Almost Ready To Fly (no painting)

[cydermaster]

To keep me out of mischief this bank holiday weekend, I decided to get myself a few kits to build. As the weather is not really up to having windows open, I've got a small pile of Pre-Finished Almost Ready To Fly kits to slap together.

These are the kits:

• Quest Penetrator Quick-Kit
• Quest Triton-X Quick-Kit
• Estes Fireflash E2X Kit
• Custom Rockets Razor Kit

I've just found out I'm very low on Poly-Cement, so I don't know how many I'll be able to assemble, but I'll be bunging up some pictures here.

First: The kits in their boxes.

 

[cydermaster]

First kit: The Quest Penetrator.

Loads of plastic, and some cool orange BTs. Everything seems to be in order. This is the one and only time the 'chutes will be out of the box, as I'll be using my Thrustline nylon 'chutes for flying.

 

[cydermaster]

The Penetrator is glued, and I'm leaving it to cure for a few mins, before putting the decals on. Must have taken all of 1/4hr to put together.

Pic attached, with DVD case for scale.

 

[cydermaster]

OK Had an hour-plus long game of Risk against my computer - I lost

Put the decals on & shes finished. Looks a beauty.

Componants were all good quality. No flashing on the plastic, which was nice. Only complaint is that the payload-to-lower airframe is a little loose, causing the payload to rattle. Easily solved with a spot of masking tape, but it doesn't mention this technique in the instructions, and this kit is intended for a beginner.

Oh, and the stand it comes with is not really up to the job of supporting a rocket of this size - but thats a minor issue.

My Penetrator next to my Big Bertha for scale:

 

[Fore Check]

You're gonna love that custom Razor! Slaps together very quickly, rugged, and Super performance!

One suggestion on it though - save the parachute included in the kit for some other model. Replace it with a streamer.

 

[Fore Check]

Nice job on the Penatrator!

 

[Rob Fisher]

let's see that razor when you get some glue!

 

[Aerobee300]

I like the Penetrator .... I was hoping to have mine built this weekend .... but alas ... the kit was missing half the fincan/motor mount. Quest is sending replacements !

I normally don't care too much for the quicky build jobs but Quest does have some very nice designs !

 

[cydermaster]

Originally posted by Aerobee300
I normally don't care too much for the quicky build jobs but Quest does have some very nice designs !

Same here - there doesn't seem to be much virtue in having a kit ready to fly in less than an hour's work. However, I've been looking at the Quest stuff, and thought they might be worth a go.

The designs from Quest are cool, and whilst they are not as ultimatly satisfying as a rocket you've spent days on, they looked fun to build, and should be fun to fly. Thats why I thought I'd give a couple of them a go. Along with a couple of other brand quick kits.

The Razor does look like its going to be a performer. I had already contemplated a streamer. I will go with one now - thanks for the tip Fore. This is one I know I'm going to be able to finish, as it only uses white/yellow glue & I've got plenty of that.

OK: Next up, the Estes FireFlash. The EMRR reviews on this one, arn't all that favourable. I chose it because I like big rockets, and I wanted to give this one a go before it vanishes from the shelves - apparently Estes have discontinued this one.

Most of the adverse comments I've encountered on this bird, is the combination of a weak upper body tube, and an excessive amount of nose weight, make for an easily 'crimped' rocket. I'll try and do something about this by wicking some thin CYA into the upper tube, and leave out some of the nose weight. EMRR's CP library puts the CP at 32.73" from the nose, that should be enough info to work on.

The Fireflash kit bits:

 

[cydermaster]

Fireflash Finished. 1&1/2hrs build time, of which 3/4hr was spent cooking/eating tea whilst the glue dried.

Easy enough to build, good instructions. Ended up only using 2 of the 4 supplied clay blocks. This was enough for approx 2&1/2 calipers stability, according to the EMRR CP database.

Don't like the fact the shock cord mounts are impossible to get at, once assembled, so theres little chance of changing/maintaining it. Cord could have been half as long again, it is a tad on the short side.

My Fireflash next to my Big Bertha for scale:

 

[cydermaster]

Razor Time.

This is by far the smallest, and the most like a normal 'kit', of all the kits I'm making.

I took the following pic of the kit bits, and then started building. 1/2hr later, the rocket is on the stand with the glue drying. I'm leaving it overnight, at this point 'cos I'm off out drinking. If I wasn't - it would have been finished within an hour.

Kit Parts:

 

[cydermaster]

The one complaint I have with this kit is the spirals in the tube. As the tubes are pre-coloured yellow, the spirals stand out like a sore thumb (see pic).

I also modified the kit with a length of Kevlar tied to the motor mount to compliment the shock cord.

 

[Fore Check]

Yeah, the spirals on my Razor are no different from yours.

If it bothered you *that* badly, however, you could relatively easily "clone" the rocket with a superior unfinished tube. Just take a BT50 and cut the six "fin tubes" and the main body tube, and prime and paint it. I'm sure it would turn out prettier.

However, I say "why bother?" I put mine together with thick CA glue and it went from in the back to ready to fly in about 30 or 45 minutes. With a rocket that is so cheap (relatively speaking) and that stands up so well to flight (no fins to break off, chip, etc.) that taking all the time to make it "real purdy" would make you care significantly more about how it looked *after* about 10 flights.

BTW, I read a tip on EMRR that has helped me out with my Razor. If ever one of your tube fins gets dented or something, just take a D engine casing (spent or not) and pass it through that fin tube. It pops right back like new!

