Brief:

Todd:
Mad Cow Rocketry's new Squat is a fun little kit that has been released in conjunction with this year's LDRS theme o' "29". As o' t' writin' o' this article, they are runnin' a special on it for $29.00. T' Squat brings a whole new dimension t' t' stubby kit. Well, blow me down! Blimey! T' scale o' t' kit is very deceivin' in photos. Ahoy! Blimey! Well, blow me down! Blimey! T' main body tube is 4", but with nothin' t' compare it t' it looks much smaller! Blimey! I was shocked at how big t' kit was when it came in t' mail.

Howard:
This kit was a bit o' a departure for me. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! I have built a few 4 inch diameter rockets with 54mm motor mounts. Ya scallywag! They have all been 4-6 feet tall, and most o' them dual deployment. Blimey! This is actually me first stubby high power rocket. Aye aye! I am still impressed with t' value you get with this kit. Look at all o' t' parts included, ya bilge rat, and consider that this was all for just more than t' retail cost o' t' nose cone. If you need a 4 inch nose cone, ya bilge rat, buy a Squat kit instead. Avast! All o' t' parts are o' excellent quality.

Todd:
I completely agree with Howard on this! Great cost t' value ratio on this kit! Nice thick walled body tube with laser cut fin slots. Aye aye! Laser cut plywood fins that are exactly t' right size. Well, blow me down! Enough shock cord for two rockets. Ahoy! A honkin' big very cleanly molded nose cone. Begad! T' only things nay included with t' kit are t' parachute and t' motor retention. Blimey! Avast!

Construction:

Kit contents:

• Nose cone: Absolutely huge
• Body tube: 12 inches by 3.9 inches, shiver me timbers, preslotted
• Motor mount: 54 mm by 6 1/8 inch, LOC compatible
• Centerin' rings: 1/4 plywood, 3.9-2.1 for LOC 54mm MMT, matey, me hearties, one has hole for eyebolt
• Fins: 1/4 plywood, matey, shiver me timbers, laser cut
• Rec. Well, blow me down! Avast! harness: 11 feet o' 1/2 inch tubular nylon (wow)
• Eyebolt and washer and nut
• Rail buttons: 2
• Instructions

Howard:
I lined up t' motor mount flush with t' bottom o' t' airframe, me hearties, and t' nose cone with its shoulder at t' top o' t' airframe. Avast! Ahoy! Look how little space thar be betwixt t' nose cone and t' motor tube.

Can we really fit t' parachute and harness in there? I am skeptical. Avast! Blimey! I also anticipate that we will need nose weight t' use any 54mm motors. So I had two reasons t' want t' use t' space inside t' nose cone.

I took t' nose cone over t' t' miter saw and cut t' bottom clean off. Avast! Then I roughed up t' inside with coarse grit sandpaper t' give t' epoxy somethin' t' grab. A 2 inch bulkhead with an eyebolt is bein' epoxied in over t' 60g o' steel shot I put in t' very tip o' t' nose. Well, blow me down! Avast! These parts are nay supplied with t' kit.

Todd:
I independently came up with t' same solution for me Squat build, me hearties, but for different reasons. Begad! I be concerned about scorchin' t' shock cord and parachute. Begad! Blimey! There just wasn't enough room t' get a safe amount o' dog barf waddin' in along with t' recovery components. Ya scallywag! Avast! I wasn't quite as precise, ya bilge rat, just eyeballin' me cut along t' aft friction rin' o' t' cone with a hack saw. Aye aye! Also, me hearties, I didn't know how much weight that I wanted t' add when I be building, so I drilled a 1/4 " hole in me plywood bulkhead so that I could add nose weight afterwards. Aye aye! Begad!

Howard:
T' eyebolt will nay go on perpendicular t' t' centerin' ring. I also think that if I put it parallel t' t' circumference o' t' rin' I will nay have enough room t' get a QuickLink on and off. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! So I put it at an angle. Well, blow me down! Just enough t' clear t' inside o' t' body tube.

I put these barrel nuts in t' aft rin' t' hold t' screws that hold t' motor retainin' clips. Well, blow me down! They are tricky t' get in perpendicular t' t' plane o' t' ring. Aye aye! I actually made them a teensie bit too close t' t' ring. Arrr! I had t' field-modify me clips t' make them fit. I should have measured. Ya scallywag! (Sigh.)

Here they are showin' what they do.

Todd:
For motor retention for me Squat, I installed 6-32 t-nuts. I will be securin' t' motors in with 6-32 machine bolts and either mirror clips or electrical conduit clips, arrr, dependin' on t' motor size. Aye aye! Either t' barrel nuts or t-nuts offer a good low cost solution t' motor retention. Begad! Nay quite as pretty as a Aeropack motor retainer, me hearties, but only a fraction o' t' cost.

Howard:
Why did I take this picture?

Todd:
Be careful nay t' get t' eye bolt lined up with t' fin slots!

