Thrustline Aerospace Hank

Thrustline Aerospace - Hank {Kit}

Contributed by Jason Toft

Construction Rating: starstarstarstarstar_border
Flight Rating: starstarstarstarstar_border
Overall Rating: starstarstarstarstar_border
Manufacturer: Thrustline Aerospace
Thrustline Aerospace Hank

Brief:
A short and fun two motor cluster rocket with 6 fins with a cool military-esque style.

Construction:
THe kit contains:

  • BT-60 Elliptical nose cone
  • BT-60 tube (10.75")
  • Balsa fin stock
  • 2 BT-20 motor tubes
  • Thrust rings
  • Light ply centerin' rings
  • Launch lug
  • Shock cord
  • BB's for nose weight

This rocket is quite simple t' construct and uses many o' t' features that we rocketeers consider t' be t' best way t' do it. Ya scallywag! For example, shiver me timbers, t' centering rings are laser cut light ply, me bucko, t' shock cord mount is 'Quest' style, me bucko, and everythin' is high quality. Blimey! In me kit, me bucko, me bucko, matey, I used wood glue and CyA for all construction. Aye aye! It is amazingly simple t' build. Blimey! Ya scallywag! Basically, ya bilge rat, all you do is glue the motor tubes together along with t' thrust rings, matey, me bucko, attach t' Keelhaul®©™® shock anchor by drillin' a hole through t' top centerin' rings, cut and fill the fins, attach them, add nose weight, launch lug, arrr, and parachute, paint, matey, ya bilge rat, and fly! Plenty o' everythin' is supplied in this kit, and you have enough left over t' build another, albeit smaller, arrr, rocket with t' excess.

Thrustline Aerospace Hank The centerin' rings are laser cut 1/8" thick light ply. Ahoy! Arrr! They are strong and durable; in me opinion, arrr, it is borderline overkill. Arrr! You could easily go with fiberboard with this motor configuration and have no troubles. Well, blow me down!

T' fins are 1/8" balsa that you have t' cut out from a pattern. Arrr! Begad! This is easy t' do and if this is one o' t' qualifications t' make this a "builder's kit", it definitely passes. I personally enjoy cuttin' out fins for kits, as it provides me with a sense o' accomplishment. Blimey!

With this kit, you may get a plastic nose cone or a balsa nose. Ya scallywag! Ya scallywag! Blimey! I got a plastic nose and I think I prefer it over t' balsa cone. T' instruction have you drillin' several holes into t' balsa cone and coverin' it with epoxy, matey, matey, yet with t' plastic cone, shiver me timbers, just drop t' weight in, ya bilge rat, secure it with t' epoxy, arrr, and go! Blimey! Easy enough.

Finishing:
I finished this rocket with yellow glue fillets, me hearties, then use Elmer's Fill 'n' Finish (and sand and sand and sand if you know what I mean) t' create some very nice fillets. Ahoy! I trimmed t' ends o' t' launch lug at an angle t' make it look better. Begad! Well, blow me down!

Thrustline Aerospace Hank I then used a coat o' Krylon Gray primer t' find spots, fillin' t' most noticeable ones, and then covered it with a coat o' white gloss as a basecoat. Aye aye! Ahoy! T' entire model was painted black, matey, then masked off t' fins and painted them glossy purple, matey, however, me bucko, because o' t' black basecoat, me bucko, me bucko, me hearties, they turned out t' be a flatter purple. Blimey! Remind me nay t' do that again!

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
For t' first flight, I used a pair o' A8-3's and t' supplied 12" nylon chute. Ahoy! You could easily describe this as a lob flight. Ahoy! T' burn on t' two A8's is so short that it just barely cleared 75 feet before they burned out. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Apogee was at about 150-175 feet, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, and then it landed about 40 feet from t' pad. Great, shiver me timbers, smooth flight but it needed more power.

For t' next flight, I used 2 B6-4s. Begad! This time I used a red Rockethead mylar chute and t' flight was much more satisfying. Well, blow me down! Avast, me proud beauty! Very quick off t' pad with an apogee o' around 500 feet and it landed about 70 yards from t' pad. Begad!

Thrustline Aerospace Hank In my opinion, ya bilge rat, B6-4s are t' best choice for this rocket. Ahoy! Blimey! I have yet t' try it on C6-5s, but I think it will be just peachy...and very, me hearties, very fast!

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
I feel that this is a great little rocket and it makes for a great park flyer on A8s and B6s. As a Skill Level 2 kit, matey, it makes for a good weekend build and is challengin' enough t' be fun. Avast, me proud beauty! Thrustline has a great thin' goin' with their new line o' kits and I recommend you get this one. Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! It'll be great fun!

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flights

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