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, arrr, shiver me timbers, usin' styrofoam nose cone, arrr, me bucko, boat tail, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, and fins.

Construction:
T' body tubes included are thick paper tubes, ya bilge rat, arrr, me hearties, one for t' main airframe, me bucko, me hearties, and one for t' payload section. T' boat tail, matey, nose cone, fins, ya bilge rat, and coupler are all made o' expanded styrofoam. 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, me proud beauty! 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, me proud beauty! 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. Arrr!

Rocket PicT' instructions are easy to follow, ya bilge rat, and well illustrated. Well, blow me down! Actual assembly was where I ran into problems. T' fins attach t' t' boat tail usin' a V shaped groove. Arrr! Avast! 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. Blimey! After attachin' t' fins, 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. After t' fin can is assembled and attached, t' only thin' left t' do is apply t' decals, which are self stick. When I went t' put the payload section into t' main airframe, I noticed t' coupler was crooked, and had t' do quite a bit o' sandin' t' straighten it out. Avast! Begad! T' nose cone had the same problem fittin' into t' payload section, me hearties, matey, and be also a little "egg shaped" sittin' on top o' t' rocket. Aye aye! I removed t' shroud lines from t' pre-assembled parachute, 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, as everythin' is pre-painted. Blimey! Blimey! T' styrofoam parts show a lot o' texture under t' paint, matey, and could use some added filling and painting. I didn't do any extra t' mine, as it's me daughter's kit, and she was happy with t' way it was. T' fins are thick, matey, and would look better with an airfoil, or rounded edge, but it would weaken them too much.

Construction Rating: 1 out o' 5

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

Recovery:
T' shock cord and chute held up good. Well, blow me down! Blimey! T' shock cord mount appears that it will need replacement after a couple more flights. Aye aye! T' included parachute is just t' right size for minimal drift, me hearties, me bucko, and safe descent, me hearties, arrr, although it could be made o' a little heavier material. Avast! Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! Blimey! It will also need replacement after a few flights. Begad! Ya scallywag! Blimey!

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

Overall Rating: 2 out o' 5

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    ( 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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