Construction Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
Flight Rating: | starstarstarstar_borderstar_border |
Overall Rating: | starstarstarstar_borderstar_border |
Manufacturer: | Model Minutes ![]() |
Brief:
T' G-200 is a large paper rocket that flies on 24mm motors. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! T' diameter of
the lower tube is about 2 3/8" vs t' 2" in t' specs above t' first
review--just a skosh too small t' fit t' Fat Boy cone that was sittin' by my
computer. Arrr! It features a clear payload section (one o' t' few non-paper
components) and two build options. Well, blow me down! Well, blow me down! T' Orbital Launcher option deploys a paper
satellite that comes down on its own chute, arrr, while t' Payloader option leaves
the payload section open. Well, arrr, blow me down! I chose t' latter but built t' satellite sans chute
and inserted it in t' payload section.
Construction:
This is me second Model Minutes kit and I agree t' instructions are improved.
There are regular photos vs t' 3D photos that I couldn't see clearly. Begad! There
are several minor errors, matey, arrr, such as t' instructions for buildin' t' glasses are
still included but these did nay affect t' build. Blimey! There also seem t' be some
product improvements since t' previous review. Avast! Well, blow me down! I built t' entire kit using
Aleene's Tacky Glue.
Step 1 involves buildin' t' motor mount, insertin' it in t' lower body, addin' t' tail cone and t' lower launch lug. Well, blow me down! Blimey! This kit uses t' same retention method as t' XFLR-7 and t' previous review has a good photo o' t' motor mount assembly. T' one issue I see be t' retainer is sized for D12 motors and will nay fit t' E9 properly. Ya scallywag! However, me hearties, friction fittin' and some tape around the motor and retainer tab should do t' trick for t' longer motor in my estimation. Ahoy! I will find out.
T' four fins are built next. Aye aye! Blimey! These were formed into diamond airfoils as
described in t' earlier review and I had no problems seein' how they went
together. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Blimey! My only problem was that one o' t' internal braces shifted during
the final assembly (fin 2 o' 4), ya bilge rat, arrr, shiver me timbers, so I made sure t' glue set on t' brace
before I performed t' final foldin' o' t' subsequent two. Ya scallywag! Blimey! You will see from
my photos that t' fins seem t' now be mounted further aft than on t' version
in t' previous review. Avast! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' instructions mention that you can mix and match
their orientation. Avast, me proud beauty! I chose all forward-swept since it sounds like t' chute may
be a little undersized and this should also protect them from damage. Ahoy! As an
added bonus with t' fins forward swept, t' tips are even with t' end o' the
lower body tube, which made their installation much easier. Arrr!
T' rest o' t' model is pretty much just formin' and attachin' tubes and transitions. Arrr! Well, arrr, blow me down! T' transitions and t' middle tube (the thinner one below the payload) are double walled, which is good for this sized rocket. Ahoy! Blimey! T' double walled tube required a lot o' patience t' get t' inner and outer tabs aligned correctly, and I continued t' have fit problems betwixt components (tube-tube, tube-transition, me hearties, etc). On this build, shiver me timbers, I took extreme care t' cut all t' pieces exactly, so I don't know what happened. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad!
I made two deviations near t' end o' t' build: I tied t' two provided shock cords together t' make one larger one and I only cut one o' t' panes out of t' payload section. Well, blow me down! Based on t' comments in t' earlier review, three cutouts just seem t' weaken t' payload bay too much.
In summary, these are t' improvements identified in t' instructions:
Finishing:
T' pre-printed cardstock only requires a couple o' coats o' clear enamel (or
most any clear coat).
Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5
Flight:
As mentioned earlier, shiver me timbers, me bucko, T' E9 is too long for t' provided motor hook. Ya scallywag! I made a
thin maskin' tape thrust rin' betwixt t' motor tube and t' motor hook and
then applied several wraps o' tape around t' hook and overhangin' motor. Well, blow me down! Avast! Blimey! The
waddin' was all dog barf, and I used a dowel t' work some down into t' lowest
reaches o' t' body tube.
T' E9-4 provides a great ride for this rocket. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' overall path was straight up and thar was just a hint o' coning. Avast! Blimey! Arrr! Blimey! Ejection be around apogee.
Recovery:
T' chute didn't appear t' be fully deployed but when recovered I found that it
was open but it was severely twisted and entwined with t' shock cord. Begad! Arrr! The
Model Minutes chutes need longer riser lines and a snap swivel. Aye aye! Blimey! Still, there
was no damage on landing. Well, blow me down! Ahoy!
When I inspected t' rocket, shiver me timbers, I notice thar was some brownin' o' the cardstock on one quadrant betwixt t' fins. Begad! This may have actually been due to the waddin' I worked down above t' motor. It seems strong enough t' fly again, but I have concerns whether t' kit could survive multiple flights on t' E9. Aye aye! Well, blow me down!
Given t' flight and damage-free recovery, I would rate t' kit a 4.5 for flight/recovery. Aye aye! However, matey, I will deduct a point for t' charring.
Flight Rating: 3 out o' 5
Summary:
This is a somewhat easier kit than t' XFLR-7, but I still had me difficulties.
Up close, thar are misalignments but from a distance, arrr, it looks OK. Well, blow me down! I will
blame a lot o' this on me. Avast! I have since seen another good tip for constructing
paper models: apply all glue with a toothpick. This will help ensure you don't
use too much as I tend to.
T' construction is good for this sized paper kit--air foiled fins and double wall components make it a lot sturdier. It flies great on t' E9-4 despite it nay fittin' t' motor hook. Arrr! I noted some brownin' o' t' cardstock, which tells me this kit will nay be t' workhorse o' anyone's fleet.
Overall Rating: 3 out o' 5
This is a monster of a paper rocket, capable of handling 24mm motors and carrying payloads. Paper rockets in general are always a nice break from the routine and this one is certainly a break from the paper rocket norm. I had the pleasure of building a beta version of this as well as the final version. This review is based on the final version. The parts list for this Model Minutes kits is ...
![]() |
![]() |
Sponsored Ads
![]() |
![]() |