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DynaStar Grappler Rocket Kit
P/N: 05032
Price: $46.67
Note: There is a $2.00 freight surcharge due to the large size of the shipping carton, and the additional cost of postage. Additional shipping fees may apply for Hawaii, Alaska and US Protectorates and international orders.
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 Technical Publication #28, give us a call, and we'll be happy to let you download it free (you have to ask though).
Grappler
Are you looking for a big rocket that you can launch from just about any small launch field? Then the DynaStar Grappler is the perfect rocket for you.
As you can see from the images here, this rocket is very big. It is 45 inches (114.3 cm) tall, and 2.6 inches (66mm) in diameter. You most certainly will impress the kiddies when you bring this model out to the range, because it is that big. They'll all come running up to you and ask when are you going to launch it; that is a guarantee!
While this rocket is big, it is very light weight. It weighs just 10 ounces (283.5g) empty and well under a pound with a D12-3 engine installed. The reason it is so light is that it is engineered to use thin-wall paper tubes and also uses a brand new BT-80 size plastic nose cone that is also very light for its size.
Even though this rocket is large, that doesn't mean it needs a big field. The rocket flies to about 300 feet on a D12-3 motor. This is a perfect altitude for small fields. Just think how impressive it will be, and how much you'll love being able to bring out a big rocket even on small field.
What Makes This A Skill Level 2 Rocket Kit?
From a modeler's standpoint, this is an easy rocket to build. And since all the parts are big, they are easy to handle, even if you are all thumbs.
The Grappler uses the traditional construction techniques you are familiar with from building smaller model rockets. And the instructions are absolutely phenomenal; there are a lot of excellent illustrations that clarify the text.
Note: While the illustrations are superb, we still recommend actually reading the written portion of the instructions. You'll pick up a lot of new building tips that can be used on other rockets.
Big Performance on Inexpensive Motors
Like the other kits from "DynaStar Mid-Power Rockets", the GRAPPLER is designed to fly on the less expensive "D" size black-powder rocket motors. And it will give you the same performance as other mid-power kits that require "E" and "F" size composite propellant rocket motors. The lighter weight rockets fly faster and higher.
How do you get the same performance using smaller motors? Simple: the DynaStar brand of rocket kits use thin-wall body tubes, which are significantly lighter. So the rocket doesn't need a big motor just to get it off the launch pad. You'll save money, because you don't necessarily need to buy larger rocket motors!
And the DynaStar Grappler can also use reloadable rocket motors. This can save you money, and allows you to pick some awesome smoke and flame effects that add another dimension of visual effect that spectators love.
Assembly is easy - Just watch the video! - We've created a series of FREE quicktime videos that you can watch right now to see how easy this type of kit is to put together. By watching these videos, you'll learn some of the basic techniques you can use on other rockets too. You'll find these videos at our "getting started" page. Check it out!
Kit Features
Plastic Nose Cone - The smooth plastic nose cone requires no finishing other than a coat of paint. Its 3.46:1 ogive shape is very efficient for high speed rocket flights.
Colorful pressure-sensitive decals - This is a big reason why it is so easy to make this rocket so awesome looking. It is just a matter of applying the sticker-like decals. These are the biggest decals we've ever seen. The sheet size is 11 inches by 17 inches. There are big decals that go on both sides of each of the fins! No matter which way you look at this rocket, you'll be impressed by the color and decoration.
Die-cut balsa wood fins - Balsa wood is very lightweight and can be airfoiled by sanding to reduce the drag forces on the kit. This makes the rocket zoom higher and faster into the sky.
The model also comes with a high-strength, Kevlar® Shock Cord. Kevlar® is six times stronger than steel, and is also fire proof. It can easily withstand the high heat of ejection, ensuring the rocket descends as a single piece. This makes for a very durable rocket that can be launched again and again.
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.
