This Quest kit looks like a futuristic passenger cruise spacecraft. The stickers that come with the model rocket help to create this look. It looks pretty cool on the launch pad and is quite different from the usual three-fins-and-a-nose-cone model rocket. Mounting the fins on the wings at an angle is the greatest challenge when builging this model rocket. As there are a good number of balsa pieces to work with, this kit is recommended for those who enjoy working with balsa. If you don't, this kit is likely not for you. While the face card says the kit is for experienced modelers, it is pretty easy to build. As you'll see later this in this review, I did manage to make some mistakes while building the rocket. This is by no means a reflection on the kit or the quality of the instructions. Merely a case of me not reading instructions carefully and not paying attention. I tend to go over instructions quickly and start builing right away. This is a model rocket kit where that doesn't work.

Parts List

This flying model rocket kit does not include launch supplies or building supplies. It does include the parts required to build your own Super Cruiser.

- plastic nose cone with base
- airframe tube (9")
- motor tube, centering rings, engine block and motor clip
- die-cut balsa fins (10 pieces)
- elastic and Kevlar shock cords
- launch lug
- 14" parachute assembly (with shroud lines and gripper tabs)
- tube marking guide
- self-adhesive decals
- assembly instructions

Plastic cement is required for the nose cone. For the remainder, white or yellow wood glue can be used. You'll also need a hobby knife, pencil, ruler, wax paper, and finishing supplies.

Construction

This is a skill level 2 flying model rocket kit. The illustrated assembly instructions and color coded parts make building the Super Cruiser easier and removes any opportunity for confusion.

The nose cone is first. Plastic cement is used to attach the base to the nose cone. Next is the motor mount. The thrust ring is glued into the motor tube and a slit is cut for the motor clip. The Kevlar shock cord is tied to a centering ring and both centering rings are glued to the motor tube. The elastic shock cord is tied to the Kevlar one.

The motor mount is inserted and glued into the airframe tube. The tube marking guide is cut out and the locations for the wings and launch lug and marked with a pencil. Align the launch lug line with the motor clip (I forgot this part).

The main wings are make by gluing two wing peices together. Apply glue and let the wing dry on a piece of wax paper. There are a total of 10 balsa pieces to fill and sand. The wings are glued onto the marked locations and left to dry. Instructions say to draw lines paralel to the airframe tube on the wings, 1 1/4" from the airframe tube. I did this before attaching the wings, it just seemed so much easier. The top and bottom fins are attached on those lines. This is the trickiest part, as you sand a 10 degree angle into the root edge of the fin pieces.

Next, the winglets are glued 3/4" from the front of the airframe tube. These are also supposed to be attached at a 10 degree angle. For some reason, I missed that part too and attached them the same way the wings were attached.

As you can see in the picture on the right, I forgot to line up the launch lug with the engine hook. You can also see that the forward winglets are (incorrectly so) lined up with the wings. The instructions are very clear and easy to follow. I don't know what got into me the day this Quest model rocket kit was built for review.

Finishing

After applying a coat of primer, the entire rocket was painted white. The decals included with the kit provided the finishing touch, followed by some clear coat. The decals have a white background. If you plan to use the decals, you pretty much have to paint the rocket white.

Measurements

This futuristic Cruiser is 12" long and is almost an inch in diameter. According to the face card, it has a weight of 1.23 oz.

Flight Data

Quest recommends A6-4, B6-4, C6-5 and C6-7 model rocket motors for use with the Super Cruiser. The C6-7 is listed in the instruction sheets but not the face card.