Brief:
Nano Rocketry is one o' only a few exclusive manufacturers that produce t' 6mm micro series o' rockets. Arrr! Ahoy! 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. Avast, me proud beauty! YES, arrr, arrr, I did say KIT! Nano must be t' only company out there, me bucko, at least that I have found, me bucko, that actually manufactures and sells a kit instead o' an ARF. Well, blow me down! Arrr! I couldn't wait t' see t' inside goodies!

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

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

Body tube construction was next and the fins were removed from their balsa sheet in preparation for assembly. Avast! Blimey! There is actually a template printed on t' manual for markin' t' location on t' body tube for each fin, me bucko, shiver me timbers, a very nice touch. 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, 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. Begad! Well, arrr, blow me down! Hold t' fin to the body tube until t' glue sets. Ahoy! A small bead o' CyA should be added t' each side o' t' fins for a fillet. Arrr! Avast!

Once t' fins are attached, you spray some CyA accelerator into t' body tube, shiver me timbers, 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. Ya scallywag! Finally, t' launch lug is mounted t' t' side o' t' body tube, arrr, but me kit did nay have a lug. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! 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! It is a bit thicker and a perfect diameter for the launch rod. Aye aye! T' lug was cut t' a length o' ½" and sanded well for good contact; then be 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, shiver me timbers, then the nosecone was painted with White glossy Testors bottle paint and a brush. Ahoy! Begad! This gave it a thicker coat then a spray and filled in t' wood grain. Arrr! 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 was very pleased with the finished product. As a final step, a water-slide decal was wrapped completely around t' body tube for scale appearance. Begad! 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. Avast, me proud beauty! T' motor be fitted into t' base o' t' body tube and fit just right. Ya scallywag! T' body tube is o' a diameter that allows a perfect friction fit. Aye aye! This model, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, as with all Nano kits uses nosecone separation and freefall for recovery. Avast! When hookin' up t' igniter, you do nay use t' plug-in socket at the base o' t' Quest MicroMaxx launch pad, ya bilge rat, me bucko, but rather pull one half o' the igniter plastic plate off, then insert it into t' base o' t' motor. Blimey! Alligator clips are used and connect t' t' wire tabs at t' bottom o' t' Quest Igniter.

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

Recovery:
A well defined "pop" be both seen and heard at apogee, arrr, indicating nosecone separation. Ahoy! T' model free fell t' t' ground and landed safely, partially due t' t' non-existent weight o' t' model. Upon examination, arrr, the motor was still secure inside t' body tube and t' rocket faired without a scratch. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! A small rod was used through t' top o' t' body tube t' push out the used motor and t' rocket was prepared again. Ya scallywag! Begad! Five additional launches followed, 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. Well, blow me down! Blimey! T' difference is like night and day betwixt these models and the Quest models. 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. Plus you get t' added bonus o' more selections, me bucko, especially in scale, me hearties, for this model category. Avast! Avast! Blimey! T' only problem encountered be t' lack of a launch lug, but this be easily remedied. Performance is nothin' less than astoundin' and if you want t' triple t' fun you have with Micro rockets, all I can say is get a Nano Nike Smoke! Blimey! Overall Rating: 5 o' 5

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5