LOC/Precision Hi-Tech Mini build thread

[Cookie the Dog's Owner]

LOC/Precision makes what might be called "factory downscales" of several of its high power rocket kits. The big Hi-Tech H45 has a 2.36" airframe and flies on 38mm motors. The Hi-Tech Mini is based on a BT-50 tube and flies on 18mm motors. It comes in a handy plastic box, and is described as a skill level 2 kit.



The package contains two BT-50 tubes, a nose cone, all the parts for a 2.75" motor mount, a balsa sheet containing three laser-cut fins, Kevlar and elastic shock cords, a 12" mylar parachute kit, vinyl stickers, and other necessary bits and pieces. All materials are of excellent quality.



The motor mount is of conventional construction. I put a small notch in the inside of the aft centering ring to make it fit over the motor clip easier.



The Kevlar is tied to the middle of the motor mount. Cut a notch in the forward centering ring to allow the Kevlar to pass through, and soak some glue into the knot.



Mark the main body tube with lines for three fins, and a line centered between two of the fins for the launch lug. After the motor mount dries, glue it into the lower body tube, fish the Kevlar out the top end, and tie the elastic to the Kevlar. Again, put some glue on the knot.

 

[cjp]

I'm building the Mini Iris kit I got when I stopped by LOC Wednesday,put a coat of primer on today.Solid kits for sure,they use thicker tubes then Estes.The centering rings have a grove in them to slip the kevlar in.Really nice kits that no one seems to talk about.

 

[Fred Garvin]

Cool little rocket....looks like a step up in quality components....

 

[Cookie the Dog's Owner]

While waiting for the glue in the motor mount to thoroughly set up, I turned my attention to the upper part of the rocket, which consists of a shorter BT-50 "payload tube" and a nose cone. The kit comes with a cardboard stage coupler and a laser-cut disc insert which are intended to form the bottom of the "payload section." I had a couple of BT-50 balsa bulkheads in my parts box....



and substituted one of those instead. (One less thing to glue.) I hadn't planned on using the rocket for anything more than sport flying, so I glued the nose cone into the other end.



If you wanted to have it be a functional payload section, it wouldn't be hard to do.

 

[Fred Garvin]

Looking good....

I went ahead and bought a couple of these kits. LOC has them on closeout for $10 (reg. $18.95) so I bought the Hi-Tech and the Isis.

 

[Cookie the Dog's Owner]

Next step is to cut out the fins.



The header card illustration shows that there is a small gap between the trailing edge of the fin and the rear of the body tube, but the instructions don't give a dimension. I made it a quarter inch.

The fins were glued on in the usual fashion.



My personal preference is to attach launch lugs using a 1/16" piece of stripwood as a standoff.



After filleting the fins, it's starting to look like a rocket.



Now comes the sanding and filling......

 

[DRAGON64]

I see they (LOC) have the whole collection on clearance for $10ea... I'm tempted to pick up a few for myself. They look like really nice fliers... I wish they made 24mm variants to fly D's & E's.

 

[cjp]

I see they (LOC) have the whole collection on clearance for $10ea... I'm tempted to pick up a few for myself. They look like really nice fliers... I wish they made 24mm variants to fly D's & E's.

I picked up the IRIS,it's 18 3/4" and there is another of that length can't remember which one,I would think that would be a easy thing to do with out nose weight.I just finished painting mine this morning.You get decals that are not waterslide.My batteries went dead in my camera will post after I buy more today.

 

[Fred Garvin]

I see they (LOC) have the whole collection on clearance for $10ea... I'm tempted to pick up a few for myself. They look like really nice fliers... I wish they made 24mm variants to fly D's & E's.

That's why I grabbed a couple....from Cookie's pics and description, they look like quality components and nice little fliers.....$20 for a couple of quality workhorses is a no-brainer.....

 

[T-Rex]

I bought a complete set of 12 last fall. I was going to give them to my grandchildren as gifts, but after I saw the quality, decided they needed my adult care

 

[Cookie the Dog's Owner]

I wish they made 24mm variants to fly D's & E's.

It's a BT-50 main body tube; to make a D/E flyer out of it, all you'd need to do is replace the motor mount with an appropriately-sized engine block.

 

[Fred Garvin]

It's a BT-50 main body tube; to make a D/E flyer out of it, all you'd need to do is replace the motor mount with an appropriately-sized engine block.

They call that the Vanishing Upgrade.

 

[DRAGON64]

I bought a complete set of 12 last fall. I was going to give them to my grandchildren as gifts, but after I saw the quality, decided they needed my adult care

...and supervision no doubt...

It's a BT-50 main body tube; to make a D/E flyer out of it, all you'd need to do is replace the motor mount with an appropriately-sized engine block.

I wish I knew my BT sizes a little better...

They call that the Vanishing Upgrade.

Minimum dia 24mm upgrades... nice!

 

[Fred Garvin]

I wish I knew my BT sizes a little better...

My favorite and most used tool is the Estes Tube Marking Kit....yellow plastic ruler thingy with fin guide, slide block, marking guides, and round tube marking guides. The round ones are marked with BT# so they're super simple to use to determine size....I use this tool on every rocket I build.....I'm gonna get the Ultimate Marking Tool next to help draw straight lines all the way down the tube....and when I start doing my own designs, the Tube Cutting Guides....

Seems simple and maybe cheesy....but Estes makes some pretty nifty and useful tool guides. Worth the $$.....

 

[DRAGON64]

My favorite and most used tool is the Estes Tube Marking Kit....yellow plastic ruler thingy with fin guide, slide block, marking guides, and round tube marking guides. The round ones are marked with BT# so they're super simple to use to determine size....I use this tool on every rocket I build.....I'm gonna get the Ultimate Marking Tool next to help draw straight lines all the way down the tube....and when I start doing my own designs, the Tube Cutting Guides....

Seems simple and maybe cheesy....but Estes makes some pretty nifty and useful tool guides. Worth the $$.....

I have one of the Estes tube marking kits... doubles as a fin alignment guide while the glue dries... yeppers, good stuff.

 

[Cookie the Dog's Owner]

The package art shows a yellow nose, a long black and white roll pattern on the upper half of the body, white center section with the "Hi-Tech" name ending in a black and pastel orange band, and a yellow "engine mount" with white and black fins, with an "HT" logo on both sides of each fin. That was a little too busy for my tastes, so I went for what you might call a "simplified" factory paint scheme.

After sanding, filling, and priming, I painted the nose and "payload tube" yellow, and the main body white with a yellow fin can.



The "decals" are opaque vinyl stickers. The roll pattern fit nicely around the bottom of the payload tube. The name was centered in the white below that, and the band went just above the yellow fin can. I left the "HT"s off the fins. there were some slight imperfections in the vinyl which were touched up with a fine-point Sharpie. I think it came out pretty sharp.



My personal preference in a rocket this size is for a streamer rather than a parachute, so I installed one made from a 36" strip of caution tape. I'll use the excellent mylar parachute on another project.

 

[cjp]

Very nice looking build.I wish my Iris came with a roll pattern decal.I painted and masked mine.It's on display in my Grandson's room until he can come out to a club launch.

 

[Fred Garvin]

Looks good....easy to see and track.....and I have a feeling you're gonna need it......

 

[DRAGON64]

That Hi-Tech turned out great!

 

[Cookie the Dog's Owner]

Excellent first flight today on an A8-5.