Quest Area 51 SPEV Saucer

Quest - Area 51 Saucer {Kit}

Contributed by Dick Stafford

Construction Rating: starstarstarstarstar
Flight Rating: starstarstarstarstar_border
Overall Rating: starstarstarstarstar_border
Manufacturer: Quest
Skill Level: 1
Style: RTF, Saucer
Quest Area 51 Saucer

Brief:
Although this resembles Quest's original Area-51 saucer, it varies slightly from the original. This is a SPEV (spare parts elimination vehicle) kit based on a crate of saucer tops that Quest found lying around. The bottom section is redesigned since the original parts were missing. Thus, although really simple to build, it is not RTF. It also doesn't have the wire 'legs' and is not pre-decorated.

Construction:
The following parts are provided:

  • molded plastic body
  • plastic launch lug
  • cardboard motor tube
  • cardboard motor block
  • three fiberboard fins
  • one 8-½" x 11" sheet of white label stock
Quest Area 51 Saucer

The instructions are provided a single sheet and the build requires a hobby knife, plastic cement (tube type), and white (or wood) glue. You start by attaching the plastic lug to the body with plastic cement. The motor block is attached using wood glue. The motor tube is inserted and glued into a tube that is integral to the plastic body. This version doesn't have positive retention so a bit of masking tape will be required. The fins are glued to the motor tube with wood glue and have a tab that fits into holed in the body. How these fit should be evident in the attached photo. Th...th-that's all folks!

Finishing:
Quest provides four recommended color schemes and provides graphics for these on their web site. You can print your choice, or one of your own design, on the provided full page label. The saucer's native color is dark gray and I merely picked the decals that I though looked the best with this raw color.

Construction Rating: 5 out of 5

Quest Area 51 Saucer

Flight:
The recommended motors include the B6-0 and C6-0. I didn't have either so I went with one of Quest's new 'long burn' C6-3s. I friction fit the motor and lit it with the provided Q2G2 igniter. The throat of the motor seems deeper than the Estes C6 and the Q2G2 fit nicely and was held in place using the provided protective sleeve. The flight was fine but was fairly low in altitude.

Recovery:
The C6-3 ejected on the ground--this is not optimal. Plus, this makes me think that a B6 wouldn't be the best choice for this rocket, although I'm sure it would go up and come back down.

Flight Rating: 4 out of 5

Summary:
Functionally, this is your basic saucer design. I like saucers! Although it's a 'SPEV', I can't believe the original was any better. I personally liked the decoration options and it would be easy to come up with your own. I should mention that it also came with a Micro-Maxx saucer as a bonus. (A bonus that will probably make you want to but some of those motors if ya don't already have a stash.)

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5

Other Reviews
  • Quest Area 51 Saucer By Bill Eichelberger (August 12, 2013)

    My Quest Area 51 Saucer came as a throw in with a rocketry lot I bought off of Ebay, much of which proved to be cleverly disguised junk. But, I paid more in shipping than I did on the auction.  I initially threw the saucer aside as it was covered with dust and spider webs and missing two of the three landing legs.  After my initial disappointment, I gave the saucer a second look. ...

  • Quest Area 51 SPEV Saucer By Hans "Chris" Michielssen (December 23, 2008)

    This is a re-issue of an out of production Quest(ARF) Saucer Odd-Roc. I ordered two sets of these from Quest during their recent 40% off Christmas sale. One saucer kit and three C6-0 engines were part of the combo deal for $9.00. Quite a good price, a fun rocket for a little more than the price of the three engines. As the Quest website explains a supply of saucer tops was found in a ...

  • Quest Area 51 SPEV Saucer By Manuel Mejia, Jr. (December 15, 2008)

    Brief: Back in the fall of 2008, Quest Aerospace found a stack of 10 year old saucer tops for their 1998 vintage fly saucer RTF rocket. The top plates were the only pieces left from the kit. Rather than discarding them, Bill Stine added an 18 mm motor mount tube, a motor block, a plastic straw, and 3 specially cut black fiberboard supports/fins. One section of the fiberboard ...

  • Quest Area 51 Saucer By Nick Esselman

    I purchased the Area 51 Saucer to add to my 18mm U.F.O. comparison article . It is labeled as a Ready-to-Fly model from Quest made from plastic. CONSTRUCTION: The instructions are printed on the front and back of a single 8½ x11 page of paper. They include illustrations for attaching the legs and for flying. Attaching the legs is done by sliding a plastic holder into a slot on ...

  • Quest Area 51 Saucer (RTF) By Chris Taylor Jr.

    This is another complete ready to go rocket with pad etc. . . again pad [stunk] but I got another one of those launchers. About the pad; take an Estes' Pad and make it look like the picture. Okay, now remove the screw in launch rod mount . . . it just sits in there. No secured angle adjustment either. It is by a measly leg swivel that props up one leg like sticking a rock under a leg. Now, ...

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