Maybe I'm just cranky today, but I'm half way through building the Super Big Bertha (Estes Series II) and I'm really exasperated with some of its build features:
1) What's the deal with making the parts count so high on the fins? When you take the outer fin, then glue on that little extra piece, then do the same for the other side outer fin piece, then glue both of them to the center fin part to make one fin, you've got five pieces for one fin. Times four fins, you got a parts count of twenty, when you could have had just four---for four fins made to the proper thickness. Instead you had to assemble twenty parts. Crazy.
I'd accept that the fin build-up was required for the extra strength it presumably gives you for flying on F engines, but if that's the case, then why is the engine mount so flmsly----those cheap cardboard centering rings instead of wood?
2) Then there's the totally gratuitous step of having to cut in the slots into the body tube for the fins to go through. Really? Did I really need to cut out the fin slot template, tape it to the body tube so I could then cut the slots out?
And, once you've got that far, the directions give no admonition to test fit the fins into the engine mount before you glue the thing in---just to make sure the fins will fit in the engine mount slots, avoiding a botch job if they don't fit. I wonder ho many novices got that far only to be disappointed that you didn't line it all up correctly?
I swear, if Estes wanted to actively dissuade a young or a novice builder from ever bothering with another rocket build, they couldn't have designed a kit with so many gratuitous, extra steps.
Or is it just me, being cranky and all??
I've got the fins nearly on now, so I'm home free for the rest of the build---I hope.
1) What's the deal with making the parts count so high on the fins? When you take the outer fin, then glue on that little extra piece, then do the same for the other side outer fin piece, then glue both of them to the center fin part to make one fin, you've got five pieces for one fin. Times four fins, you got a parts count of twenty, when you could have had just four---for four fins made to the proper thickness. Instead you had to assemble twenty parts. Crazy.
I'd accept that the fin build-up was required for the extra strength it presumably gives you for flying on F engines, but if that's the case, then why is the engine mount so flmsly----those cheap cardboard centering rings instead of wood?
2) Then there's the totally gratuitous step of having to cut in the slots into the body tube for the fins to go through. Really? Did I really need to cut out the fin slot template, tape it to the body tube so I could then cut the slots out?
And, once you've got that far, the directions give no admonition to test fit the fins into the engine mount before you glue the thing in---just to make sure the fins will fit in the engine mount slots, avoiding a botch job if they don't fit. I wonder ho many novices got that far only to be disappointed that you didn't line it all up correctly?
I swear, if Estes wanted to actively dissuade a young or a novice builder from ever bothering with another rocket build, they couldn't have designed a kit with so many gratuitous, extra steps.
Or is it just me, being cranky and all??
I've got the fins nearly on now, so I'm home free for the rest of the build---I hope.