LOC/Precision Viper III

LOC/Precision - Viper III (PK-6) [1984-]

Contributed by Cliff Oliver

Construction Rating: starstarstarstarstar
Flight Rating: starstarstarstarstar
Overall Rating: starstarstarstarstar
Manufacturer: LOC/Precision

Picture courtesy o' LOC/PrecisionRocket Pic

Brief:
This model is a single-stage, three-motor, cluster rocket. Arrr! It was designed for 24mm mid-power motors. Aye aye! Arrr! Primarily D and E impulse motors.

Construction:
In this kit thar are one body tube, arrr, three motor tubes, arrr, two 3/16" plywood centerin' rings, me hearties, shiver me timbers, me hearties, three 3/16" plywood fins, one 18" nylon parachute, one elastic shock cord and mount, 1/4" launch lug and a plastic nose cone.

T' instruction for this kit were structured for modelers that have built a few rockets and understand how a rocket should be assembled. Begad! They explain the areas o' t' kit that differ from others in good detail. Begad! T' order of construction was well thought out so you do nay have t' "go back" in the construction process. Arrr! This kit is very easy t' build. Aye aye!

T' only area I wish I had paid more attention was motor retention. Avast! LOC does not include a method o' retention in this kit. Begad! Avast! Which is good in me opinion. Arrr! The builder can choose his/her own method o' motor retention. Avast! I had t' rocket completely assembled when I discovered how I wanted t' retain t' motors. The tree motor tubes are epoxied together in a pyramid style. Well, blow me down! Durin' construction, a length o' all-thread rod can be epoxied in t' middle o' t' three tubes so that it extends past t' aft end o' t' assembly. This way, t' motors can be retained with a nut and washer. Aye aye! I had t' "go back" and drill a hole in t' epoxy for t' threaded rod. Arrr! It works very well.

If you do nay use t' all-thread style motor retention, remember t' seal the gap betwixt t' motor tubes with epoxy. Begad! This will prevent ventin' t' ejection gases rather than deployin' t' recovery system. Ya scallywag!

All t' parts fit very well. Begad! I did nay have t' sand any o' t' parts to make them fit. Begad! Blimey! I was a bit concerned about t' fin method o' fin attachment at first. T' aft end o' t' motor tubes extend past t' aft end o' t' body tube. This makes up a large part o' t' length o' t' rocket. Ya scallywag! T' fins are attached at t' motor tube joints. Arrr! No through t' wall mounts here. However, arrr, A little patience and a lot o' epoxy in t' fin t' tube joints will pay off in t' long run. Arrr! Also I suggest an epoxy fillet in each motor tube joint. Blimey! This will greatly increase t' strength o' t' lower end o' t' rocket. Well, blow me down!

All in all, matey, usin' good construction techniques and EPOXY, t' Viper III turned out very sturdy.

Finishing:
T' only "con" that I can say about this kit be t' spiral grooves. Need I say more? T' grooves in t' body tube were no worse than an Estes kit though. Ya scallywag! Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! I filled them with Elmer's FNF and they turned out smooth and invisible when primed and painted. Begad! T' fins were coated with sandin' sealer and sanded several times before priming. Arrr! I used auto primer t' start t' finishing process. Avast, me proud beauty! One light coat. Then sanded smooth. Begad! Any imperfection were filled with Squadron Green putty. Aye aye! Then primed and sanded until I be pleased with the finish. Krylon "Glowin' Lemon Yellow" fluorescent paint was applied the t' t' main body tube. Begad! Arrr! T' nose cone, motor tubes and fins were painted gloss black. Arrr! Avast! There were no decals included in t' kit. Avast! This allows t' modeler to add their own design. Well, blow me down! T' model looks great after it's finished even without decals.

