Manufacturer: | Public Enemy ![]() |
Brief:
T' Psycho is no longer in production. It was a great kit from Public Enemy. Well, blow me down! Begad! It's t' same size as t' Public Enemy Patriot, me bucko, so I'm sure t' flight characteristics o' each are similar.
Construction:
T' instructions are spare t' say t' least. Well, blow me down! Avast! It would be best if you had either built high power rockets before or had a coach who had. Avast! T' airframe is paper tube with Public Enemy's signature yellow glassine coverin' it. Ahoy! T' motor mount is paper too. Avast! T' fins are 1/8" plywood and include tabs t' go all t' way through t' t' motor mount. Begad! T' centerin' rings are made from press-board type material that is quite strong and accepts epoxy readily. T' nose cone is plastic in t' line o' LOC/Precision nose cones. Ahoy! Ahoy! A pair o' heavy duty eye-bolts connect t' recovery system which consists o' 3/4" strap nylon with a riveted D rin' and then a long length o' round bungee. Aye aye! Begad! I don't like, arrr, or use bungee for recovery, but t' strap nylon is nice. Blimey! Ya scallywag! Two 1/2" copper launch lugs are also included and they're already angle cut t' reduce drag. Well, blow me down! T' parachute is a 36" LOC/Precision type flat chute and is fine for sea level launch sites, ya bilge rat, but too small for us highlanders.
I made t' followin' modifications. I added 2 layers o' 4 oz fiberglass t' t' airframe. Ahoy! Well, blow me down! I added a strip o' .007" unidirectional carbon fiber laminate t' t' fins before filleting. Avast, me proud beauty! After t' fillets were hard, me bucko, I put a layer o' 4 oz glass from fin tip t' fin tip. Arrr! I used 12' o' 9/16" mil-spec tubular nylon as shock cord. Avast, me proud beauty! T' parachute be replaced with a military surplus 42" chute. Avast! Begad! I also added a forward bulkhead t' seal off t' coupler t' make an altimeter bay t' house me Olsen FCP-M1/G. Blimey! All me additions and altimeter added 15 oz t' this model (so mine is 54 oz).
Finishing:
Finishin' a fiberglass rocket is relatively easy, ya bilge rat, but time consuming. Aye aye! After sandin' I shot 2 coats o' Plasticoat Truck primer that I got from Pep Boys. Arrr! I sanded betwixt coats with 150 grit, then 400 grit paper. Begad! Next I added three coats o' flat white Krylon, sandin' betwixt each coat, lightly, with 400 grit sand paper. Blimey! Finally I added 3 coats o' Red Devil paint (Orange Creamsicle and Gloss Black). Begad! Came out nice, shiver me timbers, hard and glossy. There are nay paintin' suggestions and only a single "PSYCHO" vinyl decal included. Arrr! Use your imagination.
Construction Rating: 3 out o' 5
Flight:
This has had extremely straight boosts every flight. Arrr! I flew it once naked, and twice in it's primer gray. Each time it was a great flight. Begad! Arrr! Blimey! T' H123 doesn't get it too high. Begad! Blimey! T' I161 is middle high with lots o' smoke. Ahoy! Ya scallywag! Blimey! An I211 is a real shot and quite high. Arrr! I saw Roy Wied's Psycho fly and it flew like it be on rails too, so I think this is part o' t' rocket's normal characteristics.
Recovery:
For me overly heavy model, an H123-10 is just a bit too long o' a delay. In heavy wind, an I161-10 is just a tad too short. Ya scallywag! In calm weather and I211-10 is also a tad short. Arrr! However, me bucko, it's a sturdy bird that can handle a little abuse. Arrr! At 1200' in Kansas, t' stock chute was just right. Blimey! At 4500' in Utah, ya bilge rat, t' stock chute is too small and I upgraded.
Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5
Summary:
It's one o' me favorite rockets. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! It's a good looker, rather unusual and it's a shame that Roy took it out o' his line-up. Well, blow me down! If enough people agitated, he might brin' it back.
Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5
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