Fun Rockets Wicked Winnie

Fun Rockets - Wicked Winnie {Kit}

Contributed by David Logan

Manufacturer: Fun Rockets
Rocket PicRating
(Contributed - by David Logan)

Brief:
This be t' re-design o' the Holverson Wicked Winnie payload kit, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, usin' styrofoam nose cone, boat tail, me bucko, and fins.

Construction:
T' body tubes included are thick paper tubes, one for t' main airframe, me bucko, and one for t' payload section. T' boat tail, nose cone, fins, me bucko, and coupler are all made o' expanded styrofoam. Ahoy! Arrr! This kit is mostly assembled out o' t' box. T' payload section and coupler are pre-assembled, arrr, 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. Ya scallywag! Ahoy! At t' business end, t' motor mount is already assembled in the boat tail. Aye aye! Ahoy! T' kit utilizes two launch lugs which are also already glued on. Aye aye!

Rocket PicT' instructions are easy to follow, matey, and well illustrated. Aye aye! Actual assembly was where I ran into problems. T' fins attach t' t' boat tail usin' a V shaped groove. Well, blow me down! They are supposed to slide in and be glued into place. Begad! 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, shiver me timbers, a paper ring is glued t' t' top o' t' boat tail t' protect it from ejection burns. The boat tail is then supposed t' be glued into t' airframe, where again, shiver me timbers, I had to sand it t' get it t' fit. Ahoy! Begad! After t' fin can is assembled and attached, t' only thin' left t' do is apply t' decals, which are self stick. Well, blow me down! When I went t' put the payload section into t' main airframe, arrr, ya bilge rat, I noticed t' coupler was crooked, and had t' do quite a bit o' sandin' t' straighten it out. Blimey! Blimey! T' nose cone had the same problem fittin' into t' payload section, and was also a little "egg shaped" sittin' on top o' t' rocket. I removed t' shroud lines from t' pre-assembled parachute, matey, arrr, and put paper re-enforcement rings at the attachment points and then re-assembled it for a little added insurance.

Nose ConeFinishing:
There is no finishin' required, me bucko, me bucko, as everythin' is pre-painted. Begad! T' styrofoam parts show a lot o' texture under t' paint, me hearties, and could use some added filling and painting. I didn't do any extra t' mine, me bucko, as it's me daughter's kit, and she was happy with t' way it was. Begad! Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! T' fins are thick, and would look better with an airfoil, or rounded edge, shiver me timbers, but it would weaken them too much.

Construction Rating: 1 out o' 5

Flight:
T' recommended engines are: B4-4, B6-4, shiver me timbers, and C6-5. Begad! I only made two flights, both on B6-4's. Ahoy! Begad! Blimey! T' rocket is easy t' prep for flight: install wadding, shiver me timbers, pack the chute and shock cord, ya bilge rat, and install an engine. Ya scallywag! T' engine is retained via a motor clip. First flight: Lift off was fast and straight, me bucko, shiver me timbers, arrr, t' rocket flew straight as an arrow. Arrr! After recovery, I noticed t' lower launch lug was missing. Blimey! When we got back t' t' pad, shiver me timbers, it was still on t' launch rod. Avast, me proud beauty! Second flight, me bucko, t' next day, arrr, upon lift off, matey, both launch lugs and one fin were left at the launch pad. Begad! Blimey! T' rocket looped t' about 40ft, matey, and had ejection on the ground. Well, blow me down! Evidently, t' previous landin' had cracked a fin, and I hadn't noticed, me bucko, but it is easily repaired.

Recovery:
T' shock cord and chute held up good. Well, me hearties, blow me down! T' shock cord mount appears that it will need replacement after a couple more flights. Avast! T' included parachute is just t' right size for minimal drift, ya bilge rat, and safe descent, although it could be made o' a little heavier material. It will also need replacement after a few flights. Ahoy!

Flight Rating: 3 out o' 5

Summary:
I feel with this particular kit, t' assembly and finishin' should be left up to t' modeler. I had a lot o' trouble fittin' t' parts, arrr, and they would bond better without bein' pre painted. T' biggest problem I have had has been with the launch lugs. Arrr! It's hard t' get a good bond t' a painted surface, and they keep gettin' stripped off. Begad! There are a lot o' improvements that can be made to turn this into a quality kit, ya bilge rat, mainly better cuttin' o' t' parts, me bucko, so they fit properly. Avast! Personally, shiver me timbers, I think styrofoam is useful in rocketry applications, ya bilge rat, but not for fins, me hearties, as they receive a lot o' stress on landing. Ahoy! Avast!

Overall Rating: 2 out o' 5

Other Reviews
  • Fun Rockets Wicked Winnie By Bill Eichelberger (June 16, 2015)

    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 ...

  • Fun Rockets Wicked Winnie By Mike Goss

    ( 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 ...

Flights

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