Hostile Projectiles - V-23 Build
 

A package arrived at my front door today. It was from Hostile Projectiles.

I’m quite certain that I must be on some kind of watch list. I’m always getting packages marked either Toy Rocket Propellant or Rocket Propellant or Explosive or something to that effect. Now one arrives that says “Hostile Projectiles”. :D

Anyway I opened up the box and found the components needed to build the V-23. Some of the parts were free within the well protected confines of the box. Others were inside one of three separate plastic bags. I was impressed with the quality of all parts, and especially impressed with the quality of the nose cone, boat tail and canopy.

The parts included:
BT-60 body tube
Nosecone (nicely detailed)
Boat Tail (nicely detailed)
Canopy (nicely detailed) (not listed on parts listed in instructions)
Styrene Tube (gets glued to inside of cC for screw eye to attach to) (not listed on parts listed in instructions)
Pre assembled engine mount (yes that’s right pre assembled)
Two sheets of 1/8 x 4 inch balsa
200 lb test string
Shock Cord (31 inches in length)
Tape Disks
Trash Bag Chute
Screw Eye
Snap Swivel
Two 8 ½ x11 fin templates (with grain direction)
Decal Sheet
CD Instructions (with PDF printable instructions, pictures, backup templates and decal sheets)

I've been reading the instructions which are informative and funny at the same time. I think we have another Dr. Zooch on our hands with regard to instructions that provide humor along with the facts.

Much of what's contained in the instructions follows along with what you would expect on a kit build. Then there are some differences with regard to technique and preparation that I'm looking forward to.

I think this is going to be a very enjoyable and interesting build.

Cas thanks for pointing out the things I missed. I'm glad the instructions make sense so far. It's funny you should say that about the instructions as I have always written my instructions in this manor long before I ever built a famous Ant kit. I think he takes it even further.

I wrote this book awhile back and it's been a good seller. Even the title beats you up not to mention the book itself. Each teaches you how to scratch build just about anything, not just submarines.

http://www.sneillfx.com/page21

I like to talk directly to the modeler knowing full well they are a person just like me. A model nut! Instructions are often so cold and technical they take all the fun out of building! Or can.

I will make the corrections tomorrow that you pointed out and anymore you come up with to go out in the next batch of kits.

Enjoy the build and the flying. You will beat me to the sky with my own model. It's nearly impossible to get to the field to fly these days since my wife has been in a wheel chair. I have to get someone here to watch her if I go anywhere so it's hard. We are hoping she will walk again real soon. I'm chomping at the bit to fly!

Steve

Sorry to hear about your wife Steve. I hope she's up and around real soon.

As for beating you to the sky, that may end up happening, but I will venture a bet that I won't beat the look of your finished product. :)

Thanks Cas.

And if you need any help or questions answered, shout out!

Steve

Thanks for the offer Steve. I'll surely take you up on it if I have any questions.

On the plus side I got some work done on the project last night. I documented my progress, took pictures, and was in the middle of posting to this thread when my PC stopped working.

So on the down side, everything I did is documented on the PC that now isn't working. It looks to me that the hard drive is spinning up, but it's not starting the boot sequence. I'm going to bring it in to Best Buy where I purchased it to see if it can be fixed. At the very least I want to get my data off of that drive.

So my progress documentation is on hold for a short time. If it looks like this will be a long drawn out process I will re-type my notes, take new pictures (I deleted them from the camera as I transferred them to the PC), and move on.

The build is going well. It's interesting, it's different, and it's engaging.

More to come...

Hey cas...I was wondering if you could give some feedback on the weight of the cone and tail cone. Also, I didn't see any nose weight listed. With those big wings I expect a fair amount will be needed.

Sure thing. I expect Steve will weigh in as well, but (not having weighed the nose cone or taile piece yet) I'd estimate that both the nose cone and tail piece are comparable in weight to balsa components of the same dimensions.

Balancing the rocket is discussed in the directions on the last page. There aren't specifics listed, but that goes back to something that's stated right up front in the instructions and that's that the assumption is that the builder is not a beginner but a seasoned rocket builder.

With that said, the builder on the last page is instructed to balance the rocket using the builders preferred method. You are told to find the CG with a string, make a cardboard cutout to find the CP and perform the string test.

No mention is made of what material to use to balance the rocket, but the expectation I believe is that you add weight to the nose cone and epoxy it in.

More to come on this for sure when I get to that step.

Thanks for the info. I look forward to seeing his cone work on the next round of kit releases. I for one welcome a builder's kit. The cut-out method will give the conservative answer and I'd likely work up a RockSim model on it.

Dick thanks and thanks Cas. As it is they weight out about 1/2 ounce and piece. I running more today and will put them on the scale again and report back.

Balancing should be too hard. Clay or lead will do.

Thanks again guys,

Steve