EMRR's Model Rocket Review: Estes Industries

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REV 2.4 - Wed Aug 10 18:49:34 2011

Estes
Hi-Flier

P.O. Box 227, 1295 H Street
Penrose, CO 81240
(719) 372-6565

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SPECS:

12.0" x .74" - 0.82 oz

ROCKSIM FILE:

Right Click to Download

SpaceCAD FILE:

MISSING - please submit here

REC'D MOTORS:

1/2A6-2, A8-3, A8-5, B4-4, B6-4, C6-5, C6-7

(Contributed - by Lance Alligood

)

Estes Hi-Flier Brief:
Minimum diameter, featherweight rocket that can soar well out of sight (1600+ ft according to Estes). Streamer recovery. Very similar to Estes Sizzler & Estes Star Dart.

Construction:
Parts list:

Body tube (which doubles as motor mount)
Metal motor retention clip
Spacer tube
Mylar sleeve
Paper thrust ring
Die-cut balsa fins
Launch lug
Shock cord
Nose cone with insert
Streamer
Decal

Typical easy-to-follow Estes directions. Start with gluing the thrust ring then motor mount clip held by the Mylar ring. Next comes the fins (with notches to allow for the Mylar ring). Nose cone needs plastic cement to join the 2 pieces. Lastly the shock cord is attached to the BT with the usual paper mount & tied to NC. Streamer is tied to the shock cord.

PROS:

Assembly goes quickly since there are few parts.

CONS:

Ugly gap in the middle of the fins to allow for the Mylar ring. (Need to use a putty-esque solution to eliminate these holes.)
Clean lines of design are marred by the external motor retention system.
The wing thickness is well...not very thick. If not attached well, I would expect bad things if one came off in flight.
Assuming I'd had a safe flight, I bet I would have found that the shock cord is too short.

A streamer is the proper recovery method for this small, ultralightweight design. A common issue with the Hi-Flier/Star Dart/Sizzler is that BT damage can occur with the stock shock cord. Replace it with longer elastic.

Finishing:
PROS:

Achieving a finish similar to the packaging is relatively easy, even for a beginner, as long as you use patience with the colors...(this was one of my first rockets & I tried to rush it.)

CONS:

None

Construction Rating: 4 out of 5

Flight:
This was my first rocket built & launched after a near-20 year absence from model rocketry. Since I had pretty much ruined the rocket with a horrid paint job (my own fault), I had already considered this rocket a loss. I wasn't disappointed...(which isn't a good thing.) It was a windy day out & the only engines I had were B6-4s. There was just enough room for the engine, a couple pieces of wadding & the streamer.

It screamed off the launch pad ~200 feet & then suddenly appeared to turn horizontal. It vanished from sight & was not recovered. (I have since assembled an Estes Star Dart which I have successfully flown twice.) I'm sure my Hi-Flier's flight was an anomally & should perform similar to the Star Dart.

I also learned with my Star Dart that an A8-3 is probably the ideal engine for a rocket this small, that a B6-4 should only be used if you have plenty of field & little if any wind, & that a C6-5 should only be used when you no longer want the rocket in your fleet!

Recovery:
PROS:

Very exciting & fast launches for a rocket with an A or B class engine.

CONS:

I was unable to recover mine--I'm going to guess that a wing came loose to cause the rapid change in trajectory. I was also flying it on a windy day (gusts over 10mph) & with a big engine (B6-4) considering the rocket's overall weight.
Even with a streamer, this rocket is so light that you still can expect to have to chase it on mildly windy days.

Flight Rating: 2 out of 5

Summary:
There are plenty of ways that these minimal design rockets can be damaged/lost/destroyed. Thankfully it takes little money & time to get this high flier--I mean Hi-Flier, ready for action. Even small engines can send it out of sight. I would consider the Hi-Flier to be in the "Gee, it was fun while it lasted" category.

Even if you are careful with motor selection & weather conditions, I still wouldn't expect many successful flights out of the Hi-Flier. The wings are frighteningly thin balsa, the motor mount clip is on the outside of the BT, & the shock cord in the package is too short...all of which have a couple of reasons each that can lead to failure.

Overall Rating: 2 ½ out of 5

(by Karl Kalbaugh - 03/10/07)

Brief:
Hi-Flyer is a skill level 1 LPR made by Estes. Its main selling point is its potential apogee at 1700 feet.

