This model rocket was given to me as a gift for my birthday. It is quite fun to assemble and offers a bit of a challenge to build correctly. The unique feature for this model is the wing that "scissors" from closed to open formation. When the rocket is loaded on the pad, a pop-pod is inserted. It has black fins, which are hard to see in this picture. When the ejection charge blows, the pop-pod is ejected and the wing swings into open formation.

This picture shows the Scissor Wing with its wing wide open. This is how it glides down. The elastic string (not shown in this picture) pulls the elevator up, assisting the glide.

Parts List

The scissor wing glider comes in the usual Estes packaging. No special tools or hobby supplies are required to build this model rocket.

- plastic two-part nose cone and wing holder
- 2 body tubes and one rudder tube
- laser-cut balsa wing and fins
- pivot base, rubber band #8, 1/8" wood dowel, and elastic thread
- engine mount tube with centering rings and motor hook
- 12" parachute (for pod)
- clay weight to trim the glider
- launch lug
- self-adhesive decal sheet
- detailed instructions

The instructions call for plastic cement to glue part of the swing mechanism. I simply could get it to stay attached securely that way and ended up using a small amount of epoxy instead.

Construction

To build the Scissor Wing Transport, the power pod is assembled first. This part will eject from the glider and come down with the supplied parachute. The finished pod slides into the glider. It has its own fins and has a down attached to it. The dowel will keep the elevator down and the wing swept back until the ejection charge blows.

Once the ejection charge goes off, the pod is ejected which in turn releases the wing and activates the elevator.

The glider itself is shown here. While there isn't anything really difficult about assembly this (or any other) section, be sure to read and follow the instructions. A small mistake can turn the kit into a useless bag of parts. The nose cone isn't attached yet at this point. That is glued in place only after the model has been painted and test flights show it to be trimmed correctly.

Speaking of the nose cone, a wing holder is attached to it during construction. This helps keep the wing in place during launch. Again, the nose cone isn't glued in place yet at this point.

It wasn't immediately clear to me how the rocket would slide onto the launch rod. The supplied launch rod is used to guide the wooden dowel which keeps the wing locked during powered flight. I simply glued a spare launch lug to the bottom of the glider.

Finishing

It is important to keep the Estes Scissor Wing Transport light in weight. Finishing supplies will add weight. You can go for "great looking" by using more paint or primer, or you can go for "great flier" by using less finishing supplies.

The idea was to end up somewhere in between, the model probably came out a touch heavier than hoped.

Flight Data

Estes recommends the B4-2 motor for the first flight. For later flights, the B6-2 and C6-3 engines can also be used.

The Scissor Wing never got to fly. When trimming the glider, a part of the wing mechanism broke off (part that stops the wing from swinging too far). I tried to glue it back together with some epoxy. It broke again right away. No replacement will be bought, this is too disappointing.