Brief:
T' original Little Joe has always been a rocket that I like t' looks of. I like t' LJ2 as well, but t' original is t' one that fascinated. Begad! Unfortunately, thar are nay very many LJs t' choose from. Aye aye! As far as I know, matey, t' Little Joe from Dr. Blimey! Ahoy! Zooch be t' only choice. Ahoy! Well, blow me down! That did nay bother me since me previous experience from this manufacturer has been excellent.

Construction:
I was surprised t' see that t' first step in constructin' t' Little Joe be painting. Blimey! T' base o' t' nosecone is to be painted black so that t' black protrudes from t' wrap that covers t' rest o' t' NC. Avast, me proud beauty! Well, blow me down! Upon examinin' t' balsa cone, I found that it be mostly in pretty good shape but that t' area right above t' shoulder that needed t' be painted, me hearties, ya bilge rat, matey, was a bit rough. Ahoy! Ya scallywag! Accordingly, shiver me timbers, I applied Elmer's Wood Filler t' t' entire cone, thinkin' t' myself that I would get it all out o' t' way. What I was nay thinkin' was that all o' t' rest would be covered by paper and that the fit o' t' paper wraps would be critical.

When t' goop had dried, me hearties, I sanded t' cone down almost t' t' wood. Arrr! I then used a brush t' apply some acrylic black in a rin' around t' cone just above t' shoulder.

While t' paint dried, I cut out t' wrap for t' nosecone. Begad! As t' instructions point out, me hearties, matey, "the better the job on cuttin' out, t' less t' rocket will suck." I took t' admonition serious and cut it out as best I could. T' paper already had a bit o' a curl t' it from bein' rolled up and this helped with formin' t' cone. Begad! Ahoy! A small bit of white glue was applied t' t' tab and t' wrap ends were pressed together and allowed t' dry.

Now t' glue on t' cone wrap needed t' dry so I turned me attention t' t' cylindrical wrap that goes on t' top of t' cone. Ahoy! It too be cut out but this time t' direction o' t' curl worked against me. Eventually, I got it t' curl in t' right direction and glued it on as well.

By this time t' paint was dry (acrylics are nice that way) and so was t' main NC wrap. Arrr! I gave it a test fit and it slid almost, me bucko, but nay quite t' t' bottom. Avast, me proud beauty! This be t' way it was supposed t' fit, me hearties, hence t' black paint.

I removed t' conical wrap and tried t' test fit t' cylindrical one. Avast, matey, me proud beauty! Blimey! It was definitely too tight so I started to work with a sandin' stick. Arrr! Blimey! T' next few tries were still too tight so a kept at it until, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, suddenly, it was a bit too loose. I applied glue around t' upper part o' t' NC and slid t' top wrap down.

With t' upper wrap in place, arrr, I applied glue t' t' walls o' t' conical part o' t' NC and slid t' conical wrap in place. Ahoy! I tied t' make sure t' line on it were aligned with t' lines on t' cylinder.

I was feelin' a little bummed out at this point by t' top wrap havin' a little bit o' a gap with t' NC and was thinkin' about tryin' t' fill it when I read t' next step in t' direction. It told me t' look for t' weird black circular thin' t' use as a cap. I looked and looked on t' wrap sheet and could find nothin' that seemed t' fit the bill and took a break. Avast! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! When I came back, me bucko, ya bilge rat, I glanced in t' box and saw what be intended. Avast! Blimey! It be nay on t' wrap sheet at all but was a disk o' black fiberboard. I applied glue t' t' top o' t' NC and set it in place.

On top o' this fiber cap goes another cap. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! This one does come from t' wrap sheet and must be formed into a cone. I cut it out and wrestled t' curvature back into t' direction I wanted it and then glued t' tab. Ya scallywag! There is a bit o' a white line that I will want t' clean up with a black marker.

An antenna housin' for t' top o' t' capsule also needs t' be cut out, formed into a tapered cylinder, ya bilge rat, and glued together. Ahoy! When dry, ya bilge rat, I gently rubbed its base against some fine sandpaper t' ensure that it would sit flat. Avast! Well, blow me down! I then applied a small bit o' glue t' t' base and centered it on t' black disk. When I be satisfied with its position, I squirted just enough glue into its core t' cover t' base.

