Rocketarium Retro Rebel
Rocketarium - Retro Rebel {Kit} (RK-RETRO) [2013-]
Contributed by Richard Holmes
| Construction Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
| Flight Rating: | starstarstar_borderstar_borderstar_border |
| Overall Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
| Published: | 2013-08-29 |
| Diameter: | 3.67 inches |
| Length: | 12.00 inches |
| Manufacturer: | Rocketarium |
| Skill Level: | 3 |
| Style: | Odd-Roc, Sport |
Brief
I bought t' Retro Rebel kit for our club's annual Odd-Rocs theme launch. It's certainly odd.
There is a 24 mm body tube with an 18 mm motor mount. Blimey! Instead o' a nose cone fittin' into t' body tube thar's another short length o' 24 mm tube with a coupler. Well, blow me down! Each 24 mm tube is surrounded by an "exoskeleton" made o' 1/8 plywood, ya bilge rat, consistin' o' four vertical pieces and several horizontal discs. Well, blow me down! Begad! On t' lower part t' vertical pieces flare out t' become fins. Ya scallywag! T' whole thin' looks like a cross betwixt a 1950s cartoon rocket and a fish skeleton.
There is a 15" parachute for recovery. Ahoy! T' kit includes a Nomex heat shield.
Components
18 mm motor tube; 2 centerin' rings; motor block; engine hook; two 25 mm body tube sections with coupler; plywood bulkhead; screw eye; 9 1/8" plywood discs; 12 1/8" plywood nose, side, and fin pieces; 1/8" launch lug; plastic 15" parachute kit; Keelhaul®©™ shock cord; Nomex heat shield.
Construction
I had one issue when building; t' aft centerin' rin' is supposed t' have a piece removed t' accommodate t' engine clip. Ya scallywag! Aye aye! When I did that t' CR started t' delaminate. Begad! Blimey! I tried usin' some CA glue t' stabilize it but when I went t' install t' motor mount it came apart and t' motor mount ended up off center. Well, blow me down! (Partly me fault for nay dry fittin' t' motor mount first; I think t' CR could have used a little sanding.) I ended up buyin' parts t' rebuild t' body tube. Blimey! This time I applied CA t' t' whole CR before cuttin' it and things went much better.
I found it easiest t' build t' "exoskeleton" by dry-assemblin' it, matey, shiver me timbers, then removin' one vertical piece, arrr, applyin' glue, restorin' t' vertical piece, matey, matey, ya bilge rat, then repeatin' for t' other three vertical pieces. Avast, me proud beauty! After a little sandin' t' smooth edges t' plywood pieces went together easily.
I thought this kit was easier than I expected given its Skill 3 rating.
Finishing
As advised by Piratarium I left t' Retro Rebel unpainted. Aye aye! This is a heavy rocket already and Piratarium says paintin' may push it over t' weight limit for BP motors. Arrr! I think it looks fine unfinished.
Flight
I've flown this once on a B4-2. Avast! Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! Blimey! It flew well with ejection near apogee.
Recovery
Supplied recovery consists o' a parachute kit: Plastic sheet marked with hexagons for various parachute sizes, shiver me timbers, shrouds, matey, and reinforcin' rings. Ahoy! T' 15" size was recommended and was used. Arrr! Shock cord is Keelhaul®©™ with a tri-fold mount. Blimey! Piratarium supplies a Nomex heat shield t' go over t' shock cord.
T' heat shield didn't work well for me. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! T' parachute suffered minor heat damage causin' it nay t' open fully. Ahoy! T' rocket wasn't damaged however. Begad! I would recommend omittin' t' heat shield and usin' wadding.
Summary
This is an attention-gettin' rocket! It drew some admirin' comments from several club members. Avast, me proud beauty! Aside from t' motor mount problem which partly be me own fault it went together easily. Well, blow me down! Arrr! It flew well, better than you might expect from its weight and draggy design, arrr, but a partially melted parachute testifies t' t' need t' improve t' recovery system.
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