DynaStar Orion Transport

DynaStar - Orion Transport {Kit} (05029)

Contributed by Drake "Doc" Damerau

Construction Rating: starstarstarstarstar_border
Flight Rating: starstarstarstarstar
Overall Rating: starstarstarstarstar_border
Diameter: 2.22 inches
Length: 28.50 inches
Manufacturer: DynaStar
Skill Level: 3
Style: Futuristic/Exotic

Dynastar Orion TransportBrief:
This low to mid power kit is a space plane with parachute recovery.

Construction:
This kit comes with a polystyrene nose cone that's great for painting. It also has beautiful balsa parts, a nice body tube with no spirals to fill, a paper nozzle and stickers (but they are not decals). I was leery of the stickers at first but they are very thin and look great.

The instructions were as detailed and thorough as I have seen. The illustrations were done so well someone who could not read could build this rocket. The only thing wrong with the instructions was that it said to use the fin guide found on page 7, but there was no fin guide on page 7. For me this wasn't a problem. I just printed a fin guide in seconds using VCP.

The nose cone was a loose fit but a little masking tape goes a long way. There's not much to tell about the construction really. It's a straightforward kit to build. The construction of this kit is no different than most kits having standard components, like the bent motor hook and surface mounted fins. The fins are off centered, but this is not a problem.

Finishing:
This is where the higher quality components of this kit really pay off. Finishing was a breeze with the high quality balsa, BT, and nose cone, I had it completely finished in under an hour.

Construction Rating: 4 out of 5

Dynastar Orion Transport

Flight:
First flight was on a D12-5. Delay was too long. The second flight on a D12-3 was much better. The third and fourth flights were on E9-6 and really ripped off the pad.

Recovery:
I'll agree with Alex that the chute is larger than needed, but I don't see that as a bad thing. On the 4 flights I did, the chute came out perfectly every time.

Flight Rating: 5 out of 5

Summary:
It is specified as a "skill level 3" kit but it was too easy for a skill level 3. Perhaps it was the well-detailed instructions that made it easy to build. The kit retails for $28. Not much there really, but you can find it at discount hobby shops for under $25 and that brings it to a fair price.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5

Other Reviews
  • DynaStar Orion Transport By Nick Esselman (August 23, 2008)

    (02/23/08) " This one is like a luxury aircraft, but built for space travel. " So says Dynastar website. The Orion Transport is a neat, futuristic-looking rocket with nice lines and decals to make it stand apart from others. The rocket includes a single white BT-70 (2.2") body tube that is 18" long. This with its 11" long plastic nose cone and cardstock thrust nozzle make up the total ...

  • DynaStar Orion Transport By Alex Jordan

    Photo Courtesy of Dynastar             This is a single stage futuristic 24mm motor rocket. It uses Estes and Aerotech motors, ranging from C11-3 to F21-8. This kit came with excellent quality parts including: 1 BT-70 main body tube 1 NC-70 nose cone 1 sheet of paper centering rings (BT70-24mm) 1 motor mount tube ...

Flights

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