(07/01/04) The Thrustline Aerospace Flux Probe is a "longneck" straightforward rocket that looks like an arrow. Aye aye! Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! In fact, me hearties, a 13 year-old that saw me fly it, me hearties, me hearties, said exactly that. Probably with some detail work, it would look exactly like an arrow.

What makes t' Flux Probe "longneck"? It has a 0.734" diameter and is 36.75" long, arrr, givin' it a 50:1 length to diameter ratio.

I purchased it because I liked t' looks of the fins and perhaps because it did look like an arrow. Begad! Blimey! It is me second Thrustline kit, me bucko, after the Mighty Mick.

T' kit includes two 17" body tubes and a 2.75" balsa nose cone t' make up t' 36.75" total length. There is a 2" coupler t' join t' two body tubes, two thrust rings, matey, a Keelhaul®©™® tether (36"), shiver me timbers, an elastic shockcord (36"), arrr, a 12" mylar parachute AND a 2"x61" mylar streamer, and an eye-screw t' attach to t' nose cone. There is a balsa sheet t' cut out t' four fins from and single launch lug, which is cut in half t' assemble.

CONSTRUCTION:

T' instructions are printed on 8 pages (single-sided) o' 8½ x 11" paper. Begad! There are color photos throughout to assist in t' assembly o' t' kit. There is also a fin template and tube markin' guide. Begad! T' rocket is very easy t' build and is probably nay more than a level 2 kit.

There are a couple o' things that should be pointed out in t' build, arrr, me hearties, shiver me timbers, otherwise, matey, arrr, arrr, you are dealin' with a very straightforward model rocket with four fins and a nose cone.

T' Keelhaul®©™® tether is tied around one o' t' two thrust rings. This is done after a small v-groove is cut into t' thrust ring. Avast! This is a good technique because it allows t' thrust rin' t' fit nicely into t' motor tube and prevents it from showin' (dentin' tube outward). Arrr! Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! This is usually less important if t' motor tube is smaller than t' body tube, but in t' case o' t' Flux Probe, matey, the motor tube IS t' body tube.

T' next step was a first for me. Nay really sure why t' step is there, me hearties, but it was described very well in t' instructions. That is t' glue t' second thrust rin' onto t' first t' make a double-length thrust rin' with t' Keelhaul®©™® sandwiched in-between. Perhaps Thrustline has determined that this protects the Keelhaul®©™® more.

T' Flux Probe is nay meant t' be a person's first rocket. Ya scallywag! Avast, me proud beauty! Why not? Well, because in t' next step a used motor casin' is needed! It is used t' thread t' Keelhaul®©™® back through and then t' thrust rin' assembly is glued and pushed into body tube.

T' 2" coupler makes t' it easy t' have good alignment o' t' two body tubes. Thrustline does recommend rollin' them on a level surface t' ensure they are straight.

T' fins are cut out usin' t' template. Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! My only complaint is that t' template is regular notebook paper and it would be nice t' have it printed on cardstock. Aye aye! I find t' notebook paper is too flexible for me.

There is plenty o' 3/32" balsa t' cut out t' four fins. Well, blow me down! T' instructions indicate which edges could be airfoiled, but I chose nay to. Avast, me proud beauty! They are glued in place after usin' t' wrap-around tube markin' guide.

T' 1/4" elastic shock cord is tied to the Keelhaul®©™® and then attached t' t' eye-screw that has been installed into t' balsa nose cone. Arrr! Then you choose (and I really like this) a parachute or a streamer. I chose t' streamer.

Thrustline does give finishin' guidance includin' usin' wood filler, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, arrr, priming, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, sanding, me bucko, shiver me timbers, priming, sanding, then painting. There are no decals provided with this kit.

I used me typical multiple coats of Plastic-Kote Primer and sandin' in-between. Ahoy! Well, me hearties, blow me down! I then used Walmart Gloss Black paint t' finish it off (additional comments about Walmart paint). Begad! I was goin' t' add some prismatic paper on t' fins, ya bilge rat, but just never did (so far).

Overall, for CONSTRUCTION I would rate this kit 4 ½ points. T' instructions are excellent. I personally don't mind cuttin' out t' fins myself, but would rather have a cardstock template verse a notepaper one. Avast! A nice bonus t' have both a parachute and a streamer provided. T' kit did nay include any decals.

