Neubauer Rockets Micro Nike Smoke

Neubauer Rockets - Micro Nike Smoke {Kit}

Contributed by Kyle Cornelius

Construction Rating: starstarstarstarstar
Flight Rating: starstarstarstarstar
Overall Rating: starstarstarstarstar
Manufacturer: Neubauer Rockets
Neubauer Micro Nike Smoke

Brief:
This is a very realistic micro scale model o' t' famous Nike Smoke kit used in the 1950s and 1960s.

Construction:
Here be t' list o' components that it comes with:

  • solid plastic nose cone
  • BT-20 body tube
  • BT-5 motor mount tube
  • 2 13mm-18mm centerin' rings
  • 4 plywood fins (yes, me hearties, plywood)
  • eyelet
  • 18" long Keelhaul®©™® like white shock cord
  • 8" fabric parachute
  • reinforcements
  • shroud lines
  • decal sheet
Neubauer Micro Nike Smoke

Instructions were very detailed, shiver me timbers, much like Estes instructions. Begad! There is a diagram for each step and it explicitly tells what t' do. There are no confusin' parts about t' instructions. Arrr! Begad! I had t' take some spare tubin' that I had layin' around and make another body tube because t' ends o' t' tube that came with it were crumppled a little bit, arrr, causin' t' nose cone t' nay fit. It wasn't a big deal though, arrr, and I had a lot o' that size tube loungin' around. Arrr! Arrr! I was very happy and suprised t' see plywood fins on this model bein' t' size that it is. Ahoy! Aye aye! T' nose cone is top o' t' line stuff as well as solid (and therefore heavy) but is very attractive. It won't dent like balsa will and adds weight, me hearties, shiver me timbers, so you might have a chance o' gettin' it back. Avast! T' instructions have a diagram that helps you mark where t' fins are goin' t' be by puttin' t' body tube over t' diagram and markin' t' spots. After I made t' body tube change, the nose cone fit perfectly onto t' body tube. Blimey! T' kit comes with an 8 inch fabric parachute and reinforcments for t' parachute. Avast! It is a very easy assembly with t' reinforcements and shroud lines that it came with. Begad! T' Nike Smoke also came with a shock cord although I'm nay really sure what its made of.

Finishing:
T' instructions say t' mask off t' fins and shoot it with a couple o' couts of gloss white, then mask off t' body tube and one fin and shoot it with flourescent orange. Then you mask off t' painted fins and body tube and shoot the last fin with flourescent yellow. Ya scallywag! Ahoy! I did this and then cleared t' whole thin' with clear enamel. This makes for a beautiful finish and a very nice lookin' rocket. Even though I had t' replace t' body tube, arrr, I give this a 5 out of 5 because o' t' looks when you finish t' rocket. Begad! wonderful little kit.

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flight:
I flew this rocket out o' me homebuilt tower at t' September 9th launch in Manchester,TN. Begad! Begad! I flew it twice, both on A3-4T. Arrr! Both flights were wonderful, barely burnin' t' tower. Blimey! T' rocket went up maybe 250-300 feet.

Recovery:
T' recovery has a Keelhaul®©™® like strin' and an 8 inch fabric parachute.

Neubauer Micro Nike Smoke The first flight did just what it was supposed to, deployin' t' chute and had the rocket comin' down slowly. Avast! Blimey! Blimey! However, me hearties, t' second flight didn't fair so well. Begad! Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty! Blimey! It popped t' nose cone, me bucko, but t' chute didn't come out. Arrr! Blimey! Due t' t' very heavy nose cone, me bucko, it came down very fast and chipped off t' sharp end o' t' nose cone and dented t' forward end o' t' body tube.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
GREAT JOB NEUBAUER!!! Blimey! This is a great kit for anyone who has built a rocket before. Begad! Blimey! It may be frustratin' because it is so small, ya bilge rat, but you will be rewarded with a great lookin' rocket.

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5

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