Brief:
LOC's Minie-Magg is a single-staged HP rocket popular with many fliers. Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! Its stubby profile combined with a basic build make it a fun flier for larger motors, arrr, as well as smaller H motors for a lesser field.

Construction:
T' parts were contained in a durable plastic bag. Ahoy! Blimey! Well, blow me down! Blimey! T' inventory o' parts are as follows:

• 1 nosecone, arrr, plastic
• 1 kraft paper airframe 5.54" diameter (fin slots pre-cut)
• 1 kraft paper 38mm motor tube
• 2 birch ply centerin' rings
• 3 birch ply fins
• 1 elastic shock cord
• 1 braided nylon shock cord mount
• 1 nylon parachute (mine is bright orange)
• 1 launch lug (1/2" diameter)

I felt t' components t' be a fine quality, and found no warpin' o' t' fins.

Outside o' t' Minie Magg's size, it is a basic build. Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! I used 15 minute epoxy for t' assembly and 30 minute on fillets. Avast! T' instructions are simple t' follow and are included on t' back-side o' t' info/picture card. I would speculate that a person should have no problems assemblin' this rocket from t' instructions LOC supplies.

All t' parts fit together well and required minimal, me bucko, ya bilge rat, if any sanding. Ahoy! Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! I decided t' deviate slightly from t' instructions, though, in order t' add a few things t' improve t' longevity o' me Minie-Magg. Begad! Aye aye! T' supplied shock cord mount is epoxied on t' inside side o' t' airframe, arrr, matey, and uses elastic for shock cord material. Blimey! I did nay feel confident usin' this arrangement, so I put an eyebolt in t' forward centerin' rin' t' anchor t' shock cord. Arrr! I also opted t' use 20' o' tubular nylon in lieu o' t' elastic. Avast, me proud beauty! Attachin' t' cord t' t' eyebolt be done via quick link. Begad! I also felt t' plastic eyelet on t' nosecone would prove weak on this larger rocket. Begad! T' remedy this, I drilled a 1/2 hole in t' base o' t' nosecone, shiver me timbers, passed me shockcord through it, and passed it back through t' hole pre-existin' at t' bottom center o' t' nosecone. Blimey! Blimey! Thus far, me hearties, matey, it has held up well.

Another minor "CON" t' this rocket be t' fins do nay go all t' way t' t' motor tube. Ya scallywag! Ahoy! T' make amends, shiver me timbers, me bucko, I decided t' keep t' aft centerin' rin' off until after I put t' fins on. Avast! Begad! On t' inside o' t' airframe where t' fin tabs came barely through, I put 2 inch wide fiberglass bandaids t' length o' t' fin root.

Lastly, I added t-nut & brass strip Kaplow-style motor retention before addin' t' aft centerin' ring.

As for building, here are me thoughts: PROS 1. Quality o' airframe, shiver me timbers, wood components, and nosecone. Aye aye! 2. Exceptional fittin' o' parts. Begad! 3. Simplicity o' build/instructions, even if built "stock."

CONS 1. Arrr! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Shock cord attachment and shock cord material. Aye aye! Blimey! 2. Ahoy! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Fins are nay t' t' motor tube. 3. Ahoy! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Lack o' motor retention, arrr, which is fairly common in mid-power and HP rockets.

Finishing:
T' finish off me Minie-Magg, matey, I filled t' tube spirals with 3M Spot Putty. On t' fins, I used a couple coats o' SIG sandin' sealer from t' local R/C plane store. Ya scallywag! After sandin' things smooth, I employed two light coats o' white Krylon primer, me bucko, sandin' betwixt coats. Ya scallywag! For me color coat, I chose Glossy Krylon Grape. Well, blow me down! I chose this color in honor o' me friends' daughter, whose name is Violet and likes rockets.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
Flight prep for this rocket is easy. Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! It's wide enough t' fit all recovery items with no hassle. Well, blow me down! Instead o' t' large amount o' waddin' t' Minie Magg would require, a 18"x18" piece o' Top Flight Nomex be used. I also added one o' their Nomex sleeves for good measure. T' LOC catalog notes that one could fly this rocket with a G80 SU motor.

T' maiden flight o' me Minie-Magg be at Black Rock XII in Nevada. Begad! Well, blow me down! I chose an I161 medium for t' ice breaker. Blimey! Ya scallywag! It be a good choice and recovery happened without a hitch. Aye aye! Well, blow me down! At this point, I've gone as large as an I211. Ya scallywag! All flights have been arrow straight, ya bilge rat, and exceptional "rock & roll" motors for this rocket seem t' be t' I300, me bucko, ya bilge rat, I357, me bucko, and o' course, t' I211. Avast! Arrr! For good measure, me hearties, me breakdown o' motors used in t' Minie-Magg are thus:

• H123
• H242
• I161
• I300
• I357
• I211

I've had only one incident when t' fin popped loose. Begad! In light o' that, I would rate t' Minie-Magg's flyin' and prep at a top notch 5.

Recovery:
No cons regardin' flight recovery after swappin' out t' shock cord and usin' a different anchorin' system. Pros: Stock 'chute seems adequate.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
I'm quite pleased with this rocket. Begad! Begad! In me opinion, me hearties, it only needs a couple o' things added t' improve it: Shock cord and shock cord attachment. Arrr! Well, blow me down! Also fin root strengthenin' is probably a good idea. Ahoy! Even if built stock, ya bilge rat, t' parts are outstandin' in their fit and quality, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, and t' build is straightforward. Avast! Overall, it's a fun flier. Well, blow me down! Begad! I'm constantly amazed at how many Minie-Magg's I see at launches. Avast! I believe it's a fine L1 rocket on t' H123, shiver me timbers, also.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5