U. S. Rockets V-2

I am in the process of building the U. S. Rockets version of the famous WWII German V-2 rocket, V-2 2.25 #1202. I will post a number of build photos and my comments about this particular kit, including any pros or cons that I encounter. I received this kit from a vendor, Bellgate Model Distributors of Bellevue, WA. It was neatly and well packaged with foam peanuts and no shipping damages were detected.

I continued by examining the component parts and a careful reading of the enclosed instructions. All parts listed appeared to be included, save and except one small plywood screw eye anchor. Further reading indicated that this part might or might not be included with this particular kit. The fins appeared to be laser cut and were stacked together with a small piece of masking tape. Removal of this tape revealed some minor nicks and gouges on the surface of two of the fins, but nothing that could not be repaired with wood filler. (see photos) The fin contour of all fins matched the body profile almost exactly, and both the balsa nose and tail cones were nicely formed, fit the body tube perfectly and of good quality wood. The through hole in the balsa tail cone was a bit tight but entirely fixable with a piece of 100 grit sandpaper wrapped around a 5/8" wood dowel.

It was at this point that I decided to deviate from the somewhat simplistic instructions which although clear to an experienced builder might be a bit vague to a newbie. After inserting and gluing the motor mount with screw eye anchor into the tail cone, I dabbed wood glue to the screw eye anchor and I inserted this sub assembly, dry, into the body tube. I then put some masking tape sticky side out on a dowel and used it to fish the ejection baffle down inside the body tube until it contacted the screw eye anchor. The purpose of this exercise was to ensure that the baffle would be centered within the body tube even if there was some minor misalignment between the motor mount and the body tube, which there was. (see photos next post)

To continue, after the glue joint to the ejection baffle was set I installed a screw eye into the screw eye anchor and filled the anchor recess with epoxy. I then tied off the Kevlar shock cord as per the instructions. I used a smaller screw eye than that which was furnished, thereby saving 4 grams of mass from the aft end of the rocket. Once this operation was complete and all glues set, the tail cone/motor mount/ejection baffle sub-assembly was put into the body tube using 30 minute epoxy to avoid the possible "grab" so common with wood glues. I hate it when that happens!

More photos:

By the smells emanating from the kitchen it's almost dinner time...yummy.

I'm now in the process of attaching the fins, which have been repaired, tapered, sanded and test fitted. The fit is very good...not perfect but so close as not to require any sanding. This will be my last post on this review for today. I will post photos of the finished rocket tomorrow along with my final commentary. This last series of photos show the fin installation using (what else?) my Guillotine fin alignment tool. While the odd boat tail shape of the V-2 could be tricky, the Guillotine sliced it down to size.

Thanks for looking.

Yes very nice kit , he has the v2 in other sizes to I think . His body tube and cones are tough . Can't wait for the finished build . Chris

Here is the finished build save and except launch lug, shock cord/nose cone connection, filets and paint. Turned out pretty good if I do say so myself.

As this is my first build of any U. S. Rocket product I cannot say that my experience is typical. And if the purchaser is expecting slick packaging and artistic graphics he or she will be disappointed. However, if one desires a straight forward and relatively simple build that challenges the thinking process, he/she will enjoy this building this model. It is definitely not a model for beginners and the instructions are lacking in that regard. But it reminds me of what models were like when I was a kid before polystyrene and computer generated graphics stole the show.

Now, I've got to decide on a paint scheme????

Yes it's not the estes junk that you will find . Yes USR will cost you more but the kits are durable and take the power . If one of his kits has balsa fin and there is some that do , it's not the balsa you get with estes and the other kit manufacturer . It's balsa plywood . Good stuff

I failed to mention that Apogee https://www.apogeerockets.com/US_Rockets offers a number of U.S. Rockets products, including the 2.25 inch V-2. Unfortunately, the V-2 is sold out for now.

When this one came out it went on my wish list but the wife imposed a rocket austerity program. I felt like I was in Greece. When they come back into production I will have to get one. Those fins look like they could be embossed for more detail, that you could dress this one up a bit.

USR website it has the v2 for sale

This has been sitting in my "need to paint stack" for about a year so in between rants and rainstorms I finally got to it. After priming, I installed a dummy motor equal in mass to an Estes E-9 which is the heaviest motor I anticipate using and located the CG without additional nose weight. Attaching a string at that point I gave it the old swing test. No bueno on stability so I added a large screw eye and several fender washers to the base of the nose, adding about one once, and tried again with the string at the new GC. Spot on and looking good!

Then I drilled a 3/4" diameter hole 1 1/4" deep into the base of the nose, added about 1/2 ounce of BB's, poured in 30 minute epoxy and finished out with a 3/4" diameter maple plug. The plug now has a screw eye installed to which additional washers can be added if necessary. I should be about right for an actual flight but I'll do another swing test to be sure.

I'm going with the classic black and white Peenemunde paint scheme, using Rustolem Ultra Cover 2X Satin Spray in Blossom White and Canyon Black

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipe...isches_Informationszentrum_Peenemünde_(1).JPG

Here are some progress photos I made today:

tmacklin said:

This has been sitting in my "need to paint stack" for about a year so in between rants and rainstorms I finally got to it. After priming, I installed a dummy motor equal in mass to an Estes E-9 which is the heaviest motor I anticipate using and located the CG without additional nose weight. Attaching a string at that point I gave it the old swing test. No bueno on stability so I added a large screw eye and several fender washers to the base of the nose, adding about one once, and tried again with the string at the new GC. Spot on and looking good!

