[Discraft] Is this Z plastic?

[RomServo]

So, I bought this beautiful Z Hornet a couple days ago and got it in. Im very happy with it but im a little stumped on the plastic blend. Ive never seen opaque Z plastic that wasnt flydyed. I have some that are more translucent than others but this almost looks/feels like esp. Is it possible its in esp but stamped z? Or is the flight plate on the hornet so thick that its not as translucent? Or is this completely normal and Im that unobservant? Any z plastic afficionados or hornet connoisseurs wanna chime in? Thanks!

 

[JedV]

It's probably got a little bit of ESP in it. Apparently that mold and the Drone are hard to make in legal weights depending on the plastic.

 

[RomServo]

It's probably got a little bit of ESP in it. Apparently that mold and the Drone are hard to make in legal weights depending on the plastic.

Oooo... Very cool. That makes it even more one of a kindish. :thmbup: Interesting though, doesnt z+esp=bigz? So its like a z, esp, bigz, sort of blend? Pretty cool.

Also, i wonder if this issue is a contributing factor to it going OOP. I can see how having to constantly tweak run settings would be so incosistent that it messes with production costs. That totally makes sense.

 

[tbird888]

That's Hornet Z plastic. They all seemed to have a different blend of Z plastic from other molds, but it's still Z plastic.

 

[cjman]

If you were to find a clear/translucent z hornet, then you'd be on to something more interesting.

 

[wims]

Oooo... Very cool. That makes it even more one of a kindish. :thmbup: Interesting though, doesnt z+esp=bigz? So its like a z, esp, bigz, sort of blend? Pretty cool.

Also, i wonder if this issue is a contributing factor to it going OOP. I can see how having to constantly tweak run settings would be so incosistent that it messes with production costs. That totally makes sense.

I thought z + ti = big z

 

[Twmccoy]

Many Discraft Z discs are opaque. You can usually tell if its Z based on how it feels or even how shiny it is. They also seem to have a pearlescent look to them.

Z Flicks on the other hand are sometimes made out of an opaque, flat plastic. That plastic has to have weight agent added to it since the Flick is such a thin disc.

I've never seen ESP plastic that you could see through at all. Same goes for Star.

 

[Kodachrome]

That's Hornet Z plastic. They all seemed to have a different blend of Z plastic from other molds, but it's still Z plastic.

Tbird has this one. Basically all hornets are like this. Zsp, if you will. It's my understanding they had to do it.

 

[Reniger]

My Z Hornet is the same;

 

[cjrogus]

Have had 3-4 Hornets pass through the bag over the years. All very opaque. I've only ever seen one orange translucent one in my 5 years of playing.

 

[F. Howl]

Came out in ESP for the Ace Race, and every subsequent run was a special blend of Z, to keep the weight down, as JedV stated.

 

[5QU166Y]

Z Hornets need an additive to make them heavier. Every heavy Hornet I have ever seen is opaque because of this. You can also find Hornets that are molded in the standard translucent Z plastic, but they are all 140 or 150 class. I haven't seen too many of these, but they are out there.

 

[ilmcgee]

Z Hornets need an additive to make them heavier. Every heavy Hornet I have ever seen is opaque because of this. You can also find Hornets that are molded in the standard translucent Z plastic, but they are all 140 or 150 class. I haven't seen too many of these, but they are out there.

Yep, I've seen standard Z Hornets but in lighter weight as well

 

[F. Howl]

I stand corrected...
"A weighting agent is simply something that changes a plastic's density a bit, affecting it's mass(weight) in a given volume. It can make it heavier or lighter, but it's still a weighting agent. All the different companies accomplish this using different tricks. It seems FLX is the least dense of Discraft's plastics, so it can be used to help fill molds that would end up overweight in any of Discraft's other plastics unadultered. Discraft also has a stiff weighting agent that they've used for years. Examples in discs where this is used include the Z Storm (heavier weights) the Z Flick (heavier weights). This is the agent they are using in the heavy Z Hornets as they are stiff.

Weighting agents definitely affect the durability of plastics. It is why FLX is not as durable as Z. It is also why most wide rimmed drivers are not as durable either as most have weighting agents in the plastic.

The really light Hornets/Flicks/Storms are actually normal Z plastic, which in those molds, produces only lightweight discs." -Discspeed
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[RomServo]

Wow! That all makes perfect sense. Thanks everyone for all the info. I took my new ZSP Hornet out for a round today. Feels good to have a new hornet in the bag. Thanks again everyone!

 

[MarkDSM]

I have a half dozen various hornets and concur with everything posted, good stuff. Some newer ones are funk mix and that is OK. Very Opaque 2011 j bird is my bagged thrower. Got some like yours too.

.., so who is going to clone the hornet if DC not going to run it with regular production?

 

[MarkDSM]

^^ no tooling on underside of this disc

 

[demon102]

True story, I found the esp ace race version of this disc and rocked it for a year and it's an awesome disc. Traded it to a good buddy of mine for a wolf......... I hate myself a little everytime I think about that. I need to grab one before they sell out.