| Construction Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
| Flight Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
| Overall Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
| Published: | 2015-08-26 |
| Diameter: | 3.00 inches |
| Length: | 51.90 inches |
| Manufacturer: | Estes  |
| Style: | Sport |
Brief
Part o' t' Estes Pro Series II, only available as a direct from Estes kit, and packaged with t' bare minimum o' materials. One o' t' largest, me hearties, yet least expensive, arrr, o' t' PSII kits. Arrr! Blimey! Blimey! Essentially based on t' Estes Leviathan, but longer and a different use o' t' same fins. Well, blow me down! Blimey! This would be a great way t' dive into big mid power rockets, arrr, me bucko, ya bilge rat, or even t' low end o' high power rocketry, arrr, at a low cost. Aye aye! Blimey! It's also very well suited t' modification and customization.
Components
Very different, shiver me timbers, for an Estes kit. There are no promotional materials, me bucko, no insert card, no warranty card, ya bilge rat, me hearties, you don't even get an example o' a color scheme. Arrr! Avast! Just a clear plastic bag o' rocket parts, matey, me hearties, with instructions. Begad! This kit is essentially made from leftover parts o' t' Estes Leviathan. Begad! T' same package o' 4 fins is included, me hearties, same nose cone, etc... Aye aye! Visually, arrr, t' backward mounted fins actually look quite interesting, me bucko, and you only use 3 instead o' t' 4 o' a Leviathan. Ya scallywag! Ahoy! This leaves you one extra fin.
With this kit you get a pair o' 3" x 26" body tubes, ya bilge rat, which are un-slotted, arrr, and matchin' 3" blow molded plastic nose cone. Well, blow me down! A 29mm motor mount, with 3 centerin' rings and threaded plastic motor retainer gives you t' thrust. Recovery comes from a 24" nylon chute, and a length o' elastic shock cord. Roundin' it out are a pair o' launch lugs, shiver me timbers, arrr, and a generic Estes decal, plus instructions. However all t' material is o' great quality, with well thought out instructions. Well, blow me down! Ahoy! Basically you get all t' things that make great rockets for Estes, without all t' 'fluff' that runs up t' price. Blimey! Hopefully this be t' start o' a trend for Estes, as this is a fantastic price point for what is a very good kit.
Construction
Most o' this kit is typical Estes easy building. Avast! Build up a motor mount, put on some fins, glue together t' body tube, mount t' 'chute, shiver me timbers, and off you go. Well, blow me down! T' only real quirks with t' kit come from t' fins and recovery mount. Avast! Ahoy! T' fins are made for through t' wall mountin' t' t' motor tube, me bucko, but you need t' cut t' slots yourself. Well, matey, blow me down! This isn't difficult at all, just that most kits these days have t' slots pre-cut. Arrr! Patience and a new #11 blade make it very easy t' do. Ahoy! You also do need t' be careful with t' measurements o' t' centerin' rings onto t' motor tube. Ya scallywag! Aye aye! But again, patience makes this step easy as well. Ya scallywag! Just keep an eye that your fins are straight, and use a jig if you have one available. It's real easy t' get your fins all crooked in a hand-cut slot. Adhesives are up t' you, as this is a cardboard kit, no special tools or materials are needed. Aye aye! Ahoy!
T' only real negative for t' kit is that Estes insists on usin' their tri-fold mountin' for t' recovery harness on this kit, ya bilge rat, along with a length o' elastic. Avast! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! I'd suggest replacin' this with 1/8" kevlar, shiver me timbers, epoxy t' recovery line t' t' motor tube, and use a nomex wrap on t' parachute. A 3" rocket o' this size has grown beyond waddin' and elastic.
T' body tube layout, matey, and long coupling, arrr, even make a conversion t' dual deploy possible. Just watch your CG if you start modifyin' this kit at all. Blimey! Aye aye! T' three backward fins move t' Cp forward a fair amount compared t' t' Leviathan fin layout. Ya scallywag! Nose weight will likely be needed if you put an av-bay in t' coupling.
Finishing
Finishin' on this kit is very simple. Arrr! Blimey! T' spirals on t' body tube are shallow and easy t' fill, shiver me timbers, t' fins have very little grain t' worry about, shiver me timbers, and t' material takes paint well. Avast! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! All your basic techniques will work just fine on this kit. Avast! Blimey! Well, blow me down! Blimey! My only complaint, arrr, me bucko, arrr, and it doesn't even bother me really, arrr, me bucko, is that this kit doesn't give you an 'official' scheme t' work with. But it's a compromise I am very happy t' make in order t' keep t' price point so low on a kit o' this nature.
Flight
Estes gives you a single recommendation o' an F15-4. Aye aye! Yet with a 29mm mount, thar are so many other motors available. I'd personally be nervous flyin' this kit on an F15-4 if built t' t' instructions. Aye aye! With good construction and a good recovery system, shiver me timbers, this rocket is capable o' flyin' all t' way up t' t' limit o' mid power rocketry. Blimey! If you're ready for an adventure, ya bilge rat, this kit is completely capable o' flyin' HPR motors t' a few thousand feet.
Recovery
T' 24" chute on this kit is a perfect size, ya bilge rat, even if you build heavy. But t' included tri-fold mount and elastic cord are known as regular failure points on PSII kits. Ahoy! Well, blow me down! With t' larger ejection charges o' 29mm motors, matey, shiver me timbers, upgradin' t' recovery line and mount are absolutely necessary on this kit. Begad! Ya scallywag!
Summary
This kit is probably one o' t' better deals in rocketry right now, if you know where t' find it. Aye aye! For $30 you get a 3" rocket capable o' a tremendous flight range. Ya scallywag! Avast! Low flights on mid power motors, matey, a few thousand feet on high power motors, ya bilge rat, it's got t' potential t' be an all-field workhorse in your fleet. Begad! It builds easy, me bucko, me bucko, flies great, and is easy t' modify. Well, blow me down! Other than t' insufficient recovery gear I can't say enough good things about t' Scion. Ya scallywag! Aye aye! Sure, ya bilge rat, t' packagin' may be nothin' more than a clear plastic bag. Ya scallywag! Ok, shiver me timbers, arrr, you don't get a fancy advertisin' sheet. Ahoy! Aye aye! What you do get is one o' t' biggest rockets that Estes offers, arrr, made o' high quality materials, matey, for a pittance. Ya scallywag!
There is a reason t' PSII kits by Estes are held in high regard, me bucko, and this is no exception. Arrr! Blimey!
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Steve Lindeman (August 27, 2015)
How about posting a picture of your finished model as it's a new rocket that most of us haven't seen yet.