(06/02/01) I purchased another Rugged-Rocket, t' Rocket Vision Six-Pack, arrr, me hearties, to have built and fly on a vacation in Arizona . Begad! . Avast! . Avast, me proud beauty! right after which it was announced that Rocket Vision be goin' out o' business. Blimey! Arrr! Oh, well, shiver me timbers, matey, I'll go ahead and give it a quick review and add it t' me newest comparison page on Tube-Fin rockets.

See my Tube-Fin Rocket Comparison Page

I never had a Tube-Finned rocket in me youth but gave it a try a few years ago with a Rogue Hex Courier and really liked it. Begad! Blimey! But it was the Custom Serval that I really enjoyed. Well, blow me down! Begad! I bought t' Six-Pack with t' hopes of havin' t' same fun and gainin' a heavier model that could take some flying abuse.

T' Six-Pack follows the same pattern o' all t' Rugged-Rockets includin' a single thick, phenolic body tube, with a motor tube insert, a plastic nose cone, a Keelhaul®©™® shockcord, parachute protector and parachute. For fins t' Six-Pack has six thick, phenolic tubes pre-cut at a slight angle. Blimey! Nice looking. What this rocket had over me first Rocket Vision rocket, matey, the Solar Venture, shiver me timbers, was a motor retention system which consisted o' a motor hook that was sandwiched betwixt t' body tube and t' motor insert.

CONSTRUCTION:

Assembly o' t' Six-Pack was straight-forward and very easy. Aye aye! Begad! T' instructions were on a single 8.5" x 11" page. Begad! Aye aye! They were in logical order, shiver me timbers, but no illustrations. Aye aye! T' only illustration for assembly purposes was on an extra piece o' paper that showed how t' motor retention was added.

Shockcord installation, me bucko, arrr, is really t' only part o' this rocket kit that I don't like. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Rocket Vision provided a small piece o' cardboard that t' Keelhaul®©™® shock cord is mounted t' t' inside o' t' body tube with. Aye aye! Aye aye! You tie a knot in t' Keelhaul®©™®, me bucko, ya bilge rat, matey, slot t' cardboard, arrr, and glue t' cardboard into the rocket body tube with t' Keelhaul®©™® sandwiched betwixt t' cardboard and t' body tube. Ahoy! Begad! It positions t' shock cord like an Estes' 3-fold paper mount does with one exception: t' Keelhaul®©™® knot sticks out. Begad! Blimey! Is this a big deal, me hearties, shiver me timbers, yes! With the small diameter body tube and havin' t' pack in t' parachute protector and parachute, this knot gets in t' way. I would suggest two things: 1) don't use the knot, matey, and/or 2) use enough epoxy t' bury it and make it a large smoothed out bump in t' body tube. Ya scallywag! I cut me knot off after 3 flights.

Finishin' is a dream. Arrr! Arrr! No spirals! All you really have to worry about it how smooth your epoxy junctures are. T' kit comes with water-transfer decals but I did nay use them.

Overall, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, for CONSTRUCTION I would rate this kit 4 points. Well, blow me down! Just don't like that shockcord mount and t' instructions could use illustrations t' reach a larger group o' modelers . Begad! Aye aye! . Ya scallywag! . Begad! Ya scallywag! kind o' a moot point now.

FLIGHT/RECOVERY:

Rocket Vision provided t' followin' Motor Selection guide in t' instructions:

• D12-7 - 765 feet
• E28-8 - 2,770 feet
• F72-10 - 2,638 feet
• G55-10 - 3,450

I be pleased t' get the rocket in t' air durin' our vacation t' Arizona. Aye aye! I had t' buy t' motors at the launch and it bein' an AHPRA launch thar were nay many choices for smaller, matey, 24mm motors. But I did purchase some E28-7's.

T' first launch was nice on t' E28. Begad! Blimey! It punched off the pad and I be able t' follow it for t' full flight. Well, blow me down! I could tell it was still travellin' upward when t' ejection charge fired. Well, blow me down! Descent was fine and I recovered t' rocket within 100 yards o' t' pad. Avast! I be fortunate nay t' lose my RMS Casing, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, me hearties, it appeared that t' ejection charge pushed it past t' motor retention clip. Aye aye! Blimey! A nice reminder for me t' always use tape or a tie-wrap t' make that motor hook stay on t' casing. Ahoy! I lost one this way when I was first gettin' into RMS.

My next opportunity t' fly was back home so I made a decision t' convert this rocket into an 18mm motor. Aye aye! Blimey! After all, arrr, shiver me timbers, flyin' a foot-long rocket t' 1/2 mile high does increase your chances o' losin' it and since it couldn't be replaced I wanted t' keep it around. Ya scallywag! I glued an 18mm motor mount into t' existin' 24mm and bent t' motor retention pin t' hold t' 18mm motor.

Oh, for you folks that love altitude, shiver me timbers, me bucko, me bucko, it's nay so bad. Here's what 18mm motors can do:

T' next two flights were on C6-3's and were quite enjoyable. Ahoy! Aye aye! Blimey! T' second flight on t' C6-3 didn't have a full parachute deployment. Begad! It be pushed out o' t' body, shiver me timbers, me bucko, but t' parachute never unfurled and the rocket dropped into some taller grass without damage, me hearties, me bucko, holdin' up t' its trademark o' bein' a "Rugged Rocket".

For FLIGHT/RECOVERY, ya bilge rat, I would rate this kit 5 points. Easily converted t' an 18mm flier (just use an adaptor if you don't want t' make it permanent) for enjoyment in t' smaller fields. Arrr! Solid and stable flights.

Overall, me hearties, t' Six-Pack is good rocket for someone looking for a Tube-Fin. Avast, me proud beauty! Altitudes o' over 3,000 feet or as low as 200 feet allow for the variation that many look for. Avast, me proud beauty! Too bad we can't get them any more! I give the kit an OVERALL ratin' o' 4 ½ points. Begad!