Aerotech - G-Force {Kit}

Aerotech G-Force

Aerotech - G-Force {Kit}

Contributed by David Kneble

Construction Rating:
Flight Rating:
Overall Rating:

Diameter:	4.00 inches
Manufacturer:	Aerotech
Style:	Sport

Launch Brief:
This is a great mid-power flyer with two downsides, limited range of motors, high price.

Construction:
All the normal components: Two 4" tubes, an ACE nosecone, 42" parachute, bulkhead equipment, motor tube, CR's, baffle system, elastic 12' shock cord, fins.

Instructions are very simple if you have built any other Aerotech kits. If not, then read through them and make sure you understand them. If you have built an Aerotech kit before, you can practically build this one via illustrations. There are a couple of issues though. These won't effect someone planning on flying the stock kit on the recommended motors though. I'll explain these below.

Finishing:
Finishing was easy although the decal for the wrap is a little large and can be a pain in the neck. Overall finishing went smoothly and the kit looks great.

Construction Rating: 4 out of 5

Flight:
I have launched mine many times, you can look in the flight logs for some of my launches of it. There are two problems though, first is limited motor range. If you plan on flying this with "H" and "I" motors, don't put in the thrust ring or motor hook. I did, and I really wish I hadn't. If I had another I wouldn't put these in. I know a lot of other people say the exact same thing. Also, if you plan to fly it on these motors I would recommend epoxy for construction and fiber glassing at least the fins. They are pathetically thin and very weak.

Recovery:
When building this kit I thought the elastic shock cord wouldn't hold up, but it has. If going for your level one cert though, change it to tubular nylon. MOST IMPORTANT!!!! - don't attach the parachute at the mid-point in the shock cord. Lay out the rocket on the ground with the shock cord extended and attach the parachute so when it is deployed the tip of the hanging nose cone won't tough the lower half. This way the two halves won't bang against each other upon recovery . . . which can cause serious damage! Other than this shock cord [parachute placement] problem, flight recovery is easy. Overall flights are excellent.

Flight Rating: 4 out of 5

Summary:
The rocket is great with two major exceptions, price and limited motor range.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5

Other Reviews

Aerotech G-Force By Ryan Chavis (August 5, 2016)
Great flight for my L1 cert launch! Flies slow and smooth, lots of fun! Overall Rating: 5
Aerotech G-Force By Kyle Cornelius
Large mid power model for low altitude flights. Very good materials except the coupler which needs to be beefed up Very quick assembly with major problems in construction. The instructions were pretty straightforward. The fins could be sturdier, but I have flown this rocket 10+ times with only a cracked joint. Very good major components. Finishing: Easy to finish, except for its size, ...
Aerotech G-Force By Darwin May
Brief: The G-Force is a single staged, parachute recovered large model rocket. There were 2 4" body tubes that were made out of the AT tubing. I opted to design the rocket for a payload by not gluing the nose. It has 3 fins made of EXTREMELY thin plastic that look just like the Sumo fins. The motor mount was 24" by my best guess, and made from thick cardboard. The shock cord appears to be 12' ...
Aerotech G-Force By Dan Schneider
Aerotech's 4", G-powered, parachute recovered rocket using their proprietary LABYRINTH ejection baffle system. Pros: Big (for Aerotech) Easy to build, very nice flyer Cons: Limited recommended motor range. Very thin fins. Pricy. Being my first 4" kit, my first impression was WOW! There's something very nice about being able to get your hands into the airframe to work. All the parts listed ...

Flights

Comments:

S.R. (July 1, 2000)

This is my favorite rocket. It is loud, low and slow and allows me to use G motors in the small field I fly out of. After about ten flights, the elastic shock cord started showing signs of wear. Aerotech confirmed that it would be OK to replace the elastic with Tubular Nylon. I ended up replacing the 12-foor elastic shock cord with 24feet of 1/4-inch tubular Kevlar® from Giant Leap Rocketry. Small rubber bands kept all that TK from tangling when the recovery system deployed. It worked perfectly.

D.B.Jr (January 14, 2002)

This is one totally awesome rocket. It was also my first MPR kit. I received it for Christmas. The kit was an absolute dream to assemble. I really was impressed with the fin-lok system and the ejection baffle. Sure beats handfuls of recovery wadding. I did however find the upper body wrap a real pain in the neck. First flight was on a G40-4W. Nice slow, straight boost with a perfect recovery. I highly recommend this kit. I do feel that the price could be reduced. Hobbylinc.com sells this kit for $88.59.

D.J.D. (February 1, 2002)

Why the reviewer gave a 4 out of 5 for this rocket is beyond me. This has got to be my favorite rocket out of about 40 in my fleet. It was my first 4” tube and I have flown it at least 12 times – G40’s and 80’s. It flies PURFECT every time, in all conditions, all weather – even gusty winds. The only change I made with to use tubular nylon instead of elastic. The G-Force is tough too. Have had some hard landings, where the fin sticks into the ground. Just clean it off and fly it again. If you want a great big rocket for small fields – this is it. I have other Aerotech kits and this is by far the best one. I think I am going to buy another one and replace the MMT with a PML Phenolic 38mm tube and fly it on H and I motors.

K.D. (July 5, 2004)

The G-Force has become my primary G-powered rocket. As someone else mentioned, it's loud, and can be flown in modest-sized fields. I do suggest one modification - upgrade the motor mount to 38mm to increase your motor options. This bird flies very nicely (and even louder) on Pro38 G's, and can easily handle the 2 grain H, with no reinforcing.

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