Construction:
Three balsa deltoid fins attach to a BT-20 and NC20 combination. Motor retention is achieved by an external engine clip. The clip retention ring is also external. The fins have a small slot cut into the root to accommodate this ring. A sized engine block slips into the body tube. Recovery system is an elastic shock cord and vinyl orange streamer.

As a skill level one kit, this rocket was very easy to build. The external clip was odd and as far as I know doesn't exist on other rockets of this class.

I used Aves Apoxy Sculpt to fillet the fins. This did add weight and may have affected flight characteristics adversely.

Finishing:
I finished this rocket in a red rust and black, which in hind sight was a mistake. I did not use the "Hi-Flyer" self adhesive decal. I did add my son's initials to the fins using vinyl lettering then gave the rocket a light coat of clear enamel.

Construction Rating: 3 out of 5

Flight:
Any Estes 18mm rocket motor is recommended for Hi-Flyer. First flight was on a B6-4. Wadding was used with a standard Estes igniter.

This flight CATOed. It corkscrewed in a wide arc immediately off the pad and hit the ground. Ejection happened at O altitude.

The second flight was on a B6-4. Again, the rocket also corkscrewed off the pad and flew downrange quite far and we lost sight of the model.

It took about a 1/2 hour to find the rocket, thanks to the rust paint job. The only distinguishing color was the orange streamer. We would not have found it otherwise.

Recovery:
Flight recovery for flight #2 was unseen, but the streamer was still crumpled and not fully deployed, due to the vinyl material Estes made the streamer out of. The rocket only sustained some scuffing on one fin. It is still flyable (although still probably has its stability issues).

Flight Rating: 2 out of 5

Summary:
I can't give this kit an enthusiastic endorsement, mostly because of other reviews on this site suggest that this kit may be inherently unstable. I was attracted to this kit because of its advertised performance (flights to 1700 feet on a C6-5) and its price. As is, I plan to do a third flight on a C6-5 on a large field and then retire this rocket. A big con for this kit is the streamer deployment. My comment to Estes would be to abandon the vinyl (or rubbery plastic) streamer because they do not fully unfurl and perhaps do not supply enough drag on recovery.

Overall Rating: 2 out of 5

GUEST's OPINION:
06/07 - "At our most recent club launch last Sunday (June 10, 2007) one of our club member attempted to launch his Hi-Flier on a C6 engine. Model went unstable as soon as it left the launch rod, zigzagged through the air and smashed into the ground at high speeds, totally destroying the model. My suggestion is to make the Hi-Flier main body tube longer to improve the stability." (D.W.M.)

GUEST's OPINION:
06/07 - "This was my 2nd rocket. Took my time and made it really nice, just like the package. Flew twice on A8's and had great flights in a smallish field across the street from my house. 3rd flight on a B6 and never saw it again. It went straight up and out of sight. The flights did not seem unstable but like a few other people said, this rocket can get high enough to do a lot of drifting or just plain get out of sight. I do think that with some simple mods to the recovery system this could be a nice A engine rocket. A little red Permatex in the plastic nose cone and a small chute, may give it some B or C engine capability. For a sub $10 kit maybe I'll try another." (B.G.)

GUEST's OPINION:
03/06 - "A question came up about which motor to use with this model over on YORF. As a test, I measured my assembled kit and transferred the numbers into RocSim V8. What I came up with was interesting, and I have since had some confirmation from another builder with RS8. This model has less than marginal stability with anything over an A8-5. In a nutshell, it's tail-heavy. Using Barrowman calculations, I found a margin of 0.45 with the A8, and about 0.25 with the B6. The RocSim calculations were a bit nicer, with about 1.1 for the A8, but still less than 1 for the B6. The C6 was horrid either way... Reading some of the flight reports here on RMRR about horizontal flights on calm days tends to confirm this opinion. It should also be noted that a 3-sec delay on the A8, a 4-sec delay on the B6, and the 5-sec delay on the C6, caused the deployment to occur at substantially dangerous velocities. Go with the longest delay for each class of motor. The addition of ballast in the nose cone can correct this problem without introducing a massive penalty in altitude. Trial-and-error found that 3/16th of an ounce right at the tip of the nose cone brings the stability to 1.19 for the C6. For those who are still considering this model, keep this in mind." (C.P.M.)

