Fun Rockets Wicked Winnie

Fun Rockets - Wicked Winnie {Kit}

Contributed by David Logan

Manufacturer: Fun Rockets
Rocket PicRating
(Contributed - by David Logan)

Brief:
This be t' re-design o' the Holverson Wicked Winnie payload kit, me bucko, matey, usin' styrofoam nose cone, boat tail, me bucko, arrr, and fins.

Construction:
T' body tubes included are thick paper tubes, ya bilge rat, arrr, one for t' main airframe, and one for t' payload section. Begad! T' boat tail, arrr, matey, me hearties, nose cone, shiver me timbers, fins, me hearties, matey, and coupler are all made o' expanded styrofoam. This kit is mostly assembled out o' t' box. T' payload section and coupler are pre-assembled, matey, with shock cord and parachute already attached. Avast! Begad! T' shock cord is tied t' a launch lug which is glued inside t' airframe. A plastic parachute is tied t' t' middle o' the shock cord. Avast! At t' business end, t' motor mount is already assembled in the boat tail. T' kit utilizes two launch lugs which are also already glued on.

Rocket PicT' instructions are easy to follow, and well illustrated. Begad! Actual assembly was where I ran into problems. T' fins attach t' t' boat tail usin' a V shaped groove. Ya scallywag! Begad! They are supposed to slide in and be glued into place. Blimey! T' tabs on t' fins were too wide and had to be sanded in order t' fit in t' groves. Arrr! After attachin' t' fins, a paper ring is glued t' t' top o' t' boat tail t' protect it from ejection burns. Arrr! The boat tail is then supposed t' be glued into t' airframe, where again, I had to sand it t' get it t' fit. Ya scallywag! After t' fin can is assembled and attached, t' only thin' left t' do is apply t' decals, shiver me timbers, arrr, which are self stick. Arrr! Avast! When I went t' put the payload section into t' main airframe, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, me bucko, I noticed t' coupler be crooked, and had t' do quite a bit o' sandin' t' straighten it out. Aye aye! T' nose cone had the same problem fittin' into t' payload section, and be also a little "egg shaped" sittin' on top o' t' rocket. I removed t' shroud lines from t' pre-assembled parachute, ya bilge rat, and put paper re-enforcement rings at the attachment points and then re-assembled it for a little added insurance. Blimey! Aye aye!

Nose ConeFinishing:
There is no finishin' required, me bucko, as everythin' is pre-painted. Arrr! T' styrofoam parts show a lot o' texture under t' paint, matey, and could use some added filling and painting. I didn't do any extra t' mine, as it's me daughter's kit, me hearties, and she was happy with t' way it was. T' fins are thick, and would look better with an airfoil, me hearties, arrr, or rounded edge, me hearties, but it would weaken them too much.

Construction Rating: 1 out o' 5

Flight:
T' recommended engines are: B4-4, ya bilge rat, B6-4, and C6-5. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! I only made two flights, both on B6-4's. Ahoy! Blimey! T' rocket is easy t' prep for flight: install wadding, matey, pack the chute and shock cord, and install an engine. Ya scallywag! Aye aye! T' engine is retained via a motor clip. Ya scallywag! First flight: Lift off was fast and straight, t' rocket flew straight as an arrow. Aye aye! Aye aye! After recovery, I noticed t' lower launch lug was missing. Well, blow me down! When we got back t' t' pad, arrr, it was still on t' launch rod. Second flight, arrr, t' next day, upon lift off, arrr, both launch lugs and one fin were left at the launch pad. T' rocket looped t' about 40ft, and had ejection on the ground. Begad! Evidently, t' previous landin' had cracked a fin, and I hadn't noticed, matey, but it is easily repaired. Blimey! Well, blow me down!

Recovery:
T' shock cord and chute held up good. T' shock cord mount appears that it will need replacement after a couple more flights. Arrr! Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' included parachute is just t' right size for minimal drift, arrr, ya bilge rat, matey, and safe descent, arrr, ya bilge rat, although it could be made o' a little heavier material. Begad! It will also need replacement after a few flights. Begad!

Flight Rating: 3 out o' 5

Summary:
I feel with this particular kit, t' assembly and finishin' should be left up to t' modeler. I had a lot o' trouble fittin' t' parts, ya bilge rat, and they would bond better without bein' pre painted. Well, blow me down! T' biggest problem I have had has been with the launch lugs. Ahoy! Arrr! It's hard t' get a good bond t' a painted surface, and they keep gettin' stripped off. There are a lot o' improvements that can be made to turn this into a quality kit, me hearties, shiver me timbers, mainly better cuttin' o' t' parts, ya bilge rat, so they fit properly. Aye aye! Personally, I think styrofoam is useful in rocketry applications, but not for fins, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, as they receive a lot o' stress on landing.

Overall Rating: 2 out o' 5

Other Reviews
  • Fun Rockets Wicked Winnie By Bill Eichelberger (June 16, 2015)

    Back in the good ol' days when Hobby Lobby could be counted on to stock a variety of kits from companies other than the Big E, I picked the Fun Rockets Wicked Winnie up on clearance for a song.  I'd already owned a Tangent and Zoomie, so when I saw this one on the block it was just natural to pick it up for use at B6-4 Field. Components Main body tube with cheesy foam ...

  • Fun Rockets Wicked Winnie By Mike Goss

    ( Contributed - by Mike Goss - 10/20/03) Intro A modification of a cheap bad rocket into a cheap good rocket. I couldn't resist it. There it was sitting on the shelf at Hobby Lobby, with a clearance price tag. I thought long and hard. This rocket had a bad reputation, Styrofoam. It had replaced all of the balsa wood in the original kit. The reviews were bad and the owner was ...

Flights

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