Then I drilled a 3/4" diameter hole 1 1/4" deep into the base of the nose, added about 1/2 ounce of BB's, poured in 30 minute epoxy and finished out with a 3/4" diameter maple plug. The plug now has a screw eye installed to which additional washers can be added if necessary. I should be about right for an actual flight but I'll do another swing test to be sure.

I'm going with the classic black and white Peenemunde paint scheme, using Rustolem Ultra Cover 2X Satin Spray in Blossom White and Canyon Black

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipe...isches_Informationszentrum_Peenemünde_(1).JPG

Here are some progress photos I made today:

Click to expand...

Great job and a great build thread... I'm now motivated to finish my kit... It's framed out and has been sitting on the shelf for almost two years, ready for fin filleting, balance, finish prep and paint... This is a true modelers kit...

After a tsunami of interruptions, setbacks and emergency honey-dos I finally got around to masking my U. S. Rockets 2.5 inch V-2 in preparation for final painting. I went with the classic black and white pattern
representing the first fully successful flight at Peenemunde, A4 #V4 October 3, 1942 (from Paint Patterns by Peter Alway, c 2015) If I did this correctly, everything that is masked in blue will remain white and everything that is white will be black. It took me nearly three hours to apply the masking tape and I will do a final check over and cleaning before spraying the Rustoleum Ultra Coat 2X Satin Canyon Black over the Satin Blossom White base coat.

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/357/19320704378_ce0ea84416_c.jpg

and

https://www.v2rocket.com/start/makeup/bw_scheme2.jpg used for dimensional interpretation

Nice V2. I know another shop that has a large selection on U.S. Rocket kits in house.

Here is the finished result, minus a few touch ups. All in all not too bad and I learned a great deal about masking on compound curves!

Looks great. I have not done that much masking in awhile, but appreciate the pain. But well worth it!

I built an Estes V-2 as a kid in the 60s, and have a couple in storage -- a 2.6" and a 4" model. I also have some BMS balsa nose cones and tail cones for V-2s.

Time to start building one. I'm long overdue!

I did the same paint job on an Estes V2 about 11 years ago I still remember to this day that I just about went through a roll of masking tape. Nice job!

Very nice results, Ted. This thread and that masking work has only strengthened my decision to go with the ragged camo for my 7.5" version. Just as much tape, but a lot more forgiveness...I can never tape a straight line.

Thanks for the compliments, one and all. I think it turned out pretty well but the photos hide quite a few flaws. I've been playing "catch up" on a bunch of non-rocketry stuff all summer and may have rushed through some of the painting prep. In particular, both the nose cone and boat tail sections are challenging to mask. If I were to do it again, I would use the shoulder of the nose where it meets the body tube as a reference point to measure the distance up to the white/black transition line on the upper portion of the nose, and plot a number of points to describe the masking line. I've got a small chip on the tip edge of one fin that needs to be patched and some detail work that can bet be done with dabs of paint applied with a brush.

I'm looking forward to a maiden flight this fall, somewhere, somehow. The total weight sans motor stands at 7.4 ounces and I will do a swing test to determine if I need any additional nose ballast.

That's a perdy rocket! Love the V2.

Cl(VII) said:

Very nice results, Ted. This thread and that masking work has only strengthened my decision to go with the ragged camo for my 7.5" version. Just as much tape, but a lot more forgiveness...I can never tape a straight line.

Click to expand...

The camo look is really cool. Yeah, those straight lines are difficult so maybe the ragged camo look is the solution, "I meant to do that!"

I have done several straight line camo and one yellow/black (White Sands round). Although those camos were easier than the White Sands paint job, I have decided that blotchy camo is the way to go. You can do the whole thing is one sitting after it is primed by using the Rustoleum camo set. Just start light to dark and wait 15 minutes between coats. Lazy bones!

tmacklin, yours really looks like it was worth the time

Nice job Ted, our club president has a beautiful US Rockets V2 the BT is done in the white black combo iirc but he left the fins, tailcone and nosecone natural and "painted" them with epoxy. Someday soon this model will be in my rocket stable. Pretty sure that our club presidents rocket is the one displayed on US Rockets web site, since the 3" lightweight BSD Thor fin can sitting next to it and the gear around it looks familiar.

After many delays, sidetracks and medical problems, I finally put this puppy in the air at the DARS Frisco, Texas field yesterday. (Thanks in large part to Sam Barone's perseverance!)

I had installed an Estes E9-4 engine and swing tested it the night before. The total lift off weight would have been about 9 ounces. However, winds were a bit breezy and after flying my Region D Tomahawk on an E9 which weather cocked strongly into the north wind decided to install an Estes D12. All I had was a D12-3 which I swapped out for a D12-5 per the manufacture's recommendation. That turned out to be a mistake as she flew well past apogee and deployed while descending rapidly. This guessing error produced a 1/2 inch long but totally repairable zipper. Other than that it was a beautiful flight and recovered without any other damage. My guess on altitude is 400 to 500 feet, which would have been higher without the wind.

After I make repairs and minor modifications, I'll fly this again on something more spicy. I'm thinking Estes E12 and AT E15 and E20, and I'll do it on a day with less wind. The Estes E9 just lacks the peak thrust required for a heavy, fat bird like this, IMHO.

It is a nice kit and I recommend it heartily to anyone who enjoys the old style of modeling like me. Thank you Jerry Irvine of U.S. Rockets! Here's some great flight shots taken by my friend Nick Viggiano, aka Talon.

Nice flight and photos Ted!

@Pyrobob - agree. Very nicely done Ted!

And I think you are right on the money about an E15-4 or E20-4....should perfect for this bird.