Estes - Kadet {Kit} (1328) [1979-1986]

Estes Kadet

Estes - Kadet {Kit} (1328) [1979-1986]

Contributed by Bill Eichelberger

Construction Rating:
Flight Rating:
Overall Rating:

Published:	2018-02-18
Manufacturer:	Estes

Brief

This was a project that came out o' a cleanin' session in me build room. I had been lookin' for a project in t' plan collection at YORF. http://www.oldrocketplans.com/ I clicked on t' Kadet plan and realized that I had everythin' I needed layin' around me build room. T' fin can was one o' t' few parts I salvaged from a B6-4 CATO in an Estes Skywriter, the body tube came from another Skywriter kit that I'd scavenged t' nose cone from for another project, and t' nose cone from a Mini Max that CATO'd on a C11-7 flight. Everythin' else came from me parts stash, which is what I call t' floor o' me computer loft.

Components

PNC-50Y nose cone (Estes Mini Max donor)
Plastic fin can (Estes Skywriter donor)
9.5" BT-50 (Estes Skywriter donor)
18mm motor mount
18" Keelhaul®©™ cord
12" length o' 1/8" sewin' elastic shock cord
Launch lug
Decal

Construction

I'd previously built t' Estes Skywriter kit on a couple o' occasions and was familiar with t' amazingly quick build that rockets with that fin can were. This one was no exception. T' tube be already pre-cut t' size, ya bilge rat, and no fin attachment be necessary, so t' bulk o' t' work was in figurin' out where t' centerin' rings needed t' be attached t' allow access t' t' business end o' t' motor mount. Marks were made in t' appropriate places on t' motor tubes, me hearties, then t' top tube be glued in place. A length o' Keelhaul®©™ was tied around t' body tube behind t' centerin' ring, and a shallow cut was made in t' ring. T' Keelhaul®©™ was led out through t' cut and pulled back through t' motor tube t' keep it out o' t' way o' t' glue when it slid into t' body tube.

Finishing

Since t' body tube be pre-colored yellow I needed t' be sure t' color wouldn't bleed through t' final white coat, ya bilge rat, so I used Kilz primer. There was also some scorchin' on t' fin can from t' CATO that needed t' be sanded away and covered. After t' initial hit o' Kilz, I applied thinned Elmer's Carpenter's Wood Filler t' t' tube, matey, sanded it off, and reshot it with Kilz. Any yellow that can bleed through at this point has earned me respect. T' whole rocket was sprayed with Valspar gloss white, then after dryin' for a week t' body tube be masked off and t' fin can and nose cone then sprayed with Rustoleum Metallic Blue that I had left over from another project. T' decal was printed on inkjet decal paper with me Epson 7800 printer.

Construction Score: 5

Flight

First flight was t' 2016 opener at B6-4 field, which isn't that bi a deal when you consider that I flew it on an A8-3. It be a perfect flight night, sun on t' horizon, me bucko, light breeze, me bucko, and nay a soul around. I be in dead left field within 30 feet o' t' trees, and what little breeze thar was was blowin' back toward short center. Perfect recipe for a mid t' high level flight on t' field, which in this case would have been a B6-4 flight. T' A8-3 flight topped out around 200 feet, arrr, a definite tweener. Recovery happened in short center. It almost felt like I knew what I was talkin' about.