| Construction Rating: | starstarstarstarstar |
| Flight Rating: | starstarstar_borderstar_borderstar_border |
| Overall Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
| Manufacturer: | Custom Rockets  |
Brief:
The Custom Galileo is a cute little helicopter recovery rocket. Mine was an Father's Day gift from my wife. This is a
skill level 2 rocket.
Construction:
The kit contains standard BT-20 tube and ogive balsa cone, three small balsa fins, dowels, paper centering ring and
transition, and nice waterslide decals.
The instruction sheet was clear, logical, and easy to read. I was able to complete the rocket (except for finishing) in about a two hour period. I really can't complain about the build... It was easy and quick.
The model has a really large launch lug with a beefy standoff (required due to the conical shape of the model), which is rather unsightly.
Finishing:
The nose cone took a while to get smooth (I generally just use primer rather than mail-ordering sanding sealer) and
getting the seam in the transition smooth was also a chore. I really can't complain about this though, as this sort of
thing is always a chore.
Construction Rating: 5 out of 5
Flight:
Custom recommends 1/2A6-2 or A8-3 for this rocket. I didn't have the smaller engine handy, so I launched with an
A8-3. Prepping this rocket is about as easy as it can be... Stick in the engine, install the igniter, and go. I did
have to put a little tape on the engine to keep it from falling out (a problem I've never seen on any other rocket
before).
The rocket arced badly as soon as it came off the rod, performing the "St. Louis Arch" maneuver into a neighboring field overgrown with weeds. Sadly, it was lost. The air was very still when I launched, and I launched other rockets after it without problem, so I'm not sure what went wrong.
Recovery:
No comment (since I didn't get it back).
Flight Rating: 2 out of 5
Summary:
My major complaint about this otherwise nice little rocket is the massive launch lug and standoff. I am suspicious
that this may be related to the poor flight characteristics of the model. I'm planning to replace the rocket, but I'll
be modifying the next one to hide the lug inside the transition. This would be a nice from-the-factory modification,
actually.
Overall Rating: 4 out of 5
Other Reviews
- Custom Rockets Galileo Probe By Lance Souther (March 8, 2007)
Single stage futuristic rocket. This rocket comes with one short body tube that is just slightly longer than an 18mm engine. It primarily uses 1/8" diameter wooden dowels for fins. I say this due to the fact that you use small balsa pieces for the dowels to lay down on. They would be to small to act as fins however. The rocket comes with a balsa nose cone. This is a fairly easy build. ...
- Custom Rockets Galileo Probe By Ben Bentley
Brief The Custom Galileo Probe is a small scale-looking rocket. It uses the 18mm 1/2A engines and is a great flier. It comes down on its nose cone unharmed every time. It is a cool looking and fun rocket. Construction The kit is a pretty simple one, packaged in a bag with all the pieces intact. It comes with a small length of BT-20, 3 balsa fins and dowels, a paper shroud pattern, a ...
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Flights
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