Estes - Cruise Missile

Manufacturer: Estes
Skill Level: 1
Style: RTF

Construction Rating:
Flight Rating:
Overall Rating:

Contributed by Bubba Sligar

Brief:
This rocket, like its older Estes and Centuri brothers, is based on the AGM-86 A.L.C.M. Cruise Missile. Although it isn't 18mm, it sure get's up there! (Estes should have made it 18mm, trade-off in a RTF world.)

Construction:
This is a Ready-to-Fly model. The only thing that I would CON about it is that the shock cord wasn't long enough, and that the 13mm motor wasn't adequate power for this plastic wonder.

Construction Rating: 2 out of 5

Flight:
When I flew the A.L.C.M., on its first flight the shock cord snapped the nose cone into one of the fins. After I fixed that with epoxy, the other superglue, it flew okay except that the motor ring kind of started to melt. A tip would be to put in a motor tube{13mm}, otherwise after 4 flights, it's going to go into retirement. I plan on getting one more to modify and see what happens!

Recovery:
Not counting the fin breaking and after putting in a longer shock cord, it recovered better.

Flight Rating: 3 out of 5

Summary:
Pro: Pre-made, RTF, and cool looking.
Con: Short shock cord, 13mm powered, and going to replaced after 4-5 flights.

Overall Rating: 3 out of 5

UPDATE: 02/03/00 After buying 1 more RTF CM, I took a 13mm tube [Estes BT-5] and cut it to length with the 'motor compartment', took a round metal file and sanded around the 'motor braces', super glued the new motor tube in there, then grinded the 'motor retaining nozzle' to fit over the 13mm tube. After that and a coat of primer gray and new decals, it looks like the C.A.L.C.M.

Comments:
D.B.Jr. (June 1, 2001)
I normally hate RTF. I first bought this rocket when I saw it at a local Wal-Mart, I was impressed with the styling and knew I had to have it. The first launch took place after a heavy rainfall earlier in the day. The rocket acually landed in a big mud puddle. After removing the motor, I left it open to let the wet shock cord and parachute dry. Because of the all plastic construction absolutely nothing was ruined. A good kit to fly on wet ground.
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