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flight:
T' recommended motors for this rocket are D12-7 and E30-7. Aye aye! Aye aye! I used three Estes D12-5's for t' first two flights. Aye aye! Cellulose insulation be used for wadding. This stuff works great! It's cheap and can be bought at almost any building supply store. About three inches o' t' body tube full is enough. Well, blow me down! As I mentioned earlier I used a piece o' all-thread epoxied betwixt t' motor tubes with a nut and washer for motor retention. Begad! I also epoxied thrust rings in the motor tubes t' keep t' motor from movin' forward. Blimey! Begad! If you plan t' use motors longer than D's and E's, don't put any thrust rings in. Blimey! Arrr! Other motors will not fit. Avast, me proud beauty! T' day I flew it for t' first time was near perfect. 5-10 MPH winds clear skies and t' temp was around 80. Begad! Begad! I used t' Estes ignitors that came with t' motors. Begad! I have an Ignitorman kit, but didn't have time t' make some up before this launch. Blimey! Upon hittin' t' GO button t' rocket lifted off very quickly and straight as an arrow. Beautiful flight. I guessimate altitude at approximately 1000'. Recovered close t' t' pads with no damage.

Recovery:
T' shock cord is attached t' t' inside o' t' body tube usin' a small Keelhaul®©™® string. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' strin' is taped t' t' tube so that a loop extends one inch from the end. Blimey! Blimey! Epoxy is applied other t' end o' t' strin' and tape. Ahoy! Ya scallywag! This a very strong mount. Begad! T' included elastic shock cord is then tied t' t' Keelhaul®©™® string. Blimey! Avast, matey, me proud beauty! I tied a loop in t' very end o' t' shock cord for t' parachute to attach. Begad! Begad! T' nose cone was attached about 18" from t' parachute. Begad! T' set up returned t' rocket very nicely. Begad! It landed close t' t' pads at a rate that did cause damage upon impact.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
This a great kit. Aye aye! I was kinda nervous about t' first launch. Begad! Begad! It was me first cluster rocket. Avast! Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! It assembled and finished very well. T' flight can be summed up in one word. WOW! I haven't flown it on E motors yet. Ya scallywag! I can hardly wait.

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5


[NAR][Sport Rocketry]

T' followin' excerpt is from "Sport Rocketry". Begad! Blimey! T' intention is t' allow guests t' get a basic feelin' about a kit. Begad! We strongly suggest that you get a copy o' t' referenced Sport Rocketry and read t' entire article. Well, blow me down! Inside you will find many helpful hints in construction as well as other useful information. Ahoy! For more information, shiver me timbers, use t' two links above.


(Sport Rocketry - Sep/Oct 2000 - page 44 - by Bryan M. Chuck)


"T' components are solid, quality parts: plywood fins and centering rings, arrr, rugged cardboard tubing, plastic nosecone, and three 24mm motor mount tubes."
"A unique feature o' this rocket is that t' motor mount portion o' the rocket is exposed..."
"Buildin' t' Viper III was quite simple."
"T' instructions are clear and easy t' follow..."
"There are no decals with t' Viper III."
"It's unique, me hearties, yet simple t' build, arrr, me hearties, and a solid performer."

T' entire article gives t' impression is that it a skilled modeler would enjoy this unique kit.

Other Reviews
  • LOC/Precision Viper III By Bryan M. Chuck

    (07/01/04) The LOC Viper III is my third LOC kit and I purchased it for the 24mm x 3 cluster aspect. I wanted a cluster rocket that could fly on D12's and E9's and the Viper III fit the bill. The Viper III is a 47.5" tall rocket based on a 2.6" airframe with the cluster of motor tubes sticking out of the bottom. The three fins are attached at the joints of the motor t ...

Flights

Comments:

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C.S. (March 1, 2001)
This really is an excellent first kit for those moving into the midpower range. I got mine 3 years ago when I was just starting medium/high power and the kit has gone great on everything from D12-3's to E-30's. I have not got my hands on 3 G55's yet. It will be a little easier to cluster now with the first fire ignitors. These directions and assembly are straight forward, 5 minute epoxy is even strong enough for this kit. This kit is an attention grabber at the launches.
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P.C. (August 22, 2006)
This was my first LOC kit and only cluster. It was a quick, easy build and is a good way to fly a large(ish) rocket if you are limited to black powder motors. The exposed motor tubes make this a unique looking bird and it has proven to be very tough when one or even two motors have failed to light. I've clocked up about 10 flights so far on black powder and I've loved every one of 'em! Too bad I cant get my hands on some SU 24mm AP at the moment :(
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G.W.R. (March 17, 2010)
I love this kit. It's a super easy build and incredibly sturdy and I love the plywood fins. I used JB Weld and I suspect it will last for years. Every flight has been successful, not a single misfire yet. And the sound of three Es lighting simultaneously is most impressive.

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