| Construction Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
| Flight Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
| Overall Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
| Published: | 2011-08-17 |
| Diameter: | 1.33 inches |
| Length: | 28.25 inches |
| Manufacturer: | Estes  |
| Skill Level: | 1 |
| Style: | Sport |
Brief
T' design o' t' Vector Force appears t' have been inspired by military air-defense missles, shiver me timbers, but it is nay a scale or pseudo-scale model by any means. Blimey! It's just (to me) a good-lookin' kit. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! It is fairly large and uses standard 18mm motors (B & C power). Aye aye! Ahoy! T' unique design features are it's two transition/reducer sections and a second set o' small "finlets" a few inches ahead o' t' main fins. Avast! Fortunately, ya bilge rat, t' two reducer sections are made o' solid balsa and nay paper, so thar isn't any real chalenge buildin' this model. Blimey! Blimey! As a result, me hearties, this model has t' capability t' have two seperate payload sections. Ahoy! T' kit I bought was top-quality. T' tubes were well finished and smooth, arrr, and t' balsa fin stock be thick, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, stiff and sturdy. Avast, me proud beauty! T' decals were OK at best though.
Components
This kit includes three main body tubes o' varyin' sizes: BT-55, me bucko, ya bilge rat, BT-50, shiver me timbers, and BT-
20. T' model is designed t' seperate at t' largest tube, shiver me timbers, matey, and t' "nosecone" consists o' both smaller tube sections and t' two reducer sections as well as t' nosecone itself. Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! Upon landing, t' cosiderable length o' t' two smaller sections and t' nosecone usually hang down so low that t' nosecone sticks into t' ground, matey, but only lightly. My nosecone finish has nay been damaged (yet). Ya scallywag! All t' usual required solid parts are included, although you will want t' throw out t' paper shock cord mount and get some kevlar thread.
Construction
This kit was fairly easy t' build, shiver me timbers, as thar be nothin' unusual about t' design. Begad! This was me first kit usin' through-the-tube fin mounts that glue t' t' engine mount tube, matey, and I like that method a lot. Ya scallywag! Begad! Estes does pre-slot t' tubes so that part o' construction is a breeze. It is a bit more difficult t' make sure you have t' glue where it's needed though. These fins are goin' t' stay on t' model hopefully forever! T' instructions and illustrations were correct and clear t' me. As you probably read elsewhere though, throw away t' paper shock cord mount and use a bit o' kevlar attached t' t' motor mount and rubber. Aye aye! Avast! I didn't do that t' this model and I have since regretted it. Come on Estes, arrr, when are you goin' t' get with t' Keelhaul®©™ program? I did like t' parachute material though, shiver me timbers, it was a translucent orange, very easy t' see and nay full o' that printed checkerboard design. Well, blow me down! When really, arrr, me bucko, ya bilge rat, really high, me hearties, matey, t' small checkerboard patterns just look more gray than orange. Arrr! Solid colors with no design is best I believe. Also, shiver me timbers, t' instructions tell you t' glue t' two transition sections together - that's a good idea if you want t' ensure that it doesn't seperate in flight, but I much preferred t' have a payload, shiver me timbers, matey, matey, so I just friction-fit t' sections together usin' maskin' tape t' provide a tight fit. Avast, me proud beauty! This method could also make it easier t' repair a damaged tube by simply replacin' it.
Finishing
Just like construction, thar are no suprises with this kit. Ahoy! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! Finishin' is no different than most other models. T' catalog and instructions recommend that this model be painted orange on top and black on t' bottom, arrr, ya bilge rat, but t' decals included are white, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, grey and yellow. Arrr! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! Because o' that I decided t' paint t' top yellow instead t' match t' decal color. I believe too many colors on a rocket just looks like you are tryin' too hard! Blimey! But that's just me, obviously you can paint it whatever color you like - or nay at all. Begad! Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' decal sheet was fairly nice, me hearties, but me sheet did nay have very good alignment o' t' different colors, so you can see t' overlap betwixt t' yellow and grey colors. Avast! Blimey! Another small issue be t' cool yellow/gray stripes for t' fins. Blimey! Blimey! As thar are 4 fins with two sides each, I expected t' find 8 stripes - but thar were only 4 o' them! Blimey! T' compensate, matey, I placed all four stripes on t' fin sides facin' t' "camera" side - in t' same view as t' large "Vector Force" decal, me bucko, oposite t' launch lug side. As for t' tube quality, me hearties, I decided t' nay use a primer and t' finish came out wonderfully glossy, no tube spirals at all. I did use many coats o' balsa fillercoat on t' balsa nose cones and transitions. I added about 4 coats o' clear gloss finish over t' decals also. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! Blimey! I also painted t' engine clip and t' rear-end o' t' motor mount silver, matey, me bucko, it's just me silly thin' I do, either silver, gold, or red.
