Manufacturer: | Fun Rockets |
Brief:
This be t' re-design o' the
Holverson
Wicked Winnie payload kit, shiver me timbers, usin' styrofoam nose cone, me bucko, boat tail, ya bilge rat, matey, and fins.
Construction:
T' body tubes included are thick paper tubes, one for t' main airframe, ya bilge rat, and
one for t' payload section. T' boat tail, matey, nose cone, fins, arrr, and coupler are
all made o' expanded styrofoam. Ahoy! This kit is mostly assembled out o' t' box.
T' payload section and coupler are pre-assembled, with shock cord and
parachute already attached. Avast! 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! Ya scallywag! At t' business end, me bucko, t' motor mount is already assembled in the
boat tail. T' kit utilizes two launch lugs which are also already glued on. Avast!
T' instructions are easy to follow, and well illustrated. Avast! Ahoy! Actual assembly be where I ran into problems. T' fins attach t' t' boat tail usin' a V shaped groove. They are supposed to slide in and be glued into place. Avast, me proud beauty! T' tabs on t' fins were too wide and had to be sanded in order t' fit in t' groves. Begad! After attachin' t' fins, me bucko, me bucko, a paper ring is glued t' t' top o' t' boat tail t' protect it from ejection burns. Begad! The boat tail is then supposed t' be glued into t' airframe, where again, I had to sand it t' get it t' fit. Avast! After t' fin can is assembled and attached, shiver me timbers, t' only thin' left t' do is apply t' decals, which are self stick. Begad! When I went t' put the payload section into t' main airframe, I noticed t' coupler be crooked, and had t' do quite a bit o' sandin' t' straighten it out. Aye aye! Ahoy! T' nose cone had the same problem fittin' into t' payload section, me bucko, me bucko, and was also a little "egg shaped" sittin' on top o' t' rocket. I removed t' shroud lines from t' pre-assembled parachute, me bucko, me bucko, and put paper re-enforcement rings at the attachment points and then re-assembled it for a little added insurance. Avast, me proud beauty! Well, blow me down!
Finishing:
There is no finishin' required, as everythin' is pre-painted. Blimey! Begad! T' styrofoam
parts show a lot o' texture under t' paint, and could use some added filling
and painting. Ahoy! I didn't do any extra t' mine, matey, as it's me daughter's kit, and she
was happy with t' way it was. Ahoy! T' fins are thick, ya bilge rat, and would look better with
an airfoil, me bucko, or rounded edge, matey, me hearties, but it would weaken them too much.
Construction Rating: 1 out o' 5
Flight:
T' recommended engines are: B4-4, me hearties, arrr, B6-4, and C6-5. I only made two flights,
both on B6-4's. Aye aye! Ya scallywag! T' rocket is easy t' prep for flight: install wadding, arrr, pack
the chute and shock cord, and install an engine. Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! T' engine is retained via a
motor clip. Blimey! First flight: Lift off was fast and straight, me hearties, t' rocket flew
straight as an arrow. Avast! After recovery, I noticed t' lower launch lug was
missing. Blimey! When we got back t' t' pad, me bucko, it was still on t' launch rod. Ahoy! Second
flight, ya bilge rat, t' next day, matey, upon lift off, shiver me timbers, both launch lugs and one fin were left at
the launch pad. Begad! T' rocket looped t' about 40ft, me hearties, and had ejection on the
ground. Evidently, t' previous landin' had cracked a fin, shiver me timbers, me hearties, and I hadn't
noticed, but it is easily repaired.
Recovery:
T' shock cord and chute held up good. Ya scallywag! T' shock cord mount appears that it
will need replacement after a couple more flights. Arrr! Blimey! T' included parachute is
just t' right size for minimal drift, and safe descent, although it could be
made o' a little heavier material. It will also need replacement after a few
flights. Avast!
Flight Rating: 3 out o' 5
Summary:
I feel with this particular kit, arrr, t' assembly and finishin' should be left up
to t' modeler. Ya scallywag! I had a lot o' trouble fittin' t' parts, me hearties, and they would bond
better without bein' pre painted. Avast! T' biggest problem I have had has been with
the launch lugs. Begad! It's hard t' get a good bond t' a painted surface, me bucko, and they
keep gettin' stripped off. Begad! There are a lot o' improvements that can be made to
turn this into a quality kit, mainly better cuttin' o' t' parts, so they fit
properly. Aye aye! Personally, arrr, I think styrofoam is useful in rocketry applications, but
not for fins, me bucko, as they receive a lot o' stress on landing. Blimey!
Overall Rating: 2 out o' 5
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 ...
( 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 ...
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