GUEST's OPINION:
06/03 - "This lightweight rocket has pros and cons. On the plus side, its fun to watch this thing go!! It rips with a C6-3, or even any B motor, out of sight in a second - add lots of talc/carpenter's chalk to help you spot it (its small size makes it hard to track)! Another plus is its price. This is good, because on the down side, you will lose this one. The reviewer was exactly right: This one is fun while it lasts. This lightweight gets blown far off course during recovery - even with a streamer. Use a LARGE field (i.e. a farm or something HUGE), or use an A motor, or be sure there's no wind up there. Don't use a C motor unless you just want to see how high it goes! Wave bye bye to the rocket, honey! Don't let your kid build this unless they can deal with this. Oh, overpowering this little one with B or C motors will also highlight any flaws in fin placement. It's skittish. Pay attention to fin alignment - though with its lack of weight, this doesn't matter much - it will get pushed around anyway. All in all, a good $4 rocket, but not a keeper!" (P.D.)

GUEST's OPINION:
06/03 - "I agree with the review somewhat. The reviewer took too many points off, in my opinion. However, it is far from perfect. It is quite fragile, and light. This is a good performance rocket. I launched it with an A3-4 at an angle and the rocket took off very fast. Tips: Fill the balsa with sanding sealer/CA to strength them. Omit the motor hook and ring to make the rocket look better. (seal the gap where the fin is perforated for the ring with sanding sealer) Replace the shock cord with a longer piece, or mount a piece of Kevlar® to the motor block." ()

SPECIFIC ROCKET TIP:
08/10 - "5.32g = approximately 14 copperhead bb's. I cut the tab for recovery off of nosecone, inserted bb's, rolled some modeling clay, smashed it all down, and added a good blob of wood glue to make sure clay doesn't release during flight. A small eye screw for recovery in nosecone and it's ready to go." (TFS II )

SPECIFIC ROCKET TIP:
10/07 - "Adding 3" to the body tube isn't enough. According to Rocksim, you need to add 7.375" to the body tube to make it stable with C engines. That's 16.375" for those of you playing at home. Much easier to add about 3/16 ounce (or about 5.32 grams) inside the tip of the nosecone (again, as prescribed by Rocksim to get a caliber of stability). Plasticine clay, BB's and epoxy, or even leftover computer case screws with epoxy (my favorite) work wonderfully. If you go the screw route, use 6 standard hard drive screws and enough epoxy to secure them in place; they weigh just under 0.8 grams each, and the epoxy makes up the difference. I don't know what BB's or plasticine weigh so I can't give a prescription for either of them. " (C.G. )

SPECIFIC ROCKET TIP:
10/07 - "1. Can be unstable. I suggest extending the body tube 3". Get a engine motor mount from a buddy or a piece of BT20 scrap, and use the yellow spacer tube Estes gives you, cut in half and use it as a coupler to extend the tube. 2. Ditch the external clip. If you don't have an internal engine block, use the other half of the yellow spacer tube and some glue to make an internal engine block. Make the block layers thick by cutting one yellow ring and glue it inside another. Then put up in the tube." (SV )

SPECIFIC ROCKET TIP:
03/05 - "The first time that I launched this on a B4-2, at a big launch, I tried to follow Fliskits saing, "Aim for the sky and try not to miss," and the rocket wanted me not to. When I got home, I cut a pressure vent hole, because I figured that that might have done it, but I also tried using a larger motor (C6-5), and then, later that day tried an A8, and it still flew fine. I think that it depends on when you load the motor (after or before the nose cone) and the vent hole." (J.A. )

SPECIFIC ROCKET TIP:
03/04 - "I agree mostly as well. I just built this but improved it with a shock cord twice as long as the stock one. Also I did not use the outer motor retention method. Scraped it all together and am simply using a thrust ring internally with a friction fit method on the engines. Another choice to keep this bird is to build in a mini engine mount and fly it on A10-4T's. Good flying." (P.M.G. )

