| Construction Rating: | starstarstarstar_borderstar_border |
| Flight Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
| Overall Rating: | starstarstarstar_borderstar_border |
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 the underside of the U.F.O.'s body. Not the easiest thing to do, and if not careful one could break the tab off of the black holder.
For comparison sake, the Estes Snitch is much easier to add legs, while the Area 51 Saucer has foot pads and better overall looks.
The rocket comes with a build-in motor retainer hook.
Overall, for CONSTRUCTION I would rate this kit 3 points. Not terrible thrilled with the attachment of the landing gear.
FLIGHT/RECOVERY:
Quest recommends the C6-0 only.
My Area 51 Saucer weighed in at 2.7 ounces.
Flight preparation is simple. Pull back the motor hook, insert the motor, install igniter and fly.
I have flown the Area 51™ Saucer three times all on C6-0's and all in our front yard. It gives very stable flights with slow and laborious lift-offs. At apogee it flips over and falls until it bounces on the landing legs. Had no issues with flight.
I did notice that while installing the motor for the third flight the motor hook didn't seem to spring back so well. I'm afraid this hook does not have a long life.
For FLIGHT/RECOVERY, I would rate this rocket 4 points. It is a nice rocket for backyard and U.F.O.-type rocketry.
I give the rocket an OVERALL rating of 3 ½ points. It has excellent looks (my wife says, she really likes it) and it has consistent flights. Slow lift-offs are cool, too.
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 Dick Stafford (March 21, 2009)
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 ...
- 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 (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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