Construction Rating: | starstarstarstarstar |
Flight Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
Overall Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
Manufacturer: | Art Applewhite Rockets ![]() |
Brief:
Arts latest product line be t' Hourglass. Blimey! T' Hourglass rockets resemble
spool rockets. Avast! Begad! They have top and bottom circular plates with two cones between
the plates providin' t' hourglass shape. They are currently available in 13mm,
18mm, ya bilge rat, and 24mm sizes with all sizes comin' in several colors. Begad! Aye aye! This review is
for t' 24mm versions. Avast! T' shorter version uses Estes D12 length motors and the
longer version uses t' E9 length motors. Ahoy! Both will fly on most anythin' that
will fit.
Here are t' specs:
Short Version | Long Version |
---|---|
Diameter = 3" | Diameter = 3.75" |
Height = 2.75" | Height = 3.75" |
Weight = 0.5 oz | Weight = 0.8 oz |
Construction:
These use t' same paper and foamboard construction like t' rest o' Art's
products. Aye aye! Both sizes include:
Tools and supplied needed include:
Construction was simple as expected. Ya scallywag! Arrr! Blimey! You cut and form t' cones, shiver me timbers, glue the plate patterns t' t' foamboard, cut them out when dry, install t' motor hook, and glue all t' pieces together. Thats it. Arrr! T' only two things t' watch out for is t' keep t' plates parallel t' each other and t' make sure the launch rod holes are all aligned.
Finishing:
My Hourglasses used colored cardstock so no real finishin' is needed. T' short
version is day-glow orange and long is day-glow green. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! If you want t' paint
them, matey, Art recommends sealin' t' exposed edges o' t' foamboard with white
glue. Aye aye! Ahoy! He also recommends sealin' t' whole thin' with clear enamel t' make them
moisture proof. I used clear acrylic. Begad! T' clear coat also gives them a nice
shiny finish.
Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5
Flight:
I flew t' short version on a D12-0 and t' long on an E9-P. Begad! Both had t' same
flight profile but o' course t' E9 version went higher. Aye aye! Both tore off t' pad
like t' proverbial bat. Aye aye! After burnout near t' top o' t' flight, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, it be clear
that they were spinnin' wildly end-over-end. Begad! Since t' boost was fast and
straight, me hearties, I assume t' tumblin' started after burn-out, but I cant be
sure since they were so quick. Begad! Arrr! Either way, t' crowd loved them!
Recovery:
Both tumbled in nice and slowly. Ahoy! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey!
Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5
Summary:
These are easy t' build (as usual) and if you like Arts cones, shiver me timbers, you will
probably like t' Hourglass series. If you like spool rockets, you will also
like them. Avast! T' flight profile is a little different than a saucer. Avast, me proud beauty! They
dont slow down as smartly and are totally unstable after burn out. Begad! They
are however, arrr, at a very respectable altitude at this point and keep goin' it a
generally upward direction, shiver me timbers, so this condition appears t' be a feature nay a
bug.
Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5
This odd-roc is an hourglass-shaped, incredibly (and some might say surprisingly) stable, small field flier. Very easy to build and entertaining to fly. The parts list: One brightly colored pattern sheet (hot pink in my case) One sheet of foamboard 24mm engine tube Engine hook I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I found that I'd be reviewing this product, but ...
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D.S. (September 26, 2004)