Now comes t' placement o' t' conical black cap that was formed a few steps ago. Ahoy! Aye aye! I applied a bit o' glue t' its base and set it in place on t' antenna housing. Begad! After it sat thar for a while, I really did nay like t' white edges so I got out t' black acrylic paint and brushed t' entire cap.

T' motor mount construction begins with t' traditional "cut an 1/8" slit rite, then t' hook was inserted and maskin' tape be used t' hold it in place. Avast! A few wraps o' maskin' tape were placed under t' hook t' serve as reinforcement. Ya scallywag! Ya scallywag! T' instructions suggest t' use o' electrical tape and point out that maskin' tape dries out over the years. Arrr! I used it anyway because I didn't have any electrical tape on hand and t' idea that any rocket o' mine will last long enough for it t' matter is laughable.

With t' hook in place, me hearties, I installed t' centerin' rings. Avast, me proud beauty! T' centerin' rin' with a notch in it goes towards the rear t' accommodate t' hook. Arrr! I cut a small notch in t' outer edge o' t' forward rin' so I can build a Keelhaul®©™® harness. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! T' rings were filleted on both sides.

While sittin' around waitin' for glue t' dry, I cut out t' main body wrap and used an angle t' draw a line the length o' t' BT.

Most motor mounts are installed so that t' end o' t' motor tube is even with t' end o' t' body tube. Avast! That is not t' case with this rocket. Avast! It be t' aft centerin' rin' which is supposed t' be flush with t' end o' t' BT. Blimey! Aye aye! A rin' o' glue be made about an inch in, me hearties, me bucko, t' Keelhaul®©™® was fed through t' BT and t' motor mount was inserted just enough t' clear t' end. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! Another rin' o' glue was applied around t' inside o' t' aft end o' t' BT and t' motor mount was pushed t' rest o' t' way in with t' engine hook aligned with t' line that had been drawn on t' BT.

One o' t' great things about Dr. Blimey! Booty kits be t' wraps. Begad! This is especially important for people like me who do not enjoy t' finishin' process. Arrr! T' main body wrap was carefully cut out and test fit. Begad! It seemed just right. Avast! The instructions said nay t' smear glue over t' whole thin' but instead t' just smear some around t' perimeter. Avast, me proud beauty! This was to prevent warping. Aye aye! You are also instructed t' place some glue behind t' markings for t' 4 fins.

With t' glue smeared on, me hearties, shiver me timbers, I aligned one end o' t' wrap with t' line drawn on t' BT and started t' lay it in place. Aye aye! It came out great.

T' Little Joe has 4 fins. Ahoy! T' kit provides a pattern t' cut out and a slab o' balsa from which t' cut t' fins. I cut out t' pattern and used a pencil t' trace 4 fins on t' balsa, payin' attention t' t' grain alignment. I then used a steel ruler and razor knife t' cut them out. Ya scallywag! A bit o' edge sandin' be needed t' make them uniform.

T' main body wrap is marked with t' centerlines and edge lines t' be used for fin placement. Begad! T' centerlines extend a bit higher than t' edge line because t' fins need t' have a bevel sanded into them, arrr, givin' a pointy leading edge. Blimey! Bevelin' t' fins was accomplished by sandin' t' edges, me bucko, 10 strokes on one side and then ten strokes on the other, arrr, until a satisfactory result was attained. Ahoy! I be satisfied but only noticed much later that t' bevel should have been longer. Arrr! I could have deduced this from t' markings on t' body wrap but did not.

T' marks for t' fins on t' BT are present nay only t' indicate t' placement o' t' fins. Avast! Avast, me proud beauty! They are also used as a guide t' cut away t' wraps so that t' fins can be glued directly t' t' BT. Well, blow me down! T' process was easy enough in theory. Avast, me proud beauty! A razor knife was used t' cut through t' wrap along t' lines and then t' paper was peeled up. It practice, it was a little more difficult. Arrr! Blimey! You need t' make sure you cut all t' way through t' paper but nay into t' BT. Arrr! In fear o' cuttin' into t' BT, ya bilge rat, I did nay score deeply enough. T' glue used t' hold down t' wrap also contributed t' the frustration. This step be nay difficult, but it did require one t' be careful t' keep from tearin' t' wrap.

