| Construction Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
| Flight Rating: | starstarstarstarstar |
| Overall Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
| Published: | 2014-01-06 |
| Manufacturer: | Rocketarium |
| Style: | Scale |
Brief
Great lookin' rocket with eight fins and a boat tail. It also has a unique cable tunnel balsa piece that attaches t' t' body tube.
Components
T' kit comes with two (3?) pieces o' 1/8" balsa wood. Avast! Ya scallywag! T' wood is sturdy though soft. Avast, me proud beauty! Also included are several templates: fins (4 large forward fins, me bucko, and 4 smaller aft fins), a fin guide for fin placement on t' body tube, t' cable tunnel assembly, and t' boat tail cone. Blimey! Arrr! T' kit has an elastic shock cord, a plastic nose cone, a 15" plastic parachute, shiver me timbers, and a large block o' clay/putty. Blimey! T' directions are thorough and straight forward. Aye aye! Begad! A large picture o' t' completed rocket provides a backup for any misguided parts assembly.
Construction
I enjoyed buildin' this kit. Arrr! T' instructions are good and clear. Arrr! Blimey! No special tools are required. Avast! Avast! You need t' be careful before cuttin' t' balsa that you have laid out t' templates t' fit on t' wood. Blimey! I mistakenly forgot t' cut t' cable tunnel assembly from t' stock and had t' use some extra balsa from an Estes Designer kit. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! I also used a stiffer card board (#110) for t' boat tail shroud. Ya scallywag! T' shock cord is attached usin' an Estes-type attachment. Well, blow me down! Make sure t' cord attachment is at least 2" inside t' body tube t' allow for t' nose cone. Avast, me proud beauty! No problems here.
Finishing
In order t' balance t' kit, me bucko, ya bilge rat, all o' t' clay/putty provided should be put into t' nose cone. Avast! I did this and covered it with West systems epoxy. Aye aye! Ya scallywag! Given t' plastic nose cone, I think epoxy should be used, but 5 minute epoxy is likely fine. Avast! T' nose cone feels pretty heavy after all this, but I checked t' CG and CP after completin' construction and t' weight appears right.
I finished t' fins by paperin' them usin' techniques I saw on t' Rocketry Forum. Aye aye! Avast, me proud beauty! (http://www.rocketryforum.com/showthread.php?42250-Balsa-technique-question&highlight=double+glue+joints). This adds strength and acts as a filler/finish for painting. Avast, me proud beauty! Well, blow me down! As I mentioned, t' balsa was soft though thick, arrr, arrr, so paperin' these fins was very useful. Ya scallywag! Paperin' is a technique I like... t' me it's easier than Elmer's wood filler, arrr, shiver me timbers, and I don't get t' warpin' I usually get from t' filler. Begad!
After paperin' and addin' t' cable tunnel assembly piece, I glued everyin' together with Titebond wood glue. Ahoy! Then I paint a first coat with Rustoleum gray filler primer. Avast, me proud beauty! After this I sand with 400 grit paper. I paint again with Rustoleum white flat primer, and wet sand with 400 grit paper. Arrr! Finally, me bucko, I painted it forest green body, black fins, shiver me timbers, arrr, shiver me timbers, and red cable tunnel. Begad! I'll post a picture when complete.
Flight
I cut t' parachute usin' t' 12" template rather than t' suggested 15". I also cut a 2" spill hole. Ya scallywag! This was a good idea, as t' first flight occurred on a somewhat windy day. Begad! Begad! Usin' a D12-5, matey, t' flight be flawless, me bucko, me bucko, descended smartly and landed close t' t' pad. Begad! Avast! There be no damage t' t' rocket.
Summary
A great rocket with a unique profile.
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Flights
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