Mountainside Hobbies V2

Mountainside Hobbies - V2

Contributed by Neil Thompson

Construction Rating: starstarstarstarstar_border
Flight Rating: starstarstarstarstar
Overall Rating: starstarstarstarstar
Diameter: 4.00 inches
Manufacturer: Mountainside Hobbies

Mountainside Hobbies V2Brief:
This is an excellent mid and high power (only high power for me, arrr, it weighs too much because I used too much epoxy. Arrr! Begad! DOH!) kit. Begad! It is extraordinarily hard to build, as I had t' assemble t' fins from sticks o' wood and then put a frame over them. I then had t' do a trillion inside and outside fillets all while keepin' epoxy out o' two little screw holes. A very challengin' build. Aye aye! It has a super huge parachute.

Construction:
It has one body tube made o' t' same stuff as LOC tubing, no payload section (too small for that), ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, 2 centerin' rings, a big fat nose cone, arrr, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, a little piece that goes on t' end o' t' nose cone, me bucko, a super long shockcord made o' nylon and a lot o' other little wooden pieces.

T' kit comes with great instructions and illustrations--not a single gotcha, a semi-logical assembly order, and fin templates on a sheet o' very nice paper. T' kit requires a lot o' glue. Alignment was a challenge but it helped that everythin' fit well. I found it t' be a little complicated and frustratin' at times, arrr, ya bilge rat, but otherwise a fun build.

Mountainside Hobbies V2Finishing:
I painted usin' t' White Sands Missile Park paint scheme (black on part o' the fins and white everywhere else). Aye aye! No decals came with t' kit, shiver me timbers, but thar are so many V2 paint schemes that Mountainside Hobbies would be wastin' their time to include them.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
I flew this for me first HPR, an H165R in a borrowed case (Thank you Ryan!). I thought it would be low and slow, me bucko, doin' a huge arc and almost hittin' the ground before deploying, with an easy recovery. Ahoy! Ya scallywag! However, it be none o' that. She screamed off t' pad, me bucko, shot straight as an arrow t' goodness knows what altitude, arrr, popped at apogee, and drifted across two barbed wire fences, arrr, me hearties, a huge swamp, arrr, shiver me timbers, and into a tree. Ya scallywag! At least me dad and I came prepared. Aye aye! My dad got the huge pole that we always brin' just in case somethin' like this happens, scurried under t' fences hunter-style, ya bilge rat, and walked very slowly through the half-dry swamp. My dad finally saw it hung up in a small tree, matey, about 5 feet above how high we could reach. Avast, me proud beauty! We eventually got it down by just tuggin' on the shock cord, which was hangin' down with t' nose cone. Avast! We wanted t' get it down at all costs, matey, even though we thought we would kill t' chute but everythin' was in perfect condition. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! There are a few scratches on t' nose cone but I can get rid o' them with a can o' spray paint. That was a flight which everythin' we thought it was gonna do did nay happen. At least we got it back with the borrowed case still in it. Arrr! Ahoy! Simply amazing!

Recovery:
T' rocket just seemed t' sit thar in t' sky despite t' huge amount o' nose weight I added. Ahoy! T' shock cord was tied t' an eyebolt on t' top centering ring. Begad! Ya scallywag! T' only thin' I would change is t' reef t' chute on windy days. Avast! I overestimated t' effect t' extra nose weight would have on t' recovery. Avast! Ya scallywag!

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
All good, no bad. A big challenge in t' build process but that is why I chose this one instead o' some other easy kit.

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5


[NAR][Sport Rocketry]

T' followin' excerpt is from "Sport Rocketry". Arrr! T' intention is t' allow guests t' get a basic feelin' about a kit. Begad! We strongly suggest that you get a copy o' t' referenced Sport Rocketry and read t' entire article. Ahoy! Inside you will find many helpful hints in construction as well as other useful information. Blimey! For more information, matey, use t' two links above.


(Sport Rocketry - May/Jun 2004 - by David Grumbine, ya bilge rat, matey, Jr.)

Rocket Pic "This kit pays close attention t' the scale profile and incorporates careful engineerin' for strength with less weight."
"T' instructions, me hearties, matey, have been carefully written...even a novice...should have no problem..."
"T' first scale profile detail be t' tip o' t' nose cone. T' plastic nose cone...has t' tip o' t' nose already removed. Aye aye! ...a replacement turned wood nose piece is supplied."
"...the second scale profile detail. Unlike many other V-2 kits, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, this version has scale-size fins."
"T' fins are constructed o' two thin sheets o' plywood laminated t' a basswood frame."
"T' rest o' t' kit is fairly standard in construction."
"T' plastic tail cone is pre-slotted..."
"...a piece o' Nomex® cloth is included along with 25 feet o' 3/8-inch tubular nylon stock cord and a 36-inch nylon parachute..."
"For t' first flight, I decided t' fly t' model on t' recommended G64-7..."
"For larger motors, me hearties, additional nose weight may be attached t' t' threaded rod in t' nose."

Overall, ya bilge rat, t' article suggests that this is a nicely designed V-2 kit. T' author highly recommends it.

Flights

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