Come to think of it, I just might have the needed parts in my stash of spares to build a clone
of the Mosquito. Since the model has only a few parts, it shouldn't be much to put one together.

They are easy as sin to clone, so that's what I do. I built two of them in, oh, a half hour, give or take a few minutes. Neither has flown yet, though. One was built for another project that I haven't started yet, and just last week I made a removable Micromaxx motor adapter for the other one. The adapter has a 2-56 socket head machine screw that extends through the motor block in the Micromaxx motor tube, and then screws into a really tiny 2-56 brass threaded insert that I screwed into the base of the nose cone and reinforced with CA. To mount and unmount it, I just insert a 5/64" hex wrench into the adapter's motor tube and turn the machine screw into or out of the threaded insert. The thing is, I made this adaptation after the Mosquito was built, so I had to work the insert into the base of the nose cone and CA it in while working blind from the back end of the Mosquito's body tube. The threaded insert, by the way, is really tiny. It didn't look for awhile like I could get it bored in, but persistence paid off. Applying CA all around it without getting any into the insert was also kind of tricky, because I couldn't see what I was doing. Did I mention that the threaded insert was really tiny? :eek:

Mark \\.

wow, you did a great job on the sanding to an airfoil shape. How did you do it, i've tried three times, and snapped the fins everytime,lol!

You can see that in the photos?? Yes, the fins are airfoiled, but I didn't think that it was apparent in the photos.

1. Use hard, C-grain balsa as fin stock.
2. Mount your sandpaper on a sanding block.
3. Avoid pressing down on the sanding block as you sand. Let the weight of the block supply the pressure.
4. Lay the fin on a flat surface.
5. Sand slowly and carefully in one direction only.

Mark \\.

Oh, another thing, too: always sand your fins into shape, even if you are just rounding the edges, before you attach them to the rocket. That was implied in #4 in the last post, but I want to make sure to mention this point. It makes a world of difference.

Also, for very small fins like those on the Mosquito, put a strip of double-sided tape down on your cutting mat or board first, and then lay the fin on it. You won't have to try to hold the fin in place with your fingers while you are sanding it then.

Mark \\.

Thank you, i w did not sand them before i put them on the rocket. What I was thinking, I'm not completely positive. I guess i will just sand an airfoil shape in my next kit or clone. Thank you for your help

8 Mosquitos and 2 Quarks on eBay now ... a 10-pack of rockets.

thank you lee, i will be watching that, my love for the mosquito prevails!!!!!

LOL! this is a funny thread!
I've been using mosquitos as photo props for a long while now. back in the mid 80's my BSA troop had a Mosquito build and fly at least once a year. Many of my scouts painted their models in Camouflage colors and generally flew them on A3-6T or A10-3Ts I can't recall recovering many regardless of the color or motor selected even down to 1/4A3's.

I made a six model "rainbow" swarm of mosquitos in 1990, all finished in Flourescent colors and have used the swarm to photograph most of my other models since. Looking at my OOP kit stash list I noticed I do indeed still have a single 801 kit listed tho I haven't actually put my fingers on it, and still have above 2 dozen BNC-5V nose cones used often on 13mm competition models.

I think the part I find really funny here is Upscaler complaining about paying 1.05 for a turned balsa nosecone. If you think about the time it takes to make one, materials and equipment involved the price seems more then a fair. As I mentioned in another thread if you think buying cones is to expensive these days, do what many of us do; Turn your own.

As for cloning mosquitos, it's just about the easiest model in the world to do. I've made more then a hundred over the years for the scout troop and other youth groups as a quick and easy fun fly model even the youngest Tiger cubs can slap together.

As Mark II mentioned if you want to ensure you'll get it back and still have a decent flight profile, convert the model for MicroMaxx motors. I've even gone a step further by incorporating a rear ejection motor pod with Teflon plumbers tape streamer that further helps spot and recover the models. If you build the model as light as you can ( Hollowing out at least the shoulder of the NC ) you can get about 90-100foot flights out of them:)
a Little 9" x 1/2" teflon streamer brings them back easy and a lot slower so they can be seen on the way down.... Even in darker colors.

As for the difference between building a mosquito clone or kit, once a model is painted unless you tell people it's a clone. NOone will know the difference LOL!!!!!!
Hope this helps a little.

Starlight has you skeeter fans covered this holiday season. You gotta clone a skeeter we got all the parts. It's not on the web site but for the ORF folks we have the full set of parts. NC, BT, LL and fin stock for the pricey sum of $1.50 plus shipping. Catch? Nah. but you may want a few or other kits and parts cuz of shipping. To take advantage of this offer contact me at spootski@kconline
Fly high and loose em'
Mr. Bob
Starlight dude
www.starlightrocketry.com