Brief:
At t' end o' last year, matey, I decided I needed a 54mm rocket. I looked through a lot, shiver me timbers, and this rocket seemed t' best as far as gettin' "more bang for your buck". Avast! Havin' had a Nike Smoke from Quest in t' past and likin' military kits, it appealed t' me a lot. It be t' standard dual deploy rocket, but all t' recovery goes in t' nose.

Photo courtesy o' Polecat Aerospace     

Construction:
In t' box, arrr, I found:

• 1 54mm Motor Tube

• 4 Pre-beveled Fins

• 2 15' Shock Cord

• 1 enormous Fiberglas Nose Cone

• 2 5.5" Body Tubes

• 3 nicely cut Centerin' Rings

• 1 Electronics Bay Assembly

I didn't really look at t' instructions at all, however, ya bilge rat, I built it completely stock. I also made huge fillets. Avast, me proud beauty! Ahoy! Blimey! I amazingly said that it could come out at 5.5lbs. Avast! Mine came out at over two times that by comin' out in the 12-13lb range (without parachute). Aye aye! Blimey!

It didn't come with any sort o' motor retention, so I rigged up me own with blind nuts and t' proper bolts and washers. Well, blow me down! It has worked nicely so far.

I didn't like t' amount o' tubular nylon (TN) that they gave me, so I linked t' two 15' pieces together and added another 20' o' me own for t' main. Begad! I like me cords really long!

I added about 10oz o' nose weight secured with expandin' foam just t' be on t' safe side. Aye aye! I cut up pieces of solder t' do this with. Ya scallywag! Arrr! Blimey! I also thought that t' way o' securin' t' shock cord in t' nose was slightly different as well with a 4" bulkhead glued in. Ya scallywag! Blimey!

Finishing:
Polecat used t' give you nothin' at all but have since upgraded certain kits t' come with decals. I lacked any other scale data. Aye aye! Well, blow me down! I sanded t' glass smooth but nay completely, as t' glass line is still faintly noticeable. I painted it in t' normal white, red-orange, and yellow. Ahoy! It turned out very nice. I put both o' t' decals on opposite sides. Thinkin' I could put them on easily, shiver me timbers, me bucko, me bucko, I didn't do t' soapy water trick and applied them on t' dry body tube. Begad! They came out slightly crooked but nothin' extremely noticeable. Well, blow me down! Ahoy! After that I applied a few coats o' clear coat.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
It says I can fly on H-L motor but t' smallest I would put in is a high thrust I. Blimey! Blimey! I was very nervous for me first flight. Ahoy! I went t' t' vendor and bought me motor. Well, blow me down! Arrr! T' K550W be me motor o' choice. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! I loaded it up and put it in the rocket. Well, blow me down! Next, I got t' electronics ready. Begad! I used Christmas tree bulb matches with Pyrodex, because I ran out of e-matches and black powder. Ahoy! I didn't have any good way t' put in a safety switch, so I put t' wires through a couple vent holes, twisted and shoved back in with tape. Well, blow me down! Begad! I got both altimeters armed but one had a wire loose and I wasn't gettin' continuity. Blimey! I had one working, so I just left it as is. Aye aye! I inserted t' Quickburst igniter and set off. Arrr! I was very tense when he started t' countdown. Ya scallywag! 5,4,3,2,1,launch! I saw a small amount o' smoke, arrr, a flicker o' flame, then it roared t' life and went high and straight up into t' sky.

Recovery:
I saw t' relief from t' puff o' smoke at apogee. Arrr! Ahoy! Then it was comin' almost straight down on me Skyangle 28 drogue. It kept fallin' and falling. Arrr! Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty! It hit 500' and no main, but then I remembered that one altimeter didn't arm right. Aye aye! At 300' thar be a puff o' smoke and t' main came out. Ya scallywag! I was usin' a slightly undersized 66" military surplus chute because me 72 Tac-1 hadn't arrived in t' mail yet. Ya scallywag! Avast! T' size didn't matter that much at t' low altitude it was at. It touched down about 200 yards away in perfect condition. Blimey! Begad! Everyone be cheering. Avast! It felt good. Aye aye! Ahoy! I went t' get it and there was only a slight dent in t' back o' t' airframe. Begad! My grandpa helped me gather me rocket and we headed back. Begad! Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! I later read t' altimeter beeps as 4681', shiver me timbers, exactly t' deployment altitude o' me RockSim simulation. I wonder how it did that!

