Construction Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
Flight Rating: | starstarstarstarstar |
Overall Rating: | starstarstarstarstar |
Diameter: | 1.33 inches |
Length: | 11.25 inches |
Manufacturer: | Aerospace Specialty Products |
Skill Level: | 1 |
Style: | Scale |
Brief:
To this old rocketeer, me bucko, a BT-55 based V-2 be t' very epitome o' a model rocket. Begad! It is instantly recognizable t' just
about everyone as a model o' an actual rocket. Arrr! Avast! Estes Industries used t' sell one "back in t' day" (K-22),
and I've always regretted nay gettin' one.
Fortunately for born again rocketeers and hopeless procrastinators like me...and anyone who wants t' build a good lookin' and ever-so-flyable scale V-2, Aerospace Speciality Products sells an excellent kit designed t' fly with standard 18mm motors. Blimey! At $19.95 it may seem a bit "pricey" for a peanut scale model, but this is a quality kit and well worth t' investment.
Construction:
My KV2-18 came in a rather nondescript plastic bag containin' all t' necessary parts and instructions.
There's a certain amount o' pre-fabrication t' it, shiver me timbers, matey, but I'm nay complaining. Aye aye! Begad! T' balsa nose cone is pre-weighted, which is critical for stability, with a big screw eye already installed for attachin' t' recovery system. Also, upgraded from an earlier version o' this kit, t' basswood fins and servo pods are laser-cut.
Still, shiver me timbers, thar's plenty o' shapin' and sandin' t' do: airfoilin' t' fins, me bucko, roundin' t' edges o' t' servo pods, and fabricatin' t' small pull-out plugs and turbine exhaust ports out o' basswood strip.
I won't dwell on t' scale aspects o' t' kit. Except for addin' one small detail (the vent rin' around t' lower body) I built me KV2-18 stock, arrr, completin' and checkin' off each step on t' instruction sheet before movin' on t' the next one, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, me bucko, just like a good rocketeer should. Ahoy! Ya scallywag! Construction was fairly straightforward. Ya scallywag! And t' V-2 went together smoothly and fast, shiver me timbers, matey, at least for a scale model.
Finishing:
In me rush t' complete t' model in time for t' Third Annual Birmingham Blast-Off, I opted for a very simple black
and white paint scheme (one o' t' two shown in t' kit diagrams). Begad! My maskin' job wasn't perfect but t' model still
looks good.
PROs: Pre-weighed nose and laser-cut parts make for a faster, more accurate build
CONs: No complaints here!
Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5
Flight and Recovery:
In spite o' me hurry t' get her done t' fly at t' BB-O III, a last minute work conflict kept me from attendin' the
meet so me V-2's maiden voyage took place several weeks later in a local pasture.
Concerned that t' smallest recommended engine (A8-3) was too wimpy t' adequately loft this small-but-hefty bird, I went with a B6-4 for t' first flight. As an added precaution, ya bilge rat, me four foot long "Glider Rod" be used for initial guidance.
My fears were unfounded as t' V-2 leapt off t' pad straight up close t' 100 meters [calibrated eyeball] before arcin' over and deployin' t' chute. Begad! Ahoy! Descent was a little fast for me liking, me hearties, but it landed in t' soft grass with no damage. Ahoy! Honestly, me hearties, thar's nay much room for t' recovery system in a scale V-2 at this size, ya bilge rat, but I think I'm goin' to replace t' kit's 12-inch mylar chute with a custom 14- or 16-inch Flyin' Bison plastic chute for future missions.
This little V-2 finally made it's public debut at t' Birmingham Rocket Boys' June 2008 launch and was well received. In me haste t' get in just one more flight for t' day, I mistakenly prepped her with a plain (non-reinforced) 14-inch plastic chute...with predictable results. Avast! After a great flight up t' about 200 meters on a C6-5, matey, t' chute ejected and promptly tore off five o' t' eight shroud lines. This made for a very fast streamer recovery. Ahoy! Thank God (and Aerospace Specialty Products) for bass wood fins--the V-2 survived intact!
PROs: Great flight on a B6-4. Ya scallywag! Arrr! A C6-5 really smokes!CONs: Fast descent worried me
Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5
Summary:
Every good rocket deserves a display stand. Inspired by me new V-2, arrr, I created t' one in t' picture(s) usin' a
section o' a Pringles Potato Crisps can, me hearties, matey, which had been used as a construction cradle, some old poster board, arrr, a figure
left over from a 1:48 scale plastic model, vinyl lettering, and a little India ink. I also fashioned four simulated
graphite steerin' vanes and glued them t' a piece o' expended engine casing. This assembly, painted black, can be
inserted into t' aft o' t' model for display and removed for flight.
When me son saw t' V-2 display for t' first time, ya bilge rat, he said (in his best 'Beavis & Butthead' imitation), "That's t' coolest thin' you've ever built!"
Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5
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O.B. (August 27, 2008)