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2-Star ReviewsEstes Product Reviews (346 of 608)Kit ReviewsReviews by Tai FuReviews of Estes - Gemini DC (2136) [1997-2005]

Estes - Gemini DC (2136) [1997-2005]

	Manufacturer:	Estes
	Diameter:	0.9760 inches
	Skill Level:	2
	Style:	Sport

Construction Rating:
Flight Rating:
Overall Rating:

Contributed by Tai Fu

Brief:
Dual rear deployment parachute.

Construction:
The construction is good, because it has TTW fins, which means it is stronger than the other ones, also you don't have to worry about the fin alignment because the slot has done that for you. You just need to make sure that air can flow freely to the 2 parachute pods otherwise this rocket will lawn dart!!! You can always forget about the parachute pod and instead use the pod as clusters and have parachute deploy the traditional way. The way I see it, 2 parachutes are too many and it may cause tangles and etc. Also it may slow down the descent which means more drift. I think this rocket is very light and one parachute should be enough.

Finishing:
I finished the rocket with one coat of white primer and then I took a special interest and painted it camouflage so it looks more like a military rocket. I used a Testor's brush on enamels so it doesn't look the best. This is the time I wished I had an airbrush.... Then I painted it with one coat of clear. I didn't use any of the supplied decals.

Construction Rating: 4 out of 5

Flight:
I haven't got a chance to fly it, because I didn't put in a parachute, so if I fly it now it will lawndart! I never wanted to fly this because the problem is that I don't really like 2 parachutes, I just want one, but I was worried about that if I only put one in, the ejection gas won't deploy the only parachute resulting in a lawndart.

Recovery:
The shock cords are attached with paper (Estes's speciality) and the other end you tie a parachute on it. Now the fear is that if the knot isn't tight enough (if it's too tight then I can't remove the chute) then the force might remove the chute and the rocket just takes a death dive. Also this needs FOUR sets of waddings!!! One above the chute, then another set at the bottom. This rocket takes a lot of wadding since Estes wadding is not very cheap I probably will never fly this one.

Flight Rating: 1 out of 5

Summary:
This rocket has a very unique recovery and has thru the wall fin mounts so the fins are self aligned. But two parachutes adds complications such as twisted shroud lines and this rocket uses too many waddings. I think this is where Pratt's heatshield comes in handy.

Seal off the holes, use the pod as clusters, and deploy the chute in a traditional way. This way it will use a lot less wadding and it makes a great model for those who wants to get started in clustering.

Overall Rating: 2 out of 5

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