I just can't say how much I enjoy my Razor. Compared to all the other rockets I have that I spend so much time and care to finish nicely, it is *by far* the most "fly-able" rocket I have. And a great performer to boot!

 

[cydermaster]

Originally posted by Fore Check
However, I say "why bother?"

Agreed.

This little thing only cost £3.82 - thats cheaper than a packet of ****, and isn't even enough to buy two pints of Guinness up the Pub! The spirals were the only thing I could find to critasise in an otherwise perfect kit, thats why I mentioned them.

I finished off my Razor this morning; put on the decals, and attached a streamer (as opposed to the stock 'chute - I sometimes launch from a small field, and I like this kit so much I'd like to get it back to fly again )

The Triton-X has gone on the back-burner for a couple of hours, as the weather is fantastic today! I'm just charging my camera battery, then I'm going a-launching!

Pic of finished Razor with (guess what!) my Big Bertha for scale! :

 

[cydermaster]

Just got back from launching.

I arrived at the local park, and was greeted by three of the local rocket-retrieving-kids.

Flew my Semroc Squire on an A8-3, just to 'test the water'. Beautiful flight, landing only a couple of meters away from the pad. As the rocket gods looked to be in a good mood, I carried on with launching:

First up was the Quest Penetrator. The gathered kids liked it 'cos its so big AND 'cos it comes down in two sections, so theres more for them to retrieve.

Here she is on the pad (Estes B6-4 loaded):

 

[cydermaster]

...3...2...1...LIFT OFF!!!

Very nice slow lift off. Nice and streight. Only going maybe 20-30m up. Get to see the whole fight nice and close up.

She returned safely to earth on 2 x 12" Thrustline Nylon 'chutes, landing only a few meters away.

Take Off Pic:

 

[cydermaster]

Then I prepped the Estes Fireflash with a B6-4. I used the neat 15" mylar 'chute I got with my Rocketheads Battle Axe.

She climbed higher than I thought she would; helped by the fact she only had 1/2 the noseweight supplied in the kit. She was as stable as stable can be, with this reduced noseweight BTW.

Fireflash liftoff:

 

[cydermaster]

Next was the Custom Razor on an A8-3. I had taken the advice of Fore Check, and swaped the supplied 'chute for a homemade 600x60mm crape paper streamer. Glad I did, this thing ROCKS!

Razor on pad:

 

[cydermaster]

The Razor doesn't hang around!

Even on an A8-3 she gets RIGHT up there!

The tube fins help give this bird a larger profile, in the sky, so shes alot easier to track than similar-sized 3FNC models.

Can't wait to launch her in a larger field; so I can stick a B, or even a C, up her nether-regions!

Razor takeoff:

 

[cydermaster]

I was so impressed, that I re-launched the Razor right away, again on an A8-3. Wonderful flight, again!

The Rocket-Retrieving-Kids were itching to collect another rocket for me, so I sent up the Penetrator again. The two parts to collect is a definate plus for them!

Now just the Triton-X to build and fly. Won't take that long to build, and I should be able to slip out and launch it after work one day this week.

 

[hokkyokusei]

Cyder, if the kids like fetching so much, you should get an Estes BLU-97B. I'm sure they would enjoy the bomblets!

 

[wwattles]

Or an Alien Troop Transport!

 

[cydermaster]

Originally posted by hokkyokusei
Cyder, if the kids like fetching so much, you should get an Estes BLU-97B. I'm sure they would enjoy the bomblets!

Got one - its just waiting for me to get around to painting it. Cool looking rocket, no wonder Carl chose it to upscale. Hope it flies as well as it looks!

 

[Fore Check]

Sounds like a fun day!

When you really get to feeling brave, slap a C6-7 in that Razor!

Make sure it's a nice clear day with plenty of blue sky - makes it much easier to track. It gets waaay up there. Talk about a lot of "bang for the buck!"

 

[Karl]

After reading this thread im going to get a Razor tomorow as soon as the shops are open
-Karl

 

[Fishhead]

I'm on my third Razor, but I noticed that Custom has gone to stickers instead of decals. I hates stickers.
As for the Razor, I try to keep a few in my range box to give out to the occasional kid/family who shows a greater than usual amount of interest when I'm flying on the small soccer fields locally. I'm hoping to talk the guy who runs the summer enrichment program that my son attends into buying Razors for all of the kids this year. Last year the variety caused problems, partly because there was no continuity in the various instructions. (It didn't help that they used model glue either.)

 

[Aerobee300]

I got my replacement parts from Quest today and built my Penetrator .... nice kit ! Can't wait to fly it !!!

I do think I'll check out a few more of Quests easy to build kits for those days when I'm bored but not overly ambitious

 

[Karl]

Try the Big Rage kit , it hardly requires any skill to build it , it soooo easy to put together! You could try a Estes Blue Ninja aswell , thats even easyer than the big rage kit !
-Karl

 

[cydermaster]

The Big Rage starter set was my first rocket. I used all the wrong glues on it, and it disintegrated mid-maiden-flight. The Blue Ninja is already on my to-buy list - a 24mm E2X kit sounds like a laugh!

 

[Karl]

The Blue Ninja is a realy cool rocket ! It doesent half get up there on a D12 ! The only problem i have is that the motors dont realy fit into the engine tube , and when they do , the retainer cap doesent fit on then ?? Would i have to ask estes for help on this?
-Karl