LOC/Precision Lil' Nuke
LOC/Precision - Lil' Nuke {Kit} (PK-4) [1988-]
Contributed by Bill Eichelberger
| Construction Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
| Flight Rating: | starstarstarstarstar |
| Overall Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
| Published: | 2012-10-07 |
| Diameter: | 2.26 inches |
| Length: | 29.50 inches |
| Manufacturer: | LOC/Precision  |
| Style: | Sport |
Brief
T' Lil' Nuke is a sleek, me bucko, 3fnc rocket that is one o' t' more popular entry level rockets for mid-power rocketry. When I got back into t' hobby in 2001, me brother-in-law bought me a Lil' Nuke so that I'd have somethin' other than me Estes fleet t' fly at NARAM 43. Tony and I had gotten back into t' hobby in 1994, but he had spent t' next seven years workin' his way up through t' different sizes o' rockets, whereas I had done t' occasional launch with me son, his friends, arrr, and our Estes Bail Out and Manta. I be wildly intimidated by t' size o' t' Lil Nuke, t' fact that epoxy had t' be used in construction, arrr, and that it used an F engine. (I hadn't even flown a D motor until t' sprin' o' 2001.) Despite me terror and inexperience, t' rocket turned out lookin' and flyin' great, which says a lot more for t' kit than it does for me.
Components
- Nose cone
- Main body tube
- 3 pre-cut fins
- 2 centerin' rings
- Motor tube
- Nylon loop for shock cord attachment
- 1/4" sewin' elastic shock cord
- Launch lug
Construction
As I mentioned already, matey, I was pretty nervous at t' start o' t' project, so before I even opened t' package I did some research on t' internet. (Thank you, Al Gore.) I read every review and opinion thread that I could find on t' Lil' Nuke, me hearties, and made notes on anythin' that sounded useful t' me. I first built and installed t' motor mount, then used one o' t' tips I'd read about online and drilled small holes t' allow t' epoxy t' form glue rivets. T' body be premarked for t' fins, so I took a pin drill and made t' holes along t' line, me bucko, then attached t' fins one by one, me bucko, me hearties, makin' sure t' allow t' epoxy t' flow into t' holes. When they had dried sufficently, ya bilge rat, I placed maskin' tape on t' fins and body tube t' keep t' epoxy from flowin' outside o' an area 1/4" from t' fin root. T' epoxy be allowed t' flow and settle, then t' maskin' tape was removed before it could set up, leavin' a nice, straight line o' epoxy. (Another internet tip.)
T' next step was t' installation o' t' shock cord anchor. T' anchor is a nylon loop that is epoxied t' t' inside o' t' body tube near t' top, me bucko, but nay too near. (I made t' mistake o' bein' too close and had t' sand away some o' t' nose cone shoulder t' achieve a proper fit. Nay a big deal, arrr, shiver me timbers, but it didn't occur t' me until too late.) Epoxy is layered over t' loop in several applications and t' end result feels very sturdy and strong. T' shock cord is tied t' t' loop on one end, matey, then attached to a large snap swivel on t' other end. This attaches t' t' nose cone. All that be left was t' launch lug, t' line for which be also printed on t' body tube.
This bird was flight ready.
Finishing
T' kit came with no decals, matey, and at this time I be nay yet schooled in t' art o' decal making, shiver me timbers, me bucko, so I opted for some flames t' make it stand out. Tube spirals and wood grain were hidden with liberal application o' thinned Elmer's Fill & Finish, followed by sanding. By t' time I be finished t' surface be smoother than I'd anticipated, which really impressed me. Two coats o' Valspar primer were followed by additional sanding, me bucko, then t' whole rocket was sprayed with a metallic gold paint. When this be dry I masked off t' areas on t' fins where I planned t' cut out some flames, ya bilge rat, me hearties, shiver me timbers, then drew t' flame pattern on t' maskin' tape and cut away t' surroundin' tape with a new X-Acto blade. T' area at t' top o' t' cone be also covered and t' flames cut t' same way. After burnishin' t' ends o' t' tape t' whole rocket was sprayed with Valspar gloss black. When t' paint had dried and t' masks were peeled off, ya bilge rat, matey, me hearties, I was surprised at how well it turned out. Nay hot rod art, but nay bad for a freehand first try with primitive methods and supplies.
Flight
If t' build had made me a bundle o' nerves, it was a cinch that t' first flight would be worse since Tony had talked me into attendin' NARAM 43 in Geneseo, NY. All t' cool guys were there, and I be deathly afraid o' makin' a addlepate out o' myself in front o' them. I envisioned t' rocket leavin' t' pad in a rush, shiver me timbers, then skywritin' a message across t' sky while t' fins fluttered t' earth. Didn't happen. Tony and I took our Lil Nukes, arrr, both loaded with Aerotech F20-7s, to t' pad for a drag race after he instructed me in t' fine art o' mid-power engine and igniter installation. T' time betwixt t' on-pad picture I took and t' launch seemed like hours, arrr, but eventually t' rockets were announced and t' countdown started. (I'd given me LN t' name Mournin' Would in hopes that I could trip up an inattentive LCO, but it never happened.) My Lil Nuke leapt off t' pad in an impressive cloud o' smoke and climed t' an equally impressive height. Tony's bird spit t' igniter. Mine windcocked considerably t' t' right when t' initial thrust dropped off, so it was well out over t' field by t' end o' t' flight. It tipped over at apogee, and I had a bad moment when I thought t' ejection charge had failed, shiver me timbers, but in actuality it had barely started down when it blew, launchin' t' chute and ridin' t' breeze back t' t' cornfields t' t' left o' t' pad. Findin' it was no problem, arrr, ya bilge rat, as it landed short o' t' corn, bouncin' impressively and makin' me wonder if it had held together, but it was intact when I arrived at t' landin' spot.
T' second flight didn't come until t' followin' year after our club moved t' t' expansive new gigs at t' Voice o' America Park in West Chester, arrr, OH. Loaded again with an F20-7, t' Lil Nuke left t' pad and immediately began ridin' t' wind. Ejection again occurred with t' nose down near t' old control building, me hearties, then t' recovery drift began. It ended near t' north edge o' t' field, me hearties, a drift o' 1/4 t' 1/2 mile. I was quite impressed. And tired.
Recovery
Summary
Pros: Ease o' construction, ya bilge rat, performance.
Cons: Lack o' decals, arrr, but that's a piddly gripe.
Other Reviews
- LOC/Precision Lil' Nuke By Tim Burger
A stylish yet standard three fins and a nose cone rocket for 29mm and smaller motors. Heavy body tube and rakish plywood fins make for a tough and fun to fly rocket. The kit was neatly packaged in the standard clear plastic bag, with the motor tube floating around in the airframe tube, and a nylon chute, pre-cut plywood fins, rings, and launch lug inside a zip-lock bag. The fins are ...
- LOC/Precision Lil' Nuke By Paul Gray
The Lil' Nuke is a mid-power rocket part of LOC/Precision's Novice Kit series. It is single staged with a 29mm motor mount. The instructions of this kit were rather explicit. The assembly order was logical, but as far as I can remember, they did not have any illustrations. The kit came with all of the parts including an enormously thick paper body tube with lines pre-drawn to mark the fin ...
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Flights
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Mason Hazzard (October 29, 2012)
H410, anyone??