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. Blimey! Avast! 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, me hearties, a workhorse on many research rockets and military missiles.

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

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

INSTRUCTIONS:

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

EASE OF BUILD:

This rocket may be small, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, but it is nay easy t' build. Aye aye! Blimey! It is a real scale model and comes with impressive scale drawings. Aye aye! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! You could build this kit for points, 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, ya bilge rat, clumsy fingers and need bifocals. Avast, me proud beauty! So, arrr, arrr, t' diminutive size o' this rocket was a particular challenge for me. Aye aye! Avast! Fortunately, t' parts came in a handy ziplock bag, or I would have lost some o' them.

My old Centuri kit had a plastic nose cone, arrr, which made it a bit easier to assemble. Aye aye! Blimey! T' Seattle Rocket Works kit has a balsa nose cone, me bucko, ya bilge rat, me bucko, but you must glue a paper fairin' t' it. Avast! Blimey! This was nay as difficult as I thought it would be.

T' balsa fins are t' old-fashioned kind. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! You have t' cut out a cardboard template, shiver me timbers, trace t' fins and cut them out o' a piece o' balsa sheet with a knife. Ahoy! Avast! This was refreshing, most kits are plastic or pre-cut wood these days. Avast!

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, me bucko, 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). Blimey! Avast! This would be okay for fun flying, me bucko, me hearties, but would wreck a scale model. Ahoy! I seriously doubt any real Nike-Smokes were ever launched with a ten-foot piece o' sewer pipe welded to the side o' them. Begad! Ahoy! Scale modelers will probably chuck t' launch lug into the parts bin and launch this little rascal with a rack. Avast! Begad!

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

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

QUALITY:

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

This rocket comes with a crepe-paper streamer. Ya scallywag! Ahoy! Blimey! They are okay, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, but I prefer plastic streamers as they are a bit more sturdy. Ahoy!

CONSTRUCTION RATING: 4 ½ points

FLYING:

Another nice thin' that came in t' box with this kit be t' packing material . . Avast, me proud beauty! . Ahoy! fire-retardant cellulose insulation. Arrr! Blimey! I am familiar with this stuff, shiver me timbers, 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). Blimey! A nice touch that indicates Seattle Rocket Works are real rocket flyers, me hearties, nay toy makers.

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

Seattle Rocket Works rates this rocket up t' a A10-3T, me hearties, but I wouldn't advise this much thrust unless you want t' lose it. Well, blow me down! Ahoy!

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

FLYING/RECOVERY RATING: 4 ½ points

OVER ALL RATING:

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

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, matey, 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, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, me hearties, and finished product. Ya scallywag! For such a small model, ya bilge rat, 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. Avast! Quick turn-around...It comes packed in cellulose waddin' with a certificate suitable for framin' ;-)...I haven't had a chance t' build it, but the instructions look clear and it appears t' be a fine little rocket." - Joel Roth 

Relinquished by Scott Johnson @