Finally a picture of the completed model, which weighs 1.91 ounces as shown. I used the stock shock cord (about 2 1/2 feet long) and the supplied 'chute, attached to the transition with a coast-lock snap swivel.
Markings are peel-n-stick as you'd expect for a beginner level kit, but they are nicely sticky.
Oh - one other application of MultiTask tape. The
instructions suggest that you might want to wrap clear tape around the fin can-to-body tube joint, and I have done so.
One interesting feature, as I said, is the translucent parts. Finally, you can load a motor in a model and even if you forget what it was before you go to the RSO table or LCO table, you can remind yourself what it was without taking it out of the model
. Two pics showing this....
The box suggests a C6-7 could take this model to 1100 feet. Hopefully Sixty Acres will open soon and I can find out. Based on flying the closely related ARF Solaris, which is a little lighter but a little higher drag, I expect ~900 feet on an Estes C and maybe 1200-1300 on a Q-Jet C12-6 or -8. I will find out as soon as park re-openings and weather will allow.
Based on looking at the instructions posted on the Estes site, the Starship Octavius and the Illusion (which is the same model, but slightly shorter and with different livery) go together exactly the same way, except for the assembly of the payload section, as those models have none.
And yes, I'm building a vintage Silver Comet...which I've modified to use an Estes screw-on 24mm motor retainer. I'm really liking them in all their sizes. I've even built an Alpha VI using the 18mm retainer....but that's for another thread, maybe.