Brief:
LOC's Minie-Magg is a single-staged HP rocket popular with many fliers. Begad! 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. Begad! Blimey! Well, blow me down! Blimey! T' inventory o' parts are as follows:

• 1 nosecone, me bucko, 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, shiver me timbers, it is a basic build. Begad! I used 15 minute epoxy for t' assembly and 30 minute on fillets. Avast! Begad! T' instructions are simple t' follow and are included on t' back-side o' t' info/picture card. Begad! 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, matey, if any sanding. Avast! Blimey! I decided t' deviate slightly from t' instructions, though, in order t' add a few things t' improve t' longevity o' me Minie-Magg. Ya scallywag! Aye aye! Blimey! T' supplied shock cord mount is epoxied on t' inside side o' t' airframe, matey, and uses elastic for shock cord material. Blimey! Blimey! I did nay feel confident usin' this arrangement, ya bilge rat, matey, so I put an eyebolt in t' forward centerin' rin' t' anchor t' shock cord. Ahoy! Blimey! I also opted t' use 20' o' tubular nylon in lieu o' t' elastic. Avast, me proud beauty! Ahoy! Blimey! Attachin' t' cord t' t' eyebolt was done via quick link. Well, blow me down! Begad! Blimey! I also felt t' plastic eyelet on t' nosecone would prove weak on this larger rocket. Aye aye! Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' remedy this, I drilled a 1/2 hole in t' base o' t' nosecone, passed me shockcord through it, and passed it back through t' hole pre-existin' at t' bottom center o' t' nosecone. Begad! Thus far, it has held up well.

Another minor "CON" t' this rocket be t' fins do nay go all t' way t' t' motor tube. Begad! T' make amends, I decided t' keep t' aft centerin' rin' off until after I put t' fins on. Ya scallywag! 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. Well, blow me down! Quality o' airframe, ya bilge rat, arrr, wood components, and nosecone. Avast, me proud beauty! 2. Ahoy! Exceptional fittin' o' parts. Arrr! 3. Begad! Arrr! Simplicity o' build/instructions, even if built "stock."

CONS 1. Begad! Avast! Shock cord attachment and shock cord material. 2. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! Fins are nay t' t' motor tube. Ya scallywag! 3. Arrr! Arrr! Lack o' motor retention, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, which is fairly common in mid-power and HP rockets.

Finishing:
T' finish off me Minie-Magg, me hearties, ya bilge rat, I filled t' tube spirals with 3M Spot Putty. Ya scallywag! Blimey! On t' fins, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, I used a couple coats o' SIG sandin' sealer from t' local R/C plane store. After sandin' things smooth, I employed two light coats o' white Krylon primer, sandin' betwixt coats. For me color coat, shiver me timbers, I chose Glossy Krylon Grape. 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. Blimey! Avast! It's wide enough t' fit all recovery items with no hassle. Ya scallywag! 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. Arrr! Avast! 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. Arrr! I chose an I161 medium for t' ice breaker. It was a good choice and recovery happened without a hitch. Avast! At this point, shiver me timbers, I've gone as large as an I211. Aye aye! Aye aye! All flights have been arrow straight, and exceptional "rock & roll" motors for this rocket seem t' be t' I300, I357, and o' course, ya bilge rat, t' I211. Aye aye! For good measure, 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. Well, blow me down! 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. Aye aye! Pros: Stock 'chute seems adequate.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

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

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5