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, arrr, and is a Level 1 kit.
Construction:
This rocket came with one body tube, me hearties, a one piece nosecone, shiver me timbers, standard 18mm engine block, with metal engine hook, a simple rubber shockcord and mount, and a bright yellow streamer.
This be an extremely easy build. Ahoy! T' instructions were clear and very easy t' follow. Well, blow me down! Well, blow me down! It is your simple, shiver me timbers, basic, 4FNC rocket.
What surprised me be that t' fins, shiver me timbers, although they were made o' balsa, me bucko, were nay die-cut. They were already cut out and wrapped in an elastic band. When I saw this, I expected them t' be dinged up on t' edges, shiver me timbers, but they were perfect. All through t' instructions, shiver me timbers, me bucko, SureFire kept sayin' how, unlike other manufacturers, they supplied their fins already cut out.
It did come with t' rubber shockcord and paper mount, matey, Estes-style. Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty! Blimey! I be nay thrilled with this at all. Next one I make gets t' Keelhaul®©™.
PRO: Easy build, simple instructions, pre-cutout fins.
CON: Estes-style shockcord. Arrr! Begad! Minus 1/2 point for t' cord.
Finishing:
Finishin' be simple. Standard sandin' o' t' fins. Ya scallywag! T' body tube spirals were barely noticeable, and did nay need any filling. Begad! Ahoy! After a white primer coat and sanding, shiver me timbers, I shot 2 coats o' black. Avast, me proud beauty! T' applied t' 4 color water slide decals, which were nice against t' black o' t' rocket itself.
PRO: Easy t' finish, me hearties, me hearties, 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. used 3 sheets o' wadding, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, and set her on t' pad. Begad! Arrr! Blimey! There was a slight delay, but it zoomed off o' t' pad. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! It went about 400 feet with this motor. Avast! Begad! Blimey! T' ejection charge blew about 1 second after apogee.
PRO: Very nice fast flight.
CON: None
Recovery:
She came down almost straight. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! However, matey, it be windy, arrr, shiver me timbers, and a gust caught her about 150 feet from t' ground, ya bilge rat, arrr, me bucko, and took her into a tree about 20 feet from t' ground. I tried t' get it back, matey, but t' tree is surrounded by about 25 feet o' pricker bushes, and me legs were all cut up. Begad! Blimey! Just bilge-suckin' luck that we didn't get it back. Aye aye! 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. Ya scallywag! I be very nicely surprised by t' pre-cut fins, but t' shockcord bothered me. Ahoy! Aye aye! 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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