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
I love this kit. Aye aye! Blimey! I also recommend it t' everyone who has enough experience. Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! Though I am only 13 years old, shiver me timbers, I am very advanced and built and flew this kit through me grandpa's certification. Well, blow me down! It is worth t' $250.

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5

Presented with written permission from RocketyPlanet:

Product Review by Steve Shannon
Friday, shiver me timbers, March 30, 2007

February be t' dead o' Winter in Butte, arrr, ya bilge rat, Montana and that's t' perfect opportunity t' seek warmer climates. Avast, me proud beauty! Steve Shannon did just that, arrr, me bucko, ya bilge rat, by plannin' a family get-away in t' sunnier South, me bucko, just in time for t' Arizona Rocket Gathering. While there, he grabbed a Polecat Aerospace 5.5" Nike Smoke kit for a Winter project and this is its story. Arrr! Ahoy!

Introduction

My wife and I headed South at t' end o' February t' visit me daughter - Montana be cold and Phoenix looked very inviting. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Avast! Blimey! I planned this vacation so that I could attend ARG 4 while we were there. Begad! Blimey!

Photo sequence showin' t' fin slot fit. Photo sequence showin' t' fin slot fit. Arrr! Photo sequence showin' t' fin slot fit. Avast!

Andy Woerner o' Polecat Aerospace was one o' t' vendors at ARG and I have been interested in his kits for a few years now. Ya scallywag! Blimey! I asked Andy about them and he showed me t' components o' one o' them. Begad! Based on what I saw, arrr, I decided to buy one - I like t' Nike Smoke.

I looked at t' 4 inch and t' 5.5 inch kits and decided that for t' difference in money, matey, ya bilge rat, me bucko, I would prefer t' have the 5.5 inch rocket. He has two models: for $200 you can get a single deployment rocket, or for $30 more ($230 total), you get a kit that has most o' t' parts necessary (except electronics and parachutes) t' build a dual deployment rocket. Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! I opted for t' latter. Blimey!

Parts

T' kit comes in a single long box. Everythin' is neatly packaged. T' list o' materials includes:

• One fiberglass nosecone. Begad!
• One four inch bulkhead that fits deep in t' nosecone. This bulkhead is pre-drilled for a u-bolt that will be used t' connect a shock cord t' t' nosecone.
• Two pieces o' pre-glassed airframe body tube. Begad! Begad! One is 36 inches long and slotted for t' fins. T' other is 10 inches long and intended t' be used for t' avionics bay and main chute compartment.
• One cardboard coupler for use in t' avionics bay. Ya scallywag! I'll talk more about this later. Aye aye! Begad!
• One cardboard 54mm motor mount tube (MMT). Ya scallywag! This rocket is also available with larger motor mounts, matey, arrr, but realistically I can afford t' fly many more 54mm motors than 75mm or 98mm motors. Arrr! Avast!
• Four plywood fins. Ahoy! Blimey! T' fin edges are beveled, but nay tapered t' t' center like t' classic Nike Smoke fin. That did nay deter me, but t' purists out thar will probably prefer somethin' different.
• Three centerin' rings. One is pre-drilled for t' u-bolt that will be used t' attach t' shock cord. Begad! All three are identical in diameter and cut t' accept t' motor mount tube.
• Two plywood bulkheads for use in t' avionics bay. One has a step rabbeted in t' edge. Well, blow me down! This one becomes t' aft end o' t' avionics bay and is removed in order t' access t' gizmos you load into your avionics bay.
• Two plywood strips that are pre-drilled and a plywood rectangle (7 inches long by 5 inches wide). Begad! Avast! These parts form t' avionics sled and mounts mounts that slide over two pieces o' threaded rod.
• A sealed bag o' miscellaneous hardware parts, ya bilge rat, such as t' threaded rods, me bucko, u-bolts, nuts, matey, and washers. I appreciated t' fact that this bag was heavy plastic and heat sealed t' prevent t' loss o' parts. Blimey! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey!
• Two sets o' instructions: one for t' Nike Smoke and one for t' "Dual Deployment Bay." Each set of instructions had a list o' parts that should have been included.

