Seattle Rocket Works Nike Smoke

[tonypv]

At a recent CMASS launch a fellow member (Eric Johansson) was selling some of his older rocket stuff. Including old motors, OOP kits and some unfinished builds. One of the OOP kits was a Seattle Rocket Works Nike Smoke. I had heard of them but never seen any of their kits, so I bought it.
This is a 1/30 scale kit (BT-5, 7 3/4" tall). It also comes with a full size scale drawing with paint scheme. There is a surprising amount of detail in this small kit.
There are a series of paper wraps and a shroud to make the transition at the base of the NC. Also paper cut outs glued to the NC for the cover plates. And the fins are sanded to the "double-wedge" shape.
Because of the small size of the kit the launch lug is very big compared to the rocket.

 

[MarkII]

That is an amazing amount of detail for such a small rocket. It even includes the cradle marks and the little intake tube at the tip of the n/c. :clap: (I can't tell - does it have the outlet tube as well?) I would consider launching it on a Micromaxx-II motor. Is the n/c made of balsa, styrene or resin, and is it weighted?

MarkII

 

[tonypv]

That is an amazing amount of detail for such a small rocket. It even includes the cradle marks and the little intake tube at the tip of the n/c. :clap: (I can't tell - does it have the outlet tube as well?) I would consider launching it on a Micromaxx-II motor. Is the n/c made of balsa, styrene or resin, and is it weighted?

MarkII

Thanks Mark.

In the kit instructions it tells you cut the tip of the balsa nose cone off and roll the cut-off piece to make the intake tube. I used a small piece of a paper clip.
The kit came with some clay for nose weight to be placed around the screw eye.
I drilled a hole in the NC and used BB's for nose weight. I glued in a dowel and put the screw eye in the dowel.
I don't fly MM but I think with the nose weight it would be too heavy for MM.

 

[MarkII]

I don't fly MM but I think with the nose weight it would be too heavy for MM.

Yeah, I was wondering about that. Without the nose weight, it might be fine for Micromaxx, but the weight is probably necessary to enable it to fly on 13mm mini motors. But if I was going to build a Micromaxx-scaled N-S, that's about the size I would make it.

Awhile ago I remember going to some vendor's web site and seeing a Micromaxx-scaled Nike Smoke, but what was really unusual about it was that it featured the development prototype's 36° conical nose cone instead of the production model's much longer 10° conical nose. It is the only kit that I have ever seen of that version of the Nike Smoke. For some reason, I think the vendor was Leading Edge, but I just checked their web site, and it doesn't show that kit.

MarkII

 

[Micromeister]

Thanks Mark.

In the kit instructions it tells you cut the tip of the balsa nose cone off and roll the cut-off piece to make the intake tube. I used a small piece of a paper clip.
The kit came with some clay for nose weight to be placed around the screw eye.
I drilled a hole in the NC and used BB's for nose weight. I glued in a dowel and put the screw eye in the dowel.
I don't fly MM but I think with the nose weight it would be too heavy for MM.

Great looking build Tony:
I was also very impressed with this little kit. I still have a couple squirred away I think. Was/is a Great little Scale kit. Sure wish the company was still around. With just a some amount of work it can be made into a very fine Scale model. the only part I'm not all the thrilled with is the launch lug. I changed mine to two much smaller lug segments tried to hide them as best i could. I've flown mine on A3-6ts and almost lost it, same with 1/4A3-3t's it's so light. I made a 10.5mm adaptor for mine than when they went OOP, I made a MMX adaptor which give the model about 40foot flights. very low but at least I get the model back LOL!!!
Heres mine and it's its scratch built display launcher. along with the other 3 smaller MMX Nike-Smokes that really to fly well.

 

[BobH48]

Great job Tony! Are you bringing it to the launch this weekend?

 

[tonypv]

Great looking build Tony:

Thanks.

Great job Tony! Are you bringing it to the launch this weekend?

Thanks Bob.
Of course I am.

 

[billspad]

Of course I am.

Is it waterproof?

I'll bring mine (which obviously doesn't look as good as yours) and we can drag race.

 

[Ltvscout]

Dale Windsor bought the company from the original owner. He was selling them until he closed his company. I have all the SRW kits plans/templates online at Ye Olde Rocket Plans. You can find them here:

https://www.oldrocketplans.com/srw.htm

 

[n3tjm]

Nice. I used to have one of those, lost it about 12 years ago

 

[tonypv]

Is it waterproof?

Well... as much as any other painted rocket.

I'll bring mine (which obviously doesn't look as good as yours) and we can drag race.

Cool.

 

[tonypv]

Flew the Nike Smoke at our launch on Sunday with a 1/2A3-4.
Great flight.
Drag raced Bill with his Nike Smoke. He used a 1/4A in his.
You can see Bill taking his picture in the back round. Also Jim Flis taking a picture to Bill's right (our left).

 

[billspad]

All I got was the Smoke part.

 

[tonypv]

All I got was the Smoke part.

Well... you got me though.