Construction Rating: | starstarstarstar_borderstar_border |
Flight Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
Overall Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
Diameter: | 2.60 inches |
Length: | 38.50 inches |
Manufacturer: | Estes |
Style: | Sport |
Brief:
New "E" motor rocket from Estes. This is a big rocket at 3 feet tall and 2.6 inches in diameter. It has a single 24mm motor mount and uses a 24 inch parachute for recovery. Flights to 600 feet are possible.
Construction:
The kit came in one of Estes' infamous plastic bags. The kit included the body tubes, motor mount tube, coupler, centering rings, spacer for D motors, launch lugs, retention hook, plywood (yes, plywood) fins, pathetically short shock cord, unassembled 24 inch parachute, NC-80A nose cone and decals. The instructions were complete with illustrations and text. Due to the pre-slotted body tube and shock cord attachment, no templates were needed.
I started with the motor mount. One problem was that the die-cutting on the rings was not complete. I ripped off some of the material and had to reglue it. I then attached the shock cord to the top centering ring. The shock cord was so short that I tied another shock cord that I had lying around to the existing one.
I installed the motor mount into the lower body tube. I then pre-fitted the fins into the slots. I had to open the slots slightly to get the fins to fit properly. Next, the fins were attached one at a time to the body tube. The two body tubes were then joined together. The launch lugs were attached next. Finally, the nose cone was sanded to prep it for finishing.
PROS: Easy construction
CONS: Weak centering rings, Minor part misfits.
Finishing:
I started by sanding the fins smooth. I then applied Bondo filler putty to the body tube spirals and the separation line of the two body tubes. The entire model was sprayed with gray automotive primer and sanded between coats. I then sprayed the model with silver spray enamel and let it dry for a full day. The next day, I masked off the silver areas of the stock paint scheme. I sprayed the model with gloss black spray enamel. The supplied decals were applied and yellow pin striping was used on the outlines.
I then assembled the parachute and attached it to the nose cone.
PROS: Finished model looks great.
CONS: Stock paint scheme is hard to accomplish. No pinstriping included.
Construction Rating: 3 out of 5
Flight:
The recommended motors are the D12-3 (first flight), D12-5, E9-4, E9-6. The provided spacer is needed for the D12 motors. This rocket requires wadding to protect the parachute and is packed in the normal manner. The retention hook retains the motor in place.
For the first flight, I used a D12-3 with no changes to the parachute. The rocket flew nice and straight with a slow spin to an altitude of about 350 feet. The next flight was on a day with 5 to 10 mph winds. I reefed the parachute at the midpoint. I also cut out the spillhole. An E9-4 was loaded for this flight.
The rocket boosted very nicely under E9 power. It achieved an altitude of 650-700 feet. Love that 4 second burn. Although Estes recommends their new E rocket pad, I found that my standard porta pad with a 3/16 rod works very well too.
PROS: Flies great.
CONS: None
Recovery:
On the first flight, I had a slight tangle in the parachute. Luckily the rocket landed with no damage. On the second flight, the rocket came down nicely with the modified chute and landed fairly close with no damage.
PROS: Nice recovery.
CONS: Chute slightly too big.
Flight Rating: 4 out of 5
Summary:
I really like this rocket. It is big and easy to see in flight. Some minor changes could be made. I also feel that the $32.99 price tag was a tad high.
Main PROS: Nice kit, Excellent flight performance, Awesome paint job.
Main CONS: Minor part misfits, too big a parachute, slightly high price.
Overall Rating: 4 out of 5
This is a large 24mm through the wall fin rocket put out by Estes. It utilizes the standard elastic shock cord and plastic parachute system that Estes is well known for, which in this case isn't the best option for this particular rocket. More on that later. The components are of good quality. The instructions are well written and in logical order. I found the construction of this ...
This is a single stage "E" engine, three fin rocket built for parachute recovery. The Executioner kit includes one 65mm body tube made of wrapped cardboard. There are three pre-cut plywood fins. A 24mm engine mount and centering rings are included, as well as an E engine spring clip motor retainer. The shock cord supplied is 1/4" rubber band material. The nose cone hollow molded plastic. A ...
This rocket would be a good candidate for a Nylamesh 18" or 24" parachute. I'm tired of hearing stories of how parachute shrud lines tangled and the 'chute didn't open completely. They should use a nylamesh parachute because there are no lines to tangle. The 'chutes come in many common sizes-and yes, they are nylon. The difference is that instead of shroudlines, the parachute uses a mesh that winds down into a single, durable line. Each package comes with two or three parachutes, snap swivels, and for sizes that are 24" in diameter, a parachute deployment bag. The devices are also very compact and a 48" parachute, with the the deployment bag and snap swivel, fits into a single BT-80 size tube. They are reliable, durable, and compact. If this isn't the best parachute ever, then I don't know what is...
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J.M. (May 21, 2002)