Binder Design - Gangsta 29mm {Kit}

Binder Design Gangsta

Binder Design - Gangsta 29mm {Kit}

Contributed by Frank G. Whitby

Construction Rating:
Flight Rating:
Overall Rating:

Manufacturer:

Binder Design

Brief:
Scott Fisher sold me a bunch o' these kits for use in a rocketry class taught at t' University o' Utah Museum of Natural Sciences in t' fall o' 2006. Avast!

Gansta
Photo Courtesy o' Binder Design

Construction:
T' experience with t' Gangsta kit was excellent. Well, blow me down! A dozen 4th and 5th graders put these kits together on a Saturday morning, me hearties, requirin' about 3 hours o' class time. Well, blow me down! T' kits were constructed with wood glue only. Aye aye! Most o' t' kids had some limited model buildin' experience but had never assembled a rocket on their own. Blimey! Begad! They built t' kits and we did swin' tests t' establish t' CG and CP. We planned t' launch them on F and G single use motors.

Finishing:
They took their rockets home and painted them and then came out t' a UROC sport launch one week later on a beautiful sunny November day just before Thanksgiving.

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flight and Recovery:
All but one kid was able t' make it t' t' launch with their parents. Well, me bucko, blow me down! We had a dedicated launch pad and we helped them t' decide on t' motor, purchase it from Rocket Dog Hobby (on site UROC vendor), and prep their rockets. Begad! Blimey! There was a sometimes stiff 5-10 mph breeze with periods o' calm. All kids launched either 2 or 3 times with single use Aerotech F and G motors. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! T' Gangsta really moves out on all o' these motors. Avast! T' boost from t' G80 really sent it out of sight. Ahoy! All rockets were recovered from every flight in perfect condition. Avast! T' wood glue held up beautifully. Epoxy is not needed in t' construction o' this kit.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
This be a really great kit t' use in a class setting. Ya scallywag! T' kids were drawn t' t' cool design and a short rocket is easy for them t' deal with and transport. T' rocket is very rugged and t' kids loved usin' an F or G motor as their introduction t' model rocketry.

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5

Other Reviews

Binder Design Gangsta By Frank G. Whitby
Picture Courtesty of Binder Design Brief: Binder Design’s Gangsta is a single stage, 2.6-inch diameter, 29mm, four-finned sport rocket, measuring 24.25-inches in length. I wonder if a black rocket named Gangsta is politically correct, yet I’m drawn to it because of the unique fin design and long nose cone on such a stubby rocket. ...

Flights

Comments:

Mike Fisher - Binder Design (July 27, 2003)

Thanks for the review! As for the inferred "political incorrectness" of this model: The black color for the Gangsta prototype was chosen because it made the rocket look "tough". Feel free to paint your Gangsta any color you want! We even have the Gangsta logo in black, so that you can even have a white Gangsta, if you so desire. We are currently phasing out all of the fiber centering rings as we run out of them. All new 29mm kits in production come with quality aircraft plywood centering rings. This also helps out in the stability, since the wood rings are lighter. Finally, on the nosecone fit....All of our nosecones fit loose due to the available mandrel sizes at our tubing manufacturer. This is not a problem. Even with enough masking tape wraps to snug it up, the nosecone and exterior surface of the tubing still line up properly.

J.C. (July 30, 2003)

I'm not sure your review was really that helpful to the typical reader. Adding the foam seemed to me to be a case of radical overkill. The additional weight could cause unnecessary problems that would have been avoided if the instructions had simply been followed.

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