First Rocket Review - Satellite Interceptor

After deciding to get back into rocketry, I set off on a quest to get myself a nice classic-style model that looked cool and was easy to build. I began my search at Micheal's, where back in the day my dad would cut out a 40% off any item coupon and we would go get a new rocket or some engines with that. I was annoyed to find out that Micheals now only carries pre-made or Easy-To-Assemble versions, something that dissapoints me as I believe construction is a vital part of understanding the process. So I took my search down the road to Great Lakes Hobby & Train, which I have since returned to many times for new products and supplies. It was there I came upon the Satellite Interceptor, one of Estes' "Classic Series" models. It caught my eye for it's 1960s/1970s style "Spaceship Fighter" look and seemed to be a fun build. So for ease of reading I'll split the review into several parts:

http://www.estesrockets.com/rockets/kits/skill-2/003027-satellite-interceptortm

Construction:

Since it had been several years, construction proved to be more of a challenge than I remembered, most specifically when it came to gluing the fins on. Since the model has "Wing" fins in the middle of the fueselage and stabilzer fins on the back, as well as ventral and dorsal stabilzer fins, keeping them properly aligned while the glue dried proved to be a challenge. It was also not until the model was complete that I remembered with Elmer's glue that "Less is More" in that a very minimal amount of glue will secure the fin and prevent it from falling off or moving until the glue dries, where you would then put fillets in to secure it further. Aside from that, the rest of the construction went well and the decals and fin accessories really made the model stand out well. Reflecting back, I would rate construction about 3/5 on a difficulty scale due to the difficulties in fin alignment.

Flight:
For the first flight, I used a B6-4 engine and set it off. Despite the wind being somewhat stronger than what I would call ideal, it went up and came back down in the recovery area without major problems. I then did a follow-up flight with a C6-5, which caused the rocket to really haul and reach it's advertised ceiling of 1300 feet, which despite compensation for the wind direction wound up in a nearby yard with a broken tail fin. After re-gluing the fin and allowing time for it to set, I launched it a final time that night with another C6-5, launching it the highest yet with the landing zone inside somebody's gated yard and the loss of some fin accessories which were later recovered. The final flight took place a week later with a C6-5 onboard, which sent it about 20-30 feet up before the problems started. During takeoff, a tail fin again came dislodged, causing the rocket to pitch over 90 degrees and launch horizontally at my friend and fellow rocketeer's nearby house at full thrust, missing our other unsuspecting friend working on his car by about 3 feet. A really amazing feat considering it only had a window of a few feet to go through a line of trees to nearly hit him. The damage was catastropic, causing some of the dowels and tubing on the fins to come off and the main tube to break nearly in two. Despite cutting off the damaged section and trying again, it was too unbalanced and could not fly right again.

Conclusion:
The Satellite Interceptor is an amazing looking and performing rocket that I intend to purchase and construct again with my increased knowledge and skills. In terms of Pros, It looks amazing and performs incredibly well when properly constructed. In terms of Cons, it is difficult to align the many fins properly and the dowels and tubes you attach to the fins for decoration seem to like to come off in flight. I did not use the stronger wood cement I use now in constructing this, so perhaps that would have prevented some of these problems. I would also recommend putting a hole in the center of the parachute when using C engines, as well as using a C6-5 or C6-7, it goes extremely high and can drift a long time with an intact parachute.

Current Status: Retired due to severe structural damage.

Well, this concludes my first rocket review, let me know what you think and follow if you like! I'll be posting more in the coming weeks as I review my current and previous models and get new ones.