LOC Lil' Nuke - My 1st MPR

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cydermaster

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Hobbylinc had the LOC Lil' Nuke on special, last week, putting its price *well* under the personal allowence for improting to the UK duty/tax free. I thought this was too good an opertunity to pass up, so I brought one; along with an addapter so I can fly her on 24mm. ($40 all in - approx £22 in real money - including shipping)

She arrived this morning, and what a beauty! Looks like a straightforward build - same basic ideas as a LPR 3FNC, just using Epoxy & *much* stronger componants. It uses plywood, instead of balsa, and the BT is loads thicker than a usual Fliskits/Estes/Semroc ones. Pre-marked too - which is nice! :D

The instructions assume you are an experienced 3FNC rocket builder, and only contain the essentials, but are comprehensive enough. They explain where to put the fins and smear the epoxy, which is all you really need to know, on a 3FNC!

With the legalisation of Es, over here, (hopefully) in the next couple of weeks :cool: - I want to get this bird ready for an E at IRW, at the end of the month.

As this is my 1st real MPR, I'm not going to be too cocky, and try any drastic mods. I'm gonna build her stock, using 30min Epoxy. After looking at EMRR, I'm gonna do the pin-holes trick for making epoxy 'rivets' where the fins attach to the BT. I'm also gonna add a sheet of Nomex to complement the wadding, and bung a snap-swivel on the 'chute.
 
Very nice! Midpower is your next step!

I suggest putting an eyebolt on the top centering ring to attach the shock cord to. The LOC method works, but fails with time.

Good luck with the E flight!
 
Cheers for the tip, Dan. I had thought of doing that. As I've never done that mod before, I decided against it - as this is my 'beefy-est' bird to-date, I've made the decision to not try anything new. Agreed, the stock method of shockcord attachment, does look susceptible to wear; but it can be replaced easyly. Assuming it doesn't fail mid-flight! :D

Pic attached: Centering rings epoxied to motor-tube.
 
The LOC method of shock cord attachment works surprisingly well. I've never had it fail. Locate the cord so the loop is just below the lip of the body tube so the shock cord hits the tube instead of the string. Remove a strip of the glassine coating about 1 cm wide where you attach the fins for a much better bond. Do not attempt to fly it on Estes D12 or E9 motors - it won't be pretty. Composite E30-4 is a nice flight. Mine took any motor I could get into it - including a H500. (Finally lost it to the trees :( )
 
Originally posted by Rocketjunkie
Do not attempt to fly it on Estes D12 or E9 motors - it won't be pretty.
Hmmm.....I don't have a liscence for AP, so I can only use BP motors. I'm doing my best not to overbuild her, so she'll fly better on the BP 24mms (I hope).

Bit quiet in work this morning - I could have brought the fins with me, and sanded the edges inbetween customers. ;)
 
I really wouldn't fly it on a D12 or an E9. Mine is built very stock and I wouldn't fly it on less than a composite E. I have flown it on an E11 and that was a slow arcing flight - basically a waste of an E11 - and that is more powerful than the D12 or E9. The D12 will be well underpowered.

In the UK you are going to struggle to fly the Nuke as 24/29mm composites are just not available - at least until Congreve get their motors certified - and then we can have fun with Nukes - how about glassed on fins and an H480 :kill:

Another alternative is a 38mm mount and fly Pro38 - again composites but the smallest is a G motor - this will be out of sight.

Sorry to be the harbinger of doom, but I wouldnt risk a nice kit like this to the motors available to you at present. :(
 
Originally posted by Daedalus
Sorry to be the harbinger of doom, but I wouldnt risk a nice kit like this to the motors available to you at present. :(
Don't be sorry, you *may* have just saved me from a very embaressing spack! ;)
 
I have seen them lumber up there on D12's, but I actually thought they flew quite well with E9's. My experience with the Lil' Nuke has been very good. Lots of flights on D9W's, E11J's, E18W's. Flies quite well, even on small loads. You may be okay, you may not, but it might be worth a try if thats all you can fly!

H220T next launch;)
 
I agree with Dan that D12's and E9's are not entirely out of the question. I too have seen Lil' Nukes fly just fine on low wind days as long as you point them relatively straight up. Granted you build it nice and light.
 
I like the Lil' Nuke... Flies great on D - G motors. Mine got lost on a G104. Rod-Whip and went horizontal into the woods :(
 
Originally posted by RocketboyG80
I agree with Dan that D12's and E9's are not entirely out of the question. I too have seen Lil' Nukes fly just fine on low wind days as long as you point them relatively straight up. Granted you build it nice and light.

My LOC Graduator has flown on a D12-3 (min. recommended motor). Granted, it only went about 150ft or so, but it flew. Just make sure there's no wind, build light, and you should be OK on the D12. OTOH, I tried an E9 and my bird went horizontal! The E15W and E30T are great motors for small parks or demo flights.

BTW, I can read the excitement in your post and documentation of your build. I'm glad you are enjoying every bit of owning this kit. Let's hope the flight does not disappoint!
 
Originally posted by eugenefl
BTW, I can read the excitement in your post and documentation of your build.
Yep - this has been a fun build, and I have got one cool rocket to fly now! :D

I've spent the last week priming/sanding/priming/sanding/painting/sanding/painting etc .... Been worth the effort, I'm *very* pleased with the results. I've almost managed to get rid of the spirals - you do have to look close to find them! :D

I'm a BIG reggae-head, and the plan was to paint the Nuke in the Ethiopian Flag colours (Red, Gold & Green). Well ... my local shop wasn't able to get me any gold/yellow in time for me to have her painted & dried for IRW. So I decided to leave the gold/yellow for another day, and left the upper BT as just white gloss (the 'undercoat').

I didn't stop to think, but this colour combo gives one the Italian Flag!!! Anybody familier with mid-20th century inter-war European history should see the irony in that!!*

I've still got the shockcord mount to put in, but thats academic.

I have really enjoyed building her - as soon as I can get my AP liscence I'll be building more LOC stuff (Lvl 1 here I come?) ;)

Anyway, heres a not very good picture of my Lil'Nuke. I can't get the lighting right in my flat (its hammering down outside). The green looks more like black. I'll try to post some better ones soon:

* = The Italian facist dictator Mussolini, wanted to impress his 'mate' Hitler. He took a big tip from the "British book on how to build a British Empire" - "Only invade countries where the native's only defence is spikey fruit". In 1935 he (rather ruthlessly) invaded Ethiopia, and deposed the King: HIM King Hailie Selassie-I.
 
looks great! i say you paint one red, white, and blue, and slap a Lonsdale sticker on it! ....or a ben sherman sticker, i know you have some!
 
Lol - thats on its way ... I've got to do a Punk Rocket & a 2-Tone one first! ;)
 
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