Skill Level 4 Cosmodrome Nike Apache Cosmodrome Nike Apache Kit P/N:07266 Price: $60.00 Out of Stock Note: There is a $2.00 freight surcharge due to the large size of the shipping carton, and the additional cost of postage. Kit Specifications: Skill Level 4: Slightly Challenging Length: 52.5" (133.35cm) Diameter: 2.63" (66.8mm) Weight (without motor): 20oz (569g) Scale: 1:6 Recovery Method: 28" (71.12cm) Nylon® parachute Get this kit now! Just click on the "add to shopping cart now" button to the left.

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Recommended Rocket Motors: See Chart Below (coming soon).

Nike Apache Rocket - Motor Choices Estimated Altitude Predictions (generated using RockSim)
Motor Used	Motor P/N	Comments	Altitude - feet (meters)	Manufacturer & Motor Type
E25R-4	---	Quiet motor	381 feet (116 m)	Road Runner Single Use
E18-4W	51804	with a 24mm adapter	404 feet (123 m)	Aerotech/Reloadable
E28-4T	52804	with a 24mm adapter	430 feet (131 m)	Aerotech/Reloadable
E30-4W	53004	with a 24mm adapter	437 feet (133 m)	Aerotech/Single Use
F20-4W	62004	White Flame	750 feet (229 m)	Aerotech/Single Use
F24-4W	62404	with a 24mm adapter	532 feet (162 m)	Aerotech/Reloadable
F39-6T	63906	with a 24mm adapter	595 feet (181 m)	Aerotech/Reloadable
F32-6T	63906	with a 24mm adapter	702 feet (214 m)	Aerotech/Single Use
F42-4T	64208	Blue Flame	676 feet (206 m)	First Flight Aerotech/Single Use
F45-5	---	Quiet motor	750 feet (229 m)	Road Runner Single Use
F35-6	---	Quiet motor	959 feet (292 m)	Road Runner Single Use
F60-7	---	Quiet motor	954 feet (291 m)	Road Runner Single Use
G54-10W	67054	White Flame	1001 feet (305 m)	Aerotech/Drill out 3 seconds of delay
G104-10T	67104	Blue Flame	1026 feet (313 m)	Aerotech/Drill out 3 seconds of delay
G53-5FJ	73305	SMOKEY!	1135 feet (346 m)	Aerotech/Reloadable
G80-7	---	Quiet motor	1313 feet (400 m)	Road Runner Single Use
G71-7R	77107	Bright Red Flame	1335 feet (407 m)	Aerotech/Reloadable
G79-7W	67079	White Flame	1342 feet (409 m)	Aerotech/Reloadable
G76-7G	77510	Green Flame	1433 feet (437 m)	Aerotech/Reloadable
G77-7R	67077	Red Flame	1280 feet (390 m)	Aerotech/Reloadable
G78-7G/L	77307	Green Flame	1375 feet (419 m)	291 mph! Aerotech/Single Use - Loadable
G64-7W	76407	White Flame	1481 feet (451 m)	Aerotech/Reloadable
See the video below for help in selecting rocket motors. Rocket motors are sold separately from the kit. If you are unsure which one to pick, start with the one recommended for the First Flight, and then another for a more impressive launch. Most motors listed in this chart are available through Apogee Components. For other motors that are not listed here, download the RockSim file to see if it will work in this rocket kit. See also Technical Publication #28 for guidance on selecting appropriate rocket engines other than those listed in this chart. If you don't already have Technincal Publication #28, give us a call, and we'll be happy to let you download it free (you have to ask though).

Impress Your Friends With A Nike Apache Kit

The Nike Apache was a sounding rocket consisting of a Nike booster stage and Apache upper stage. It was the most popular sounding rocket introduced during the early 60s. Nearly identical to the Nike Cajun, it used a different propellant and had phenolic lining in the nozzle (to prevent it from becoming too hot, which was the case on the Cajun). Used for over 22 years with a launch success rate of 95.40%, it was finally retired in 1980. The Cosmodrome kit is a really large work of art. It is also a phenomenal value, because if you build it according to the instructions, all your friends in rocketry will think you paid two or three times the price. If you're even remotely interested in this kit, you need to scroll down (quickly) through the features and scale details to get a better idea of the amazingness. A tiny heads-up, though; the retro-style (like 1954) face card in the packaging can charitably be described as "quaint". Older rocketeers get warm fuzzies. Teens that frequent our walk-in shop are turned off vehemently and completely. Get past the face card, though, and you're in for a tantalizing treat.

Is the Rest of Your Fleet Worthy to Stand Next To This Rocket?

