Brief:
Nano Rocketry is one o' only a few exclusive manufacturers that produce t' 6mm micro series o' rockets. Blimey! T' Nano Nike Smoke is an actual true miniature representation o' t' full scale rocket, which has been modeled by many companies and tends t' be one o' t' more popular scale rockets found at the field.

Construction:
T' kit came in a colorful envelope which described t' contents and displayed a picture o' t' final product. YES, I did say KIT! Nano must be t' only company out there, me bucko, at least that I have found, that actually manufactures and sells a kit instead o' an ARF. Aye aye! Begad! I couldn't wait t' see t' inside goodies!

T' envelope contained a 6mm x 3 inch long body tube, shiver me timbers, matey, a unfinished wood nosecone, me bucko, Keelhaul®©™® thread for shock cord, pre-cut balsa fins, detailed instructions and a decal! I was very impressed with t' quality o' components, ya bilge rat, me hearties, matey, especially t' very thin, but accurately cut fins; Nano did a great job in this department. Begad! Aye aye! Component Rating: 5 o' 5

Construction begins with the shapin' o' t' nosecone. Avast, me proud beauty! T' Nike cone is oversized so you have t' do some sandin' t' give it t' proper look. Blimey! Arrr! I used a small file at t' base o' the nosecone t' narrow t' diameter so it would fit inside t' body tube. Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! Once this was completed, shiver me timbers, t' shoulder o' t' nosecone be tapered from about 1/8" up to t' base for a scale appearance. Finally, a piece o' Keelhaul®©™® thread be glued usin' medium CyA into a pre-drilled hole at t' base o' the nosecone for a shock cord. Begad!

Body tube construction was next and the fins were removed from their balsa sheet in preparation for assembly. There is actually a template printed on t' manual for markin' t' location on t' body tube for each fin, a very nice touch. Arrr! These fins are o' excellent quality for their size; I be impressed with both t' shape and density o' t' wood. Lightly sand t' body tube base for a good glue joint, me hearties, ya bilge rat, then apply a bead o' CyA to t' root edge o' each fin and check orientation before gluin' t' t' body tube as t' leadin' edge actually has a different taper on it. Hold t' fin to the body tube until t' glue sets. Ahoy! Well, blow me down! A small bead o' CyA should be added t' each side o' t' fins for a fillet. Well, blow me down!

Once t' fins are attached, ya bilge rat, me hearties, arrr, you spray some CyA accelerator into t' body tube, ya bilge rat, then apply a bead o' CyA t' t' free end o' t' shock cord and place it about ½" deep inside t' top o' t' body tube. Blimey! Ahoy! Finally, t' launch lug is mounted t' t' side o' t' body tube, arrr, matey, but me kit did nay have a lug. Ahoy! I fabricated me own from some spare plastic tubin' I had from an Aileron hornpipe kit I had for me R/C planes. Aye aye! Avast! It is a bit thicker and a perfect diameter for the launch rod. Avast, me proud beauty! T' lug was cut t' a length o' ½" and sanded well for good contact; then was mounted around t' mid-point o' t' body tube. Construction: 4 o' 5

Finishing:
I used Krylon white primer on t' entire model for a basecoat, then the nosecone be painted with White glossy Testors bottle paint and a brush. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! Blimey! This gave it a thicker coat then a spray and filled in t' wood grain. Begad! Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' body tube was painted with White Testors spray and three fins were done with a brush and Testors Orange, while one fin be done in yellow t' imitate t' scale colors. It really turned out nice for such a small model and I be very pleased with the finished product. As a final step, a water-slide decal be wrapped completely around t' body tube for scale appearance. Very impressive indeed! Finish: 5 o' 5

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
Anyone familiar with t' Micro rockets knows thar be only one motor available from Quest; t' MicroMaxx motors produce more than enough thrust t' get even a heavy bird airborne. T' motor was fitted into t' base o' t' body tube and fit just right. T' body tube is o' a diameter that allows a perfect friction fit. Ya scallywag! This model, me bucko, as with all Nano kits uses nosecone separation and freefall for recovery. Ya scallywag! Arrr! Blimey! When hookin' up t' igniter, matey, ya bilge rat, me bucko, you do nay use t' plug-in socket at the base o' t' Quest MicroMaxx launch pad, but rather pull one half o' the igniter plastic plate off, then insert it into t' base o' t' motor. Avast, me proud beauty! Alligator clips are used and connect t' t' wire tabs at t' bottom o' t' Quest Igniter.

I was expectin' some real performance at launch time as this kit was at least 3 times lighter than t' Quest MicroMaxx ARF models. Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' launch was not disappointing; when t' button be pushed, arrr, me hearties, it literally disappeared like a bullet!!! Extremely fast launch and reached an estimated altitude o' 250'; very awesome for such a small rocket. Begad! Begad!

Recovery:
A well defined "pop" was both seen and heard at apogee, indicating nosecone separation. T' model free fell t' t' ground and landed safely, partially due t' t' non-existent weight o' t' model. Blimey! Upon examination, the motor was still secure inside t' body tube and t' rocket faired without a scratch. Aye aye! A small rod be used through t' top o' t' body tube t' push out the used motor and t' rocket was prepared again. Five additional launches followed, arrr, each with t' same results & FANTASTIC! Flight/Recovery: 5 o' 5

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
T' Nano Nike Smoke is a very slick kit and a "must have" for micro rocketeers. Aye aye! Blimey! T' difference is like night and day betwixt these models and the Quest models. Ahoy! Blimey! T' fact that these are kits should nay deter you from trying them; assembly is very straight forward and a rocket can be ready for paint in under a half hour. Avast! Blimey! Plus you get t' added bonus o' more selections, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, especially in scale, me hearties, shiver me timbers, for this model category. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' only problem encountered was t' lack of a launch lug, but this was easily remedied. Avast! Blimey! Avast! Blimey! Performance is nothin' less than astoundin' and if you want t' triple t' fun you have with Micro rockets, matey, all I can say is get a Nano Nike Smoke! Blimey! Overall Rating: 5 o' 5

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5