Brief:
The Estes Python-4 ASRAAM Model Rocket Kit is the last of the four new models I had to build which were introduced recently by Estes. I have already completed the other three and have been working diligently on this one. Actually we've been building two of them; my son and I are working in parallel, although I tend to build a bit faster than him. The kit is one of four new Estes "Military" kits recently released and is by far the most unique of the group.

Construction:
As with the other new kits, you can purchase either the bagged or Launchable version from many retailers. In the package you will find die-cut fins, body tube, tailcone, transition, plastic nosecone, clay for noseweight, parachute, and instructions. I was impressed with the quality of components.

I built it stock with only a few changes. I used dual Kevlar threads for shock cord and made one other minor change. A steel leader was connected directly to the nosecone loop and a longer shock cord was tied to he swivel end of the leader. Something important to note; there were major changes in the kit compared to the instructions. The front page of the instructions has templates for body wraps, but one is the BT55 sized and the forward tube is showing as BT20. This is wrong! Apparently they printed the instructions, then changed the forward bodytube to a BT55 before shipping the production kit. This also means that references to the included transition can be ignored, as it is not used for the model.

Construction began with the motor mount assembly, which went together well. I did use Kevlar thread for the shock cord here and lengthened the elastic cord to 30 inches. Moreover, the parachute was up-sized to a purple Estes 18" chute. The new Estes tailcones are pretty sweet and allow you to use thru-the-wall fin mounting, which is a great method for building strong. The twelve fins were all dry rubbed with Elmer's Filler, then sanded to match and I put leading edges on each fin. All four canard fins were epoxied to the upper nosecone/bodytube assembly.

The lower fins were a bit different...You have to install card stock templates that "raise" the area around the Strake Fins. At the time I built my kit, it didn't have these in the kit, so I built it without them. A few days later, however, I saw the paper raisers in my son's kit...they are pretty cool and I was a bit bummed I didn't add them. Once the fins were mounted, I installed the "Stab" fins in front of the lower ones and clamped them in place until the glue dried. Make sure you align them well; someone else showed up to our club and had these strake fins crooked, which made his model twirl and fishtail during powered flight.

Next, I added epoxy fillets for strength. Once all twelve fins were done, I added fillets to the four upper fins on the nosecone. Finally, I used Alphaetic resin to attach the launch lugs. I used a piece of scrap balsa between the body tube and launch lug as a standoff to protect the finish from being scraped by the launch rod.

Finishing:
I spent several days priming, sanding and painting the model. Krylon gray primer was used, followed by Krylon White for the lower body tube section and Krylon Medium Gray for the upper body tube. The upper fins were painted first in white, then masked a couple days later for the gray. The rocket flew without decals for it's first three flights, but I did eventually put them on and it looks like a new model. One item to note on the finishing...the lower bodytube is actually done in very light gray, almost a "dirty white" color. I did not notice this until I had already finished the lower BT. For this reason, I didn't use the supplied white stripes on the lower BT, as they would not have shown.

Construction Rating: 3 ½ out of 5

Flight:
IT was time to launch. All of the other three new Estes Military kits had already gone up several times, so it was time to give the ASRAAM its chance. I prepped the Python-4 with a C6-5 for it's first flight, added tissue, and packed the chute. It was placed on the pad and the countdown was on. It has a very unique look sitting on the pad and those dual canard fins at the nose made it look pretty tough! It looked even better when the button was pressed and the ASRAAM rose off the pad under power. The flight was straight and true, but late on the ejection.

Recovery:
Ejection happened on it's way down, but the parachute deployed and the rocket landed safely. Upgrading the parachute was a good choice as the model appeared to be a bit heavier than it should, probably due to the extra paint I used to get a good finish. I prepped the model and launched it once more, this time on the C6-3. It was a perfect flight, with ejection happening right at apogee and it landed without a scratch. I had flown all four new models several times in one day and wound up putting three more flights on this bird. The model flies great on C6-3s, but this is one I would build again on 24mm power, just so I could use a variety of motors and get a bit more altitude. I may try an 18mm RMS...it should do well there!