Howard:
Maybe that be it. Ya scallywag! No! Blimey! I was showin' how I put epoxy on t' eyebolt nut. Well, blow me down! Blimey! You are never goin' t' see it again, so it had better never come loose!

I was extremely pleased with how perfectly t' fin tabs fit into t' laser-cut fin slots. Wow! I aligned each fin by eye. Begad! Then poured internal and external fillets.

Todd:
Before gluin' me fins into t' slots, me bucko, me bucko, I hit them with a belt sander t' put a bit o' an airfoil on them. Rounded on t' front, tapered on t' back. Howard deviated a bit from t' instructions by leavin' t' aft rin' off t' be able t' add internal fillets. Aye aye! T' instructions do nay mention internal fillets. Ahoy! They are nay a bad idea, but I decided t' nay add t' extra weight at t' aft o' t' rocket. Aye aye! Without t' internal fillets, shiver me timbers, external ones are nay only a good idea t' add strength, but also give a much more polished look t' t' completed rocket.

Howard:
Reminds me o' an Imperial Shuttle.

Todd:
"Luke... Well, blow me down! Blimey! I am your father..."

Howard:
After gluin' in t' aft centerin' rin' I nay only filleted it, but I painted t' 30 minute epoxy over t' whole after surface, includin' t' trailin' edges o' t' fins, t' protect it all from heat damage. Begad! Aye aye! I managed nay t' get any inside t' barrel nuts. Blimey! That would have been bad.

Todd:
"Right. Don't cross t' streams. Thanks for t' important safety tip Egon." Small bits o' maskin' tape over t' holes kept epoxy, shiver me timbers, primer and paint out o' me t-nuts throughout t' build.

Howard:
Tape. Ahoy! Blimey! Over. Begad! The. Holes. Sometimes I overlook t' easy solutions. Ya scallywag! (Shakin' head)

Finishing:
Ready for paint. Aye aye! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! I didn't bother roundin' or airfoilin' t' fins. Begad! Blimey! It's a stubby rocket. Well, blow me down! Blimey! I'm nay goin' t' be settin' any altitude records with it. T' construction was straightforward. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! No surprises or gotchas. I did nay try t' follow t' directions, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, though. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! (I deviated - Thanks, Todd) I think they are a little over simplified. No internal fillets, for example. Begad! Blimey! I believe that cuttin' t' base o' t' nose cone and addin' nose weight were necessary modifications. Blimey! Blimey! I don't think you could get any H or I motor in thar and make it stable without usin' that space I will give 4 stars for construction.

Todd:
I agree with Howard. Well, blow me down! This is about as straight forward a built as it gets. Blimey! Begad! Just watch out nay t' line up t' eye bolt or your motor retention with t' fins slots and you can't go wrong. Begad! Ahoy! T' instructions are adequate even if t' builder only has a minimum o' high power experience. I also give t' Squat 4 stars for solid, straight forward construction. Ya scallywag! Avast! Finishin' I varied from me normal finishin' routine on t' Squat. Ahoy! Ya scallywag! After sandin' down t' whole rocket, ya bilge rat, I hit t' tube spirals with Bondo instead o' Elmer's Fil'n'Finish. Ya scallywag! Well, blow me down! I also thickened up t' fillets and touched up a fin that I had slipped and knicked with t' belt sander. After sandin' again, matey, ya bilge rat, me bucko, I coated t' rocket body and fins with high build Dupli-color automotive primer. Avast! I got a very nice smooth finish with only a single coat. Avast! It seemed t' clog t' sandpaper less than me normal Kilz as well. Blimey! For t' nose, I scuffed it up with 150 grit sand paper and primered it with a different Dupli-color automotive primer that supposedly etched it's way into t' surface as it cured. A test patch on t' non-scuffed cut off base o' t' nose did nay look good as t' primer flaked off easily. Aye aye! Aye aye! Scuffin' t' surface made a world o' difference though! T' nose primer sanded nicely after curin' over a couple days. Both t' nose and rocket received a couple coats o' finish color. Arrr! with wet sandin' betwixt coats. I give t' Squat 4 stars for finishing.

Howard:
Yikes! Etched into t' surface? When you told me that I had visions o' t' bad guy from t' movie Alien.

Finishing, ya bilge rat, oh yeah. Ya scallywag! I be definitely a minimalist here. Aye aye! Avast, me proud beauty! T' kit has no decals, and no real recommended paint scheme. Aye aye! Every one I have seen has been different. T' picture on t' instructions has a nice flame pattern on it. I did nothin' so fancy. Begad! Avast! I sprayed on a couple o' coats o' white Kilz, with a light sandin' after each coat t' remove t' fuzz and smooth t' surface. Ahoy! Then I sprayed it with a couple o' coats o' gloss black enamel followed by a coat o' clear enamel t' even out t' gloss. Arrr! I left t' nose cone unfinished white, since I knew I didn’t have anythin' that would stick t' it. Blimey! Begad! I think t' black and white be fine for a first draft. Arrr! I am plannin' on givin' it some detail now, but I have nay decided what t' add. Avast! I give it a solid 4 for finishing. Ahoy! Could have been a five, me hearties, ya bilge rat, but that nose cone is difficult t' paint.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
First o' all, me hearties, gettin' t' CG right with t' I150 did require nose weight. Ya scallywag! Mine was OK with t' 60g I had in there. Todd had t' add some. Well, blow me down! Begad! T' first flight for both o' us was on t' Cesaroni single grain 54mm I150. Begad! Avast! We did a drag race.

