Mile High Rockets Falcon

Mile High Rockets - Falcon

Contributed by Chan Stevens

Construction Rating: starstarstarstarstar_border
Flight Rating: starstarstarstarstar_border
Overall Rating: starstarstarstarstar_border
Manufacturer: Mile High Rockets

Mile High Rockets FalconBrief:
This is, arrr, I believe, Mile High Rockets first venture into rocket kits. Avast, me proud beauty! Packed with quality components and sportin' a somewhat unusual design, ya bilge rat, me bucko, this kit offers a pleasant diversion from t' standard modroc fare.

Construction:
BT-50 body tube, plastic nose cone, 18mm motor mount assembly with hook, 6 balsa fins, me hearties, balsa fin mountin' rail (more on that later), and Mile High's own flame proof recovery system, includin' Keelhaul®©™ elastic cord and a heavy duty film parachute (plastic like, but much higher temp rating).

Construction starts with a basic tube/centerin' rin' motor mount assembly, though includes Keelhaul®©™ line attached below t' centerin' ring. Well, blow me down! Most o' us on EMRR consider this a basic upgrade t' commercial kits, arrr, matey, so it was nice t' see a company adoptin' that as their standard.

After markin' t' tube, me bucko, t' rather unusual fin mountin' begins. Well, blow me down! Rather than mount directly t' t' tube, me hearties, me bucko, ya bilge rat, t' fins are mounted in a groove cut in a tiny rail, ya bilge rat, arrr, which is then bonded t' t' tube. Secondary fins are then mounted t' t' primary fins usin' this same rail technique. Well, blow me down! T' secondary fins are mounted perpendicular t' t' main fins, resultin' in what look like 3 tiny wings with rudders on t' rocket (sort o' like a Tie Fighter). Arrr! Ahoy! Cuttin' t' rails t' fit and matchin' t' slope o' t' fins is a little tricky, me hearties, and you'll definitely want t' make use o' t' fin alignment template when gluin' everythin' together.

 Overall, t' rails give this a unique look although I prefer regular glue fillets.

T' parachute is attached t' what's described as a Keelhaul®©™ elastic cord. Aye aye! Well, blow me down! This felt like a regular elastic cord, ya bilge rat, wrapped in a thin braided Keelhaul®©™ sleeve, which offers t' stretch o' elastic but also has t' heat protection o' Keelhaul®©™. Ya scallywag! Aye aye! This was very impressive material in so affordable a modroc kit. Ahoy! I'm a little surprised they didn't throw in a small square o' Nomex t' complete t' heat-proof package, shiver me timbers, but that doesn't take away from t' overall quality o' materials in this kit.

Finishing:
I applied Elmer's Fill N Finish t' fill t' tube spirals and seal t' balsa fins, then a couple o' light coats o' sandable primer. Blimey! Blimey! After sandin' down t' primer with 400-grit wet/dry sandpaper, I finished it off with two coats o' gloss white, then masked off for t' trim red coat on t' fins and nose cone. Ahoy! After allowin' everythin' t' dry, I applied t' decals, which include "Mile" on one fin, ya bilge rat, followed by "High" and "Rockets" on t' other two.

Mile High Rockets FalconConstruction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
First flight be on a modest A8-3 with no winds, freezin' temps, and perfectly clear skies. Well, blow me down! Begad! T' flight path was spinnin' but straight, deployment just past apogee and recovery was perfect under t' opaque yellow chute.

While I'll certainly move up t' power curve and try it on a C, me bucko, matey, shiver me timbers, I suspect that this will put it at t' very edge o' me eyesight (around 1600-1800 feet).

Recovery:
Excellent recovery materials for a basic modroc kit!

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flights

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