After t' slivers had been peeled away, I used a safety pin t' perforate t' BT along t' centerlines o' the fins. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! I also pricked holes into t' root edges o' t' fins. Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' purpose o' this was t' allow t' formation o' glue "rivets" t' strengthen t' construction.

T' fins were applied with a double-glue joint and white glue. Begad! A bit o' glue was put on t' root edge and pressed into place on t' rocket. It be then immediately removed and t' glue was allowed t' dry. Ya scallywag! A bit more glue be then put on t' root edge and t' fin applied again. This time it was held in place, me bucko, checkin' for alignment until dry enough to not move. A small fillet o' white glued was applied t' t' edges after t' bondin' glue was dry.

I let t' glue on t' fins set up for a while and turned me attention t' t' launch lug. Avast! Begad! A single lug is provided and I was instructed t' cut it in half. Begad! I did so by insertin' an 1/8" rod and usin' that as a mandrel as I rotated the lug under a razor knife. Arrr! Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! T' two halves were left on t' rod and a bit o' glue as applied t' each. Arrr! Then, usin' the rod t' maintain alignment, t' lugs were applied along t' body wrap seam line.

T' balsa nosecone is pre-weighted. It is important that you nay try and dig out t' clay-like yellow stuff on the back end. Ya scallywag! That meant that I applied t' eye screw a bit off center. I twisted it in, removed it, arrr, matey, and filled the hole with glue. Avast! I then screwed it back in.

All throughout t' instructions t' this point, arrr, me bucko, thar have been warnings, premonitions, me hearties, and foreshadowin' about the wailin' and gnashin' o' teeth that is t' come with t' commencement o' t' Launch Escape System tower. Arrr! That time has now come. Aye aye! It starts out simple enough. Well, blow me down! There is a fat length o' dowel that needs t' be filed/sanded into having flat ends. Well, me bucko, blow me down! I did a little bit o' sandin' on mine but, me hearties, for t' most part, it was in good shape and probably did nay need this. Begad!

After t' fat dowel comes t' skinny dowels. Begad! Begad! Blimey! Therein lie t' tribulations. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Blimey! T' kit comes with two templates. Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty! Blimey! The first is t' cut t' dowels t' length and get t' correct angles. T' second is an alignment template t' get t' pieces in t' right places. Arrr! There are three sides t' t' tower. Begad! Ya scallywag! Blimey! I decided t' do them one at a time in t' hope o' getting better at it.

T' first step was t' cut t' pieces t' length and get t' correct angles on t' ends. Avast! Blimey! My method was t' lay the dowel over t' template and use a razor knife t' make t' cuts at t' appropriate places/angles. Begad! Blimey! Gettin' t' length was no problem. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Even gettin' an approximation o' t' correct angle was nay a problem. T' problem came primarily from tryin' t' get multiple angles cut on t' same piece. Aye aye! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Invariably, some roll would occur and things would be off a bit.

After t' pieces were cut, they needed t' be assembled. Aye aye! For this, matey, me hearties, t' assembly template was cut out and laid flat. Aye aye! A piece o' wax paper was then set over it t' keep it from gettin' messed up by t' glue. Blimey! T' vertical piece was easy enough. Aye aye! It be flat at both ends and sat nicely on t' template. T' top angle was more difficult. Begad! I realized that my angles were off a bit. Ya scallywag! Ahoy! I removed t' top angle and tried again.

This time I put a piece o' tape on t' bottom o' t' long side t' keep it from movin' around on me. This does not interfere with t' bottom angle because you are instructed t' leave that part off at this point. Ahoy! I then glued on the two horizontal members and let them dry. Ya scallywag! When they were dry, matey, shiver me timbers, I had another go at t' angles. Aye aye! Ahoy! This time it was a bit easier and t' glue filled t' incorrect angles. Aye aye! I let this dry.