The large 32" diameter plastic parachute that comes with the kit brings the rocket down slowly for a nice soft touchdown. The canopy on the parachute is a colorful black and yellow, which is easy to see in the sky and when it lands on the grass. You'll also find that the chute has tear-proof adhesive rings that reinforce the points on the canopy where the shroud lines attach. These greatly strengthen the parachute canopy, making it practically impossible to damage the parachute. Because this is a big rocket, the parachute is an octagon shape, instead of being a hexagon. Therefore, it has two more suspension lines, meaning it can carry a heavier rocket down to the ground
Tools needed to assemble this rocket kit:
Pencil
Ruler
Masking Tape
Wood Glue
Long Dowel To Spread Glue Inside The Body Tube
Hobby Knife and Scissors
Aluminum Angle To Draw Straight Lines Along The Body Tube
Finishing Supplies like paint and sandpaper.
To Launch This Rocket Kit, You'll Also Need:
Rocket Motors (Not included with this kit - See the motor selection above)
Launch Pad (see below for suggestions) & Launch Controller (Not included with this kit)
We encourage you to learn the proper motor selection technique. Please watch our YouTube video that will walk you step-by-step through the process
To see how the rocket looks and performs with in each motor configuration, download the RockSim Design file for the Grappler kit now. 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.
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
Related Items and Optional Accessories That Go Great With This 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.
See how high your rocket flew! This is the one altimeter you'll use in all your rockets because it does not require a separate payload bay. It is far more durable than any other altimeter because it is encased in ABS-plastic. It also is the first inexpensive altimeter to have a LCD screen that displays the altitude that the rocket reached during flight. Better get two, because your friends are going to steal this out of your range-box!
While not required, this would be a useful addition to this kit. If you don't use a heat shield, you'll have to use disposable wadding to protect the parachute from the heat of the ejection charge. And for a large diameter kit like this, it will take a lot of disposable wadding.
An ejection baffle cools the gases from the motor so that you don't need to put recovery wadding in the rocket for the flight. Think of it as permanent wadding!
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.
This 328-page book contains a gold-mine of information on building model rockets. When you get this book in your hands and start flipping through the pages, the very first thing you'll notice is that it is stuffed full of illustrations and pictures. The reason for this is that pictures is the perfect way to make complex subjects easier to understand. Even youngsters will be able to grasp the concepts in this book because of all the illustrations. Because of this, the book makes a great gift for your student that has an interest in rocketry.
Provide a bit extra fire protection to the grass under the launch pad with the 5-by-5 foot nomex blanket.
Actual Customer Comment:
Earlier this year I ordered a Grappler model rocket and also the Estes fin guide from Apogee. With the fin guide there was a letter asking for customers to send along photos of their finished rocket builds. So, I thought I'd send along a couple of pictures of me and my son, Lance, with the finished Grappler and a few other rockets we've put together here this year. My son just turned six so we decided to launch some rockets to celebrate his birthday. He and his friends had a blast and since all these kids with the exception of mine had never seen a actual model rocket launch they were pretty impressed. The Grappler was very impressive and this is the biggest rocket I have ever built to date. I initially started building rockets when I was about 10 yrs old back in the late 70's but around '82 I had moved on to other things but never lost my love for model rockets. When my son turned five last year I decided to get him an Estes rocket/launch pad bundle. He was hooked and so was I again. Since then we've built six rockets and we're just gonna keep going.
Apogee is a great site and I have directed many people to your site in the past 12 months. The Grappler went together pretty well and despite a couple of blunders on my part, it turned out pretty good. I need to work on my decal application skills but I am getting better. And naturally I am now hooked on 'big' rockets. I'll definitely be ordering another 'big' rocket from you guys in the future. I've never used anything over a 'D' size motor so it's gonna be new territory for me.
Anyway, attached are a photo of me and my son with our rockets and then a shot of all of us launching the Grappler. All the kids wanted to push the button so they all grouped around the controller to do that.... we had a countdown from five to one and of course I never made it to four before one of the kids jumped the gun, haha.
Thanks!
-Jeff Tolliver
Actual Customer Comment:
"Thanks, Once again you have gone beyond what was needed. The Apogee the name says it all: the "highest point" of service, products, and help." -- Ron Meyers
Nylon®, Nomex® and Kevlar® are registered trademarks of E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company for its brand of aramid fiber.
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