When launched, the wing slides all the way to the back of the glider, to prevent it from getting burned by the motor. The ejection charge breaks a thread which releases the rubber band which slides the wing forward and into glider configuration. Parts List The glider kit comes in a clear plastic bag. It does not include a face card, there is no photo of what a finished model should look like.
- boom - 2 U hooks - short straight pin - sliding box assembly - pod tube - nose cone - rubber band and thread - clay weight - instruction sheets Supplies needed to build the kit include hobby knife, sand paper, glue (CA), paper, and sharp needle. The instructions refer to launch lugs, however I could not find any included with the kit. Not a problem, used other MicroMaxx launch lugs instead. To launch the rocket glider, you'll need a 24" launch rod (1/16" piano wire). It can not be launched with a standard MicroMaxx launcher. You'll need the longer lauch rod, modified (or different) controller and you can either make your own igniter or remove one from the MicroMaxx casing. Construction The instruction sheets are photocopied with hand-written notes. The illustrations don't always match the actual parts and can contradict each other. They also appear to have been written for a larger (non-MicroMaxx) version of this rocket glider. If this is your first QCR kit, you should read the instructions at least 3-4 times before assembling anything. Each time, a little more will begin to make sense. Once you fully understand where everything goes and how it is pieced together, you can start building your backyard glider. In other words, this kit may not be the best choice for a beginner. However, if you like a challenge, odds are you'll really enjoy building this glider kit. To build the Easy Slide Micro, start by cutting the wing, stad and rudder out of the balsa sheets. These are not pre-cut. Next, sand airfoils in the wing and rudder and round the edges of the stabalizer. Assemble the sliding box pieces and glue to to the wing. Create the incidence from paper (I used card stock) and glue it to the boom. Attach the stab to the incidence and boom. Glue nose cone to pod and glue standoff to pod. Once this assembly dries, glue the pod to the boom. Attach the U hooks, straight pin and launch lugs. Put the rubber band in place. You're now ready to start trimming this MicroMaxx glider. Instructions here are easy-to-follow. Instructions on threading the glider for launch are also provided. Measurements The QCR Easy Slide is around 11 1/2" long with a wing span of 8 1/2". The model built for this review weights 5 grams (not threaded).
Flight Data The Easy Slide Micro uses 6mm MicroMaxx (MMX) rocket motors. Honestly, I wasn't expecting much when it came to launch. We're dealing with a tiny glider, a sliding wing mechanism that has to deploy, and not exactly the most powerful engines on the planet. The top launch lug felt a bit snug around the 1/16" launch rod, so I put some WD 40 on the launch rod. Got the glider threaded and prepared on the launch pad... It got about 5 feet up and started its glide. Nothing to write home about. Tried again and it didn't clear the launch rod this time. Clearly, the launch lugs were too snug. Got out a 1/32" launch rod (about 18" long). Here again, I wasn't expecting much as a launch rod this thin and long tends to whip. When the key on the controller was pushed, something wonderful happened! The QCR Easy Slide went up far higher than expected, the sliding wing mechanism deployed right on time, and the glider started an awesome glide. It hadn't bothered trimming a turn in it as I wasn't expecting this type of excellent performance. The glider was recovered about 150 feet from the launch pad (mild breeze that day) without any damage. It was actually launched in our backyard and went over the neighbors roof (looked like it would land it on it a while) and ended up in front of their home. If you want to use this glider in your own backyard, be sure to trim a turn in it and enjoy.
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