Art Applewhite Rockets - Cinco Saucer 13mm
Contributed by John Lee
Brief: And did I mention that it's FREE? Construction:
The remainder is a single piece of paper that joins together and is reinforced like the free download version of the Qubit. A noticeable improvement is that the exposed parts are much smaller and therefore less susceptible to warping (like on its Qubit brethren) when white glue is applied. The last step is to insert the motor mount tube into the Cinco body and fillet it with glue. I made a minor mistake of using yellow wood glue instead of white glue, which didn't look so great after it dried on the pale blue paper... This build is more advanced than the free 13mm Qubit because of the increased number of folds, which might make it too challenging for our young rocketeers, but it still is a quick (less than 1 hour) and fun build for those with previous rocket building experience. The overall shape and design when assembled is truly a hybrid of Art's Qubit and Delta Saucer kits, combining the angular, flat sides of the Qubit with a round saucer-like appearance. I expect flight performance to be right in the middle of the Qubit and Delta Saucer too. Finishing: Construction Rating: 5 out of 5
Flight: With a 4-pack of A10-PT motors, I wanted to do a flight comparison between the Cinco, 13mm Qubit, and 4" Delta Saucer. I chose to do this in my backyard with a stock Estes Electron Beam launcher so a drag race was out of the question and I'd have to rely on my memory to judge how high each rocket went. Based on the appearance of the rockets, I expect the 13mm Qubit to be the highest flight (and quickest recovery) because of its smaller profile and more angular sides. The Delta Saucer has the largest diameter (4") with the flattest profile of the three. Lastly, the Cinco is truly a middle ground between the other two--it has the angled sides like the Qubit (although not as pronounced) and is smaller in diameter than the Delta Saucer. My prediction is that the Cinco will have altitudes very much in the middle of the Qubit and Delta Saucer designs. First up was the Qubit. It leapt off the pad and climbed straight up (even in 5-10mph gusts) to a good 100' before turning over and rapidly drifting back to within 20' of the pad. The first Cinco flight went next. I was impressed with its altitude. It also didn't appear to be significantly affected by the wind when under thrust, but to my eye it ascended a hair slower than the Qubit. I feel confident that it came within 10% of the Qubit's max altitude before flipping over at apogee, then the wind caught it and bounced it off the roof of the house before landing on the ground 30' away. The weather suddenly turned ugly so I had to postpone any more flights that day. I returned a couple of days later with my 4" Delta Saucer and Cinco. Weather was similar to the previous flight day so I feel that I could favorably compare them again. Starting with the Cinco, it boosted quickly off the pad, however, a gust of wind caught it at apogee, causing it to flutter away and land in the middle of a nearby retention pond where I was unable to retrieve it. I moved the launch pad and adjusted the launch rod to compensate for the wind before loading up my Delta Saucer (which has more than twice as many flights on it than any other rocket in my fleet!) It boosted noticeably more slowly and lower than the Cinco. The Delta Saucer recovered less than 10 yards away from the pad. Recovery: Flight Rating: 5 out of 5 Summary: Overall Rating: 5 out of 5
What You Can Do
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