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