Construction Rating: | starstarstarstarstar |
Flight Rating: | starstarstarstarstar |
Overall Rating: | starstarstarstarstar |
Length: | 3.75 inches |
Manufacturer: | Art Applewhite Rockets |
Brief:
This is a cute single stage aerobrake triangular saucer that rotates slowly on
ascent and descent
Construction:
This kit contains the instructions, two printed sheets of cardstock and a motor
hook.
The instructions were clear and logical. The rocket is quite easy to build. I built one, my 4 year old built one, and my 11 year old nephew built one all in under an hour. It is true I had to do the harder steps like roll the motor tube for my 4 year old, but he was able to cut it out and hold glue joints. The alignment was great and everything fit well. This is an all paper rocket so caution should be given and heeded concerning white glue. Use white glue sparingly so you do not warp the paper and you will also get a quick drying time.
You will need a #11 X-Acto knife, scissors, ruler, pen, and white glue. You will also need a spent 18mm motor casing.
Finishing:
No finishing is necessary and this kit comes in many colors. I bought them all.
One may paint or decorate to taste and my son has since put stickers on his. I
think these little saucers look great and they turn heads on the flight line.
Construction Rating: 5 out of 5
Flight:
This craft uses a motor hook to hold the 18mm motors. One of the ships had a
problem with the hook as it came loose. I simply cut off the bend and then
pulled out the hook. The other flights were done with tape holding the motor.
To fly, one simply installs a motor, slide it on a rod, hook up the igniter and away she goes. We got nine flights, 5 on my nephews, 3 on my sons, and one on mine. We used a Quest A6-4 and Estes A8-3 motors which were not recommended. Both motors fired the ejection charge on the ground which is why they are not recommended. We also used the recommended Estes B6-0 and C6-0 motors which were great.
I like the A motors as they do not go to high and land close to the pad even on windy days. The B and C motors are much more impressive and gain a lot of altitude. I think the C6-0 is my favorite as it goes the highest and causes the ship to spin the fastest.
Recovery:
Recovery is a snap as it simply aerobrakes back to ground.
Flight Rating: 5 out of 5
Summary:
This is simple to build and fly. If you are flying on a small field you will
have no recovery problems. I can't think of any cons.
Overall Rating: 5 out of 5
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