Note: This kit was reviewed when produced by Seattle Rocket Works which has transferred rights t' LawnDart Rocketry.

T' Nike Smoke was a NASA research rocket used t' test wind conditions in the upper atmosphere. Several hundred o' these 19-foot rockets were launched by NASA durin' t' 60's and 70's.It used t' Army's Nike booster, a workhorse on many research rockets and military missiles. Begad! Arrr!

This is me second Nike Smoke model rocket. Avast! My first was a Centuri kit that I built in t' 70's and it was an excellent flyer. Well, matey, blow me down! T' Seattle Rocket Works one is a bit smaller . Arrr! . Begad! . Begad! Avast! it uses a BT-5 body tube and is about a fourth as large as t' Centuri kit I once had. Blimey! It can literally fit in t' palm o' your hand. Begad!

I won t' Seattle Rocket Works kit as a prize for flyin' in me first contest. Ahoy! Blimey! (don't ask me how I placed)

INSTRUCTIONS:

One o' t' first things I noticed about this kit was t' instructions. They were rolled up and held together by a paper rin' with t' Seattle Rocket Works logo on it, ya bilge rat, arrr, like a linen napkin in a fancy restaurant. Ahoy! But I be really impressed by t' straightforward thoroughness o' these illustrated instructions. They didn't leave much t' chance.

EASE OF BUILD:

This rocket may be small, me bucko, but it is nay easy t' build. Avast! Begad! It is a real scale model and comes with impressive scale drawings. Avast, me proud beauty! You could build this kit for points, me hearties, but I'm nay into that so I built it for fun. 

I'm a typical middle-aged BAR (Born-Again Rocketeer) and I have big, clumsy fingers and need bifocals. Begad! Ya scallywag! So, matey, t' diminutive size o' this rocket was a particular challenge for me. Arrr! Fortunately, me bucko, arrr, me hearties, t' parts came in a handy ziplock bag, arrr, or I would have lost some o' them.

My old Centuri kit had a plastic nose cone, shiver me timbers, which made it a bit easier to assemble. Ya scallywag! T' Seattle Rocket Works kit has a balsa nose cone, but you must glue a paper fairin' t' it. Arrr! This was nay as difficult as I thought it would be. Well, blow me down! Avast!

T' balsa fins are t' old-fashioned kind. Blimey! You have t' cut out a cardboard template, trace t' fins and cut them out o' a piece o' balsa sheet with a knife. Begad! This be refreshing, matey, most kits are plastic or pre-cut wood these days. Ya scallywag!

Sandin' t' fins was a bit difficult, due t' t' small size o' t' fins and the large size o' this builder's fingers. Ya scallywag! I managed t' put a passable edge on them, matey, but scale modelers will want t' spend extra time t' put those famous razor-sharp Nike edges on them.

T' launch lug was a bit o' a drawback. In t' photo it shows t' launch lug conspicuously placed near t' CG (center o' gravity). This would be okay for fun flying, ya bilge rat, but would wreck a scale model. I seriously doubt any real Nike-Smokes were ever launched with a ten-foot piece o' sewer pipe welded to the side o' them. Aye aye! Scale modelers will probably chuck t' launch lug into the parts bin and launch this little rascal with a rack.

I cut two small pieces o' launch lug and attached them fore and aft with balsa standoffs, which looked better than t' recommended placement. Aye aye! The instructions claim that no standoffs are needed even though t' nose cone is larger in diameter than t' body tube, but I decided t' take no chances. Ahoy!

Seattle Rocket Works included a piece o' clay with t' kit for nose weight in case t' balance is too far aft. Ahoy! Aye aye! I chucked this in t' parts box. Clay is fine for nose weights in plastic nose cones or boost gliders, but it doesn't work for me with balsa nose cones. Begad! Blimey! If I need nose weight, I will unscrew the screw eye and add some metal washers. Ahoy! Arrr!

QUALITY:

Sturdiness is difficult t' measure in a kit this small, me bucko, but it looks like it should hold up well. Begad! T' completed kit looks very sharp and t' decals add to the scale-model look. Begad! T' white body and nose with fluorescent fins looks very good and should help with retrieval. Arrr!

This rocket comes with a crepe-paper streamer. Ahoy! They are okay, me bucko, but I prefer plastic streamers as they are a bit more sturdy.

CONSTRUCTION RATING: 4 ½ points

FLYING:

Another nice thin' that came in t' box with this kit was t' packing material . Begad! . Avast! . fire-retardant cellulose insulation. Arrr! Begad! I am familiar with this stuff, havin' bought a whole bale o' it for about $4.00 at t' home warehouse. It works better than t' flame-retardant toilet paper (although it would nay be an acceptable replacement for toilet paper's primary function). Avast, me proud beauty! A nice touch that indicates Seattle Rocket Works are real rocket flyers, me hearties, nay toy makers. Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty!

I launched t' Nike Smoke on a windy day, me bucko, arrr, with gusts over 15 mph. (T' range closed early that day, shiver me timbers, due t' t' high winds) Motor be a 1/2 A3-2T. Liftoff was fast and flight was about 300 feet, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, at least. Trackin' be difficult due to small size and findin' this little rocket be also a challenge, with foot-high weeds in t' recovery area. Avast, me proud beauty! T' rocket was returned undamaged and ready for additional flights in t' future. Begad! Arrr!

Seattle Rocket Works rates this rocket up t' a A10-3T, me bucko, but I wouldn't advise this much thrust unless you want t' lose it. Aye aye!

Overall, me bucko, arrr, this was a nice flyer for a little rocket, shiver me timbers, well suited t' smaller flyin' fields. Blimey!

FLYING/RECOVERY RATING: 4 ½ points

OVER ALL RATING:

I rate this rocket, arrr, matey, shiver me timbers, overall, me hearties, at 4 ½ points.It is an excellent scale model and I only made some minor suggestions for improvements. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! It flies very well and me only problem is the diminutive size, but some people like miniatures. Ya scallywag! Begad! I really liked this particular rocket, though . Ya scallywag! . Ya scallywag! Well, blow me down! . I may scale it up someday. Avast, me proud beauty! Well, blow me down! Perhaps a 1/2 scale with an I motor... Arrr! Ya scallywag!

Quotes (from R.M.R):

"...I must say I'm impressed...T' instructions are detailed and well organized...Certain other famous kit manufacturers would probably market this for 3 times t' cost...this tiny, highly detailed bird will certainly grab attention..." 

"T' instructions and data sheet were very nicely drawn and printed, very complete, and professional looking...T' finished product looks really good...Overall I be very impressed by t' kit, instructions, and finished product. Ya scallywag! For such a small model, shiver me timbers, matey, every detail is taken very seriously..."

"...overall this kit is excellent...perhaps t' finest quality microscale kit I have ever seen. Blimey! I have seen a lot...I highly recommend this kit." 

"I sent me order off t' Seattle on Monday and received t' rocket on Friday. Ahoy! Quick turn-around...It comes packed in cellulose waddin' with a certificate suitable for framin' ;-)...I haven't had a chance t' build it, shiver me timbers, matey, but the instructions look clear and it appears t' be a fine little rocket." - Joel Roth 

Relinquished by Scott Johnson @