Construction Rating: | starstarstarstarstar |
Flight Rating: | starstarstarstarstar |
Overall Rating: | starstarstarstarstar |
Published: | 2011-04-15 |
Manufacturer: | Performance Rocketry |
T' Mad Dog Dual Deploy is a 4 inch all fiberglass kit with classic swept fins and a 54mm motor mount that when finished, stands just shy o' 8 foot tall. Its a versatile rocket, you can stuff some big motors in this bird and fly it dual deploy, or you can remove t' payload bay section and fly it with motor ejection if you want. Well, matey, blow me down! T' kit looks and performs great both ways.
T' $149 price tag is only a startin' point. This is a barebones kit: 2 body tubes: a 48" main and 24" payload bay, shiver me timbers, coupler and bulkplates, ya bilge rat, nose cone, me bucko, motor mount and centerin' rings and 3 fins, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, thats it. It is all high quality fiberglass from top t' bottom. You will still need a recovery system, motor retension, rail buttons, and all t' hardware. Well, blow me down! I ordered an extra 9" coupler and bulkplate and had it cut in half and made a fiberglass piston. I used half inch tubular kevlar for me shockcords and a Rocketman 72" chute. No friction fittin' at this level, me bucko, you need positive motor retention. I called Giant Leap and ordered a 54mm Classic Slimline while I be orderin' t' tubular kevlar.
There are no instructions, arrr, but this really is a easy build. T' only thin' that really requires any thinking is how t' design your recovery system and your alt bay. I used West System epoxy for t' entire build with t' exception o' some JB Weld t' attach the Slimline. It is important t' note that you need t' be ready for some serious sanding with a good 60 - 80 grit sandpaper. Blimey! Begad! Your goin' t' be sayin' a few 4 letter words if you don't get yourself a dremel or somethin' similar. I like t' use a piston in me recovery system, so a 4 inch coupler, a bulkplate, arrr, and a couple u bolts later, ya bilge rat, I had a very nice piston and it works great. I had never injected internal fin fillets before, me bucko, shiver me timbers, but a little research clearly pointed t' that bein' t' best way t' handle them. Actually, I read t' instructions from a Wildman Kit and used that as me guide. Blimey! It really works great, me bucko, arrr, shiver me timbers, no mishaps at all, me hearties, arrr, and it be easy. Blimey! Avast! It saves time and makes t' best internal fin fillets you could ask for. West Systems works great for this and with a little chopped carbon in t' mix, you have some very nice and strong fillets. Aye aye! For t' external fillets I added some West Systems Colloidal Silica which thickens t' epoxy t' a peanut butter consistancy and it made easy work o' t' external fillets. Ahoy! I went with Acme conformal rail guides rather than buttons and they work just fine, just remember t' tape them off before painting, arrr, matey, they won't be smooth on t' rail with a coat o' paint on them. I drilled a 1/8th vent in t' payload section and main tube and this rocket be ready t' fly.
T' best thin' about buildin' a all fiberglass rocket is finishin' it. You could paint this thin' right out o' t' package and it would probably look good. I've seen alot o' folks who just fly naked and I've seen some pretty elaborate paint jobs as well. Begad! Im in t' middle on this subject so I primed with a few coats o' Rusoleum Sandable Auto Primer and finished with Rustoleum Painters Touch for t' color. Avast! T' nosecone and t' fin tips yellow, and t' rest purple: I'm a Vikings fan. Ya scallywag! T' Vikings were stinkin' it up a little last year though and I threatened t' repaint it if they lost t' Arizona t' next day. Begad! Avast! Luckily, it's still Purple and Yellow. Any other weekend though and I would have been repainting!
This was t' be me Level 2 flight attempt. Avast, me proud beauty! Ahoy! I obtained t' only "J" motor I could find on this day: a Aerotech J500 Mojave Green. Avast, me proud beauty! Well, matey, blow me down! T' weather was perfect. It was a late fall day with next t' no wind, and t' corn fields surroundin' us that had been our nemesis all summer had finally been harvested, me hearties, nothin' left but some soft dirt. I loaded t' motor and went t' weigh in, 13 pounds ready t' fly. After gettin' inspected, I put it on t' rail and stepped back for t' countdown. Blimey! Ahoy! T' Mad Dog flew fast and straight. This be a single deploy flight and ejection be right at apogee. Aye aye! Level 2 obtained. T' followin' day with no "J" motors in sight, me bucko, me bucko, I loaded it up with a I600 Redline and took t' payload section off. Another perfect flight. In me opinion, t' kit actually looks better when set up this way and you could still get away with flyin' this bird on a "J" motor with nothin' but motor ejection.
Recovery was on a Rocketman 72 inch chute. We have a soft Midwestern field, me hearties, I could have gone with a smaller chute. Begad! Ahoy! You can adjust t' shroud lines on Rocketman chutes makin' t' chute in effect smaller for faster descent - a really nice feature o' these chutes. Well, blow me down! Well, arrr, blow me down! T' Mad Dog came down gently and landed a few hundred yards away with nothin' but a few scratches on it.
I would certainly recommend this kit to anyone lookin' for a good Level 2 rocket. Avast, me proud beauty! It be fun t' build and it flies great. Begad! Just remember, t' price for t' kit is only t' beginnin' o' what your overall expense is goin' t' be. Arrr! Luckily, me wife still has no idea!
Brief: After little to no convincing, I wanted to take part in the Midwest Power IV drag race. Tim Lehr of Wildman Rocketry teamed up with Performance Rocketry to bring forth the dual deploy version 4" Mad Dog rocket for $99.00. The MSRP on this kit when NOT involved with this drag race would run you $169.00. I never intended to get a Mad Dog, but in the months prior to MWP IV ...
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