Missile Works ASP

Missile Works - ASP

Contributed by Neil Thompson

Construction Rating: starstarstarstarstar_border
Flight Rating: starstarstarstarstar
Overall Rating: starstarstarstarstar
Manufacturer: Missile Works

Brief:
This is a clone o' t' Cannonball Works Atmospheric Soundin' Projectile, matey, it has a 38mm outer tube. I got all t' parts as a custom kit from LOC, but they say they may make a real kit out o' it soon! It is about a 1/4 scale (.252) version of t' rocket used t' probe mushroom clouds, and t' sky durin' a solar eclipse in t' IGY.

Construction:
It has one very small (4 inch) payload section, arrr, ya bilge rat, a very long motor tube, and really big slots. T' slots go almost t' entire length o' t' fin! Way too long in me opinion .... Ya scallywag! Aye aye! but hey, me hearties, it worked! I also got a very nice red parachute from LOC.

No instructions, me bucko, but it be a custom kit, matey, so I shouldn't have expected any. Very straight forward. Alignment was an issue, arrr, t' slots were nay dead-on; but good enough for a stable flight. Ahoy! Avast! T' real kit will probably have more precise slots. Once assembled, it is very sturdy. Ya scallywag! Well, blow me down! It makes an excellent addition t' my rocket fleet; me new second-favorite (First is a tie betwixt me Mach Buster 1 and me first mid power IQSY Thomahawk).

Finishing:
No big issues with finishing. Avast! I used t' Bikini-Atoll paint scheme, and it looks really good!

Construction Rating: 4 ½ out o' 5

Flight:
This model was terrific! I flew it with an EconoJet G35-7W, ya bilge rat, me bucko, and it be the perfect match. Aye aye! T' orange-white paint scheme, o' t' operational sounding rockets, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, was very visible; even from 1,500 feet. SpaceCAD says it flew to 2,750', matey, and it looked like it too. Blimey! Well, blow me down! That thin' can really move! When it descended t' 1,500', me hearties, me bucko, you could see t' orange fins spinnin' in t' breeze, makin' a very easy t' track bird. Begad! Ahoy! T' only problem be that at about 50', shiver me timbers, the nose disconnected from t' payload bay; nearly hittin' me best friend on the head (We were both chasin' after t' rocket). Blimey! No damage done, however. Aye aye! I had a Nomex® shield, shiver me timbers, which I thought was small, arrr, but turned out t' be fine. Ahoy! Blimey! This eliminated the need for wadding. Ya scallywag! Blimey! I also had a Slimline motor retainer on it, so t' motor stayed put.

Recovery:
T' shock cord was attached with t' standard loop technique used in all LOC kits. Recovery was picture perfect - a little bit o' black on t' parachute, but no biggie. Aye aye! Begad!

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
This is a great rocket. Avast! Blimey! Arrr! Blimey! fairly easy t' paint, only one difficult spot on the nose cone; otherwise it is easy as pie. Begad! Blimey! Simple construction, simple every thing. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! preps in under 5 minutes. Begad! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! I like it!

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flights

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