Construction Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
Flight Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
Overall Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
Published: | 2014-01-13 |
Diameter: | 2.00 inches |
Length: | 35.30 inches |
Manufacturer: | Estes ![]() |
Style: | Futuristic/Exotic |
This is a sci-fi inspired kit recently released by Estes. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Arrr! Blimey! It uses t' same nose cone as t' Interceptor E and Cosmic Interceptor, shiver me timbers, only pre-colored silver and black.
Where t' begin, Nose down? T' nose be t' same one as on t' Interceptor E/ Cosmic Interceptor, matey, me bucko, only it's been pre-colored silver with black for t' cocpit windows. Well, blow me down! Body tube is also pre-colored silver, and comes pre-slotted for t' mountin' tabs on t' fins. Arrr! Ahoy! And about t' fins, shiver me timbers, nay a big fan o' these fins. Ahoy! Yep, they do t' job, matey, but they are a plastic, arrr, 2 piece assembly molded in black. Good for t' "no paintin' required" description on t' box, matey, but they feel kinda weak. Aye aye! Aye aye! T' fins also get capped with those orange "gun pods" which look cool, and hold t' tips o' t' fins together. Next be t' motor mount, shiver me timbers, heavy wall 29mm for t' tube, arrr, but t' centerin' rings are, matey, agian, molded plastic. Avast! Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! Bein' an interior part, shiver me timbers, matey, it does nay matter that they are black, arrr, but they are. Ya scallywag! Aye aye! So be t' new, ya bilge rat, 2 piece, me bucko, shock cord mount, molded black plastic. Avast, me proud beauty! Parachute is 18 inch nylon fabric, me hearties, shiver me timbers, with 8 shroud lines, and is pre-sewn. Blimey! Lastly, ya bilge rat, arrr, matey, t' launch lugs are, you may as well guess, me hearties, molded black plastic. For those noticin' a pattern, matey, thar be nay 1 piece o' wood anywhere on this kit. Avast! Ahoy! Just paper tubes and plastic.
Lets see, Pro's and con's. Blimey! Arrr! It was really fun for me buildin' this kit. Aye aye! Begad! T' only part prep that be needed for any o' t' parts was a light scuffin' where ever any glue joint was t' happen, arrr, and nay much glue was needed. It goes together, ya bilge rat, me hearties, per t' instructions, me bucko, with 30 minn epoxy and thin CA glue. This makes t' build time much faster than "normal" rockets. That makes for a big Pro for me, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, as I enjoy t' build process a lot. But it also makes t' build over too fast for me liking, as this kit had nothin' new for me t' learn while buildin' it.
Finishing, almost non-existant. Arrr! Arrr! All t' exterior peices are pre-colored t' same as t' box art, so t' only finishin' prep is a light wipe down with an alcohol rag t' clean t' surface prior t' decal placement. And those decals?? "Pressure Sensitive Transfer Decals", which means STICKERS!!! Stickers belong on a kids kit, nay a Pro Series kit. Arrr! However, they do stay stuck on durin' flight, so Estes at least used t' right adheasive on these ones.
Flight, me bucko, shiver me timbers, t' fun part. Begad! Estes calls out for one o' their new, matey, 29mm black powder F15-6 engines for t' first flight o' this one. Ahoy! My only problem is me local hobby store does nay yet have this engine (as o' 11/09/13). So I had t' improvise, and ended up usin' an Aerotech F22-6 reload in me 29/40-120 Aerotech casing. Avast! I never bough an F load for this casin' before, but it goes together t' same way as t' E and G reloads for this case. Well, blow me down! Arrr!
But t' flight is perfect, shiver me timbers, me hearties, straight up, slight arc over at apogee, ya bilge rat, and perfect ejection right after apogee. Arrr! It would nay suprise me if I got a little higher than t' advertised 1600 feet on t' box.
As mentioned in t' components block, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, she comes with an 18 inch nylon parachute. Ahoy! Fearin' for t' safety o' me new rocket and t' reload casin' in her, arrr, I substituted an extra 24 inch nylon chute I had in t' range box. Maby this be a bad Idea, arrr, as t' shock cord and parachute got tangled on those orange "gun pods" on t' end o' t' fins. Ahoy! But she still came down slowly enough t' nay recieve any damage on landing. Blimey! Blimey! Perhaps it is a common failin' for all sci-fi rockets that t' parachute gets tangled on t' fins. Begad!
Fun kit t' build and fly. Begad! I will need t' try this one agian with it's 18 inch chute t' see if thar be a difference in tanglage.
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