Date	Name	Motor	Ejection/ Altitude	Wind	Notes
04-06-2003	Lance Alligood	Est SU B6-4	None - Unknown	10+ mph winds	- Horrible paint job. My first launch of any kind in almost 20 yrs. Went up ~200ft & then turned suddenly horizontal. Lost. Status: Lost
08-02-2010	Jeff Berger	Est SU A3-5	Apogee - Perfect	0-5 mph winds	- Jumped off pad and came down with two longer streamers for easy recovery.
08-02-2010	Jeff Berger	Est SU C6-5	Didn't See	0-5 mph winds	- I knew this one could be lost on C motor, so I placed call if found phone number stickers on nose and body. Wow! Quickly out of sight, heard ejection then saw streamers with nose cone. Body seperation occurred. Never found and no one has called - Lost. Status: Lost
02-12-2003	Bill Bill	Est SU A3-4	Just Past (1-2sec)	10+ mph winds	- Launched at a angle; wrapped tape around 13mm motor. Not very high. Launched into the wind; wind brought it back to 40' within launch pad.
06-01-2008	Greg Brady	Est SU C6-5	Didn't See	0-5 mph winds	NCSU - The first two flights (A8-3 & B6-4) were plenty impressive. The C6-5 sent it WAY up & out of sight of everyone. We all heard the ejection pop, but never found it. I have two more kits... and some construction orange spray paint. :) Status: Lost
05-01-2009	Billy Compton	Est SU C6-5	Didn't See	Didn't Record	- I agree with everyone else on this one. Launch this puppy with a C engine and kiss it bye bye. It screamed off the pad straight as an arrow and out of sight in a hurry. My daughter and I walked a huge perimeter of the park but never found it. Status: Lost
07-10-2006	Brady Cutts	Est SU C6-5	Didn't See	Calm	- Nice straight, fast launch. Started to spiral as it approaced apogee. Lost sight until it had come down a bit. Landed within 20 yards of launcher. NC struck BT and crimped it. Easy fix.
06-18-2004	Frank DiMatteo	Est SU C6-5	Didn't See	0-5 mph winds	- Rocket went a couple of hundred feet and then turned horizontal all the sudden. Went about 700 feet downrange. Ejection fired and I saw the rocket land but I couldn't find it in the high grass. Status: Lost
06-09-2005	Austin Flora	Est SU C6-5	Apogee - Perfect	5-10 mph winds	- Went perfect on an Estes A motor, came down 50 feet away. Decided to spice things up and used an Estes C6, lost sight and it landed some 400 yards away (not kidding). Use a C motor at your own risk!
06-24-2010	Chris Gonnerman	Est SU A10-3	Apogee - NC Up	0-5 mph winds	Lo Flier - It went off the rod fast, flew straight, ejected near apogee, and came down on the edge of the street. Ouch. But there was only minor damage to one fin.
04-17-2009	Mark Grisco	Est SU B6-6	Didn't See	5-10 mph winds	- the clouds made it hard to see the tracking smoke today. i heard the flight but did not see much of it. Status: Lost
10-17-2004	Kyle Hancock	Est SU B4-4	Apogee - Perfect	10+ mph winds	Event: Viking Sport Launch - Great flight, but kicked motor.
02-05-2005	Kyle Hancock	Est SU B6-4	Apogee - Perfect	5-10 mph winds	- NARTREK Gemini streamer - 38.4 s
02-20-2005	Kyle Hancock	Est SU B4-4	Apogee - Perfect	5-10 mph winds	Event: Viking Sport - Ben's final NARTEK Gemini flight. PD 1:20.0 Status: Lost
03-17-2006	Jeff Hollenbeck	Est SU C6-5	Didn't See	0-5 mph winds	Event: SpringFest - Very quick off the pad, slight arc during boost. Landed about 1/2 mile away. No damage. Club members very impressed with the altitude on just a C motor!
03-17-2006	Jeff Hollenbeck	AT SU D21-7	Just Past (1-2sec)	0-5 mph winds	Event: SpringFest - What a launch - worth the money! Very fast off the pad, only saw the red chalk puff at ejection. Rocket currently lost on the lake bed. Status: Lost
03-13-2010	Preston Hoover	Est SU C6-5	Apogee - NC Up	10+ mph winds	Event: NEFAR monthly launch, Clegg Sod Farm - Very windy day. I have not launched for two months. Good flight nice altitude and recovery.
