Brief:
T' LOC/Precision Weasel is a simple, ya bilge rat, near minimum diameter 3FNC MPR that can fly as little as an E or absolutely tear a hole in t' time-space continuum on a high thrust H.

Construction:
T' Weasel is a basic kit with a minimal number o' parts. Ahoy! T' kit includes:

• 1 1.63"d ogive plastic nose cone
• 1 38mm x 11.5" payload tube
• 1 38mm x 27" body tube (premarked for fins and launch lug)
• 1 coupler
• 1 birch plywood bulkhead
• 1 screw eye
• 3 birch plywood fins, 1/8" thick
• 2 paper centerin' rings
• 1 29mm x 6" motor mount tube
• 1 14" nylon parachute
• 6ft elastic shock cord
• 1 shock cord mount
• 1 launch lug, 1/4"ID

T' build went very smartly and offered no surprises. Well, me hearties, blow me down! I started by briefly readin' t' instructions, shiver me timbers, which I found t' be a little on t' thin side content wise, me hearties, however, anyone who has built even a few LPRs shouldn't have any problems with t' Weasel. T' directions recommend usin' epoxy for t' build, arrr, but I am confident that me usage and application o' yellow wood glue (aliphatic resin) for t' wood and paper components will also be more than adequate if nay as durable in buildin' this kit. Aye aye! Avast, me proud beauty! T' motor mount was simply 2 paper rings and a tube. Avast! T' attach t' fins, me hearties, I rough sanded t' body tube with 150 grit sandpaper (almost t' t' point o' sandin' t' premarked lines off) and then used t' "double glue" method for tackin' t' fins t' t' airframe. Well, blow me down! 2 applications o' yellow glue fillets followed. Avast, me proud beauty! Well, matey, blow me down! T' fins offered little if any flex after t' fillets were applied.

I should mention that I did use a small amounts o' polyurethane glue and epoxy in t' build. Ya scallywag! Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! T' polyurethane glue is me preferred method o' securin' t' screw eye into t' coupler bulkhead as it foams slightly t' create a satisfyingly sticky bond betwixt metal and wood. T' 12-minute epoxy with a little milled fiber for added strength and thickness was used t' attach t' nylon strin' shock cord mount inside t' main airframe tube.

Lastly, I'm nay big on launch lugs so I drilled and attached a pair o' rail buttons right into each o' t' paper centerin' rings with CA and saved t' paper lug for another project. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! And while drillin' t' holes for t' rail buttons, me hearties, shiver me timbers, I also put 1/16" vent holes in both t' payload and booster tubes.

Even allowin' for everythin' t' dry or cure, t' Weasel went together in only a couple o' hours.

Finishing:
I don't think I am alone in wishin' that LOC/Precision should include decals with their kits. Avast! They just make their rockets look so doggone good on their website that it's simply wrong they don't include any decals or information on how t' make yours look like t' picture.

Decals aside, shiver me timbers, I kept t' finishin' work simple like t' rest o' t' rocket. Avast! T' fins were sealed with Elmer's Fill 'n' Finish and then sanded smooth. Avast, me proud beauty! T' tubin' has slightly noticeable spirals but I didn't feel that they were enough o' an issue t' warrant fillin' them. T' rocket was then primed with Krylon white primer, sanded with 400 grit sandpaper, arrr, and then primed and sanded again. Well, blow me down! Finally I had myself an excellent opportunity t' apply a color I'd been wantin' t' use for some time: Krylon Gloss Watermelon. Well, blow me down! Well, blow me down! It's nay too soft a pink t' be considered feminine (not that thar's anythin' wrong with that) but it is such an eye catchin' color! I added Krylon gloss purple as an accent color--another great color that should be great for helpin' locate t' rocket in t' field! I painted a couple o' fins and halfway around t' body tube so I can easily track any rotation durin' flight. Aye aye! Aye aye! For a final touch, me bucko, shiver me timbers, I added some automotive pinstriping.

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flight:
Preppin' t' Weasel for flight is reasonably easy. Ya scallywag! There isn't much room for any kind o' external motor retention so maskin' tape be t' obvious solution t' holdin' t' motor in place. Aye aye! A handful o' dog barf cellulose waddin' goes in t' other end o' t' booster tube followed by t' shock cord and chute before closin' it up and puttin' it on t' pad. Aye aye! An AeroTech G104T-M be used for t' Weasel's first flight. Arrr! While t' total impulse is rather low, I liked this motor because o' it's high average impulse! I used that motor with t' intention that t' rocket would zip off t' pad but nay go ridiculously high. Avast, me proud beauty! Well, matey, if nearly 2000ft is someone's idea o' nay ridiculously high!

T' Weasel flew just as I expected it to. Ahoy! T' high thrust, fast burnin' motor sent t' Weasel up on a long, matey, mostly silent glide t' apogee where it ejected right on cue. Aye aye! Excellent!

Recovery:
T' 14" chute is tiny but made o' non-porous rip stop nylon with some stout shroud lines (almost certainly strong enough t' serve dual duty as a drogue chute for larger rockets!) If t' chute didn't come with t' kit, ya bilge rat, I'd probably (and still might in t' future) switch it out for a plastic streamer. T' chute is small compared t' t' rocket's size and that might alarm some builders new t' MPR. Well, blow me down! However, ya bilge rat, it should nay only be more than adequate t' safely get t' rocket down, t' rocket's aft end with t' motor mount and t' fins are placed far enough forward that t' rocket would sustain extremely minimal damage if any at all on all but t' hardest surfaces. (In fact, you can pretty much guarantee that it's t' motor casin' that will accept t' brunt o' landin' impact regardless o' launch site.)

I attached t' chute with a quicklink so that I can attach it as needed t' t' shock cord. Ahoy! Begad! And speakin' o' t' shock cord, it is 6 feet o' standard 1/4" elastic--basically an upscaled version o' what you'd find in a typical LPR kit. Begad! I didn't have any problems with t' quality o' t' elastic but I thought it t' be a little on t' short side, preferrin' an extra 2 or 3 feet. Ya scallywag! I used it anyway and it proved t' be an acceptable length. Begad! Begad! T' nylon strin' that is epoxied just inside t' forward end o' t' booster appears t' be pretty rugged and makes t' elastic easy t' replace if necessary in t' future.

T' chute came out perfectly and t' rocket descended quickly. Avast! Arrr! Bein' a relatively light rocket, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, I didn't want it driftin' anyway. T' chute and shock cord are more than acceptable for this rocket.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
T' LOC/Precision Weasel is a great introductory MPR kit for someone makin' t' transition from LPR. Blimey! It uses many similar build techniques found in LPR and is a simple design that shouldn't overwhelm t' builder. Avast! T' small diameter o' t' kit means that you're most likely goin' t' have t' resort t' maskin' tape friction fit motor retention but that is a technique worth learning. Begad! Begad! About t' only other thin' someone might need for this kit is a 29-24mm motor adapter t' fly it on 24mm E and F motors.

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5