Estes - Renegade {Kit} (2109) [2003-2013]

Estes Renegade

Estes - Renegade {Kit} (2109) [2003-2013]

Contributed by Duane Boldt

Construction Rating:
Flight Rating:
Overall Rating:

Length:	26.60 inches
Manufacturer:	Estes
Skill Level:	3
Style:	Futuristic/Exotic

Brief:
The Estes Renegade kit is a very sharp looking 2-stage kit that looks great in any fleet. It looks good on the shelf and it looks good in flight and staging. It flies on 18mm motors and used tumble recovery for the booster and a parachute for the sustainer.

Construction:

The Estes Renegade kit contains the following parts:

1 - BT60 x 18" Body Tube
1 - BT60 x 3.25" Body Tube
2 - BT50 x 5" Body Tubes
3 - BT5 x .75" Body Tubes
2 - 18mm Motor Mounts
1 - JT60 Red Tube Coupler
1 - Plastic Nose Cone (Molded with "cockpit")
2 - PNC-50KA Nose Cones
4 - PNC-5A Nose Cones
1 - 1/8" x 2 3/8" Launch Lug
1 - Clay Weight
1 - 24" Rubber Shock Cord
1 - Pre-Assembled 12" Plastic Parachute
1 - Decal Sheet

Instructions: As with most Estes kits, the Renegade's instructions are very easy to follow. I assembled this kit exactly according to the instructions included. The instructions are clear and the many good drawing help make it easier.

Ease of Build: The kit was very easy to build. The only part I spent extra time on was sanding the red coupler down some so that the stages would be able to separate effectively. It's also kind of a tight fit where the 2 BT50 body tubes and nose cones of the booster fit along the main BT60 body tube.

Tool and supplies: No special tools were needed to build this kit and I used Tight Bond II for the whole project.

Finishing:
PROS: This is a very cool looking rocket. It is one of the favorite of my kids when we go to launches. It is relatively easy to build. The instructions are clear and straight forward.

CONS: Quality of the decals could been much better. They are cool designs, but I would have prefered good quality waterslide decals (Like on Semroc rockets) or better quality adhesive decals (Like on Sunward rockets). Sanding required on coupler.

Estes Renegade - Construction
Estes Renegade - Complete

I noticed that Estes listened to some of the suggestions and their new Renegade has a 24mm motor mount and is single stage. I actually like the two stage version. I would like to build the 24mm version someday, but would even like to see a 24mm multi-stage kit.

Construction Rating: 4 out of 5

Flight: Estes Renegade - Launch!
I highly recommend C6-0 / C6-5 (or C6-7). I have had many great flights with that combination. The flight is much better than using B6-0's in the booster.

All of the flights I have had with my Renegade have been great. It appears from some other reviews that this is not so for everyone. I didn't do anything special, just followed the standard build instructions and have had great luck.

Recovery:
PROS: Looks very cool in flight and staging.

CONS: The booster takes somewhat of a beating when landing on concrete or pavement. Have had no issues when landing on grass or dirt.

Flight Rating: 5 out of 5

Summary:
Even though the booster sometimes has hard landings on pavement, most tumblers would... Mine just flies so good and the kids really like how it looks and flies.

I would like to build another with a three motor cluster in the booster using the two BT50 tubes, maybe with a streamer or small shoot in one or both. Then stage off the center booster motor.

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5

Other Reviews

Estes Renegade By Robert Davis
The Renegade is a cool staged rocket featuring a tumble recovery for the booster and a parachute recovery for the 2nd stage. It also flies great as a single stage rocket. The kit came with a whole lot of parts, including two lengths of BT-60 body tubes (one of them was much shorter, of course, for the booster section), a tube coupler, a couple different types of nose cones, two BT-20 engine ...
Estes Renegade By Bob Bernatchez
Brief: Very cool looking, two stage design. The upper stage can also be flown as a single stage rocket. Construction: There are a fair number of parts in this kit. Tubes included are two BT-60 for the airframe, two BT-50 side pods for the booster, two BT-20 for engine mount tubes, and two short lengths of BT-5, again for the booster. Also included are various couplers, adapter ...

Flights

Comments:

J.L. (August 17, 2004)

The instructions for gluing the motor mount into the top stage are poor. They don't leave enough room behind the motor mount for the first stage coupler. I had to trim the coupler so it only extends 3/16" into the top stage, resulting in less-than-ideal stability in the joint. The motor mount must be moved forward from the recommended glue points. Preassemble... The booster not only is too heavy, it's somewhat stable, with my first flight lawn-darting after partial engine ejection. Fortunately the ground was very soft, and no parts broke. One of the COSROCS veterans recommended adding a streamer to the booster, which will be done for the second launch. There's plenty of room for it. Launched in 10mph wind, the rocket weathercocked severely, which was exacerbated by the B6-0 booster. The top stage engine was a little late firing, so it flew almost horizontally (apogee at around 300 ft), but ejection occurred in the air because the top stage is fairly light. This is a nasty looking rocket and drew lots of attention on the pad. Recommend flying with a C booster and launching on a calm day straight up if possible.

D.S. (November 22, 2004)

I read this review prior to building my Renegade. I didn't modify it at all, but too found that gluing the boosters on after painting would be a good idea. I used Elmer's on the entire rocket, which was fine. The fins are all still on and have never cracked. However, the booster section took a beating every time it came down. It is supposed to tumble, but it is too stable and on the last flight the motor mount assembly totally failed upon landing. It can be rebuilt, and I think I will build it to accept a D motor to help speed up that slow lift-off.

K.L.M. (January 28, 2006)

I am currently building this kit. I too was concerned about the booster stage being damaged after falling to the ground, so I decided to convert mine to a single stage, "D" powered rocket. I currently have both stages glued together with the set of 3 fins in line. I am very anxious to finish this kit and get it in the air.

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