flying_silverad
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jul 23, 2002
- Messages
- 3,168
- Reaction score
- 5
Estes Polaris
I bought this kit about a month or so ago and just finished its second day of flying. It is an average skill level kit (sort of military looking) with very few plastic parts leaving the builder to really build! Its a single stage rocket with a small upper payload stage that shares a common 18 parachute for recovery. The upper and lower stage both have a three-fin configuration.
Motor mount and Body Tube-
Nothing new and dramatic here except to say that I replaced the usual shock cord with a Kevlar thread that I tied and glued around the motor mount. I ran the thread under the forward centering ring of the motor mount and made it just long enough to extend out through the front of the BT (Body Tube). I then square knotted the shock cord to the thread. If you do this, you still have to take and soak the upper BT with CA to help prevent the Zipper effect or the infamous Estes Dent.
Fins-
Fin material supplied with the kit are die-cut balsa of awesome grade. No die-crushing here! Fins just needed a little shaping, filling and sanding. I use Elmers wood filler in a tube. It sands up nice and smooth and very little second application needed. OOPS! Looks like I installed the fins upside down. Well, to late now. You know it kinda looks like an old Cherokee D configuration! The upper fins are small but go on easy. I made some real nice fillets with the Elmers filler. A wet finger leaves a nice smooth fillet!
Recovery-
What can you say? Nice pre-made parachute although you would think that whoever makes these for Estes could at least get all the shrouds the same length! I attached the shock cord to the upper payload area with a swivel and then the parachute to back side of that swivel with another swivel. I find that the shock cord and the parachute dont get tangled as much as if I connected them both to the payload section.
Finish Work-
Krylon Primer the entire model and sand as needed. Spirals were not to bad the primer took care of them. Finished with the Krylon Bright Blue. I applied the decals, which are the self-sticking type. These came off the sheet nicely unlike some of their other kits I have done. I then coated with a three coats of Krylon clear and the rocket gleams!
Flying-
I thought I would start of with an A8-3 to be safe. Wind was 5-10. I hit the button and upside down fins and all it flied pretty straight with very little roll and slight weather-cocking (I really wish we could find another word here ). Successive flights included B4-4, B6-4, C6-5. A total of about six flights and the only wear was a slight dent in the upper BT. A great flying day.
Score
Materials and packaging-4.5
(The only reason it wasnt a five is the shock cord. Needs to be bigger and they need to start using a Kevlar/shock cord combination)
Instructions-5.0
Building-5.0
Flying-5.0
Summary-
I really think this is going to be one of those rockets that you dont here too much about like the Astron Drifter from the 70s. Its a great rocket that doesnt get enough airtime so go out and buy one!
:kill:
I bought this kit about a month or so ago and just finished its second day of flying. It is an average skill level kit (sort of military looking) with very few plastic parts leaving the builder to really build! Its a single stage rocket with a small upper payload stage that shares a common 18 parachute for recovery. The upper and lower stage both have a three-fin configuration.
Motor mount and Body Tube-
Nothing new and dramatic here except to say that I replaced the usual shock cord with a Kevlar thread that I tied and glued around the motor mount. I ran the thread under the forward centering ring of the motor mount and made it just long enough to extend out through the front of the BT (Body Tube). I then square knotted the shock cord to the thread. If you do this, you still have to take and soak the upper BT with CA to help prevent the Zipper effect or the infamous Estes Dent.
Fins-
Fin material supplied with the kit are die-cut balsa of awesome grade. No die-crushing here! Fins just needed a little shaping, filling and sanding. I use Elmers wood filler in a tube. It sands up nice and smooth and very little second application needed. OOPS! Looks like I installed the fins upside down. Well, to late now. You know it kinda looks like an old Cherokee D configuration! The upper fins are small but go on easy. I made some real nice fillets with the Elmers filler. A wet finger leaves a nice smooth fillet!
Recovery-
What can you say? Nice pre-made parachute although you would think that whoever makes these for Estes could at least get all the shrouds the same length! I attached the shock cord to the upper payload area with a swivel and then the parachute to back side of that swivel with another swivel. I find that the shock cord and the parachute dont get tangled as much as if I connected them both to the payload section.
Finish Work-
Krylon Primer the entire model and sand as needed. Spirals were not to bad the primer took care of them. Finished with the Krylon Bright Blue. I applied the decals, which are the self-sticking type. These came off the sheet nicely unlike some of their other kits I have done. I then coated with a three coats of Krylon clear and the rocket gleams!
Flying-
I thought I would start of with an A8-3 to be safe. Wind was 5-10. I hit the button and upside down fins and all it flied pretty straight with very little roll and slight weather-cocking (I really wish we could find another word here ). Successive flights included B4-4, B6-4, C6-5. A total of about six flights and the only wear was a slight dent in the upper BT. A great flying day.
Score
Materials and packaging-4.5
(The only reason it wasnt a five is the shock cord. Needs to be bigger and they need to start using a Kevlar/shock cord combination)
Instructions-5.0
Building-5.0
Flying-5.0
Summary-
I really think this is going to be one of those rockets that you dont here too much about like the Astron Drifter from the 70s. Its a great rocket that doesnt get enough airtime so go out and buy one!
:kill:
