RocketReviews.com - Estes - Metalizer (2168) [2006-]

Components

Components:

Nose cone
Body tube

(launch lugs and elastic shock cord pre-installed)

2-piece plastic fin and engine module
Parachute

Construction is quick and easy.

Glue the 2-piece plastic fin/engine module together
Glue the body tube to the fin/engine module
Attach the nose cone and the parachute

That's it. This model could be assembled in about 10 minutes using cyanoacrylate glue. The 2-piece fin and engine module this rocket is based on is so durable that I made a few minor modifications to increase the model's lifespan.

I glued the 2 pieces of the fin/engine module together using Loctite Ultra Gel Control super glue, a more expensive cyanoacrylate glue. The package says it's the glue is a "specially formulated rubber toughened instant adhesive that resists impact, shock, vibration", which is perfect for this component. I was somewhat concerned that the high-gloss metallic finish on the gluing surfaces of this component would have to be scraped away to get a good bond with regular plastic model cement, so I decided to use the better quality, more expensive Loctite.

I glued the body tube to the fin/engine module using Duco Cement, a popular, inexpensive, and reliable glue. It's also thick enough to fill any small gaps which may have been present between the body tube and the fin/engine module. Again, I was concerned about the glue adhering to the high-gloss metallic finish, so I sanded the finish off of the gluing surfaces of the component. It only took a minute or two, and I'm fairly sure that it created a better bond with the body tube. The only downside of using Duco Cement for the body tube was the drying time, although an hour seemed more than adequate.

I reinforced the upper end of body tube (where the nose cone is inserted) with inexpensive super glue. This additional step stiffens the top of the tube considerably. I've had to scrap many rockets when the body tube was bent after a rapid descent onto a hard surface, and stiffening the tube with super glue helps to prevent this problem. I have to thank http://howtobuildmodelrockets.20m.com/index.html for this valuable tip). After the glue dried, I sanded the reinforced area with 400 grit emery paper to ensure the nose cone fit smoothly into the body tube.

The rubber shock cord was pre-attached to the body tube, which eliminated several construction steps, and the 12-inch plastic parachute also came pre-assembled, making this rocket an exceptionally quick build.

I added two number 7 snap swivels to the shock cord and parachute, which I always use to prevent the parachute lines from becoming tangled. After clipping the swivels to the nose cone, the model was complete.

Construction

The Metalizer is about the easies E2X kit I've ever built - an unbelievably fast build! The Metalizer is definitely at the top of my list for fast-building, great looking and great flying rockets.

Estes' standard-issue 2-piece fin and engine module is probably the most durable Estes component I've ever used. It's only slightly more likely to break than the nose cone (and I've lost a few nose cones when the shock cord breaks and the nose cone flies off with the parachute still attached). Basically, no matter how many times you launch the 2-piece fin/engine module, you can probably use it again (as long as you can find it!). I have at least 5 or 6 of these modules in my collection, and they never seem to break, even on high-altitude flights when the parachute fails.

I wish Estes would sell an assortment of this particular component. It's easy to assemble, easy to insert an engine into, and nearly indestructable. The BT-55 body tube that the module mounts to is a perfect size, big enough to easily insert recovery wadding and a parachute into, but not big enough to add unnecessary weight.

The Metalizer is probably one of the best building rockets that Estes offers, and when it breaks or gets lost, I'll definitely get another.

Finishing

The Metalizer requires no additional finishing. The high-gloss metallic finish on the nose cone and the fin/engine module are exceptionally high in quality, and body tube is probably the best I've seen from Estes. You could probably clean this rocket with Windex.

A small decal, listing the suggested engines, and intended to be placed directly on the rocket was included - great idea.

I only had two small concerns with the finishing of the rocket. A great-looking rocket like this deserves an equally great-looking decal, but the design of the decal was only average. Lack of sophisticated graphics is typical of many Estes products, and is definitely an area where they could make substantial improvements, without any structural changes to their products, which are generally very high in quality overall. There are many times when I've built an Estes rocket and decided that it would look better <without> the decal, and that's a shame, because it the cost of printing a poorly designed decal is the same as printing a well designed decal. The only difference is the quality of the graphic design. Great-looking, well-designed graphics would a welcome improvement.

My only other caveat is the lack of a printed parachute. Inside the parachute package was a small piece of paper with an odd and somewhat confusing message, which reads as follows:

Dear Estes Customer: Due to new restrictions regarding the printing of plastic materials, we have had to suspend printing our colorful parachutes. This parachute material conforms to all current government requirements and can be decorated with a design of your choice using colored markers.

Weird. I remain skeptical about "current government regulations". Thanks for the helpful hint about decorating the parachutes ourselves, though.

Hopefully Estes will come up with some better graphics and find a loophole in "current goverment regulations" and give us a great looking parachute to complement a great looking rocket. Due to the graphics and the parachute, I'm rating the construction and finishing as a 4, rather than a perfect 5.

Despite this, overall, the Metalizer is the best looking rocket, with the highest quality finish, that I've ever built.

Flight

The rocket flew well, despite a slight drizzle. Ordinarily, I would hesitate to launch a brand-new rocket in rainy conditions, but I found that the metallic plastic sleeve on the body tube actually weatherproofed the rocket against a light rain. I used the three suggested engines, in ascending order, and the rocket descended within 100 feet of the launchpad, even with a light breeze. The fin/engine module makes switching engines a fast and easy operation.

Looks are important, but the true test of a rocket is how well it flies, and Metalizer flew perfectly - even in inclement conditions!

Estes - Metalizer (2168) [2006-]

Brief

Components

Construction

Finishing

Flight

Recovery

Summary

Flight Log

What You Can Do