Flight Rating: 4 ½ out of 5

Summary:
The Estes Python-4 ASRAAM Model Rocket is a challenging, yet fun kit to build. With it's swept back fins and long bodytube, it has a graceful yet meant-for-business look about it. A few items needed upgraded during construction, otherwise the kit was built stock. Be careful of the instruction cut-out bodytube wraps and don't follow the directions for those, but rather use the lower BT wrap for marking the upper tube. You also may consider upgrading it to a 24mm motor, as it weighs nearly 4oz dry. Still, it is a good flier right out of the box, designed very strong with good quality parts. Moreover, it has a real clean look that's an eye catcher at the field. I recommend the kit to anyone interested in trying one of the most unique models I have built to date, the ASRAAM Python-4.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5

Brief:
This is a low power, single stage military style rocket. It flies on B and C power and uses a 1/8 inch lug. It includes a tail cone and uses a 12 inch chute for recovery.

Construction:
I received the kit as a gift when I was first getting into rocketry, so it probably wasn't a great second or third kit for me. It came in a "Launchable" box and included many components. They were all of high quality and were all easily accounted for. The parts were:

• 1 forward BT-55 tube
• 1 aft BT-55 tube
• 2 BT-55-20 centering rings
• 1 very long motor tube
• 1 tube coupler
• 1 round nose cone
• 1 tail cone
• 1 mylar retaining ring
• 1 engine block ring
• 1 engine hook
• shock cord
• 12" parachute
• 1 1" x 1/8" lug
• 12 fins

Since this was the third kit I had ever built, I didn't know anything other than plastic cement. Now I realize that building the entire model with plastic cement was a bad idea. Somehow though, it still flies and is in good condition. Anyway, this kit is a skill level two kit because it has numerous fins that have to be glued on.

Construction begins with assembling the motor mount typical Estes style. Make a slot for the hook, slide the mylar ring down, glue, and then put on the centering rings. Once dry, the tail cone assembly needs to be cut off a reducer piece and the slots need to be opened up to allow the fins to pass through. It is recommended to use a razor saw, but I did it with scissors. The motor mount is installed into the lower body tube and then the tail cone goes over it so the engine tube is lined up with the base of the tail cone. A template is used to mark the rest of the tube for the middle fins and the upper tube for the canards. While the bottom section is drying, the upper part can be assembled. This requires gluing in the tube coupler and the nose. The upper section can be used as a payload bay. Just don't glue in the nose and make a bulkhead out of two sheets of balsa with a screw eye. The four canard fins are glued on directly beneath the nosecone. Putting the fins on with plastic cement was not fun. I set this assembly to dry then went back to work on the bottom section. I glued the four bottom fins on. They go through the tail cone to the motor tube. And of course the fillets were made with yes, plastic cement. Then pieces of cardstock were glued to the sides for a more scale look and long thin pieces of balsa were glued to these. Finally the launch lug was cut in half and glued to the side. The shock cord is mounted to the top and bottom airframe, and the chute is tied to the top part of the shock cord.

Finishing:
At the time, the only colors I had were black, white, and brown. So I primed it once and painted it black and white (with many many runs).

Construction Rating: 4 ½ out of 5

Flight:
First flight was on a B4-2. It lifted off the pad very slowly to maybe a little more than 100 feet. This rocket needs a bigger kick from an engine so I tried a B6-4 next. This engine lifts it off slowly to around 150 feet. The rocket's third and final flight was on a C6-5 and it lifted off at a faster but still very slow speed to around 300 feet. About a few months later I began reading reviews on EMRR and realized that my construction techniques were completely wrong. I decided not to fly this rocket as well as the two I built before it anymore.

Recovery:
The delays were perfect but the chute never came out. This was because I tied it to the bottom of the shock cord and not to the top. I'm sure it would work if it was right though. Even when built with plastic cement, it held up from tumble recovery three times.

Flight Rating: 4 out of 5

Summary:
I know my review may make this rocket look like a terrible product, but it really isn't. I plan on buying another one to build with CA clue and maybe epoxy.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5