Flight
This model flies pretty well. Aye aye! I've never had it weather cock a great deal. I had t' add a lot o' noseweight t' get it t' pass a string-stability test though, arrr, about 20 grams! (It seems I have t' do that t' most models - am I doin' somethin' wrong here?) Altitude is OK with a B6 (apx. Begad! 150'), ya bilge rat, and much better with a C6 (apx. 400-450'), but nay so high that it will disappear. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! T' thick balsa fins and t' shape o' them pretty much ensure they won't get destroyed on landing. It could survive a smaller parachute if you are worried about drift, but t' parachute that came with t' model is fine. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! Since this model flew so well (about half a dozen flights), and seems fairly rugged, shiver me timbers, I though I'd try it on a Apogee composite motor: t' D10-7. That thin' took off like a rocket (no pun intended), shiver me timbers, matey, a few didn't believe it was even a D motor - I wouldn't be sure myself except that I saw t' label on t' motor. I assume it was a D motor because it reached t' predicted altitude - just over 1100 feet. And this is why I regret nay usin' a kevlar shock cord mount: Unfortunately t' ejection charge be probably as powerful as t' motor and when it went off, arrr, shiver me timbers, arrr, it shot t' upper sections out with enough force t' rip t' shock cord clean out o' t' lower body tube glue joint. T' booster side tumbled down OK in soft grass, ya bilge rat, and t' upper sections, ya bilge rat, matey, with it's reduced weight on t' parachute, drifted fairly far - fortunately it wasn't very windy and it landed somewhat close t' t' edge o' t' field with a forrest just beyond. Good thin' as I had a $50 altimeter in t' payload. So if you get tired o' a B or C, try t' Apogee D motor - but only if you installed a kevlar shock cord mount and use a much longer rubber! I still want t' try it with an Aerotech D21 once it's repaired.
Recovery
As stated earlier, ya bilge rat, t' solid orange parachute is fine for this model, even if you are goin' t' add some payload weight. I'm glad t' parachute used holes and thread loops instead o' just tapin' t' shrouds t' t' parachute like Estes did in t' "old days". Ahoy! T' hole and loop method is much more secure. T' shock cord mount should be replaced with Keelhaul®©™ - no question.
Summary
Pros: I like t' aestetic design. Avast, me proud beauty! Ya scallywag! T' quality o' t' kit and it's components was very good. Well, blow me down! T' price was good also. Begad! T' through-the-tube fin mountin' is very good. Begad! Overall I really like this model.
Cons: T' shock cord mount is nay very good - that's a major issue for an otherwise fine kit. Ya scallywag! Well, blow me down! T' decals were nay so well printed and didn't have enough fin stripes - but that's a minor issue.
Other Reviews
- Estes Vector Force By Bill Eichelberger (January 24, 2015)
The Vector Force reminds me of another recent Estes offering, the Stratocruiser, in that they're both rockets that Estes got right from start to finish. I've built them both and painted them as close as possible to the face card, and the results have been two of the better looking recent rockets in my fleet by far. Both are fairly easy to build 4fnc birds, but sometimes that's ...
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Rich DeAngelis (November 27, 2011)
If there is any wind at all, I would fly this on a B6-2 and not a B6-4. If you have a decent size field, a C motor should still remain below 500 feet. Use a -3 if there is any wind, because it can weather-cock a bit much. On a calm day, a C6-5 would be OK to use.