Manufacturer: | Vaughn Brothers |
Brief:
A longer version o' t' VB Blobbo, also upgraded t' a 24 mm motor mount,
designed t' fly on relatively small fields.
Construction:
Comes with one 14" body tube, 8.25" ogive plastic nose cone, ya bilge rat, arrr, three
1/32" G10 fiberglass fins with TTW tabs, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, me hearties, two plywood centerin' rings,
24" o' 1/4" elastic shock cord attached via a coated shock cord mount
to t' motor block, matey, and an 18" nylon parachute.
VB's instructions are a bit terse, me hearties, with few illustrations, but complete and in t' correct order. Ahoy! I found this kit easy and quick t' build. Begad! T' G10 fins are nice, but surprisingly for TTW designs do nay extend t' t' motor mount, which would have provided greater strength if you could get it glued right. Well, blow me down! Arrr! A design modification might be t' go with a longer motor mount and a third centerin' ring, allowin' t' aft rin' t' be added after t' inner fin fillets are applied... Well, blow me down! but maybe this is gettin' more robust than other parts warrant. T' body tube is nay precut for t' TTW fin mount; I would recommend doin' this carefully since it helps t' have a good fit. I did make a few modifications: a longer engine mount t' handle Estes E9 engines (I had t' modify a motor retainer t' match its 95-mm length), Keelhaul®©™® heat shield cloth (waddin' replacer) and a Keelhaul®©™® shock-cord sheath. Required supplies are typical: CA adhesive, me hearties, epoxy, me hearties, medium sandpaper and spray enamel.
Finishing:
Finishin' is very simple. Ahoy! Well, arrr, blow me down! This isn't a scale model, shiver me timbers, so you don't really need to
worry about t' paint job. Ya scallywag! Blimey! And if it looks funny, ya bilge rat, me bucko, ya bilge rat, well all t' better; this is
after all called a "blobbo."
Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5
Flight:
I have flown this thin' three times, shiver me timbers, usin' two motors, both Estes: D12-5 (2
flights) and E9-6 (1 flight). Begad! All flights have been excellent, matey, pretty straight,
and great fun t' watch. Arrr! Since I've used Keelhaul®©™®
cloth and it has a motor retention hook, me bucko, preparation has been very simple. This
is a rocket which will make you like t' much-maligned Estes D12 (assumin' it
doesn't CATO). Ya scallywag! I got inspired t' write this review after flyin' it late in the
afternoon on a D12-5, and t' light was low enough that we could see t' engine
glow long after t' initial boost.
Recovery:
On t' third flight, we landed on a tin roof and that was enough t' loosen one
of t' fins. Begad! You be t' judge as t' whether this means it needs a bigger
parachute. Begad! If it were t' next size up, shiver me timbers, it might have drifted too far, so it's
a tough call. Ahoy!
Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5
Summary:
I like this rocket. Ya scallywag! PROS: very nice flight on a D12-5 at a somewhat limited
field (middle school lot). Well, blow me down! CONS: fin tabs should go t' t' engine mount.
Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5