lalligood
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Well, I know that I have said in the past that I've been looking to not build basic 3FNCs too much anymore and stick to new, challenging builds instead but sometimes too much of a good thing is indeed too much!
It has been a real treat the past 2 evenings to work on a U.S. Rockets Mosquito 2.2. This is a basic 3FNC that also happens to be an upscale of the Estes Mosquito. The "2.2" stands for the diameter of the main airframe tubing--2.25 inches. That also means that you've go one large bug on your hands--it's nearly 18" tall! I don't mean to get so out of hand...it's MUCH larger than the original but this is still a rather compact rocket.
Highlights include solid balsa nose cone (the same kind that you get with the Banshee, AeroRoc, & Weightlofter kits from USR), 1/4" pre-cut balsa fins, 29mm motor mount (with 24mm motor adapter), & streamer recovery. Finished rocket weight is under 5oz.
I must somewhat apologize for not taking any "in progress" photos but I felt that the USR website & the Mosquito 2.2 review(s) on EMRR had already done a satisfactory job of capturing this. I *will* however be sure to take a picture of the kit completed but "naked" (before any painting/priming).
This was an easy and refreshing build. There is so little to get it built. The instructions recommend airfoiling the leading & trailing edges. A sanding block with 150 grit sandpaper makes pretty quick work of shaping the 1/4" thick balsa fins.
From there it's time to bust out the Titebond and start gluing everything together. With the main airfram tube marked, the fins are glued & filleted on. Same for the launch lugs. The motor mount is a pair of birch ply rings near each end of the 4" long 29mm MMT tube. Glue & fillet the CRs & then glue the entire assembly into the aft end of the tube.
Kickin' it old skool, 5 feet of 1/4" elastic shock cord mounts inside the main tube with a tri-fold paper mount. The old addage, "If it ain't broke, why fix it?" applies here.) A screw eye is screwed & glued into the base of the balsa nose cone. The shock cord is also tied to the screw eye. I tied a small loop in the shock cord so that I could clip/unclip the streamer, which I tied a snap swivel onto.
Done
Now to fill the grain on the nose cone & fins, sand, prime & paint...
And like the original, it could be quite easy to lose this bird with a large motor relative to its size. I'll probably pull out the 24mm motor adapter & stick to Estes D12s & E9s...at least until I get out to the sod farm in Bunnell Then we'll seriously consider a F40 or G64!
Oh yeah, I almost forgot... I picked this kit up as the current (as of this writing anyway) promotion with U.S. Rockets. $31 delivered to my door. (I did happen to order the Stiletto & Sentra SRB 2.7 kits as well...)
I'll get that picture up shortly of the complete rocket. Enjoy
It has been a real treat the past 2 evenings to work on a U.S. Rockets Mosquito 2.2. This is a basic 3FNC that also happens to be an upscale of the Estes Mosquito. The "2.2" stands for the diameter of the main airframe tubing--2.25 inches. That also means that you've go one large bug on your hands--it's nearly 18" tall! I don't mean to get so out of hand...it's MUCH larger than the original but this is still a rather compact rocket.
Highlights include solid balsa nose cone (the same kind that you get with the Banshee, AeroRoc, & Weightlofter kits from USR), 1/4" pre-cut balsa fins, 29mm motor mount (with 24mm motor adapter), & streamer recovery. Finished rocket weight is under 5oz.
I must somewhat apologize for not taking any "in progress" photos but I felt that the USR website & the Mosquito 2.2 review(s) on EMRR had already done a satisfactory job of capturing this. I *will* however be sure to take a picture of the kit completed but "naked" (before any painting/priming).
This was an easy and refreshing build. There is so little to get it built. The instructions recommend airfoiling the leading & trailing edges. A sanding block with 150 grit sandpaper makes pretty quick work of shaping the 1/4" thick balsa fins.
From there it's time to bust out the Titebond and start gluing everything together. With the main airfram tube marked, the fins are glued & filleted on. Same for the launch lugs. The motor mount is a pair of birch ply rings near each end of the 4" long 29mm MMT tube. Glue & fillet the CRs & then glue the entire assembly into the aft end of the tube.
Kickin' it old skool, 5 feet of 1/4" elastic shock cord mounts inside the main tube with a tri-fold paper mount. The old addage, "If it ain't broke, why fix it?" applies here.) A screw eye is screwed & glued into the base of the balsa nose cone. The shock cord is also tied to the screw eye. I tied a small loop in the shock cord so that I could clip/unclip the streamer, which I tied a snap swivel onto.
Done
Now to fill the grain on the nose cone & fins, sand, prime & paint...
And like the original, it could be quite easy to lose this bird with a large motor relative to its size. I'll probably pull out the 24mm motor adapter & stick to Estes D12s & E9s...at least until I get out to the sod farm in Bunnell Then we'll seriously consider a F40 or G64!
Oh yeah, I almost forgot... I picked this kit up as the current (as of this writing anyway) promotion with U.S. Rockets. $31 delivered to my door. (I did happen to order the Stiletto & Sentra SRB 2.7 kits as well...)
I'll get that picture up shortly of the complete rocket. Enjoy