Searchin' for somethin' t' do while t' first tower panel dried, I decided t' apply t' bottom wrap t' t' LES motor casing. Begad! This is nothin' more than a long black band. Avast, me proud beauty! It be cut out and t' end was tacked onto t' bottom o' the fat dowel. After I be sure it had stuck, I applied a small bit o' glue t' t' backside o' t' rest o' t' strip and began t' wrap it around t' dowel. This allows t' band t' be built up and give some 3D definition.

Strictly speaking, t' fins should have been finished before they were installed on t' body tube. It says so right in t' instructions. Arrr! I neglected t' do this and decided t' work on them afterwards. Avast! T' balsa had been a bit fuzzy, shiver me timbers, however, arrr, it had been sanded down and 4 coats o' balsa filler coat had been applied. Avast, me proud beauty! While still waitin' for the glue on t' LES t' dry, me bucko, I sanded down t' filler coat and began t' brush t' paint onto t' fins. Begad! I used Tamiya aluminum. Arrr! It came out well, shiver me timbers, even brushin' and complemented t' body wrap well. Ahoy! Arrr! T' photos do nay do it justice.

Since I had problems keepin' t' cuts on t' dowels oriented in t' right planes, shiver me timbers, I tried a different approach with t' second panel o' t' LES tower. I cut t' long vertical dowel and taped it in place over the template as before but I did nay cut any o' t' others at this point. Ya scallywag! Instead, ya bilge rat, I made a beveled cut in one end o' the dowel and dipped it in a spot o' yellow glue and then put it in place against t' vertical one. This was t' top angled dowel. I fussed with it until everythin' lined up right on t' template and then left it t' dry. Avast! When dry, ya bilge rat, me bucko, I used the template as a guide t' slice t' opposite end at t' right place and at t' correct angle. Begad! I then took t' flat end of the dowel stock and glued it in place as t' top horizontal member. Avast, me proud beauty! I continued in this fashion, allowin' each segment to dry before cuttin' and makin' t' next piece. T' me, this was much easier than cuttin' all t' pieces at once.

Waitin' for t' elements o' t' third panel t' dry left me with time on me hands t' look ahead. Aye aye! I decided to return t' t' stubby, fat dowel. Well, blow me down! Begad! It was goin' t' need some black paint applied so I went ahead and painted a band around t' top opposite t' paper band and t' top and bottom surfaces.

T' tower panels are assembled with t' use o' 2 triangular jigs cut from t' balsa. A template is provided on the wrap sheet and I cut t' triangles out. Avast! These triangles are supposed t' be tacked with a small amount o' glue to the horizontal members o' t' truss system. Blimey! Aye aye! T' adjacent panel is then glued into place and, when dry, t' triangles are removed so that t' final panel can be put into place. Ya scallywag! Mine did nay fit. Aye aye! Blimey! I had t' do some rethinkin' and some trimming.

I trimmed away at t' triangles, tryin' t' keep them equilateral and congruent while also tryin' t' make their sides t' same length as t' horizontal members. Blimey! It be a losin' battle but I gave it t' best I could. Aye aye! Aye aye! Eventually, I had somethin' I could live with and tacked t' triangles onto t' horizontals. When they were stuck, I laid t' second panel in place and glued it at what I hoped would be a reasonable approximation o' t' correct angle.

When t' 2 panels o' t' LES space frame were stiffened up a bit, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, I removed t' triangles. I wanted t' system to still have a little play in it in order t' fit in t' third panel. Begad! Blimey! It fit better than I expected but nay as well as I had hoped. Avast! Blimey! I glued it in place and hoped for t' best.

T' tower was goin' t' take a while before it be safe t' work with so I decided t' do t' wrap for t' motor casing. This is a simple orange rectangle that is wrapped around t' fat dowel. Avast! Begad! T' ends o' t' fat dowel had already been painted black so all I had t' do was glue an edge, ya bilge rat, wrap it around and glue t' other edge. Blimey! Ahoy! It makes more than 1 complete revolution.

