Note: This kit was reviewed when produced by Seattle Rocket Works which has transferred rights t' LawnDart Rocketry.

T' Nike Smoke was a NASA research rocket used t' test wind conditions in the upper atmosphere. Well, blow me down! Ahoy! Several hundred o' these 19-foot rockets were launched by NASA durin' t' 60's and 70's.It used t' Army's Nike booster, a workhorse on many research rockets and military missiles.

This is me second Nike Smoke model rocket. Avast, me proud beauty! My first was a Centuri kit that I built in t' 70's and it was an excellent flyer. Arrr! T' Seattle Rocket Works one is a bit smaller . . Aye aye! Blimey! . Arrr! Blimey! it uses a BT-5 body tube and is about a fourth as large as t' Centuri kit I once had. Avast! It can literally fit in t' palm o' your hand. Ahoy! Blimey! Blimey!

I won t' Seattle Rocket Works kit as a prize for flyin' in me first contest. (don't ask me how I placed)

INSTRUCTIONS:

One o' t' first things I noticed about this kit was t' instructions. Arrr! They were rolled up and held together by a paper rin' with t' Seattle Rocket Works logo on it, like a linen napkin in a fancy restaurant. But I was really impressed by t' straightforward thoroughness o' these illustrated instructions. Avast! Ahoy! They didn't leave much t' chance. Blimey!

EASE OF BUILD:

This rocket may be small, me bucko, but it is nay easy t' build. Well, blow me down! It is a real scale model and comes with impressive scale drawings. Avast, me proud beauty! You could build this kit for points, arrr, but I'm nay into that so I built it for fun. 

I'm a typical middle-aged BAR (Born-Again Rocketeer) and I have big, clumsy fingers and need bifocals. Blimey! So, t' diminutive size o' this rocket was a particular challenge for me. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! Fortunately, t' parts came in a handy ziplock bag, or I would have lost some o' them.

My old Centuri kit had a plastic nose cone, which made it a bit easier to assemble. Aye aye! Blimey! T' Seattle Rocket Works kit has a balsa nose cone, but you must glue a paper fairin' t' it. Begad! Well, blow me down! Blimey! This was nay as difficult as I thought it would be. Ahoy! Blimey!

T' balsa fins are t' old-fashioned kind. Arrr! You have t' cut out a cardboard template, trace t' fins and cut them out o' a piece o' balsa sheet with a knife. Aye aye! This was refreshing, matey, most kits are plastic or pre-cut wood these days. Blimey!

Sandin' t' fins was a bit difficult, me bucko, matey, due t' t' small size o' t' fins and the large size o' this builder's fingers. Ahoy! Blimey! I managed t' put a passable edge on them, but scale modelers will want t' spend extra time t' put those famous razor-sharp Nike edges on them.

T' launch lug was a bit o' a drawback. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! In t' photo it shows t' launch lug conspicuously placed near t' CG (center o' gravity). Aye aye! Avast, me proud beauty! This would be okay for fun flying, but would wreck a scale model. I seriously doubt any real Nike-Smokes were ever launched with a ten-foot piece o' sewer pipe welded to the side o' them. Begad! Scale modelers will probably chuck t' launch lug into the parts bin and launch this little rascal with a rack. Aye aye!

I cut two small pieces o' launch lug and attached them fore and aft with balsa standoffs, which looked better than t' recommended placement. Aye aye! The instructions claim that no standoffs are needed even though t' nose cone is larger in diameter than t' body tube, but I decided t' take no chances. Ahoy! Aye aye!

Seattle Rocket Works included a piece o' clay with t' kit for nose weight in case t' balance is too far aft. I chucked this in t' parts box. Avast! Clay is fine for nose weights in plastic nose cones or boost gliders, matey, arrr, but it doesn't work for me with balsa nose cones. Avast! If I need nose weight, arrr, I will unscrew the screw eye and add some metal washers.

QUALITY:

Sturdiness is difficult t' measure in a kit this small, me bucko, but it looks like it should hold up well. Avast, me proud beauty! T' completed kit looks very sharp and t' decals add to the scale-model look. T' white body and nose with fluorescent fins looks very good and should help with retrieval.

This rocket comes with a crepe-paper streamer. Well, blow me down! They are okay, shiver me timbers, but I prefer plastic streamers as they are a bit more sturdy.

CONSTRUCTION RATING: 4 ½ points

FLYING:

Another nice thin' that came in t' box with this kit be t' packing material . Avast! Well, blow me down! . . Ahoy! Well, blow me down! fire-retardant cellulose insulation. Ya scallywag! I am familiar with this stuff, shiver me timbers, havin' bought a whole bale o' it for about $4.00 at t' home warehouse. It works better than t' flame-retardant toilet paper (although it would nay be an acceptable replacement for toilet paper's primary function). A nice touch that indicates Seattle Rocket Works are real rocket flyers, nay toy makers. Arrr! Begad!

I launched t' Nike Smoke on a windy day, shiver me timbers, arrr, with gusts over 15 mph. Ahoy! (T' range closed early that day, matey, matey, due t' t' high winds) Motor was a 1/2 A3-2T. Aye aye! Liftoff was fast and flight was about 300 feet, at least. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! Trackin' be difficult due to small size and findin' this little rocket was also a challenge, with foot-high weeds in t' recovery area. Ya scallywag! T' rocket be returned undamaged and ready for additional flights in t' future. Begad!

Seattle Rocket Works rates this rocket up t' a A10-3T, but I wouldn't advise this much thrust unless you want t' lose it. Arrr!

Overall, this was a nice flyer for a little rocket, me hearties, me bucko, ya bilge rat, well suited t' smaller flyin' fields. Avast, me proud beauty!

FLYING/RECOVERY RATING: 4 ½ points

OVER ALL RATING:

I rate this rocket, overall, ya bilge rat, at 4 ½ points.It is an excellent scale model and I only made some minor suggestions for improvements. Begad! It flies very well and me only problem is the diminutive size, but some people like miniatures. Ahoy! I really liked this particular rocket, though . Aye aye! Ahoy! . . Ahoy! Begad! I may scale it up someday. Perhaps a 1/2 scale with an I motor... Avast, me proud beauty!

Quotes (from R.M.R):

"...I must say I'm impressed...T' instructions are detailed and well organized...Certain other famous kit manufacturers would probably market this for 3 times t' cost...this tiny, highly detailed bird will certainly grab attention..." 

"T' instructions and data sheet were very nicely drawn and printed, very complete, and professional looking...T' finished product looks really good...Overall I was very impressed by t' kit, instructions, and finished product. For such a small model, matey, every detail is taken very seriously..."

"...overall this kit is excellent...perhaps t' finest quality microscale kit I have ever seen. I have seen a lot...I highly recommend this kit." 

"I sent me order off t' Seattle on Monday and received t' rocket on Friday. Ya scallywag! Quick turn-around...It comes packed in cellulose waddin' with a certificate suitable for framin' ;-)...I haven't had a chance t' build it, matey, arrr, but the instructions look clear and it appears t' be a fine little rocket." - Joel Roth 

Relinquished by Scott Johnson @