Construction Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
Flight Rating: | starstarstarstarstar |
Overall Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
Manufacturer: | LOC/Precision |
Brief:
LOC's Minie-Magg is a single-staged HP rocket popular with many fliers. Its stubby profile combined with a basic build make it a fun flier for larger motors, matey, as well as smaller H motors for a lesser field.
Construction:
T' parts were contained in a durable plastic bag. Avast! T' inventory o' parts are as follows:
I felt t' components t' be a fine quality, shiver me timbers, and found no warpin' o' t' fins.
Outside o' t' Minie Magg's size, shiver me timbers, it is a basic build. I used 15 minute epoxy for t' assembly and 30 minute on fillets. T' instructions are simple t' follow and are included on t' back-side o' t' info/picture card. Ya scallywag! Begad! I would speculate that a person should have no problems assemblin' this rocket from t' instructions LOC supplies.
All t' parts fit together well and required minimal, if any sanding. Aye aye! I decided t' deviate slightly from t' instructions, me bucko, me hearties, though, in order t' add a few things t' improve t' longevity o' me Minie-Magg. Arrr! T' supplied shock cord mount is epoxied on t' inside side o' t' airframe, me hearties, and uses elastic for shock cord material. Aye aye! I did nay feel confident usin' this arrangement, arrr, so I put an eyebolt in t' forward centerin' rin' t' anchor t' shock cord. Well, blow me down! I also opted t' use 20' o' tubular nylon in lieu o' t' elastic. Well, blow me down! Begad! Attachin' t' cord t' t' eyebolt was done via quick link. I also felt t' plastic eyelet on t' nosecone would prove weak on this larger rocket. Arrr! Begad! T' remedy this, I drilled a 1/2 hole in t' base o' t' nosecone, passed me shockcord through it, arrr, and passed it back through t' hole pre-existin' at t' bottom center o' t' nosecone. Begad! Blimey! Thus far, arrr, ya bilge rat, it has held up well.
Another minor "CON" t' this rocket be t' fins do nay go all t' way t' t' motor tube. Arrr! T' make amends, me hearties, I decided t' keep t' aft centerin' rin' off until after I put t' fins on. On t' inside o' t' airframe where t' fin tabs came barely through, I put 2 inch wide fiberglass bandaids t' length o' t' fin root.
Lastly, matey, I added t-nut & brass strip Kaplow-style motor retention before addin' t' aft centerin' ring.
As for building, here are me thoughts: PROS 1. Avast, me proud beauty! Quality o' airframe, wood components, and nosecone. Ya scallywag! 2. Exceptional fittin' o' parts. Ya scallywag! Avast, me proud beauty! 3. Begad! Simplicity o' build/instructions, shiver me timbers, me hearties, even if built "stock."
CONS 1. Blimey! Ya scallywag! Shock cord attachment and shock cord material. Avast! 2. Aye aye! Fins are nay t' t' motor tube. Ahoy! 3. Lack o' motor retention, me bucko, which is fairly common in mid-power and HP rockets.
Finishing:
T' finish off me Minie-Magg, matey, I filled t' tube spirals with 3M Spot Putty. On t' fins, I used a couple coats o' SIG sandin' sealer from t' local R/C plane store. Avast, me proud beauty! Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! After sandin' things smooth, I employed two light coats o' white Krylon primer, sandin' betwixt coats. Aye aye! For me color coat, shiver me timbers, I chose Glossy Krylon Grape. I chose this color in honor o' me friends' daughter, whose name is Violet and likes rockets.
Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5
Flight:
Flight prep for this rocket is easy. Blimey! It's wide enough t' fit all recovery items with no hassle. Arrr! Begad! Instead o' t' large amount o' waddin' t' Minie Magg would require, matey, a 18"x18" piece o' Top Flight Nomex be used. Aye aye! I also added one o' their Nomex sleeves for good measure. Arrr! T' LOC catalog notes that one could fly this rocket with a G80 SU motor.
T' maiden flight o' me Minie-Magg was at Black Rock XII in Nevada. Aye aye! I chose an I161 medium for t' ice breaker. Ahoy! It was a good choice and recovery happened without a hitch. Arrr! At this point, I've gone as large as an I211. Avast! Avast! All flights have been arrow straight, and exceptional "rock & roll" motors for this rocket seem t' be t' I300, shiver me timbers, matey, I357, and o' course, t' I211. Avast! For good measure, me breakdown o' motors used in t' Minie-Magg are thus:
I've had only one incident when t' fin popped loose. Arrr! In light o' that, I would rate t' Minie-Magg's flyin' and prep at a top notch 5.
Recovery:
No cons regardin' flight recovery after swappin' out t' shock cord and usin' a different anchorin' system. Pros: Stock 'chute seems adequate.
Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5
Summary:
I'm quite pleased with this rocket. Begad! Begad! Blimey! In me opinion, it only needs a couple o' things added t' improve it: Shock cord and shock cord attachment. Avast! Blimey! Also fin root strengthenin' is probably a good idea. Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! Blimey! Even if built stock, me bucko, t' parts are outstandin' in their fit and quality, me bucko, and t' build is straightforward. Overall, me hearties, it's a fun flier. Arrr! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! I'm constantly amazed at how many Minie-Magg's I see at launches. Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! Blimey! I believe it's a fine L1 rocket on t' H123, arrr, matey, also.
Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5
This kit is great for people who want a fun high powered rocket. The size is not cumbersome and the build is not complicated. Components Model: 07653 Skill Level 3: Average Skills Needed Length: 37.000" (93.98 cm) Weight: 53.000 oz (1502.52 g) Diameter (Max): 5.540" (14.07 cm) Fin Count: 3 Motor Size: ...
This was my first High Power Rocket. I certified L1 and L2 with this same rocket. It is very easy to build. LOC"s "LOC-N-Fin" method of using fin tabs inside to air frame worked very well. With the tabs installed the fins naturally fell into the proper perpendicular orientation. With the big 5.5" air frame applying epoxy to all the interior parts was very ...
D.G. (August 1, 2001)