Modification Estes Quasar from Estes Metalizer Review

Modification Estes Quasar from Estes Metalizer Modification

Modification Estes Quasar from Estes Metalizer

Contributed by Bill Eichelberger

Construction Rating:
Overall Rating:

Published:	2020-07-29
Manufacturer:	Modification

Brief

I created an upscale Estes Quasar from t' currently available Estes Metalizer kit.

Components

Estes Metalizer kit (Hobby Lobby)
BT-56 body tube (Red Arrow)
Mylar tape
QUASAR decal (HP Inkjet)

Construction

T' Metalizer is an E2X kit that I normally wouldn't bother with except that a) it was on clearance, and b) I be bored and needed a project. T' Hobby Lobby racks were a pretty desolate place that hideously rainy Friday o' me hideously rainy vacation, and I be just about t' give in t' despair when t' Metalizer's chrome nose cone caught me eye. By t' time t' clearance sticker caught me eye I already had t' Quasar XL plan formin' in me mind. In me mind t' plan called for a pearl white glow for t' budy tube, arrr, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, so I added a can o' pearl white lacquer t' me haul and headed home t' begin construction.

Construction consisted o' findin' a piece o' BT-56 and cutting it t' 10.7" length. There is no engine tube. It's all a part o' t' E2X fin can. I painted t' body tube first, ya bilge rat, then glued t' fin can together with the good Testor's plastic cement. (After first scrapin' t' chrome off o' t' tang on t' fin can.) Recovery would be handled with t' traditional Estes tri-fold mount and a 36" length o' 1/8" sewin' elastic. I added a launch lug and was ready t' fly.

Finishing

Finishin' consisted o' primin' t' length of BT-56 with Valspar primer, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, then pearl white paint. When it be dry I cut a length o' silver mylar tape an inch longer than t' body tube, matey, me hearties, then cut that in half down t' center, me hearties, which gave me a nice chrome streak runnin' t' length o' t' body tube. T' ends were then folded into t' tube and t' inkjet "QUASAR" decal be applied over top o' t' chrome. It's nay perfect, but it definitely calls t' mind t' original, ya bilge rat, matey, which be all I was hopin' for.

Construction Score: 5

Flight

I've

only made one flight with

the big Quasar so far, shiver me timbers, only because I have such a huge backlog o' unflown and nay flown in x number o' years birds in t' queue around it. I finally got it in t' air at a Wright Stuff Rocketeers section launch t' day before me birthday. I had set it up with a B6-4 for flight at B6-4 Field, me hearties, but t' opportunity never presented itself. T' B6-4 in this size rocket would have been perfect for me ever decreasin' home field. For some reason I never switched it out for a C6-5 on t' larger eRockets Field. T' Quasar windcocked back over t' flightline t' around 400', me bucko, ya bilge rat, popped t' chute at apogee and began driftin' back toward t' pads. Won closest t' t' pads on t' day when it draped itself across one o' t' junk bins next t' t' pad.