Premium Quality Body Tubes - The tubes in this huge kit are thick-wall for extra strength. They'll easily handle the high thrust of big motors. The surface is smooth, which makes marking lines on them easy. Painting is a breeze, since the spirals are tight and require little filling. 29mm Engine Mount Tube - This rocket is designed to handle mid-power size engines, like the F, G, and even H size rocket motors. Large 1/4 inch Launch Lug - Because this is a bigger model, you'll have a larger lug on the side of the rocket. This is used with mid-power size launch rods, to stabilize the rocket so it doesn't sway in the wind prior to launch.

Glossy pressure-sensitive decals, cool antennae - The Nike Apache is easy to paint. After that, decoration is just a matter of applying the sticker-like decals. The antennae are primo scale detail elements, and they are easy to install.

Balsa Nose Cone - This is worth the price of admission right here. It's almost six inches long and is a work of art. Mike, the owner of Cosmodrome, makes these nose cones by hand, one at a time. The quality of the turned balsa in this kit is absolutely first rate. Being made from balsa, it is easy to finish and accepts paint well. The lightness of balsa means you'll have a lightweight rocket too.

Balsa Transition - The Nike transition is the holy grail of scale rocketry. There's something magic about it; it just pulls us in. Cosmodrome's lovingly crafted piece is as good as it gets. It too is easy to finish and accepts paint well. It's a lot lighter than the plastic transitions found in most kits, but it's just as sturdy. It has a strenghtening detail we've never seen in any other kit; the long forward shoulder (it protrudes into the base of the Apache) is hollowed out, and Cosmodrome provides a hardwood dowel that glues in. This improves durability during the stresses of high power flight and rough landings.

1/8-inch Thick Plywood Nike fins - No whimpy lite-ply in this kit; these fins are made from 5-layer thick, high-density, premium plywood. If you elect to sand the fin cross section into a diamond airfoil shape (an exacting scale detail), an odd-numbered ply makes the task a little easier, because you have a centered visual indicator. You'll never break these babies, and you won't have to worry about fin flutter on high-speed flights. Plus, they are machine-cut! There are no burnt edges from a laser cutter. And finally, the fins have been stacked together and have their edges sanded. This makes them perfectly uniform, and saves you the time of doing the stack-sanding yourself. With full-length through-the-tube mounting tabs, the strength of the final model is truly amazing.

1/8-inch Thick Plywood Apache fins - Amazingly, these fins are also made from 5-layer thick, high-density, premium plywood, and are also through-the-tube mounted. These would be even harder to break than the ones on the booster. They are machine-cut with no burnt edges and have their edges sanded, saving you the time of doing the stack-sanding yourself.

Plywod Centering Rings - Like the fins, the plywood used in the rings is 5-ply to make them extra strong. They are pre-slotted for the engine mount rod and recovery cable and everything fits perfect with no sanding.

28 inch diameter Nylon® cloth parachute - This chute is an actual circle shape (not a hexagon), and has eight shroud lines instead of six to give extra durability for hard openings. When this parachute opens with a solid thump in a beautiful blue sky, you'll remember all over again why model rocketry is so fun.

Steel Rope Shock Cord Anchors - The Cosmodrome Nike Apache kit uses a steel shock cord anchor system. The wire-rope is attached to the forward engine mount centering ring. This gives a heat-proof anchor that can withstand even the hotest ejection charges. The shock cord and forward loop of the steel cable are situated to reduce zippering. Bungie Shock Cord - This is a heavy-duty elastic shock cord designed for high stress deployments. Instead of being flat (like underwear elastic), it has a circular cross section to give it more heat resistance. Quick link - The parachute is connected to the shock cord with a solid steel quick link. It's a premium detail high-power devotees have been using for years but most kit manufacturers don't provide, and is another example of the sheer value of this rocket. Special transition anchor - Cosmodrome provides a large, coursely-threaded plastic anchor that epoxies into the transition. No loose eye bolts here. The rocket is packaged nicely so the small hardware doesn't rattle around and damage any of the other parts.

Cool Scale Details - The Apache fincan is beautiful. While Cosmodrome doesn't show you what it looks like in their instructions, they do tell you how to paint it, and we think the paint scheme and scale detail merits extra attention here. Carefully read Cosmo's description on how to build and paint this model and we guarantee that every rocketeer at your next launch will want to hold this rocket and check out its amazing detail. Honesty, you will get real oohs and ahs. At right, you see the Apache fincan done in bright aluminum, with the extra-width 29mm fincan section and the carefully sanded transition to the main 24mm Apache body section done in silver-gray as recommended in Cosmodrome's instructions. The effect is subtle and mesmerizing.

