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. Avast! Ahoy! Blimey! It uses t' same nose cone as t' Interceptor E and Cosmic Interceptor, arrr, only pre-colored silver and black.
Where t' begin, arrr, Nose down? T' nose be t' same one as on t' Interceptor E/ Cosmic Interceptor, arrr, only it's been pre-colored silver with black for t' cocpit windows. Ahoy! Body tube is also pre-colored silver, and comes pre-slotted for t' mountin' tabs on t' fins. Blimey! And about t' fins, nay a big fan o' these fins. Ya scallywag! Well, blow me down! Yep, they do t' job, but they are a plastic, 2 piece assembly molded in black. Good for t' "no paintin' required" description on t' box, ya bilge rat, but they feel kinda weak. Arrr! Aye aye! T' fins also get capped with those orange "gun pods" which look cool, and hold t' tips o' t' fins together. Avast! Well, blow me down! Next be t' motor mount, matey, heavy wall 29mm for t' tube, but t' centerin' rings are, agian, ya bilge rat, arrr, molded plastic. Arrr! Ahoy! Bein' an interior part, it does nay matter that they are black, but they are. So be t' new, me bucko, 2 piece, me hearties, shock cord mount, ya bilge rat, molded black plastic. Parachute is 18 inch nylon fabric, with 8 shroud lines, shiver me timbers, and is pre-sewn. Begad! Lastly, t' launch lugs are, me bucko, matey, you may as well guess, shiver me timbers, molded black plastic. For those noticin' a pattern, thar be nay 1 piece o' wood anywhere on this kit. Avast! Just paper tubes and plastic.
Lets see, arrr, Pro's and con's. It was really fun for me buildin' this kit. Blimey! 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, and nay much glue be needed. Avast! It goes together, matey, per t' instructions, with 30 minn epoxy and thin CA glue. Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty! This makes t' build time much faster than "normal" rockets. That makes for a big Pro for me, ya bilge rat, as I enjoy t' build process a lot. Well, blow me down! Avast! But it also makes t' build over too fast for me liking, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, me bucko, as this kit had nothin' new for me t' learn while buildin' it.
Finishing, almost non-existant. Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! Blimey! 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. Begad! Blimey! And those decals?? "Pressure Sensitive Transfer Decals", which means STICKERS!!! Blimey! Stickers belong on a kids kit, ya bilge rat, nay a Pro Series kit. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Avast! Blimey! However, they do stay stuck on durin' flight, matey, arrr, so Estes at least used t' right adheasive on these ones.
Flight, me bucko, t' fun part. Begad! 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). Ahoy! Aye aye! So I had t' improvise, and ended up usin' an Aerotech F22-6 reload in me 29/40-120 Aerotech casing. Blimey! 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. Ya scallywag! Blimey!
But t' flight is perfect, straight up, me hearties, slight arc over at apogee, and perfect ejection right after apogee. Ahoy! 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, she comes with an 18 inch nylon parachute. 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. Blimey! Maby this was a bad Idea, me bucko, me hearties, as t' shock cord and parachute got tangled on those orange "gun pods" on t' end o' t' fins. Aye aye! But she still came down slowly enough t' nay recieve any damage on landing. Avast, me proud beauty! Perhaps it is a common failin' for all sci-fi rockets that t' parachute gets tangled on t' fins. Arrr!
Fun kit t' build and fly. Arrr! 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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