Part 3 -- Polecat Aerospace 5.5" 'Honest John' M31 1/4 scale kit

Christmas is over, I'm back in California, and I'm thinking about rockets, but what else is new.

But back to the kit.

The holidays proved to be hectic for everyone. Andy at Polecat was no exception. After playing phone tag for a while, we finally hooked up and he shipped a new nosecone. He also threw in an extra coupler section. He explained that the Honest John nosecone is more difficult to make than say one for a Nike Smoke, and that sometimes there are issues. He also explained that the cone needed to fit more snug than others, due to the increased weight and tendency for a lesser-fitting cone to pop off in flight. He suggested a workaround: remove a layer of paper from inside of the coupler so that it is looser.

The new nosecone came in two days later, and had the same issue: too big for the coupler. I then pulled a layer of paper from inside of the coupler and the original cone fit nice and snug. Seeing this, I just went with the old one, and will return the new one to Andy.

And now, for the final product.


As you can probably tell, I'm a huge Ron Paul fan. However, this is not a political forum, so we'll stay on topic (except to say that he would straighten out the entire mess with the BATFE regarding ammonium perchlorate motors).

As you can see, it's a sleek bird, and an attention getter. She stands over 7 feet tall, and I received several comments at the last launch. I didn't fly it, however, as I was stressed out about getting my Level 2 flight successfully completed (I did it with the Nike Smoke and an Aerotech J420).

I spent waaay too much money on finishing. Vinyl lettering was around $85, paint, motor retainers, epoxy and extra washers added about another $100 to the price. All in all, the final cost (including $259 plus shipping for the dual deploy rocket) was around $500.

I've also decided to just make this a single-deploy rocket. I mentioned previously that this bird is mostly for eye candy. Also, in California, it is difficult to find the FFFF black powder needed for deployment charges, and I don't have time to wire and test an altimeter system before the Super Tuesday primaries, so one chute (58") it will be. Besides, I'm seriously considering adapting the payload bay to the Nike Smoke and converting it to dual deploy.

Would I recommend this rocket? Well, it depends. If you are looking for a larger diameter rocket for Level 2, I would highly suggest the popular Polecat 4.0" or 5.5" Nike Smoke. Its a bitchin' kit, and can certainly handle its end of the bargain with your (and my) mistakes. This kit, however, is a bit more challenging than the 'Smoke, but if you have a childhood hangup over Honest John M31's (like I do), then you'll be very pleased with the final outcome.

I have yet to fly it, so I can't give you a report as to the performance. I'm planning on loading it with a J420 by Aerotech. So look for a report next week.




I will be flying both at the Tripoli Central California launch on Sunday January 20, 2008. For more information about the launch, see http://tripolicentralcalifornia.com.

Respect
Robin

Part 2 -- Polecat Aerospace 5.5" 'Honest John' M31 1/4 scale kit

A little history before we start building the M31.



The Honest John M31 was originally developed and deployed in the early 1950's as a tactical nuclear weapon (sometimes called a 'battlefield nuke'). Originally conceived during the early years of the Korean War, it was first deployed in West Germany as a counter to the massive number of Warsaw Pact troops huddled along the western borders of the most eastern European countries. The M31 came in three pieces and could easily be assembled by a three man crew and ready to fly in 15 minutes or less. It had a range varying from 6 to 25 miles -- just enough distance to hurl a few kilotons at those pesky Red Army forces (remember the Cold War??). It was later replaced by the M50, which was shorter, lighter and had better gas milage.

The original M31 design was developed from off-the-shelf components inside of two years. The first version used a stock Aerojet JATO motor, which had enough impulse to propel 1,500 pounds around 15-20,000 yards.

Here's a link to an excellent declassified document (called a 'monograph') about the history of the Honest John program, as well as a great write-up describing the mindset of the time, and the motivations behind the tactical nuclear weapons program.

It was also a rocket from my childhood, growing up in the late 60's, about an hour away from Werner Von Braun's American home in Huntsville, Alabama (it was first built at Redstone Arsenal). My father and I must've built three or four of these things (my earliest cato was an Este's Honest John M31 at age 6. Back then, a cato got you a free rocket from the engine manufacturer. That *and* Apollo at the same time?! Wow, what a great time to be a kid.)



Now, let's get back to the kit.

The motor tube in the Polecat kit is simple to construct. Pretty much like every other motor tube assembly you've ever constructed. I used 30 minute epoxy, though 5 minute would work just fine on these kits. Again, I'll mention the lack of a third centering ring on the motor tube. It would give the fins extra needed support. The 5.5" Nike Smoke has this third ring, and was probably instrumental in helping to save the airframe on my version's last 'landing'. Since I plan on this being more 'eye candy' (flying I's to K's) than an engine hog, we won't worry about it.



Installing the motor tube assembly into the airframe is a simple matter. Nothing complicated here. Everything fits snugly, as it should, and the epoxy bonds well, leaving a very solid, confidence-inspiring airframe, even without the extra ring.

Assemblage of the fin can area is easy. The thick, freshly cut fins definitely need some sanding time. This is not a construction article, but I'm a relative newcomer to HPR. So if you are as new as I am (and maybe in the same boat), I'll make my plug (again) for this handy device:


It's a $40 circular hand sander. I hear you guys with nice workshops snickering from behind your drill presses, but for a guy who has never really had a good set of power tools, discoveries like this are lifesavers.

Anyway, I whipped through the fins in five minutes. The only problem I had was that I switched to 30 minute epoxy and still kept my five minute habit. I did two opposing fins, taped them, then noticed 15 minutes later that all of the epoxy was running down the fins, and one had popped out a bit. A few 'adjustments' later (including using a Big Gulp straw with the spoon end to pick up what little wet epoxy I could) and it was back together. I still managed to leave a mess of epoxy on the fin, but managed to maintain its integrity with a good bond.

The Honest John M31 has a distinctive nose, to say the least. And with the Polecat kit, that is exactly what you get. It's over three feet long, very sturdy (fiberglass) and has a nice, smooth finish. There are seams from the molding that you will have to sand down, as with most cones. However, I discovered that this particular nosecone was too large for its bulkhead, which slipped right through. It was also too large to fit into the electronics bay coupler section, even after I sanded the cone. I have contacted Andy, but it is the weekend, and this is 'near real time', so I'll probably hear back from him on Monday.

Next time, I'll cover the electronics bay (the dual deploy option), rail mounts, and miscellaneous information about the kit.

Merry Christmas

-r