03-18-2010	Preston Hoover	Est SU C6-5	Just Past (1-2sec)	5-10 mph winds	Event: Just a day to launch, Somewhere in Deltona, FL. - Great flight, went around 1,000 ft. For the wind and the motor, I thought we lost it. Landed about 50 yds away just inside the park.
03-25-2010	Preston Hoover	Est SU C6-7	None - Unknown	0-5 mph winds	Event: A good day to fly rockets - Did you ever hear the one - I shot an arrow into the air, where it landed I know not where? Lost this puppy in the sun. Heard it pop but no sight of it.
03-21-2008	Tony Interrante	Est SU A8-3	Apogee - NC Down	0-5 mph winds	- Two good flights on a8-'3. This is the leasts stable rocket I have from the estes line. There was some wobble and arching on the second flight. It flew about 600 feet, I think.
10-16-2004	Mark Jones	Est SU A8-3	Didn't See	0-5 mph winds	- Beautiful maiden flight! Person next to me was amazed to hear that it was flying on an A8-3. Landed within 30 paces of launch site. With infinite desert floor arould launch site, might try this with a B engine next time.
10-16-2004	Mark Jones	Est SU A8-3	Didn't See	0-5 mph winds	- Beautiful maiden flight! Person next to me was amazed to hear that it was flying on an A8-3. Landed within 30 paces of launch site. With infinite desert floor arould launch site, might try this with a B engine next time.
03-03-2007	Karl Kalbaugh	Est SU B6-5	None - CATO	10+ mph winds	Event: Great Meadow - We had high expectations if the Hi-Flyer. Flight one came cork screwing off of the pad and smacked into the ground. Ejection was at zero altitude. A little embaressing, actually.
03-03-2007	Karl Kalbaugh	Est SU B6-5	Didn't See	10+ mph winds	Event: Great Meadow - Second flight, Hi-Flier corkscrewed a bit then went down range fast. Took a while to find. The marginal flight characteristics stem from my build of the model. May purchase a second and try again
10-07-2006	Mike Kimbler	Est SU C6-7	Didn't See	Gusty	-
10-07-2006	Mike Kimbler	Est SU A8-3	Didn't See	Gusty	-
04-16-2004	Mike Kiss	Est SU 1/2A6-2	Apogee - Perfect	10+ mph winds	- Good maiden flight in high wind, boost to about 400ft, ejection perfect, landed about 100ft. from pad, Estes dent in top of body tube, repairable
06-26-2004	Mike Kiss	Est SU A8-3	Apogee - Perfect	0-5 mph winds	- Good flight to about 700ft, good deploy at apogee, landed about150ft. from pad, Estes ding at end of body tube, repairable
10-08-2004	Mike Kiss	Est SU 1/2A6-2	Apogee - Perfect	5-10 mph winds	- Nice easy flight to about 100 ft., ejection at apogee, landed about 50 ft. from pad, no damage
06-11-2005	Roy Lappalainen	Est SU A8-3	Apogee - Perfect	5-10 mph winds	Flier-Hi -
06-19-2004	Donald Laskey	Est SU A8-3	Didn't Record	10+ mph winds	-
06-19-2004	Donald Laskey	Est SU B6-4	Didn't See	10+ mph winds	- almost lost
09-21-2006	Donald Laskey	Est SU B4-4	Apogee - Perfect	5-10 mph winds	- 32 sec.
07-12-2005	Willie Legg	Est SU C6-5	Didn't See	Calm	- Went up, flew over 100 ft downrange, never saw again. :( Status: Lost
08-03-2003	David Logan	Qst SU B6-4	Apogee - Perfect	0-5 mph winds	- Built without motor hook. I didn't use enough tape on the friction fit, and the motor kicked out at ejection. Core sampled, but suffered minor damage and is still flyable.
06-26-2004	David Logan	Est SU A8-5	Apogee - NC Down	0-5 mph winds	- Tried for a 60 second parachute duration for NARTREK, only got 52 using a 16 inch plastic chute.
06-26-2004	David Logan	Est SU B6-4	Apogee - NC Up	0-5 mph winds	- My second one. NARTREK Bronze streamer duration qualifier. 41 seconds using a 3x30 mylar streamer.
06-27-2004	David Logan	Est SU B6-4	Apogee - NC Up	0-5 mph winds	- NARTREK Bronze parachute duration flight. 76 seconds using a 12 inch plastic chute with a 2 inch spill hole.
