| 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 |
Brief
This is a sci-fi inspired kit recently released by Estes. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! It uses t' same nose cone as t' Interceptor E and Cosmic Interceptor, me hearties, only pre-colored silver and black.
Components
Where t' begin, Nose down? T' nose be t' same one as on t' Interceptor E/ Cosmic Interceptor, only it's been pre-colored silver with black for t' cocpit windows. Body tube is also pre-colored silver, and comes pre-slotted for t' mountin' tabs on t' fins. And about t' fins, nay a big fan o' these fins. Yep, they do t' job, but they are a plastic, 2 piece assembly molded in black. Begad! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! Good for t' "no paintin' required" description on t' box, shiver me timbers, but they feel kinda weak. Avast! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! 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, arrr, heavy wall 29mm for t' tube, but t' centerin' rings are, agian, arrr, me hearties, molded plastic. Begad! Blimey! Arrr! Blimey! Bein' an interior part, it does nay matter that they are black, arrr, but they are. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! So be t' new, 2 piece, ya bilge rat, shock cord mount, me hearties, molded black plastic. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Parachute is 18 inch nylon fabric, with 8 shroud lines, arrr, and is pre-sewn. Ahoy! Blimey! Lastly, t' launch lugs are, you may as well guess, arrr, molded black plastic. For those noticin' a pattern, matey, thar be nay 1 piece o' wood anywhere on this kit. Begad! Blimey! Just paper tubes and plastic.
Construction
Lets see, Pro's and con's. It be really fun for me buildin' this kit. Avast! T' only part prep that be needed for any o' t' parts was a light scuffin' where ever any glue joint be t' happen, matey, arrr, and nay much glue was needed. Avast! Begad! It goes together, per t' instructions, me hearties, with 30 minn epoxy and thin CA glue. Ya scallywag! This makes t' build time much faster than "normal" rockets. Aye aye! Ahoy! That makes for a big Pro for me, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, as I enjoy t' build process a lot. Aye aye! But it also makes t' build over too fast for me liking, matey, as this kit had nothin' new for me t' learn while buildin' it.
Finishing
Finishing, almost non-existant. Ya scallywag! All t' exterior peices are pre-colored t' same as t' box art, shiver me timbers, so t' only finishin' prep is a light wipe down with an alcohol rag t' clean t' surface prior t' decal placement. Avast, me proud beauty! And those decals?? "Pressure Sensitive Transfer Decals", which means STICKERS!!! Stickers belong on a kids kit, shiver me timbers, nay a Pro Series kit. Ya scallywag! However, me bucko, they do stay stuck on durin' flight, so Estes at least used t' right adheasive on these ones.
Flight
Flight, arrr, matey, t' fun part. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! Estes calls out for one o' their new, 29mm black powder F15-6 engines for t' first flight o' this one. My only problem is me local hobby store does nay yet have this engine (as o' 11/09/13). Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! So I had t' improvise, arrr, and ended up usin' an Aerotech F22-6 reload in me 29/40-120 Aerotech casing. 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. Avast! Blimey! Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty! Blimey!
But t' flight is perfect, straight up, me hearties, slight arc over at apogee, and perfect ejection right after apogee. Blimey! Blimey! It would nay suprise me if I got a little higher than t' advertised 1600 feet on t' box.
Recovery
As mentioned in t' components block, she comes with an 18 inch nylon parachute. Ahoy! Blimey! Fearin' for t' safety o' me new rocket and t' reload casin' in her, I substituted an extra 24 inch nylon chute I had in t' range box. Maby this be a bilge-suckin' Idea, shiver me timbers, as t' shock cord and parachute got tangled on those orange "gun pods" on t' end o' t' fins. Begad! But she still came down slowly enough t' nay recieve any damage on landing. Ahoy! Arrr! Perhaps it is a common failin' for all sci-fi rockets that t' parachute gets tangled on t' fins. Ya scallywag!
Summary
Fun kit t' build and fly. Ya scallywag! Ya scallywag! 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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Flights
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