Dual deployment electronics bay. Begad!

Four items that were listed in t' parts lists were unfortunately nay included with t' rocket kit. Ya scallywag! Aye aye! They were the two tubular nylon shock cords and t' two rail guides. Begad! T' screws and standoff nuts for t' rail guides were included. I don't consider these missin' parts t' be a major problem. Aye aye! Over t' years I have built up supplies o' both. Well, matey, blow me down! When I get around t' it I will send an email t' Andy mentionin' these shortages.

Assembly Notes

T' instructions are simple t' follow and t' kit assembles very quickly. Well, blow me down! First I went through t' instructions and dry fit everythin' t' see how it would work. Begad! Begad! I noticed t' two slides for t' avionics sled had slightly offset holes (the holes on both slides were offset t' same amount) so I made sure t' line them up t' same. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr!

In less than 20 minutes I assembled and epoxied t' "Dual Deployment Bay." Then I started on t' rocket body. Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty!

Motor mount end o' t' kit.

I began by test fittin' t' centerin' rings, me bucko, motor mount tube, and fins. I was very pleasantly surprised by how well t' fins fit into t' fin slots in t' body tube. I honestly have never had fin slots fit so precisely t' fin tabs before. Avast! T' slots were square and straight. Begad! When I removed t' fins from t' fin slots I realized why. T' fin slots were (like t' fins) laser cut. This sequence o' photos at t' above right shows t' tight fit. Begad!

T' instructions say t' assemble all three centerin' rings t' t' motor mount tube (MMT) before gluin' the assembly into t' body tube and then epoxyin' t' fins in place. Havin' t' aft centerin' rin' epoxied in place would prevent applyin' internal fillets t' t' fins. Ya scallywag! Blimey! So, arrr, you may want t' dry fit t' aft centerin' rin' until you epoxy the fins t' t' outside o' t' body tube and then remove t' aft centerin' rin' and applyin' fillets where t' fin tabs pass through t' body tube and where they meet t' MMT. Begad! Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! Blimey! That's what I did. Well, blow me down! Blimey!

Forward recovery mountin' point.

Put some tape on t' aft centerin' rin' so you can pull it out o' t' body tube after t' middle centerin' ring epoxy and external fin epoxy has cured. Begad! Blimey! Then epoxy t' fin tabs t' t' MMT. Begad! Begad! Once that has cured apply a heavy band of thickened epoxy just below t' fin tabs on t' inside o' t' body tube and on t' bottom o' t' fin tabs and slide the aft centerin' rin' in place.

T' forward centerin' rin' fits up at t' very front end o' t' MMT, deep inside t' body tube. Begad! I have no problem with that although I prefer t' coupler at t' top o' t' body tube in t' "zipperless" fashion. Avast, me proud beauty! T' middle centerin' rin' sits on t' top o' t' fin tabs. Avast! That is fine also. Ya scallywag! However, me hearties, t' fin tabs are 5-5/8ths inch wide and the directions call for t' middle and aft centerin' rin' t' be epoxied t' t' MMT about 9 inches apart from each other. That means that t' aft centerin' ring, me bucko, which is flush with t' aft end o' t' body tube, would nay seat against the bottom o' t' fin tabs. Aye aye! Avast, me proud beauty!

Minimal seam on t' pre-glassed tube.

This is probably a philosophical difference, shiver me timbers, matey, but I prefer that t' thrust o' t' motor nay be supported solely by the epoxy joints on t' MMT and centerin' ring. Begad! I want t' thrust t' be coupled from t' end o' t' motor mount directly t' t' aft centerin' ring, then t' t' base o' t' fin tabs. T' fin tabs then couple t' force t' the airframe. Blimey!

With that in mind I had a few options: I could just build it stock and count on t' cardboard t' handle t' thrust of a K. Blimey! I could slide t' MMT farther up into t' body tube and then slide t' aft centerin' rin' further up so it rests against t' bottom o' t' fin tabs. Arrr! Begad! That will leave t' motor firin' about three inches up inside t' body tube, so I might want t' shorten t' aft end o' t' body tube a little also. Ya scallywag! Avast!

