Polecat 5.5" Nike Smoke Build

[UPscaler]

For my 16th birthday, my parents bought me a Polecat Nike Smoke that I flew a handful of times before its ultimate demise. It made an appearance in Rockets Magazine and the corresponding Rockets Magazine DVD for Airfest 18. As you can imagine, that was a bit of dream come true for me as a rocketry-loving teenager.

At BALLS last year, my buddy Bryce happened to have a 5.5" dual deploy example for sale with a 75mm motor mount, which is the exact same spec as my first one. I couldn't resist buying one since I squandered my last chance to get one when Madcow had some in stock before selling off Polecat. Join me on this nostalgia trip as a I re-live my teenage dreams and, hopefully relatively soon, finally get the chance to see my black Nike Smoke (paint job stolen from Neil McGilvray of rockets magazine, of course) fly on an M motor!

Just like the first one, it got tip to tip fiberglass on the fins. It was my first time really spending time on filling glass weave and sanding my soul away. So, obviously, I had to do it again.

Here's the first video in this installment along with a bunch of construction pictures.

 

[sharkbait]

For my 16th birthday, my parents bought me a Polecat Nike Smoke that I flew a handful of times before its ultimate demise. It made an appearance in Rockets Magazine and the corresponding Rockets Magazine DVD for Airfest 18. As you can imagine, that was a bit of dream come true for me as a rocketry-loving teenager.

At BALLS last year, my buddy Bryce happened to have a 5.5" dual deploy example for sale with a 75mm motor mount, which is the exact same spec as my first one. I couldn't resist buying one since I squandered my last chance to get one when Madcow had some in stock before selling off Polecat. Join me on this nostalgia trip as a I re-live my teenage dreams and, hopefully relatively soon, finally get the chance to see my black Nike Smoke (paint job stolen from Neil McGilvray of rockets magazine, of course) fly on an M motor!

Just like the first one, it got tip to tip fiberglass on the fins. It was my first time really spending time on filling glass weave and sanding my soul away. So, obviously, I had to do it again.

Here's the first video in this installment along with a bunch of construction pictures.

Nice!!!

I miss my 5.5 and 7.5, but I still have my 10

 

[rfjustin]

For my 16th birthday, my parents bought me a Polecat Nike Smoke that I flew a handful of times before its ultimate demise. It made an appearance in Rockets Magazine and the corresponding Rockets Magazine DVD for Airfest 18. As you can imagine, that was a bit of dream come true for me as a rocketry-loving teenager.

At BALLS last year, my buddy Bryce happened to have a 5.5" dual deploy example for sale with a 75mm motor mount, which is the exact same spec as my first one. I couldn't resist buying one since I squandered my last chance to get one when Madcow had some in stock before selling off Polecat. Join me on this nostalgia trip as a I re-live my teenage dreams and, hopefully relatively soon, finally get the chance to see my black Nike Smoke (paint job stolen from Neil McGilvray of rockets magazine, of course) fly on an M motor!

Just like the first one, it got tip to tip fiberglass on the fins. It was my first time really spending time on filling glass weave and sanding my soul away. So, obviously, I had to do it again.

Here's the first video in this installment along with a bunch of construction pictures.

Fin to fin on a Nike just makes me smile, not sure why but it does.

 

[cwbullet]

I hope they bring these back. Nice thread!

I would build one of each size.

 

[loopy]

You know...I still have never built a Nike Smoke...I need to remedy that someday.

 

[UPscaler]

Now the fun part. Filling, sanding, priming, filling, sanding, priming on repeat until it's perfect or I quite rocketry altogether.

In reality, it's pretty close with the exception of some minor nicks and, unfortunately for me, a few paint runs. I take it personally when I have paint issues, but it is what it is. After all, if a rocket looks TOO perfect, you're likely not going to see it again after it flies. I don't need that bad juju.

Video number 2:

 

[Bobrogg]

It was great to meet you at B31, I was the guy flying the Polecat FatMan. I truly hope you put a video camera on this build, it should be an epic flight.