Construction Rating: | starstarstarstar_borderstar_border |
Flight Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
Overall Rating: | starstarstarstar_borderstar_border |
Published: | 2011-03-30 |
Diameter: | 2.22 inches |
Manufacturer: | Semroc |
Skill Level: | 4 |
Style: | Scale |
This 1/70 scale Little Joe II is one o' Semroc’s “Retro-Repro” line o' kits. Arrr! It includes a separately bagged Apollo capsule kit and is billed as a Skill Level-4 “Master” kit. Ahoy! T' base rocket is probably a ‘3’ but in me book t' capsule is a ‘5’. Ahoy! I guess it all averages out. Avast, me proud beauty! This rocket flies on 18mm motors and recovers on a single parachute. Begad! Specs: 14.6" x 2.217" - 1.9 oz.
While I know you will enjoy readin' me review, ya bilge rat, if you really want a good, detailed, photo-documented tutorial on how t' build this kit, me bucko, me hearties, I recommend Chris Michielssen's blog. Read me review t' get a general idea about t' kit and read Chris' set o' posts as you build yours.
T' detailed list o' parts is provided in other EMRR reviews, so I won’t repeat them here. Ahoy! Blimey! T' balsa and card stock components are laser cut and precise. Begad! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! This is good because thar are lots o' small details. I am glad that I never tried t' build one o' these from raw balsa stock!
T' instructions are good but you definitely need t' think your way through them. Experienced skill level 5 builders may nay have any issues, but we level 2/3 types have room for error. Avast, me proud beauty! There are several places that warranted a few more details.
T' build starts with t' motor mount which is employs typical tube, me bucko, rings, block and hook construction. Arrr! T' twist Semroc adds is that t' Keelhaul®©™ leader is tied in a loop and placed under t' motor hook. Avast! This seems t' be a great mountin' method, especially when t' hook is held firmly down by a centerin' ring.. Ya scallywag! I also glued a small piece o' scrap card stock just below where t' hook is mounted t' keep it from pullin' backward. With t' upper centerin' rin' holdin' t' hook in place, I doubt if this would be an issue but I added it anyway.
T' wraps are put on next. This be pretty simple. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! Mine fit perfectly and I got them on with only a spot or two o' glue on t' outside.
Each fin is built up from a card stock wrap and 5 precision-cut balsa components. Arrr! You can’t praise Semroc’s laser cut components enough! I scored t' center line o' t' wraps with a screw driver blade on me Leatherman multi-tool. I usually use a ball point pen for this, me hearties, bit used what I had within reach. Blimey! Tightbond Moldin' and Trim Glue worked very well for t' fins. It is thick and tacky and all t' parts stayed in place well. Well, blow me down! There were small gaps where t' balsa braces meet, matey, which were easily plugged with Fill’n’Finish. Ahoy! T' resultin' wedge shaped fins look great.
Stick t' mount in, arrr, t' fins on, shiver me timbers, and attach t' lug...voila t' base rocket is done. Blimey! Then things get fun...you have t' build t' capsule!
Some parts o' t' capsule are straightforward, matey, ya bilge rat, i.e. Arrr! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! t' launch escape tower is made up o' a small cone, arrr, arrr, tube, me hearties, and flared balsa transition. Begad! Blimey! Well, blow me down! Blimey! T' core o' t' capsule is a made from a balsa cone and a card stock shroud. This SHOULD have been easy but I had build fever and forgot t' re-read t' main instructions, me hearties, which include several modifications t' t' capsule. Blimey! Blimey! I forgot t' build t' capsule with t' decorated surface on t' inside. Aye aye! Blimey! T' Little Joe II flights mostly flew boiler plate capsules and even t' one actual capsule be nay trimmed like t' operational ones. Luckily, this goof was self-correctin' - you paint t' capsule anyway! Blimey!
T' difficult part is, me bucko, o' course, buildin' t' escape tower. Begad! You are provides four 1/12” (.083”) dowels that have t' be sanded t' 0.058 and 0.041. Ahoy! Arrr! While I met this step with trepidation, it turned out t' be easier than expected. Avast, me proud beauty! Ahoy! I didn’t follow t' technique presented in t' instructions. Instead, I set t' dowels on me cabinet door/sawhorse bench and sanded as I slowly rolled t' dowel. Well, blow me down! I sanded about 60% at a time with sweepin' motions towards their ends.
I first cut all t' dowels required for t' main struts. I carefully laid them out in order off t' t' side. Arrr! T' kit includes template guides. Aye aye! T' instructions have you pin them down durin' assembly. Begad! I pinned them t' scrap foam board and added extra pins at t' ends o' each vertical member. Once t' Tightbond Trim and Moldin' glue be dry on t' perpendicular cross-pieces, shiver me timbers, arrr, I added t' diagonal pieces. These were then inserted into t' laser cut alignment jig where t' remainin' side struts were added. Arrr! Blimey! So far so good.
