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