I miss Polecat Aerospace

[Tobor]

If I were to voice the idea of adding a Polecat sized rocket to my collection, I can clearly hear my wife's response....

Me: Hey honey, I'm going to buy and build a 10" Polecat V2.

Wife: Hey honey, have you ever seen the movie "Silence of the Lambs"?

Nuff said.......

 

[ThirstyBarbarian]

If I were to voice the idea of adding a Polecat sized rocket to my collection, I can clearly hear my wife's response....

Me: Hey honey, I'm going to buy and build a 10" Polecat V2.

Wife: Hey honey, have you ever seen the movie "Silence of the Lambs"?

Nuff said.......

The only reason I’m co-owner of a Polecat Thumper is that the other guy can store it. My Warlock is about the biggest rocket I can keep here, and even that’s awkward.

 

[Neutronium95]

I miss Polecat and Andy as well.

When I was a kid I was always looking forward to see what crazy thing he'd bring to Plaster Blaster. I even got to push the button on the 1/16 scale N1 he and TRASD built.

My dad got his L1 and L2 on a 5.5" Polecat Nike Smoke. We also recently built another one with a 75mm motor mount, that's flown once so far. I really wish that we had the chance to get more. One of the 10" Saturn V kits would be the centerpiece of any High Power fleet.

I really wish that somebody would fill the void that Polecat left. Their kits hit a great sweet spot of big, light, and affordable. Maybe if Loc added preglassed tubes as an option, along with some larger tube sizes.

 

[cwbullet]

I think the 10 inch kits were the key. Big, low, slow.

 

[b.wieting]

Well worn, now renovating to insert EF GPS so I can try some J motors (and find it afterwards!).

Patched, sanded, and repainted....

 

[Mr G]

The only reason I’m co-owner of a Polecat Thumper is that the other guy can store it. My Warlock is about the biggest rocket I can keep here, and even that’s awkward.

Maybe its time to bring it out of storage for Dairy Aire... Anyone have a spare good-sized K motor reload to donate to the cause? Donor gets a ride for a critter skydiver or two as part of the deal.

 

[ThirstyBarbarian]

Maybe its time to bring it out of storage for Dairy Aire... Anyone have a spare good-sized K motor reload to donate to the cause? Donor gets a ride for a critter skydiver or two as part of the deal. View attachment 578922

Unfortunately, I am not going to make it to Dairy Aire due to a conflict with an important family thing. But definitely fly it if possible, and the CTI hardware is available it needed.

 

[KenECoyote]

I saw a Polecat 5.5" Phoenix on eBay for under $200 shipped and I snatched it up.
It was a bit of a gamble since the seller only showed a pic of the box (which looked to have some water stains as well as epoxy [?] splatters) and a close up of the label.

I was quite surprised to receive it and it apparently has never been opened!


Furthermore, the quality is MUCH better than my Polecat 7.5" V2 (which had rough fg coating with bubbles). I think the coating looks fantastic here.




Everything looked fantastic with the exception of some small spots on the airfoiled fins, which can be easily filled.

 

[aerostadt]

I used a large Polecat tube for my 1/12 scale Atlas Mercury. It worked great!

 

[techrat]

Maybe it's just me, but once I graduate from 4" diameter, I just don't see the need to buy a kit. I've been scratch building since BT-55 tubes, and once you get into really big rockets, the "kit" is really a nosecone, some fins and some kind of tube and the rest you have to fabricate yourself anyhow, so it seems to me that I may as well just fab everything.

I'm already working a scratch built 4" rocket where I'm fiberglassing the tube, I bought the nosecone at eRockets, and the fins I'm making out of plywood. I've already made centering rings and have a 38mm motor mount tube. It might take me a few months to get the whole thing together, but when it flies is kind of moot right now, as I am not yet L1 -- but the rocket will be ready when I am.

 

[cls]

Furthermore, the quality is MUCH better than my Polecat 7.5" V2 (which had rough fg coating with bubbles).

Laser cut parts, you got a Jack era kit. Excellent.