Instead, I slid one centerin' rin' up against t' bottom o' t' fin tabs and epoxied it in place. Avast, me proud beauty! I will apply an epoxy fillet t' t' centerin' rin' this week. Ahoy! I will put in a short piece o' four inch phenolic tubin' and add a four inch centerin' rin' flush with t' end o' t' body tube and rocket. Avast, me proud beauty! That will reinforce t' motor tube and also allow me t' use t' Nike Smoke as t' sustainer in a two stage rocket someday. Well, blow me down! Well, blow me down!

Nosecone seam passes light through.

T' only assembly that needed t' be done on t' nosecone be t' epoxy in a four inch centerin' rin' which holds a u-bolt. Begad! Aye aye! One o' t' shock cords gets connected t' this. Avast, me proud beauty! I plan also t' paint t' inside o' t' nosecone with some Aeropoxy t' help seal t' exposed glass fibers, which I will discuss in t' Materials, Fit, shiver me timbers, and Finish section which follows. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye!

Materials, Fit, and Finish

T' fiberglassed body tube was very well done. Arrr! T' seam on t' outside o' t' fiberglass is visible, me hearties, but nay at all bothersome. Begad! Blimey! Andy recommended lightly sandin' it, but I am o' t' school that believes in buildin' up rather than sandin' off. Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! Blimey! T' fine weave o' t' cloth will make it very easy t' fill and sand before painting. Blimey! In fact this may be the perfect kit t' try out some o' that urethane spray filler/primer I bought from t' car place.

Assembled Nike Smoke kit. Aye aye!

T' centerin' rings, fins, me bucko, and bulkplate were all extremely well cut, me bucko, ya bilge rat, fittin' very precisely. Avast! Begad! Blimey! I have never seen parts that fit so well, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, with no gaps or tight spots that need sandin' t' make fit. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! Blimey! T' wood parts are all high quality Baltic birch plywood with no patches or knots in t' veneer. Ya scallywag! Avast! Blimey!

T' nosecone is a nice lookin' fiberglass component that appears t' have been laid up in a two piece mold. Well, blow me down! The seam where t' two halves come together bulges slightly on one side.

Lookin' toward a bright light from inside t' nosecone, one can see where t' seam passes more light. Arrr! T' photo below demonstrates that. Blimey! T' material seems heavy enough, shiver me timbers, but coarse on t' inside. Blimey! After workin' in t' inside o' the nose cone t' epoxy in t' bulk plate me arms were very itchy from contact with t' rough glass fibers that are exposed. However, matey, for t' price o' t' kit this is a huge nosecone, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, standin' 32-1/2 inches from t' bottom o' t' shoulder to the tip o' t' nosecone. Arrr! Aye aye! It is nay coated with a glossy gel coat, me hearties, me hearties, but rather with a matte finish which actually will make it easier t' prime and paint. Blimey!

T' cardboard used for t' dual deployment bay coupler is a decent grade o' cardboard. Ya scallywag! It could be slightly heavier, but it will be adequate. Well, blow me down! Blimey! After a trial flight I might want t' glass t' inside o' t' bay, but I will try it stock at first. Arrr!

Synopsis

This rocket is a nicely made kit that assembles easily. Begad! T' fit and finish o' t' fins, fin slots and centering rings made it fun t' build. Avast! Blimey! T' things that bothered me were very slight and easily remedied so I would happily buy another kit from Polecat Aerospace. Aye aye! Avast! Blimey! Our first launch here in Montana is in April and I'm eager t' fly this rocket.

Flight

Well, I never did get around t' reinforcin' t' avionics bay, me bucko, but it does nay seem t' need it. Arrr! I have flown it twice now and it flies great on a J or a K. Ya scallywag! Ya scallywag! It went t' 4943 on a K550, arrr, and flew straight while doin' so. Avast! On both flights t' shear pins sheared at apogee so I need t' either use larger pins (3/32 inch round styrene right now, but may become nylon 4/40 screws soon). Begad!

I painted it traditionally, with one yellow and three flourescent red fins. Ahoy!

I flew it again on a Loki Research K-350 moon burner. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! It went t' 7,738 feet. Begad!