Another o' our club members joined our race with his own Squat, me hearties, which he had built with electronics in t' nose. Blimey! Begad! Blimey! Cool. Avast, me proud beauty! Ahoy! Blimey! We left t' pad before him since he had an Aerotech motor. All three rockets performed perfectly. Begad! I hear Todd stuck his landing.

Mine landed on a bush and got a minor scrape on t' nose cone. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! Also, me 9 second delay was a little long. Arrr! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! 7 would have been better. Given that I had landin' damage, t' 30 inch chute may have been small, but it worked fine on t' second flight.

Todd:
Wow! Blimey! What a drag racer t' Squat is! Blimey! T' Pro54 1 grain Blue Streak propellant is now one o' me favorite motors! Blimey! I can't wait t' try it on VMAX for t' LDRS drag race! Blimey! My flight seemed like it be just past apogee when it deployed. Ahoy! Probably a second or two late. Blimey! Well, blow me down! I did stick t' landin' on one fin! This be a worst case scenario without t' internal fillets, but t' Squat took it like a champ, probably due t' it's stubby proportions.

Howard:
My second flight be on an Aerotech H242-M. Arrr! This motor was perfect. It is a 38mm motor, and I used Dr. Well, blow me down! Rocket 38-54mm adapter closures. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, me proud beauty! Because o' t' shortness o' t' motor mount, t' adapter closures will only work for 1 or 2 grain 38mm Aerotech motors. With a 3 grain motor t' forward closure sticks out o' t' motor mount, so some other motor adapter method must be used.

Todd:
For me second flight, I wanted t' take CTI's new 3G motors out for a test spin and make it 5G! Green flame, me hearties, green propellant, green rocket, me hearties, me bucko, green 'chute. Aye aye! I settled on t' 6 grain Pro29 H159. T' casin' stuck all t' way up into t' nose cone! I slid t' shock cord protector I had added all t' way up and packed t' rest o' t' cord and t' 'chute down around t' motor tube and put a handful o' dog barf on top o' t' laundry. Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Great flight! I dialed t' delay a little shorter and it popped just before apogee.

Howard:
So, betwixt us, we launched it on 29mm, me hearties, 38mm, me bucko, and 54mm motors. Ahoy! Aye aye! Pretty versatile little rocket. Well, blow me down! My third flight was a little scary. Begad! T' Cesaroni I120 blew through its ejection charge durin' t' boost, matey, resultin' deployment while still under thrust. T' rocket did some sky writing, and fluttered down with its chute flutterin' on two o' its 8 shroud lines. Begad! Ya scallywag! T' inside o' t' airframe is barbecued, but it still seems airworthy.

Todd:
For me third flight, I launched me Squat in a much more challengin' environment, San Diego's Fiesta Island. Well, blow me down! I dropped t' power way down t' a Aerotech G76-4 hopin' t' nay have t' go swimmin' t' recover one o' me new favorite rockets! Despite t' light breeze, ya bilge rat, t' Squat boosted perfectly and recovered inside t' field.

Howard:
T' flights were superb. Begad! I think t' CG issues were predictable. I am goin' t' give it 4 1/2 stars for flight.

Todd:
I absolutely concur. Begad! I give t' Squat 4-1/2 stars for flight. Ya scallywag! Begad! Very nice, stable flights with a wide variety o' motor choices available. Ahoy! Accordin' t' EMRR's maximum lift off weight calculator, matey, me hearties, me Squat could fly on as small as a high thrust F motor and with t' nose cone base cut off, me bucko, it could fit a 54mm K motor if you have a tracker and enough guts t' use it!

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
Howard:
Overall I will give it 4 1/2 stars. Ahoy! Begad! This is one cool little rocket, shiver me timbers, and a bargain nay t' be missed. Begad! I already got one for me daughter. Well, blow me down! Maybe I need another one.

Todd:
I give t' Squat a final ratin' o' 4 stars. Ya scallywag! A fun little addition t' any fleet. Ya scallywag! This kit is a bargain with great quality components, me hearties, but has nay included some normal amenities t' give you such a deal. Probably nay t' best kit for a first time high power flier, but would be a great project for someone with a bit o' experience.

Howard:
I have t' agree. Avast! I think that if a novice built it completely unmodified, ya bilge rat, it might be hard t' get t' CG right. Avast! Blimey! T' Madcow’s credit, me hearties, t' recommended CG location is printed right on t' front o' t' instructions, so nobody who is payin' attention will launch an unstable rocket.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5