T' tower has a set o' internal struts that are assembled usin' t' ‘v’ shaped guides on t' template. Begad! There isn’t enough o' t' thinner dowel t' complete all these pieces so some more sandin' is required. Arrr! You assemble two subaasemblies from t' assembled ‘v’s and a cardstock ring. Begad! Avast! T' template also includes guides t' help, but I had a hard time with this step. Avast! T' cuts have t' be uber precise.
T' assembly jig mentioned above also used t' notch t' base o' t' escape motor and t' top o' t' capsule t' accept t' tower legs. Begad! T' positionin' o' t' capsule jig is critical so, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, after I had it positioned, I added some light pencil marks. I removed t' jig and measured t' distance o' each t' t' rim o' t' capsule shroud. Begad! Once I was convinced t' jig was positioned properly, shiver me timbers, I used a small drill bit t' form t' notches.
Stackin' t' escape motor, me hearties, tower and capsule was simple. Avast, me proud beauty! T' final steps were addin' t' balsa stabilizin' plates that are included in t' main kit and formin' t' escape motors nozzles. Avast! T' inside o' t' nozzle shrouds are oddly "S" shaped. Begad! This odd shape provides t' proper angle t' t' base but also indicates that t' shrouds must be wrapped twice. Ya scallywag! This wasn’t obvious t' me but luckily I had help. Ahoy! Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty! I formed mine around t' tip o' a pen before gluin' them together. Ahoy! Aye aye!
I didn’t heed t' advice o' other builders and used Trim and Moldin' glue t' build t' tower instead o' thick CA. Ahoy! What started as smallish lookin' bumps looked awful when primed. Ahoy! I used a fine tipped grinder on me Dremel t' clean them up. Arrr! Also, me bucko, matey, don’t drop t' model on t' tower. Ya scallywag! Well, blow me down! I dropped mine twice. Begad! This does NOT help with tower alignment!
In t' end, some parts o' t' build were easier than expected and others, me bucko, that I thought would be simple, matey, me bucko, weren’t. Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! I personally didn’t enjoy t' tower details, but your mileage may vary.
T' stock paint scheme results in a model o' t' first Little Joe II Qualification Test Vehicle. Aye aye! Blimey! Well, matey, blow me down! Blimey! If you are goin' t' follow this scheme, shiver me timbers, I recommend that t' sub-assemblies be painted prior t' bein' joined. Begad! Blimey! I chose t' vary somewhat and used a 'parts is parts' mishmash. Begad! Blimey! Per ROTW:
* From t' wraps down it is basically be t' QTV (i.e. Ahoy! silver with t' USA decals). ROTW doesn't show t' black stripes specified in t' instructions, so I'm nay puttin' them on. Begad! It does show white fins in one view. Ya scallywag! Mine will be all silver. Blimey! So, matey, this part itself is a mixture.
* T' upper body will have t' stock decals but will be white like t' later rounds. T' decal is obviously from t' QTV.
* T' capsule will be per round A-001 with t' BP-12 capsule. But, ya bilge rat, with t' vanes that appeared on t' QTV. Begad! I could have taken t' vanes off, I guess.
* T' abort motor will be per round A-004/Spacecraft 002.
T' white is Krylon white, me hearties, arrr, me bucko, t' silver is Rusoleum Titanium Metalflake, arrr, t' black trim is vinyl pin striping, arrr, matey, and t' bottom o' t' escape motor is brush-on Testors. Aye aye! T' final insult be that one o' t' 'United States' decals strips stuck in place prematurely so it's a tad wavy. I gave it an over spray with a clear coat t' protect t' decals.
T' kit comes with two 12” ‘chutes, one in t' base kit and one with t' capsule kit. Begad! However, I decided t' keep it simple and use a single ‘chute. Begad! Ya scallywag!
I chose a Quest B6-4 for t' first flight and stuffed in a big ball o' waddin' (Quest paper wrapped around dog barf). Arrr! Avast, me proud beauty! T' flight be good with ejection just past apogee.
Unfortunately, t' escape tower rebounded into t' body and t' top o' t' tower broke off. It was found and I noticed it took a layer o' t' balsa cone with it. Avast, me proud beauty! I'll reattach it, touch up t' ding, and will switch back t' t' two 'chute configuration for t' next flight. Sometimes it pays t' follow t' manufacturer's instructions! (I won't count t' broken tower as a problem.)
This is one o' t' more challengin' kits that I’ve built. Arrr! If you are a skilled, ya bilge rat, matey, patient builder, this kit should result in a great looking, arrr, scale rocket. Well, blow me down! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! However, matey, ya bilge rat, I’m nay used t' such small, me hearties, detailed parts and I had me share o' issues. Aye aye! Begad! Blimey! Mine looks fine from a distance and at t' proper angle. Begad! Ahoy! Blimey! Nevertheless, ya bilge rat, I like t' Little Joe II and this is a welcome addition t' me fleet.
Brief: This is another excellent addition to Semroc's "Retro-Repro" line of reintroduced classics from the early years of model rocketry. The LJ-II was issued in 1968 as a companion to the 1/70 Saturn 1B, making it almost as old as I am. As with the original Estes kit, this one shares the same command module, which is also available as a very nice separate kit. At $21, it's ...