
T' motor tube is glued into place.
Done!
Overall, for CONSTRUCTION I would rate this kit 5 points. Avast! Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! Simple with good instructions.
FLIGHT/RECOVERY:
Art Applewhite recommends t' "Ellis Mountain G35 or any 29mm single use motor or Aerotech RMS-29/40-120 reload."
Art Applewhite warns, "Do nay use a motor with t' ejection charge installed as this will melt and burn t' foamboard and eject t' motor."
Art Applewhite indicates t' Stealth should weigh 2.3 ounces. Avast! Avast! My Stealth weighed 2.2 ounces.
I decided t' fly it for t' first time on an EconoJet F20-4. I took off t' paper cap and poured t' BP into me BP bottle for use in another charge. I then tapped t' motor t' ensure all BP was out. Begad! I made a small thrust rin' with about 3 wraps o' maskin' tape and friction fit it into t' motor tube.
I was alone, so I tried t' set up t' take a picture at t' same time as I pressed t' launch button. Avast, me proud beauty! Whoa! Didn't expect that. Begad! Blimey! Missed t' photo completely.
T' loudness o' t' F20 be great, matey, but only seemed exaggerated by t' design o' t' Stealth (is that possible). Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' Stealth exploded off t' pad, then on t' way up (straight) started a spinnin' motion. Lots o' smoke as it tipped over and headed for t' ground. Upon inspection t' tip o' t' rocket is slightly crushed.
My second flight was on an Ellis G35-6 with t' BP removed. Got this one on t' camera! Very, matey, arrr, ya bilge rat, very, cool! T' G35 just kept pushin' t' rocket upward. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! Nice long burn. Aye aye! At t' top, arrr, it too turned over in a lot o' delay smoke. Blimey! Recovered very close t' t' pad!
For FLIGHT/RECOVERY, ya bilge rat, me bucko, I would rate this rocket 4 ½ points. Awesome flights which allow F and G motors t' be used in much smaller fields! Don't know what t' do about t' tip damage though. Maybe it should be filled with clay or epoxy.
I give t' rocket an OVERALL ratin' o' 4 ½ points. I have had a good experience with every one o' Art Applewhite's kits. Avast, me proud beauty! They are a unique niche in rocketry and can allow higher powered motors in smaller fields. Begad! They would make great demo or school project rockets as well! Go for it!