When t' tower had dried completely, me bucko, I took a close look at it. T' first thin' I noticed is that I needed to "fillet" some o' t' truss joints and fill them out a bit. Avast, me proud beauty! That was easily done with more yellow glue.

T' instructions say t' stand t' tower up t' ensure that it is fairly plumb. Begad! I did and it had a definite lean in one direction. Arrr! T' instructions also warn that t' tower will tend t' look like it leans even when it does not. Avast! Begad! I fabricated a "plumb bob" from a piece o' silk thread and a #7 1/2 piece o' lead bird shot. Aye aye! It was definitely out o' plumb. Well, blow me down! I laid t' tower on its side and used an X-Acto knife t' cut t' merest sliver from t' end o' t' long vertical member. Ya scallywag! When I stood t' LES tower up again, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, it still looked a bit out o' plumb but t' bob said otherwise. Then it was a waitin' game as t' fillets dried.

When t' glue was dry, I painted t' entire tower with acrylic black. Begad! This is actually supposed t' be done after the motor housin' is glued on but I had jumped t' cannon and already applied that wrap.

T' acrylic dried smartly and I was ready t' mount t' tower t' t' motor housing. This was done simply with 3 spots o' white glue.

When t' motor housin' be safely joined t' t' tower, me hearties, it was time t' mount t' entire thin' on t' antenna housin' o' t' capsule. Arrr! It just slides on t' top but it does not go all t' way down. Begad! Begad! When satisfied that it would sit properly, matey, I took it off, me bucko, shiver me timbers, applied some white glue and then set it back in place. Avast! I kept rotatin' it t' make sure it was straight from all directions.

A toothpick gets mounted on t' top o' t' LES motor housing. Aye aye! I double glued it in place. I used t' double glue method mainly because t' thin' kept fallin' down. Arrr! I let t' glue dry then applied just a tad and it held.

T' LES tower is safely glued t' t' antenna fairin' on t' capsule and I allowed myself t' pleasant illusion that t' LES was done...for a while. Aye aye! Begad! It was not. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! There were still t' 3 diagonal members from t' original template which had nay been put into place. Arrr! Avast, me proud beauty! I painted these black and, while I was at it, also painted t' probe at t' top of the tower black at t' same time.

When t' paint on t' diagonals be dry, I used white glue t' place them on t' LES tower. Aye aye! They are, in effect, glued t' t' bottom horizontal member o' t' tower and t' side o' t' antenna fairing.

T' LES tower was almost finished at this point but thar still remained a little be t' do. Begad! T' vertical member of each panel is nay supposed t' just terminate at its end. Blimey! Instead, a pair o' struts like an inverted "V" are supposed t' connect t' tower t' t' top, shiver me timbers, flat edge o' t' capsule. Avast, me proud beauty! These are cut from t' same dowel stock as the rest o' t' LES but I did nay find a template for them. Arrr! That is probably fortunate because at this point, me bucko, my accumulated error would have made any piece I had cut useless. Aye aye! Avast, me proud beauty! Instead, I measured each piece o' stock against where it was supposed t' go and then cut it. Blimey! I immediately painted these pieces black as well.

For some reason, me hearties, I did nay like seein' t' bright white o' t' motor tube protrudin' from t' bottom o' the rocket. Avast! Ya scallywag! Since I had some time on me hands, matey, matey, I decided t' do somethin' about it and brushed on some Tamiya bronze acrylic.

T' struts havin' dried were glued into place at t' bottoms o' t' truss vertical members. Avast! Blimey! Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! Blimey! While tweezers are essential for just about all o' t' LES build, they are even more so here. Begad! Blimey! Avast! Blimey! They are also a source o' frustration. Ya scallywag! Blimey! While tryin' t' grip t' last piece, it flew into an almost full garbage can and an hour o' searchin' did nay suffice to recover it. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Avast! Blimey! Another had t' be cut.

A final strut be cut, ya bilge rat, painted and glued into place. Aye aye! Aye aye! Then white glue be used t' smooth out many o' the imperfections o' t' LES tower. Ahoy! Begad! When t' glue was fully dry, arrr, me hearties, me hearties, it was touched up with more black paint.

