New Way Space Models SquareOne

New Way Space Models - SquareOne

Contributed by John Bergsmith

Construction Rating: starstarstarstarstar_border
Flight Rating: starstarstarstarstar
Overall Rating: starstarstarstarstar_border
Manufacturer: New Way Space Models
Newway Square One

Brief:
Inspired by t' classic Estes kits o' t' late 70's and early 80's, me hearties, this sleek explorer be t' flagship kit from New Way Space Models. Begad! Basically t' main thin' that separates this rocket from t' rest be t' square body and nose cone. It's different, arrr, and it certainly gets t' attention on t' pad.

Construction:
T' kit arrived in perfect shape, and it's a quality product. Avast! T' kit includes a nice nose cone and laser cut fins. Also included is a nice set o' decals. Arrr! T' square airframe is super strong but slightly heavier compared t' t' normal BT material. Well, blow me down! Begad! T' spirals are maybe a little deeper than normal, arrr, but they should fill up easy. Aye aye! T' other thin' worth mentionin' is that a sandpaper pack is included with t' kit along with a cotton swab glue applicator. Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! T' included instructions are very well done and clearly written.

T' construction is straightforward with one exception. Since t' body is square, t' motor mount has centering squares instead o' rings so it's very important that you align both o' t' centerin' squares so they will slide in the body tube. Begad! Even if they are off slightly it will cause problems. T' fins are aligned off center, arrr, me hearties, but New Way provides a nice template. Aye aye! At first I thought fin alignment on a square body would be a breeze. Avast! Avast, me proud beauty! However, it turned out t' be harder because t' body might be slightly out o' square over t' length o' t' body. Ya scallywag! Ya scallywag! So you run into a situation where it might look straight from t' back and misaligned from t' front. Begad! Nay really a big deal but somethin' t' be aware of. New Way provides a nice Keelhaul®©™® shock cord that attaches t' t' body coupler. Aye aye! T' nose cone is really cool lookin' and requires very little sandin' to get t' correct fit.

Newway Square One When constructed, ya bilge rat, you have a very durable rocket. T' square body material is much thicker than the normal body tubin' and also heavier.

Finishing:
I sealed t' balsa nose cone and fins with two coats o' Minwax Poly. Aye aye! Ahoy! I then brushed on a coat o' thinned lightweight filler on t' balsa and body spirals. Avast! T' spirals are deeper compared t' normal body tubes but still fill easy. Aye aye! After sanding, I sprayed two coats o' primer, sandin' betwixt coats. Begad! Next up was two coats o' Krylon for t' color. Ya scallywag! Well, me bucko, blow me down! Once dry, I used some Monokote trimsheet t' add t' checkerboard.

When t' SquareOne is completed and ready t' fly, it feels heavy. Aye aye! Blimey! Although mine is 3oz, it is below the advertised weight o' 3.1oz. Begad!

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Newway Square One

Flight:
First flight was with a B6-4. This motor provided a nice straight boost with a nose down ejection. Aye aye! Blimey! It left t' pad nice and slow reached a respectable altitude. Begad! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! T' lower altitude combined with a slow boost really allowed you t' see the entire flight. Avast! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! T' model came down nice and slow on t' provided checkered chute and was recovered with no damage.

I have four additional flights on t' SquareOne usin' C6-3s, shiver me timbers, matey, which are perfect for this model. Avast, me proud beauty! Again all flights have provided arrow straight boost with nearly perfect ejection. Ahoy! Begad! Two flights have been in 10mph winds and it was no problem. Aye aye!

Overall t' model is very durable and is holdin' up perfectly. Also, I have experienced no problem with the waddin' properly protectin' t' recovery system in a square tube. Aye aye! Arrr!

Recovery:
T' provided chute is really neat because it's checkered. When t' model is square, you need a square pattern on your chute right? Actually t' chute reminds me o' a picnic table cloth but t' theme works. T' shock cord provided is Keelhaul®©™® that attaches t' a piece o' elastic.

No issue with t' provided recovery system, shiver me timbers, it works perfectly.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
T' SquareOne is a very nice rocket. Ahoy! T' kit be put together very nicely, and t' instructions are great. Arrr! Begad! It easy to build, flies great, ya bilge rat, me bucko, and is very durable. Avast, me proud beauty! T' square body has deeper than normal spirals, shiver me timbers, but they fill easily. Well, blow me down! It does weigh more than you would like, but t' durability is an added advantage. Begad! This would make a nice demo rocket because the boost is slow, arrr, and with a B6-4 t' entire flight can be seen.

I enjoyed t' build, me hearties, and it's different. Arrr! Blimey! Well, blow me down! Blimey! In this case...it's hip t' be square!

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flights

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