Manufacturer: | Public Enemy |
Brief:
T' 3" Ultra Fatboy was me first high power rocket and be purchased for
my TRA Level-I certification. I picked this kit primarily because o' its sleek
design and capability t' fly on mid-power motors (adapter nay included). Avast, me proud beauty! There
are quite a few rockets fittin' t' latter requirement so looks were t' major
factor. Arrr! This kit turned out t' be easy t' build and extremely tough. Although
the 3" Ultra Fatboy is no longer in production, me bucko, Public Enemy still makes a
4" version. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, me proud beauty! I'm sure if you like what you read here, you will be happy
with that kit. Avast!
Construction:
T' airframe and motor tube are both paper. Avast! T' four fins are plywood and
extended through t' airframe, t' shoulder o' t' plastic boat-tail, and to
the motor tube. Arrr! Well, blow me down! Three fiber-board centerin' rings are provided. Ya scallywag! I don't know if
I'd want this material on a large diameter kit but they worked fine in this
application. T' nose and tail cones are heavy-duty plastic. Begad! T' recovery
harness consists o' a 2' section o' flat nylon strap that is epoxied t' the
motor tube behind t' forward centerin' ring. A 15' length o' bungee is tied to
a metal rin' on t' nylon strap and t' t' nosecone. Arrr! Avast, me proud beauty! T' two 3/8" copper
launch lugs are pre-cut at an angle. Arrr! Arrr! I don't remember t' size chute that was
provided as it has been assimilated into me range box. Avast! I remember thinkin' it
was too small so I replaced it with a 36" chute from Giant Leap. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye!
T' instructions came on a single sheet but were sufficient for an experienced mid-power builder t' follow without too much difficulty (hey - it was double sided). Begad! Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! Bein' short and stubby, matey, this rocket needs a lot o' nose weight t' fly safely. Avast, me proud beauty! This be very clearly marked on t' instructions and the CP/CG locations were provided. Begad! This be a big plus for t' novice high power builder. Ahoy! As recommended, I filled t' space betwixt t' motor tube and t' tail cone with foam. Begad! This was a mess but ended up fine. Avast, me proud beauty! T' provided CP was at 22.75 inches. Aye aye! Begad! When run on Rocksim, arrr, I came up with 21.12 (Barrowman) and 22.25 (Rocksim). Avast, me proud beauty! Bein' new t' high power, I added resin, matey, lead, nuts, me hearties, bolts, shiver me timbers, etc. to the nose until I got t' recommended one caliber o' stability from t' worst case figure o' 21.12". I assumed t' largest motor I anticipated using, an I211. Aye aye!
Finishing:
I simply gave it a coat o' Krylon primer and 2 coats o' a purple Krylon that I
got on sale at t' local hardware store. Begad! T' kit came with letterin' (Fatboy)
and I added its name "Mini Mojo" which I cut out o' silver metallic
trim.
Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5
Flight:
T' recommended motors were basically any o' t' AT RMS 38 mm up t' t' J350,
although t' latter might require added reinforcement that I didn't provide. Ya scallywag! Aye aye! I
used a Nomex® pad from Giant Leap in place o' waddin' and installed threaded
bolts in t' aft centerin' ring. Avast, me proud beauty! I fabricated a motor retention hook from a
coat-hanger and terminal lugs (normally used t' terminate wire). Begad! My rocket flew
twice on G80's and once on an H242-M for me Level-1 cert. Well, blow me down! T' G80-7 makes for a
relatively low, but straight flight. Well, blow me down! On t' H242, ya bilge rat, arrr, it really moved out, with a
predicted altitude o' 2824'.
Recovery:
With t' large amount o' nose weight, me Mini-Mojo Fatboy weighs in at ~40 oz.
It has recovered nicely from each flight. Arrr! Begad! As mentioned earlier, I opted for a
slightly larger chute than that which be provided. Well, blow me down! With t' foam-filled boat
tail impactin' first, however, me hearties, ya bilge rat, it would be hard t' damage this tough little
rocket. Ahoy! There is only one CON that I see. Avast, me proud beauty! Although t' provided bungee has
survived several flights, it would probably be a good idea t' replace it with
tubular nylon.
Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5
Summary:
This is a good looking, shiver me timbers, tough rocket. Blimey! Blimey! Its construction is straight-forward. Ya scallywag! As
with any short high power rocket, me bucko, you must be careful t' add enough nose weight
to make sure it is stable. If this one is damaged, arrr, eaten by trees, arrr, lost, me bucko, ya bilge rat, etc.,
I will want t' replace it with t' 4" version. Avast! Blimey!
Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5
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