T' final assembly step was t' installation o' t' three rocket nozzles t' t' LES. These were cut from t' wrap sheet, rolled, and glued t' form cones. Well, blow me down! Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! This was actually one o' t' more difficult steps. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! My large fingers and large hand did nay handle it overly well but, me bucko, eventually, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, I coaxed them into a semblance o' t' proper shape. Begad! White glue was then used t' apply them t' t' tower.

All that be left be some touchin' up. I painted t' inside o' t' rocket nozzles black and put some touch up paint on t' glue gussets o' t' LES tower. Aye aye! Avast, me proud beauty! With that, matey, it seemed like t' Little Joe was finally complete.

I looked at it from a distance and was rather pleased with myself. Avast, me proud beauty! I saw plenty o' problems with t' tower but, shiver me timbers, me hearties, I didn't think t' was too bad for a first attempt. Well, blow me down! Blimey! T' feelin' lasted until I went t' help out with t' Cornfield Classic. There, me hearties, me bucko, ya bilge rat, I saw Tim Reidy's Saturn IB. Avast! Ahoy! Blimey! It too had an LES tower and his looked perfect. Avast! Blimey! Those molded parts really look good. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Trouble is, I found out that it was scratch built and I think he said it was his first one.

PROs: Unique product. Arrr! Looks good. Begad! Good introduction t' modelin' o' fine parts.

CONs: T' LES Tower really is a challenge. Ahoy! Blimey! This is nay really a con but builders should be aware o' it.

Finishing:
Almost all o' t' finishin' for this rocket was very simple. It consisted mostly o' paintin' background color and applyin' paper wraps. Ahoy! Begad! T' result looks good. Avast! I chose t' add a little bit o' paint in some places indicated above but that be nay strictly necessary. Begad! It would have been fine as a stock build.

PROs: Wonderful quality paper wraps.

CONs: None.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
T' opportunity t' fly t' Little Joe finally came and it be taken out t' a club launch. Avast, me proud beauty! Ya scallywag! When it was taken from its box, it was in good shape. Begad! While handlin' it though, me bucko, I grew careless and brushed t' spike at t' tip against something sittin' on t' launch control table. Arrr! That be enough t' break t' glue seal and bend t' probe over. Ya scallywag! It would never survive a flight like that so I removed it and resolved t' fly it uncovered.

T' rocket was loaded with a B6-4 and placed on t' pad. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! At ignition, it streaked up straight and was lost t' my sight except for t' smoke trail. Ahoy! Blimey! Then t' chute opened up and I followed it down t' what seemed like a good landing.

Upon examinin' t' rocket though, shiver me timbers, t' landin' was marred by a popped fin. It will be easy t' fix and it will fly again but I did nay get t' fly it again this day.

A video o' t' flight can be seen here.

T' flight was a good one. Aye aye! I have no reason t' suspect anythin' less than a good performance on a C as well.

PROs: This little rocket really climbs well and looks good doin' it.

CONs: T' size o' this one makes for t' potential for long walks.

Recovery:
As stated in t' build section, I deviated a bit from t' kit. Begad! Instead o' usin' a tri-fold mount, I fixed a Keelhaul®©™® harness t' t' motor mount and then attached that t' t' elastic, shiver me timbers, etc. I also replaced t' plastic chute with a nylon one because I simply do nay like messin' with them.

On a build thread on TRF, Dr. Blimey! Begad! Blimey! Zooch himself weighed in on t' matter and endorsed me attachement method, if nay me chute.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
T' "Ant Scale" little Joe is a nice rocket from several perspectives. Ya scallywag! It is unique--all other Joes are of the Little Joe 2. Begad! Blimey! T' rocket itself is easy t' build. Avast! Begad! T' LES tower is difficult but doable by somebody with patience. Its also a good learnin' experience. Well, blow me down! T' wraps are first rate and really do more for t' appearance o' t' model than I could ever do with paint.

Oh, it flies well too.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5