ARCTURUS - Rocketarium

The Arcturus was a sounding rocket intended to replace the Arcas family of sounding rockets.

If you are looking for a nice, large model rocket that uses medium-powered motors and is inexpensive, the Arcturus is a great choice. This model is almost a meter long and flies with motors ranging from D to F: it will be a lot of fun to show and launch at the next launch meeting!

A rocket like this is also a great test bed: it can be launched with a variety of 24 mm motors, starting from a D12 up to a small F. If the launch field is very large and you have good eyes, you can also launch with a more powerful F motor, such as the Aerotech F32 or the rechargeable RMS 24/40 with F24 reload.

The kit has detailed and complete instructions (in English), like every Rocketarium kit, fuselage in BT-60 tubes, laser-cut basswood centering rings and laser-cut balsa fins.

The kit also includes adhesive decals that imitate the lettering, logos and even the bolts. Assembly requires some common modeling skills, making this a good father-son project.

A nice feature of this kit is its exhaust gas baffle, which eliminates the need for fireproof wadding. The deflector forces the expelled gases to follow a tortuous path and protects the parachute from hot particles.

A mask for painting the curved lines of the decoration is also included in the kit.

To be honest, the ideal engine for this rocket is a D (D12 or D20 TSP) or an E (E12 or E20 TSP), but since the model is not small and can be seen from a distance you can also try something more powerful, such as some Aerotech F engines, both single use and rechargeable.

Recovery is with a plastic parachute, included.

Features:

• Plastic nose cone
• Fuselage based on BT-60 tube
• Balsa fins laser cut
• Laser cut basswood centering discs
• Self-adhesive decals
• Ejection gas protection system
• Plastic parachute included

Since this rocket model uses "D" or "E" type motors, a launch pad that accepts a 5mm rod (available separately), such as the Estes Porta Pad "E" or Aerotech Mantis, and an electric launch controller such as the Estes Launch Controller "E" are required. If you plan to use only Estes D or TSP motors, you can use the Estes Astron II, Estes Electron Beam or Klima controller.

If using Aerotech motors, you will need a 12 volt launch controller, such as the Aerotech Interlock Controller or Estes PS II Launch Controller, and if using F motors, it is highly recommended to use a 6mm launch rod on a stable launch pad such as the Estes PS II or the Aerotech Mantis itself.