The old rough wrapped tubes and router / saw cut parts were Andy era.

 

[KenECoyote]

I know what you mean. I have a Polecat V2 kit which I'll dig up later and post a few pics.

Laser cut parts, you got a Jack era kit. Excellent.

The old rough wrapped tubes and router / saw cut parts were Andy era.

As promised (ACME guaranteed?), I dug up my 7.5" Polecat V2 for some pics for comparison... it is apparently Andy-Era vintage.

Opening the box, it looks pretty good so far!

But lift off the bulkhead and the motor tube is kinda crinkled...

Then what happened to this little guy?

The other tube further down also looks a bit crinkled on the end. The nylon woven shock cord looks beautiful though.

Then out comes the motor tube... looks pretty good...

...but what's the red stuff?

Now here's the inside of the tailcone.

Outside tailcone...

 

[KenECoyote]

(Continued)
One of the fins. Looks pretty good!

(Edge actually looks better than Jack era Phoenix... better quality plywood apparently. )


The all important nose cone!


Here's a poor shot of the little body tube inside the box.


Outside of the body tube...





Next up: Polecat 5.5" Pershing II. I plan to start building this one soon.

 

[cls]

As promised (ACME guaranteed?), I dug up my 7.5" Polecat V2 for some pics for comparison... it is apparently Andy-Era vintage

Yep. The nose cone and tail cone is a big giveaway.

It's true, plywood quality took a dive by 2010. Used to be able to get really nice AB Baltic birch at HD, those days are long gone.

Next up: Polecat 5.5" Pershing II (Jack era?). I plan to start building this one soon.

I have one of those! Andy era. Flies really great on J350s!

Enjoy!

 

[KenECoyote]

It's true, plywood quality took a dive by 2010. Used to be able to get really nice AB Baltic birch at HD, those days are long gone.

Another pic of the Jack Phoenix fins.

 

[KenECoyote]

Here's pics of my 5.5 Pershing II (Jack). I ordered this one directly and everything looks great to me.

 

[cls]

Pershing looks great. My Andy kit nose cone had a soft spot on one of the fin slots. No trouble to fill in.

Black Rock 2019, GF for scale

 

[cwbullet]

Every post makes me regret not ordering more of their kits. I wish MadCow had not purchased them and sent them into vapor.

 

[Tech 68]

Getting there...

 

[jbr]

The big polecat V2

 

[pugachu]

I have an Andy era Polecat 3" Goblin and 4" Goblin, both bought for Goblin drag races (4" on a K, 3" on an I) I mostly scratch build the HPR stuff, I got Andy's help on my L3. I saw the 'launch' of the X-wing. wish I had my good camera back then to get a liftoff shot.

 

[KenECoyote]

Every post makes me regret not ordering more of their kits. I wish MadCow had not purchased them and sent them into vapor.

There's hope that they'll return one day. I'd like to think they didn't just buy them to waste money and I don't think Madcow will be out of business anytime soon (I hope).

 

[Sooner Boomer]

The big polecat V2
View attachment 580004

I'd love to see that fly (if it still can...).

 

[cwbullet]

There's hope that they'll return one day. I'd like to think they didn't just buy them to waste money and I don't think Madcow will be out of business anytime soon (I hope).

They initially sold off all the parts and kits they had and then tried to sell the company. That fell through (if I recall correctly).

 

[jbr]

I'd love to see that fly (if it still can...).

it flew at Airfest on a M1800 but landed hard and I need to fix it

 

[Sooner Boomer]

I must have been asleep. I hate that I missed both such a great rocket and great motor!

 

[Ez2cDave]

LINK to Polecat Aerospace INSTRUCTIONS . . .

https://www.rocketryforum.com/threads/polecat-aerospace-instructions.180225

Dave F.

 

[cwbullet]

Darn, I wish we could encourage the owner to reproduce these kits.

 

[SecondRow]

I’d love to buy a Woket.

 

[cwbullet]

I’d love to buy a Woket.

I have one built—it flys well.