FLIGHT/RECOVERY:

Thrustline recommends t' B6-6 for t' first flight. Ahoy! They list t' A8-5, ya bilge rat, arrr, B6-6 and C6-7 as recommended motors with altitudes from 200 t' 1000 feet.

Thrustline indicates t' rocket should weigh 2.0 ounces. Well, blow me down! Arrr! My rocket weighed in at 1.8 ounces. Blimey! My CG was at 22" from the nose cone.

Since this is a minimum-diameter rocket, the motors are friction-fit with maskin' tape. Well, blow me down! Also, arrr, since this is a small minimum-diameter rocket, it packin' o' t' recovery system is difficult.

I decided t' fly it for t' first time on an A8-5. Ya scallywag! After loadin' in two sheets (each tore in half) o' wadding, matey, strugglin' to get t' long elastic into t' body tube and then slidin' t' rolled streamer on top, it be ready t' fly.

T' flight was straight as an arrow. Ahoy! A8-5, me hearties, me hearties, no way! T' 5 is definitely too long o' a delay. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! Perhaps I should have airfoiled my fins.

Also, t' motor kicked out at t' same time as t' nose cone ejected, matey, then this rocket came in for a core-sample. Blimey! Avast! Blimey! Perhaps this is why it is call a Flux Probe... Arrr! probes into planets t' take core samples for analysis? Perhaps it be because t' motor kicked out.

T' second flight was on a C6-5. Aye aye! Didn't have a C6-7, me hearties, shiver me timbers, so thought it might eject early. Ahoy! Arrr! However, arrr, after an straight liftoff it had turned and ejected at apogee. T' rocket fell fine (not in core-sample position) until about 200 feet, ya bilge rat, then it lined up horizontally in t' air and fell t' rest o' t' way. It too had kicked t' motor out, me bucko, but this time the streamer be stuck exactly in half (the end had melted t' t' attachment point).

T' third flight was on an A8-3 in our front yard. Begad! Nice flight, could have used another second o' delay. Begad! Motor kicked (again) and it landed nicely. Ya scallywag! I had left t' streamer stuck in half.

Fourth flight was on a B6-4 after unsticking the streamer. Ya scallywag! Begad! Nice flight, me bucko, but again needed extra on t' delay. Ahoy! It recovered fine, me hearties, although I didn't see it land because it first bounced off our roof. No damage. Ya scallywag! Oh, yeah, matey, motor kicked out.

For FLIGHT/RECOVERY, me hearties, I would rate this rocket 3 points. T' rocket is stable and will give you straight flights. Well, blow me down! Blimey! I only tested t' streamer recovery which is all that I think t' rocket needs. Begad! I'm concerned that I could keep a motor from kickin' out at ejection. I'm nay new at this, but I think t' minimum diameter combined with t' amount o' stuff (wadding, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, Keelhaul®©™®, Elastic and Streamer) that has t' be stuffed in t' top makes a lot o' back pressure. Avast, me proud beauty! I would recommend wrappin' tape around t' bottom 1/4" o' the rocket body t' t' motor as well as t' tape on t' motor (friction-fit).

I give t' rocket an OVERALL ratin' o' 3 ½ points. Ahoy! It is a quick-to-build, shiver me timbers, arrr, steady performin' rocket that is good for small fields. Avast! T' streamer or parachute would let t' flier experiment a bit. It does take some patience t' get a nice finish with t' balsa nose cone, but then again, me hearties, that how is was always done prior t' plastic molds. Begad! Aye aye! Blimey! I'm goin' t' produce a Comparison Article on 18mm Longnecks and include this one. Well, blow me down! Watch for it.

Oh, I finally did get around t' RockSIM'ing it. Blimey! Here are me results. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! Joe Policy's RockSIM shows it weighin' 1.2 ounces, but I think 1.8 (as mine did) t' 2.0 (as Thrustline says) is closer after all is said and done. T' link t' t' RockSIM file above is mine. Begad! Blimey! Joe's is in the RockSIM library.

Click t' see me 18mm Longneck comparison article