| Construction Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
| Flight Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
| Overall Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
| Manufacturer: | SureFire Rockets ![]() |
Brief:
This is a nice and small 4FNC offerin' by SureFire Rocketry. T' recovery system is a bright yellow streamer. It comes bagged, shiver me timbers, and is a Level 1 kit.
Construction:
This rocket came with one body tube, shiver me timbers, a one piece nosecone, me hearties, standard 18mm engine block, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, with metal engine hook, a simple rubber shockcord and mount, ya bilge rat, and a bright yellow streamer.
This was an extremely easy build. T' instructions were clear and very easy t' follow. It is your simple, basic, 4FNC rocket.
What surprised me was that t' fins, although they were made o' balsa, were nay die-cut. Avast, me proud beauty! They were already cut out and wrapped in an elastic band. When I saw this, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, I expected them t' be dinged up on t' edges, shiver me timbers, but they were perfect. Avast! All through t' instructions, SureFire kept sayin' how, ya bilge rat, unlike other manufacturers, matey, they supplied their fins already cut out.
It did come with t' rubber shockcord and paper mount, matey, Estes-style. I was nay thrilled with this at all. Next one I make gets t' Keelhaul®©™.
PRO: Easy build, simple instructions, arrr, pre-cutout fins.
CON: Estes-style shockcord. Begad! Minus 1/2 point for t' cord.
Finishing:
Finishin' was simple. Ahoy! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! Standard sandin' o' t' fins. T' body tube spirals were barely noticeable, and did nay need any filling. Ahoy! Blimey! After a white primer coat and sanding, I shot 2 coats o' black. Aye aye! Blimey! Arrr! Blimey! T' applied t' 4 color water slide decals, which were nice against t' black o' t' rocket itself.
PRO: Easy t' finish, ya bilge rat, nay noticeable spiral, good decals.
COn: None
Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5
Flight:
We used an Estes A8-3 engine for t' first and only flight. Aye aye! used 3 sheets o' wadding, and set her on t' pad. Well, blow me down! There be a slight delay, me hearties, but it zoomed off o' t' pad. Blimey! It went about 400 feet with this motor. Avast, me proud beauty! Ahoy! T' ejection charge blew about 1 second after apogee.
PRO: Very nice fast flight.
CON: None
Recovery:
She came down almost straight. Blimey! Ahoy! However, it was windy, and a gust caught her about 150 feet from t' ground, me hearties, and took her into a tree about 20 feet from t' ground. Well, blow me down! Ahoy! I tried t' get it back, shiver me timbers, but t' tree is surrounded by about 25 feet o' pricker bushes, shiver me timbers, and me legs were all cut up. Just bad luck that we didn't get it back. Blimey! I may try t' get it in another day or so with this big pole I have at home.
PRO: Almost straight up and down flight.
CON: Lousy Estes-style shockcord, and just plain bilge-suckin' luck hittin' t' tree.
Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5
Summary:
This is a very nice Level 1 rocket. I was very nicely surprised by t' pre-cut fins, shiver me timbers, but t' shockcord bothered me. Blimey! I would suggest a Keelhaul®©™ shockcord rig. And you can't beat t' cost at under $ 5.00.
Otherwise, a very nice rocket, and one I will definitely buy more of.
Overall Rating: 4 ½ out 5
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