Construction Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
Flight Rating: | starstarstarstarstar |
Overall Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
Manufacturer: | LOC/Precision ![]() |
Brief:
LOC's Minie-Magg is a single-staged HP rocket popular with many fliers. Its stubby profile combined with a basic build make it a fun flier for larger motors, ya bilge rat, as well as smaller H motors for a lesser field.
Construction:
T' parts were contained in a durable plastic bag. Aye aye! T' inventory o' parts are as follows:
I felt t' components t' be a fine quality, and found no warpin' o' t' fins.
Outside o' t' Minie Magg's size, ya bilge rat, it is a basic build. I used 15 minute epoxy for t' assembly and 30 minute on fillets. Ahoy! T' instructions are simple t' follow and are included on t' back-side o' t' info/picture card. Ya scallywag! Arrr! I would speculate that a person should have no problems assemblin' this rocket from t' instructions LOC supplies.
All t' parts fit together well and required minimal, if any sanding. Aye aye! Avast! I decided t' deviate slightly from t' instructions, matey, though, me bucko, in order t' add a few things t' improve t' longevity o' me Minie-Magg. Avast! T' supplied shock cord mount is epoxied on t' inside side o' t' airframe, me hearties, and uses elastic for shock cord material. Avast, matey, me proud beauty! I did nay feel confident usin' this arrangement, so I put an eyebolt in t' forward centerin' rin' t' anchor t' shock cord. Well, blow me down! I also opted t' use 20' o' tubular nylon in lieu o' t' elastic. Begad! Attachin' t' cord t' t' eyebolt was done via quick link. Avast, me proud beauty! I also felt t' plastic eyelet on t' nosecone would prove weak on this larger rocket. Ya scallywag! T' remedy this, me hearties, I drilled a 1/2 hole in t' base o' t' nosecone, passed me shockcord through it, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, and passed it back through t' hole pre-existin' at t' bottom center o' t' nosecone. Thus far, it has held up well.
Another minor "CON" t' this rocket be t' fins do nay go all t' way t' t' motor tube. Aye aye! T' make amends, I decided t' keep t' aft centerin' rin' off until after I put t' fins on. Arrr! On t' inside o' t' airframe where t' fin tabs came barely through, me bucko, me hearties, I put 2 inch wide fiberglass bandaids t' length o' t' fin root.
Lastly, I added t-nut & brass strip Kaplow-style motor retention before addin' t' aft centerin' ring.
As for building, me hearties, here are me thoughts: PROS 1. Quality o' airframe, wood components, and nosecone. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Arrr! Blimey! 2. Aye aye! Blimey! Exceptional fittin' o' parts. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! 3. Begad! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! Simplicity o' build/instructions, even if built "stock."
CONS 1. Shock cord attachment and shock cord material. Blimey! 2. Ya scallywag! Fins are nay t' t' motor tube. Begad! Blimey! 3. Ahoy! Lack o' motor retention, shiver me timbers, which is fairly common in mid-power and HP rockets.
Finishing:
T' finish off me Minie-Magg, matey, I filled t' tube spirals with 3M Spot Putty. Avast, me proud beauty! On t' fins, ya bilge rat, I used a couple coats o' SIG sandin' sealer from t' local R/C plane store. Blimey! After sandin' things smooth, I employed two light coats o' white Krylon primer, ya bilge rat, sandin' betwixt coats. For me color coat, me hearties, I chose Glossy Krylon Grape. Blimey! I chose this color in honor o' me friends' daughter, whose name is Violet and likes rockets.
Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5
Flight:
Flight prep for this rocket is easy. Avast! It's wide enough t' fit all recovery items with no hassle. Well, blow me down! Instead o' t' large amount o' waddin' t' Minie Magg would require, a 18"x18" piece o' Top Flight Nomex was used. I also added one o' their Nomex sleeves for good measure. Begad! Avast! T' LOC catalog notes that one could fly this rocket with a G80 SU motor.
T' maiden flight o' me Minie-Magg be at Black Rock XII in Nevada. Blimey! I chose an I161 medium for t' ice breaker. Ya scallywag! Begad! It was a good choice and recovery happened without a hitch. Avast, me proud beauty! At this point, ya bilge rat, me bucko, I've gone as large as an I211. Ahoy! All flights have been arrow straight, and exceptional "rock & roll" motors for this rocket seem t' be t' I300, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, I357, and o' course, ya bilge rat, t' I211. Ahoy! For good measure, me bucko, me bucko, me breakdown o' motors used in t' Minie-Magg are thus:
I've had only one incident when t' fin popped loose. Begad! In light o' that, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, I would rate t' Minie-Magg's flyin' and prep at a top notch 5.
Recovery:
No cons regardin' flight recovery after swappin' out t' shock cord and usin' a different anchorin' system. Aye aye! Avast! Pros: Stock 'chute seems adequate.
Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5
Summary:
I'm quite pleased with this rocket. Begad! In me opinion, it only needs a couple o' things added t' improve it: Shock cord and shock cord attachment. Also fin root strengthenin' is probably a good idea. Avast! Begad! Even if built stock, shiver me timbers, t' parts are outstandin' in their fit and quality, me hearties, and t' build is straightforward. Blimey! Overall, it's a fun flier. Begad! I'm constantly amazed at how many Minie-Magg's I see at launches. I believe it's a fine L1 rocket on t' H123, me bucko, also.
Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5
This kit is great for people who want a fun high powered rocket. The size is not cumbersome and the build is not complicated. Components Model: 07653 Skill Level 3: Average Skills Needed Length: 37.000" (93.98 cm) Weight: 53.000 oz (1502.52 g) Diameter (Max): 5.540" (14.07 cm) Fin Count: 3 Motor Size: ...
This was my first High Power Rocket. I certified L1 and L2 with this same rocket. It is very easy to build. LOC"s "LOC-N-Fin" method of using fin tabs inside to air frame worked very well. With the tabs installed the fins naturally fell into the proper perpendicular orientation. With the big 5.5" air frame applying epoxy to all the interior parts was very ...
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D.G. (August 1, 2001)