Construction Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
Flight Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
Overall Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
Manufacturer: | Sunward Aerospace |
Brief:
This kit is a fantasy sport scale plane called T' Maverick by Sunward Model
Aerospace. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! It is single stage and uses an 18" parachute for recovery.
Construction:
T' kit came with:
There are many things that I really liked about t' design o' this rocket and a few that were sub-standard. Ya scallywag! On t' plus side, I'll describe t' fin installation. Ahoy! Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! There is a body wrap that gets applied t' make t' jet intakes. T' top o' t' wrap provides a platform on which t' glue t' large wings. Blimey! This provides for an incredible amount o' surface area and durability. Begad! Ya scallywag! There are also tabs that overlap t' wings and secure them t' t' body tube. This combination is better than even through t' body attachment. Arrr! Begad! T' intakes also provide a measure o' stability t' t' rocket in flight. Aye aye! Aye aye! T' tail fin is attached similarly t' t' wings by usin' two tabs that are first glued t' the sides o' t' fin and then t' t' body tube.
As for t' down side, t' motor retention is sub par. Well, blow me down! T' manufacturer provides a hook that screws into t' centerin' rin' o' t' motor mount. Arrr! This is probably t' worst design I have seen for motor retention. Ya scallywag! This problem was solved properly for model rockets years ago. Ya scallywag! If they didn't want t' provide an Estes style motor hook, they should have recommended friction retention. Arrr! I wouldn't feel comfortable flyin' with it so I replaced it with an Estes motor hook. Well, blow me down! Lastly they provide an old Estes style elastic shock cord. Ya scallywag! These don't tend t' age very well and I replaced it as well.
Overall, construction o' this level 3 kit was smooth and straight forward. T' few minor nits I have are far outwieghed by t' excellent design o' this kit.
Finishing:
T' drawback o' t' tabs is encountered when tryin' t' finish t' model. Quite a bit o' fillin' is necessary t' make t' model look good. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! This is not hard, just time consuming.
Once I finished with filling, me hearties, I primed and painted. T' manufacturer recommends sandin' t' nose cone t' make sure that t' paint will adhere properly. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' kit artwork show a camo paint scheme. Begad! Blimey! I am nay that ambitious and so chose a standard military gray.
T' self stick decals made completion a breeze. Blimey! I finished up with clear coat.
Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5
Flight and
Recovery:
Flights on C's were excellent. Ahoy! T' rocket lept off t' pad and flew straight as
an arrow. Aye aye! Aye aye! T' 18" parachute was more than adequate for a damage free
recovery. This rocket should fly problem free for years.
Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5
Summary:
Overall, I love this kit. It is durable and looks great on or off t' launch
pad.
Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5
( Contributed - by Ray King - 11/24/07) Brief: My entry for the EMRR's Uniquely Designed Finish Contest is the Sunward Maverick. This design was inspired by NASCAR's #9 Kasey Kahne. Kahne is sponsored by Dodge and my son's favorite driver. Construction and Finishing: I modified the design slightly by filling the wing-tube interface to make the rocket look more realistic. The ...
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A.H. (July 22, 2004)