10-07-2006	David Logan	Est SU B6-6	Apogee - Perfect	10+ mph winds	Event: Bluegrass Blast 06 - Nice flight, recovered on a 3x30 mylar streamer.
10-07-2006	David Logan	Est SU B6-6	Apogee - Perfect	10+ mph winds	Event: Bluegrass Blast 06 - Another good flight with a 3x30 streamer.
08-12-2003	David Logan	Qst SU B6-4	Apogee - Perfect	0-5 mph winds	- Finally got a good flight. Caught a breeze with streamer recovery and drifted quite a ways down wind. I gave up after walking 1/4 mile out and not being able to see it. Status: Lost
09-14-2008	Leigh Metzroth	Est SU B6-4	Just Before	0-5 mph winds	- Streamer got tangled in the shock cord, but otherwise a good all round flight. Came back within about 30m of the Pad.
09-14-2008	Leigh Metzroth	Est SU C6-5	None - Unstable	0-5 mph winds	- Flew straight up for 30ft. Did a few loops then lawn darted.
12-14-2008	Leigh Metzroth	Est SU B6-6	Apogee - Perfect	5-10 mph winds	-
04-19-2009	Leigh Metzroth	Est SU B6-6	Apogee - Perfect	0-5 mph winds	-
05-17-2009	Leigh Metzroth	Est SU B6-6	Apogee - Perfect	Calm	-
09-13-2009	Leigh Metzroth	Est SU B6-6	Apogee - Perfect	Calm	- Rod whip flicked it off at a 45 degree azimuth in a SE direction. Successful flight, but I just didn't bother trying to find it as I lost sight of it coming down. Status: Lost
06-02-2010	Sam Moore	Est SU C6-5	Apogee - Perfect (HIGH ft)	Calm	- I had 2 successful launches on a C6-5 motor. During construction I trimmed the fins slightly and omitted the engine hook and retainer ring and chose to friction fit the engine instead. Rocket went up straight as an arrow both launches.
08-19-2006	Mike Morley	Est SU A8-3	Apogee - Perfect	10+ mph winds	- 150-200 ft apogee; recovered OK
08-19-2006	Mike Morley	Qst SU A6-4	Just Past (1-2sec)	10+ mph winds	- Apogee 200' -- winds blew past distant treeline -- landed in high weeds on far side of trees; not recovered Status: Lost
10-31-2004	Chris Muir	Est SU 1/2A6-2	Didn't Record	5-10 mph winds	- Less drift than first. After recovery, discovered external engine clip ripped hole in tube about 3/8 long. Also missing engine holder upper disc. In for repairs.
10-31-2004	Chris Muir	Est SU A8-3	Apogee - Perfect	5-10 mph winds	- Nice high first flight. Long drift and hard landing on pavement but no apparent damage.
11-11-2004	Chris Muir	Est SU A8-3	Apogee - Perfect	5-10 mph winds	- Launched it and it only went about 200ft, (it curves because i glued the wings on weird) but it landed on a driveway and busted the nosecone attacher and a win off. In for repairs
11-11-2004	Chris Muir	Est SU B6-4	Apogee - NC Up	5-10 mph winds	- Went up very fast at launch, hard to see. Went up about 800ft! Drifted about 500ft, though. No damage. Very cool launch
03-05-2006	T Muir	Est SU A8-3	Didn't Record	10+ mph winds	-
06-06-2003	Scott Oblander	Est SU A8-3	Didn't Record	0-5 mph winds	- Weathercocked badly on takeoff. Burnt throught shock cord. Recovered w/o any additional damage.
06-06-2003	Scott Oblander	Est SU A8-3	Didn't See	0-5 mph winds	- Nice straight maiden flight. Estes dent in body tube on landing.
06-29-2003	Scott Oblander	Est SU B6-4	Didn't See	0-5 mph winds	- Rocket went off at an angle downwind. Didn't see ejection. Lost in woods. Status: Lost
08-07-2010	Vincent Penoso	Est SU C6-5	None - Unstable	5-10 mph winds	Event: New Hampshire - i think the model needs to be checked for CG and CP when using the larger motors. The model climbed to about 50ft then corkscrewed wildly in the sky. CATASTROPHIC. Augered in to the grass
09-12-2009	Eldred Pickett	Est SU C6-5	Didn't Record	0-5 mph winds	-
04-08-2006	Richie Plye	Est SU 1/2A6-2	Apogee - Perfect	10+ mph winds	Event: Woodfill Whoopy-Do - Ejection charge blew shock cord to pieces, but all parts were recovered.
