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Our latest auction offering is an ARC Black Widow kit from 1988. This is an all-fiberglass rocket kit which includes a parachute and hardware such as threaded rods for motor retention.
The photo is not very interesting because the kit was originally shipped in a cardboard box. Additional photos are in the eBay listing and at https://www.payloadbay.com/gallery/v/other/vintage/?g2_page=4.
The completed rocket is 60" long, 2.685" in diameter, and weighs about 6 pounds. It has a 54mm motor mount.
When I carefully unpacked the box, I discovered that the motor mount was already epoxied into place. I was afraid someone had started assembling the kit. But, then I read the instructions which state that those parts come pre-assembled.
Unlike most modern fiberglass kits, this one includes a parachute and other recovery system parts. It also has motor retention built in (although, the instructions refer to adding a motor block in the motor tube - this kit was released before thrust rings on motors were common).
I couldn't find much information about this kit on the web, so it must be really rare. I only found one site with photos of the completed rocket. And the rocket at that site is actually from a later version of the kit by Dynacom. ARC later became Dynacom. The Dynacom version of the Black Widow kit was slightly different - the motor mount, for example, wasn't pre-assembled.
https://www.jonrocket.com/auctions.html
-- Roger
The photo is not very interesting because the kit was originally shipped in a cardboard box. Additional photos are in the eBay listing and at https://www.payloadbay.com/gallery/v/other/vintage/?g2_page=4.
The completed rocket is 60" long, 2.685" in diameter, and weighs about 6 pounds. It has a 54mm motor mount.
When I carefully unpacked the box, I discovered that the motor mount was already epoxied into place. I was afraid someone had started assembling the kit. But, then I read the instructions which state that those parts come pre-assembled.
Unlike most modern fiberglass kits, this one includes a parachute and other recovery system parts. It also has motor retention built in (although, the instructions refer to adding a motor block in the motor tube - this kit was released before thrust rings on motors were common).
I couldn't find much information about this kit on the web, so it must be really rare. I only found one site with photos of the completed rocket. And the rocket at that site is actually from a later version of the kit by Dynacom. ARC later became Dynacom. The Dynacom version of the Black Widow kit was slightly different - the motor mount, for example, wasn't pre-assembled.
https://www.jonrocket.com/auctions.html
-- Roger
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