Estes - Astrocam 110 (1327) [2004-2008]
Contributed by Chan Stevens
Construction:
As you'd expect from an E2X, this kit is very quick and easy to build. I had mine wrapped up in under 20 minutes and with the pre-finished tubes there's no need for paint. The motor mount construction is the standard BT-20, motor block, motor clip, and pair of centering rings. The hook is held in place with masking tape (an old-fashioned technique that seems to be making a comeback). Next up comes bonding of the launch lugs to the body tube. I was quite impressed that the E2X directions included a tip to scrape off the color from the body tube where the lugs are bonded. The glossy finish makes for a lousy bonding surface and most E2X builders would probably not have thought of this. After the lugs are on, you can bond the motor mount inside the body tube. Shock cord is the typical Estes tri-fold paper anchor. Given that the shock cord is basically just a long rubber band, I decided to upgrade this with Kevlar® anchored to the motor mount, supplemented with 1/8" elastic. I figured the stock rubber band might not last the 12 flights it takes to kill a roll of film. A little plastic cement to attach the fin can and construction is done. It probably takes almost as long to read this review as get this thing ready for flying. Finishing: Construction Rating: 5 out of 5 Flight: I've flown 3 times now on C6-7s to roughly 300 feet altitude, and unless you really want a close up, I'd stick with that over the B6s. All flights were slightly weathercocked in winds ranging from 5 to 8 mph, deployment at least 3-4 seconds late (5 might work fine). The 12" chute is undersized for this and I'd consider upgrading to a 15" if you have a spare one handy. Advancing the film between flights was pretty tricky as the mechanism is flimsy plastic gears. The gears on mine had a tendency to slip. I am sure at least one exposure was toasted when I had to open the canister to force the advance, and this might have trashed the whole roll. Since it might take a couple of years before I log a full 24 flights on this, I decided to send the roll for development after 3 shots. The photo lab was unsure what to do with 110 film and wound up taking 3 weeks and $7 to develop the 3 pictures I had submitted. I might have been better off with the Estes Oracle, which has digital video and instant availability. Recovery: CONs: flimsy/undersized chute, poor picture quality, outdated film type. Flight Rating: 3 out of 5 Summary: Overall Rating: 3 out of 5 Flight Log
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