10-17-2008	Chris Rennie	Est SU B6-4	Apogee - Perfect	5-10 mph winds	- Flew this 5 times on a B6-4. Launch rod angled at 10 degrees for wind. Flew perfectly every time. Could just about see it at apogee. Came down within 100 yards of launch. Great rocket and lots of fun.
10-12-2003	Will Samuels	Est SU C6-7	None - Nose Cone Stuck	0-5 mph winds	- i glued the nose cone to the tube. it got stuck in the ground then blew the engine out 20 feet. second time around i didnt find it Status: Lost
05-07-2005	Ron Saul	Est SU C6-5	None - Unknown	5-10 mph winds	thrustnut - This rocket has flown 5 times on c6-5's and 7's.No problems here
09-10-2010	Tom Seemeyer+II	Est SU B6-4	Apogee - NC Up	0-5 mph winds	- Finally a good flight. Note, 5.32g nose weight was added.
09-11-2004	Chan Stevens	Est SU C6-3	Just Before	0-5 mph winds	-
05-06-2006	Chan Stevens	Est SU A8-3	Just Before	10+ mph winds	-
05-20-2007	Chan Stevens	Est SU A8-3	Just Before	5-10 mph winds	-
05-04-2008	Chan Stevens	Est SU B6-4	Apogee - Perfect	0-5 mph winds	-
07-07-2007	Stu Stu	Est SU A8-3	Apogee - Perfect	0-5 mph winds	Stoob - Flew fine on a A8-3, a few hundred feet. Easy recovery.
07-07-2007	Stu Stu	Apo SU C6-7	Very Early (40 ft)	0-5 mph winds	Stoob - Unstable rocket on C engines, up, spun out at 50 ft, hit the ground hard, ejected on ground. Unstable rocket compared to Estes Wizard. Suggest modifications (like extended body tube) for B or C flights. Status: CATO'd
06-20-2009	Mark Traverso	Est SU C6-5	Apogee - Perfect	0-5 mph winds	- It flew straight up and looked great but the wind took it away and it was never seen again. I definetly want to by another one this was a great rocket. Status: Lost
01-23-2010	Ken Tsai	Est SU B6-4	Apogee - Perfect	0-5 mph winds	- First flight of the day. ~1000 feet, and a nice way to find out the wind conditions.
01-24-2005	Andy Turits	Est SU 1/2A6-2	Apogee - NC Up	Calm	SPIKE! - 10 degrees F. Straight up boost only to about 50 feet. Streamer ejected but too cold to unfurl. Landed safely in soft snow about 20 feet from pad.
04-12-2003	Jason Vennard	Est SU A8-3	Just Before	5-10 mph winds	- Maiden flight, quick little rocket, nice boost and flight, streamer recovery, no problems.
06-30-2003	Jason Vennard	Est SU A8-3	Apogee - NC Up	0-5 mph winds	- Light east winds, nice fast boost again, recovered under streamer straight back down, close to pad.
09-19-2004	Mark Watkins	Est SU B6-4	Apogee - Perfect	10+ mph winds	- Gusty conditions, adjusted launch angle 5'. Rocket tracked straight up approx 800-1000, perfect release w/tracking smoke, recovered after 200yd downwind drift (A would have been better choice for conditions)
09-19-2004	Mark Watkins	Est SU B6-4	Just Past (1-2sec)	10+ mph winds	- Maiden flight: gusty conditions, weathercocked some, flew 700+ ft, good streamer release, and large amount of decent drift. Landed on asphalt, minor scuffing on fin
10-04-2003	Warren Wattles	Est SU C6-5	Didn't See	Calm	- Turned 30 degrees off vertical and went far off range. Was lucky to recover, even in barren desert. Very light rocket - will fly either high or far, depending on winds and fin alignment.
04-03-2004	Warren Wattles	Est SU C6-5	Didn't See	Calm	- Arced over to about 45 degrees and disappeared. Unable to find during 25 minute search - returned by 3rd party with better luck. 5th flight, time to retire this one. Status: Retired
04-03-2004	Warren Wattles	Est SU C6-5	Didn't See	Calm	- Arced over to about 45 degrees and disappeared. Unable to find during 25 minute search - returned by 3rd party with better luck. 5th flight, time to retire this one. Status: Retired
01-27-2008	Catesby Wolski	Est SU A8-3	Apogee - Perfect	0-5 mph winds	Event: Pole Green Park Flying Frog II - A-OK flight!
