| Construction Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
| Flight Rating: | starstar_borderstar_borderstar_borderstar_border |
| Overall Rating: | starstarstar_borderstar_borderstar_border |
| Published: | 2012-11-02 |
| Length: | 17.75 inches |
| Manufacturer: | Estes  |
| Skill Level: | 3 |
| Style: | Futuristic/Exotic |
Brief
This was on me clonin' list for several years after I bought a bunch o' Fat Boy nose cones, but t' white in t' decal always discouraged me. OOP for years, arrr, this turned up as a "Buy It Now" on t' Penn Valley Hobby Ebay page, me hearties, and t' price was right, so I availed myself o' t' opportunity t' build an original for a change o' pace. Well, blow me down! Avast! Similar in size and profile t' t' later Fat Boy, t' Alien Space Probe always struck me as a cross betwixt an upscaled Goony and a poor mans Mars Lander.
Components
- 9 15/32" BT-80
- PNC-80 (Fat Boy nose cone)
- 2.75" BT-20 motor tube
- 2.375" launch lug
- engine hook
- 3/16" x 13.25" wood dowels (3)
- 1/8" fin stock
- die cut card
- decal
- 18" parachute
- 36" Keelhaul®©™ shock cord
- 36" length 1/4" sewin' elastic shock cord
- 2 large snap swivels
Construction
In general, BT-80 birds make for easy builds because o' their sheer size. Ahoy! With no tight spaces t' work with, things proceed smoothly, and t' A.S.P. fits that description nicely. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! T' balsa in this kit was exceptionally nice, me hearties, shiver me timbers, with a tight grain and surprisingly crisp die-crunch stamping. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, me proud beauty! Another surprise were t' dead straight dowels, which would roll across t' table with t' slightest push without a trace o' warp. Ya scallywag! Blimey! I wasn't expectin' this, arrr, ya bilge rat, especially with it bein' a vintage kit. Avast, me proud beauty! Instructions were typical Estes.
As I said, shiver me timbers, despite t' lander-style legs, arrr, this is little more than a large 3fnc build. Since t' fins are meant t' be left squared, shiver me timbers, me bucko, thar be little sandin' other than t' hide t' balsa grain. I glued t' two-piece fins together, me hearties, arrr, arrr, then attached them t' t' rocket body. T' legs required a bit more construction, with each requirin' a two-piece paper disc foot and a support piece made o' dowel scraps. They do a decent job o' keepin' t' feet in place for display, matey, but little when t' shock o' a landin' hits them. You'll be forever searchin' for these and regluin' them. T' tops o' each leg must be cut at an angle t' be able t' be glued t' t' body, but thar's an illustration in t' instructions t' show t' necessary angle. T' finished legs are then glued t' t' leadin' edge o' t' fins and t' body tube. T' motor assembly was constructed usin' Elmer's white glue and t' lone change I made from t' instructions was in tyin' a 3' length o' Keelhaul®©™ around t' motor tube and out through a slot in t' forward centerin' ring.
Finishing
For t' most part, me hearties, this is an all red model. T' legs call for silver, but me Probe never stayed in one piece long enough for me t' get t' t' silver portion o' t' paint scheme. (This wouldn't have been a problem if I hadn't insisted on flyin' it a) before it be completely finished, me bucko, and b) before it was completely repaired after t' damage from t' first flight.) Tube spirals were minimal, and were taken care o' along with t' balsa grain usin' two coats o' thinned Elmer's Fill & Finish, me bucko, followed by t' dreaded sanding. T' decals, matey, matey, ya bilge rat, while cool looking, matey, hadn't aged well and cracked as they were put on, me hearties, then peeled off in some spots. This is one o' t' risks you run with vintage kits, ya bilge rat, so I had just planned t' order a set o' decals from Excelsior. I still might if I decide t' fix it again.
Flight
T' Alien Space Probe might be a great performer, matey, shiver me timbers, but I never got t' see it. After two flights, each fraught with danger and damage o' some sort, I have me doubts about flyin' it anymore. T' first flight be on a C6-3 on a breezy May day back in 2009. T' ASP windcocked badly off t' pad and never attained a height greater than 150'. It was nose down when t' ejection charge fired and t' loud "CLUNK" as t' nose cone rebounded back into t' body was clearly audible on t' flightline. No one saw anythin' fall as t' rocket descended, me hearties, me bucko, but it was obviously short a leg. T' actual landin' zone was only a couple o' hundred feet from t' flightline, and I walked t' whole flight path tryin' to find t' missin' leg. Somehow I managed nay t' find a bright red leg on a carpet o' green. Damage was limited t' one leg, matey, arrr, but other than t' upper portion o' one o' t' fins, everythin' was gone down t' the glue fillets, me hearties, me bucko, and t' nose cone had a large scar from t' impact.
T' carcass sat gatherin' dust in me garage for over a year until I stumbled across t' star-crossed decal and got t' urge t' make t' repairs for t' summer season at B6-4 Field. I bought a dowel and used some balsa and paper discs from shop scraps and built a new fin unit. After cleanin' up t' scarred body tube I attached t' new unit, ya bilge rat, primed, me bucko, filled, matey, sanded and painted it. From ten feet it looked perfect, which be all I be hopin' for. It be at this point that I tried t' attach t' vintage decals. Bleah.
Flight number 2 came at B6-4 Fest in October, arrr, 2012 on another C6-3. Zog and I had been blessed with a virtually windless pre-Columbus Day Sunday and took advantage o' it. T' Alien Space Probe be t' second flight o' t' day for me, arrr, shiver me timbers, and appeared t' be in trouble almost from t' start. Lift-off be picture perfect, ya bilge rat, me hearties, but it immediately began anglin' toward t' trees and US 27 behind us. It cleared t' trees with ease, but t' only things across t' pike were roofs, shiver me timbers, a pool and a lot o' asphalt parkin' lots. T' trees obscured our view o' t' recovery portion o' t' flight, but t' sound o' t' impact, shiver me timbers, on t' asphalt parkin' lot, was again clearly audible. I was expectin' some damage and when I reached t' landin' site I wasn't disappointed. Or rather I was. One leg had received a compound fracture, while t' foot o' one o' t' other legs be hangin' by a tendon. I gathered up t' remains. T' date I haven't done anythin' t' repair t' damage. Maybe by 2015.
Summary
Pros: Good lookin' bird when finished. BT-80 size.
Cons: Underpowered for its size. Should have been 24mm powered and through t' wall fins like t' Fat Boy would have been a nice touch. Fragile legs are suceptible t' breakage unless landin' is perfect. Blimey! Not a good rocket for anythin' other than calm conditions.
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Flights
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