chadrog
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Sep 27, 2010
- Messages
- 6,854
- Reaction score
- 22
Ever since my first night launch experience, with my meeger flight of the Estes Astro-beam, I've been wanting something more. I had become smitten with Leading Edge's "Alien" rocket, but was deterred by the amount of meticulous electrical work it requires - my fingers aint made for that... It's funny that a was a day or so away from commiting to the alien, when I saw the ad for the Fireball. Hold the phone! "This thing really looked cool, and all of the business is in the nosecone, so it's probably already done, right". I checked the LE website at first chance, and there was no mention of this new night flier, so I decided to wait it out. When I saw the article on RP announcing it's availability, I put my order in.
My first dissapointment was imediate, when the mailman delivered a box in terrible disarray. I know it traveled from the Pacific North-west to the east side of the Midwest, but they could have at least put it IN the truck! I cut it open immediatly just in case. Fortunately the kit was fine, just a slight distortion to the body tube.
Upon inspection of the kit, my hopes faded fast. Seems the electronics do need to be built, but it's not as big of a deal as is on the Alien. I can live with this. Only hitch is that I need to get a polarized soldering iron, my go-to iron is not. The nuts and bolts of the build are basic, the buisiness of the lighting will be a bit more involved. More to come when I get back home. Pic1- Box, Pic2- Mechanicals, Pic3- electricals
My first dissapointment was imediate, when the mailman delivered a box in terrible disarray. I know it traveled from the Pacific North-west to the east side of the Midwest, but they could have at least put it IN the truck! I cut it open immediatly just in case. Fortunately the kit was fine, just a slight distortion to the body tube.
Upon inspection of the kit, my hopes faded fast. Seems the electronics do need to be built, but it's not as big of a deal as is on the Alien. I can live with this. Only hitch is that I need to get a polarized soldering iron, my go-to iron is not. The nuts and bolts of the build are basic, the buisiness of the lighting will be a bit more involved. More to come when I get back home. Pic1- Box, Pic2- Mechanicals, Pic3- electricals
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