02-19-2006	Gene Wolski	Est SU A8-3	Apogee - Perfect	0-5 mph winds	Event: Pole Green Park Flying Frog I - Great flight - recovery on streamer.
02-19-2006	Gene Wolski	Est SU A8-3	Apogee - Perfect	0-5 mph winds	Event: Pole Green Park Flying Frog I - streamer wadded - recovered ok.
04-09-2006	Gene Wolski	Est SU A8-3	Apogee - Perfect	0-5 mph winds	Event: Pole Green Park Flying Frog I - Great flight!
05-21-2006	Gene Wolski	Est SU A8-3	Apogee - Perfect	0-5 mph winds	Event: Pole Green Park Flying Frog I - Great flight!
05-21-2006	Gene Wolski	Est SU A8-3	Apogee - Perfect	0-5 mph winds	Event: Pole Green Park Flying Frog I - Great rocket - zips out of sight!
06-18-2006	Gene Wolski	Est SU B6-4	Apogee - Perfect	0-5 mph winds	Event: Pole Green Park Flying Frog I - NAR Bronze streamer duration - 37 seconds! Great flight!
08-20-2006	Gene Wolski	Est SU B6-4	Apogee - Perfect	0-5 mph winds	Event: Pole Green Park Flying Frog II - Popped shock cord mount. Repaired for next flight.
09-17-2006	Gene Wolski	Est SU B6-4	Apogee - Perfect	0-5 mph winds	Event: Pole Green Park Flying Frog II - NAR Bronze chute duration - 56 seconds.
09-17-2006	Gene Wolski	Est SU B6-4	Apogee - Perfect	0-5 mph winds	Event: Pole Green Park Flying Frog II - NAR Bronze chute duration - 70 seconds!
11-19-2006	Gene Wolski	Est SU A8-3	Apogee - Perfect	0-5 mph winds	Event: Pole Green Park Flying Frog II - Great flight!
03-18-2007	Gene Wolski	Est SU A8-3	Apogee - Perfect	0-5 mph winds	Event: Pole Green Park Flying Frog II - Great flight!
06-17-2007	Gene Wolski	Est SU A8-3	Apogee - Perfect	0-5 mph winds	Event: Pole Green Park Flying Frog II - Great flight!
07-15-2007	Gene Wolski	Est SU A8-3	Apogee - Perfect	0-5 mph winds	Event: Pole Green Park Flying Frog II - Great flight! Recovered on a streamer.
08-19-2007	Gene Wolski	Est SU 1/2A6-2	Apogee - Perfect	Didn't Record	Event: Pole Green Park Flying Frog II - Shock cord broke, but the rocket was recovered just fine. Someone found the nose cone and returned it to me. Repaired for next time!
02-17-2008	Gene Wolski	Est SU 1/2A6-2	Apogee - Perfect	5-10 mph winds	Event: Pole Green Park Flying Frog II - Plastic streamer didn't fully deploy due to cold temps. Will replace with crepe paper for next flight. Otherwise no damage - great flight!
06-15-2008	Gene Wolski	Est SU 1/2A6-2	Apogee - Perfect	Gusty	Event: Pole Green Park Flying Frog II - Great flight - recovered on streamer near pad.
09-21-2008	Gene Wolski	Est SU A8-3	Apogee - Perfect	Calm	Event: Pole Green Park Flying Frog II - Great flight - landed near the pad.
01-18-2009	Gene Wolski	Est SU A8-5	Apogee - Perfect	5-10 mph winds	Event: Pole Green Park Flying Frog II - Great flight. Almost lost it in the tall grass, but luckily it was found and returned.
07-16-2006	Gene Wolski	Est SU B6-4	Apogee - Perfect	0-5 mph winds	Event: Pole Green Park Flying Frog I - NAR Bronze chute duration attempt - lost after 120 seconds. Status: Lost
04-19-2009	Gene Wolski	Est SU A8-3	Apogee - Perfect	0-5 mph winds	Event: Pole Green Park Flying Frog II - Great flight but the shock cord broke. Last Flight of the FF2. To be retired. Status: Retired
09-21-2007	Brian Yankee	Est SU A8-3	Apogee - Perfect	5-10 mph winds	- 1st flight. Veered off pad at an 80 degree angle but then flew straight and very high. Streamer deployed perfectly. Took 20 -30 seconds to land - didn't seem to want to come down. 3 sheets wadding - slight scorch to shock cord noted.
09-21-2007	Brian Yankee	Est SU B6-4	Didn't See	5-10 mph winds	- 2nd flight. Again it came off lauch pad at 80 degree angle but then flew straight and extremely fast and extremely high - lost sight of it until ejection fired. Took forever - 50 + seconds to land. Ended up about 300 yards from launch site