It gets better - The bright aluminum and silver-gray paint scheme gets full play in the antennae section as shown above. A scale body wrap subtly thickens the foreward portion of the Apache body from the nose cone to just aft of the antennae. You really have to see it in the flesh to get the full impact. Whatever you do, do not fly this rocket naked!

What Makes This a Skill Level 4 Rocket?

The primary reason this is a Skill Level 4 rocket is that you are required to cut the slots for the through-the-wall fins. The antennae are fairly easy to install but require a little patience. There are two scale-detail body wraps that add thickness to the Nike fincan and the Apache body up next to the nose cone. A solid paper centering ring must be sanded and shaped. The paint pattern is a little more complex than just masking a couple of things off. Mounting the metal shock cord anchor to the centering rings, nose weight, and the threaded rod for the engine retainer system will require epoxy adhesive. This can be messy and cause an allergic reaction in some people. Adult supervision and wearing rubber gloves is recommended when working with epoxy. The Nike Apache is a bigger rocket that uses heavy wall tubes. It also has a substantial interior metal nose weigh to provide added stability. While the tubes don't make the rocket any harder to assemble, it does require extra safety precautions when flown. Patience and aquired flying skills to know when and where NOT to fly are just as important as quality construction techniques. While this kit does include an engine retention system, the kit can easily be modified to use the Aero Pack Engine Retainers. This gives the model a extra professional-looking appearance.

Tools needed to assemble this rocket kit: Pencil Ruler Scissors Masking Tape Hobby Knife Wood Glue Super Glue (CyA adhesive) 2-Part Epoxy Adhesive. We recommend Fix-it Epoxy Clay To Launch This Rocket Kit, You'll Also Need: Rocket Motors (Not included with this kit - See the motor selection above). Launch Pad & Launch Controller (Not included with this kit)

Frequently Asked Questions about the Cosmodrome Nike Apache Rocket Kit:

Q. Can this model be turned into a 2-stage rocket? A. No. The reason is that the forward shoulder on the balsa transition section would interfere with a motor mount in the top stage. It would take major surgery to convert this into a 2 stage rocket.

Q. What launch pad should I use to launch this rocket kit? A. Since this is a big rocket, you'll need very stable launch pad. We offer a couple of choices: the Aerotech Mantis Launch Pad, and the Estes Porta Pad-E.

Q. What launch controller can I use to ignite the motors? A. We offer two different controllers that can be used for mid-power size rockets. The Aerotech Interlock and the Pratt Hobbies GO-BOX Controller.

Q. I need help selecting motors. What should I do? A. Watch this YouTube video.

To see how the Cosmodrome Rocketry Nike Apache rocket looks and performs with each motor configuration, download the FREE RockSim design file (click here). This file can be opened with the FREE demo version of RockSim (click here). Both Windows and Macintosh versions are available.

What is a RockSim Design file? The RockSim software gives you a lot of information about the flight characteristics of this rocket: how high, how fast, where it will land, how will it react to wind, etc. The "design file" is intended to save you time. All the parameters (size, shape, weight, fin design, etc.) of this rocket have already been entered into the RockSim program, and saved as an electronic database file. You can just open it up in your copy of RockSim and start loading different rocket motors to run launch simulations. It's fun and educational to see the rocket zoom skyward, even before you built it. For more information about RockSim and to download a FREE 30-day demo version, click here.

Other Optional Accessories That Work Great With This Rocket Kit:

Rocket Motors - This is a reminder that this kit does not come with rocket motors. See the chart at the top of this page to see which motors will work in this particular rocket kit.

Nomex Wadding - This is a permanent form of recovery wadding. It protects the parachute from the heat of the ejection charge, preventing it from getting scorched. Comes in high-visibility orange color which also aids in finding the rocket if it lands in tall grass. This rocket would require the 9" square size (Part Number 29303).

Epoxy Clay - While it has a 1,001 uses around the house, it works great on rockets to make super-strong fillets where the fins attach to the rocket. Better than regular epoxy because it stays in place and doesn't ooze all over the rocket. So you can get perfect fillets on all your fins, without having to do them one at a time.

Sunward Nomex Ground Cover Blanket Product No. 29310 Provide a bit extra fire protection to the grass under the launch pad with the 5-by-5 foot nomex blanket.

What is expected when you launch your model rocket?

Are you new to rocketry? Do you think you know what happens when you launch your rocket? Now you can learn about the events that occur as your rocket is launched into the air. So when you launch your rocket, you'll be prepared and you'll be able to show off your knowledge to observers watching your rocket. This article also gives you links to other references that will give you even more background information about rocketry, so you can become a true rocket scientist and expert.

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