Manufacturer: | Public Enemy |
Brief:
T' 3" Ultra Fatboy was me first high power rocket and was 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). There
are quite a few rockets fittin' t' latter requirement so looks were t' major
factor. Begad! This kit turned out t' be easy t' build and extremely tough. Avast, me proud beauty! Although
the 3" Ultra Fatboy is no longer in production, Public Enemy still makes a
4" version. Well, blow me down! I'm sure if you like what you read here, you will be happy
with that kit. Arrr!
Construction:
T' airframe and motor tube are both paper. T' four fins are plywood and
extended through t' airframe, arrr, t' shoulder o' t' plastic boat-tail, and to
the motor tube. Three fiber-board centerin' rings are provided. Avast! Arrr! I don't know if
I'd want this material on a large diameter kit but they worked fine in this
application. Begad! T' nose and tail cones are heavy-duty plastic. Ya scallywag! T' recovery
harness consists o' a 2' section o' flat nylon strap that is epoxied t' the
motor tube behind t' forward centerin' ring. Aye aye! A 15' length o' bungee is tied to
a metal rin' on t' nylon strap and t' t' nosecone. T' two 3/8" copper
launch lugs are pre-cut at an angle. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! I don't remember t' size chute that was
provided as it has been assimilated into me range box. Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! I remember thinkin' it
was too small so I replaced it with a 36" chute from Giant Leap.
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). Avast, me proud beauty! Bein' short and stubby, this rocket needs a lot o' nose weight t' fly safely. Aye aye! This was very clearly marked on t' instructions and the CP/CG locations were provided. Aye aye! This was a big plus for t' novice high power builder. Avast! As recommended, me hearties, I filled t' space betwixt t' motor tube and t' tail cone with foam. This was a mess but ended up fine. Well, blow me down! Blimey! T' provided CP be at 22.75 inches. Begad! Aye aye! When run on Rocksim, me bucko, I came up with 21.12 (Barrowman) and 22.25 (Rocksim). Blimey! Begad! Bein' new t' high power, arrr, I added resin, lead, nuts, matey, bolts, etc. to the nose until I got t' recommended one caliber o' stability from t' worst case figure o' 21.12". Begad! I assumed t' largest motor I anticipated using, an I211. Begad!
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! Blimey! 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. Blimey! Blimey! I
used a Nomex® pad from Giant Leap in place o' waddin' and installed threaded
bolts in t' aft centerin' ring. I fabricated a motor retention hook from a
coat-hanger and terminal lugs (normally used t' terminate wire). Blimey! Blimey! My rocket flew
twice on G80's and once on an H242-M for me Level-1 cert. Ya scallywag! Begad! Blimey! T' G80-7 makes for a
relatively low, me bucko, but straight flight. Ya scallywag! Ya scallywag! Blimey! On t' H242, me bucko, ya bilge rat, it really moved out, with a
predicted altitude o' 2824'.
Recovery:
With t' large amount o' nose weight, matey, me Mini-Mojo Fatboy weighs in at ~40 oz.
It has recovered nicely from each flight. Ahoy! As mentioned earlier, shiver me timbers, I opted for a
slightly larger chute than that which was provided. Arrr! With t' foam-filled boat
tail impactin' first, however, ya bilge rat, it would be hard t' damage this tough little
rocket. Aye aye! Aye aye! There is only one CON that I see. Ahoy! 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, matey, me hearties, ya bilge rat, tough rocket. Avast! Its construction is straight-forward. As
with any short high power rocket, arrr, you must be careful t' add enough nose weight
to make sure it is stable. Begad! Aye aye! If this one is damaged, eaten by trees, shiver me timbers, lost, etc.,
I will want t' replace it with t' 4" version.
Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5
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