Futuristic and Hi-Tech High Power Rocketry!
|
Madcow Fiberglass Honest John Rocket
|
Kit Specifications:
Skill Level 3: Average Skills Needed
Length: 38" (96.5 cm)
Tube Diameter: 2.6" (66 mm)
Max Nose Cond Diameter: 3.4" (86.4mm)
Motor Size: 29mm diameter
Weight (without motor): 28 oz (.793 Kg)
Recovery Method: 30" (76.2 cm) Nylon parachute
ORDER This Kit NOW! Just click on the "add to my shopping cart" button below.
Madcow Rocketry Honest John
P/N:07249
Value Price: $119.95
Note: There is a $2.00 freight surcharge due to the large size of the shipping carton, and the additional cost of postage.
|
Why the distinctive shaped nose cone? It was designed to hold a nuclear warhead.
|
|
Madcow Rocketry Fiberglass Honest John Rocket Kit
Estimated Altitude Predictions (generated using RockSim)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Aerotech
|
Smallest motor recommended. Use only on days when the wind is calm. 60+ inch launch rod required.
|
|
Single-Use
|
|
|
Aerotech
|
Lowest Altitude. Use only on days when the wind is calm. 60+ inch launch rod required.
|
282.1 feet (85.9 m)
|
Reloadable
|
|
|
Aerotech
|
Delay is a bit long, so only use on calm wind days. 60+ inch launch rod required.
|
705.1 feet (214.9 m)
|
Reloadable
|
|
|
Aerotech
|
Delay is a bit long, so only use on calm wind days.
|
742.4 feet (226.3 m)
|
Reloadable
|
|
|
Aerotech
|
Delay is a bit long, so only use on calm wind days. 60+ inch launch rod required.
|
1002.6 feet (305.6 m)
|
Reloadable
|
|
|
Aerotech
|
Good motor for breezy wind conditions
|
956.7 feet (291.6 m)
|
Single-Use
|
|
|
Aerotech
|
Lots of smoke. Good for first flight.
|
830.0 feet (253.0 m)
|
Reloadable
|
|
|
Aerotech |
Another good motor for first flight. Brilliant white flame. Good for launch photos. |
1126.9 feet (343.5 m)
|
Reloadable
|
|
|
Aerotech |
The green flame is cool. |
1097.8 feet (334.6 m)
|
Reloadable
|
|
|
Aerotech |
More Green flame. You'll probably like it. |
1043.4 feet (318.0 m)
|
Single-Use
|
|
H128W-10
|
Aerotech
|
Representative of motors using the
Rouse-Tech RMS29/180 case |
1439.4 feet (438.7 m)
|
|
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).
|
|
Who wants a sturdy and forgiving rocket they can always launch?
|
If you're looking for a durable rocket that you can whip out at any launch or at any time, then the Madcow Rocketry all-fiberglass Honest John kit is for you. Because it is made out of fiberglass, it is practically indestructible. You won't dent it, that's for sure. That makes it very forgiving if you should accidentally put a deficient motor into it, or if "bad luck" would try to take your rocket away from you.
So if you go out to a launch and see that there are a ton of boulders in the landing area and you're worried about busting a fin on a rocky surface, then this is the rocket you can pull out and launch with confidence. It is ultra durable.
It is also a builder's dream come true. Since the surfaces are already smooth like a baby's butt, this is going to be the fastest build kit you'll come across. Even small rockets won't go together as fast as this one.
|
|
Photo Courtesy of Madcow Rocketry
|
And when it comes time to paint, you'll love this rocket. No spirals to fill in the tubes, and the paint will stick to the fiberglass surface like it was put there by God himself. The tubes and the nose cone don't flex, so you won't have to worry about the paint debonding from the surace like you would on a plastic nose cone.
It also is durable enough to put up in the sky wth big high power motors. In fact, you'll swear that this rocket was made for those kind of engines.
|
What Features Make This Kit Worthy To Be In Your Fleet?
|
This is definately a high power kit. From its extra stout components, the through-the-wall fins, a fiberglass nose cone, and metal hardware, you can easily tell that this is brute that is ready for any big motor you dare to put into it.
Fiberglass is the gold standard when it comes to rocket kits. They are strong, durable, easy to paint, they are easily glued together using epoxy or CA glue, and they just look high tech.
Other features include:
29mm Engine Mount Tubes - This rocket is designed to handle mid to high-power size engines, like the F through H size rocket motors.
|
|
|
|
Fiberglass fins - Like the rest of the rocket, the fins, while they seem thin, are very strong. They are so hard, the you'll be glad they are already pre-cut to shape. It would be a chore if you had to do it yourself.
Nomex® Chute Protector - This is a fire-resistant cloth that takes the place of wadding in the rocket. It is attached to the shock cord and is reused for each flight. It gets a bit sooty after a bunch of launches, but can be cleaned off and used again and again.
|
Large Fiberglass Nose Cone - The main distinguishing feature of the Hones John is the uniquely shaped nose cone. In real life, it was emen to carry a nuclear warhead. It just looks so cool, doesn't it? This scale mode features a 3.4-inch diameter cone that 16.75 inches long (20 inches total with the shoulder). Since it is made from fiberglass, it can withstand the roughest of landings.
Because it is made from fiberglass, it takes any type of paint really well. It won't come off this nose, like it does with some plastic nose cones. It is stuck on for good!
|
|
This is a great kit, but it has one small flaw that you need to be aware of. The inside of the nose cone is very rough (as shown in the photo to the right), because of the way the fiberglass is layed into the mold. Normally this is not a problem, as who would look into the nose cone anyway. But you will be mounting a bulkhead into the base of the nose so you can attach the shock cord and parachute. Because it is rough, the bulkhead disk does not fit very easily. You will need to sand out the inside where the bulkhead is attached. Wear a particle mask to avoid breathing in the fiberglass dust. You may want to send the kids out to play too.
Tubular Nylon® Shock Cord - The 12 ft long 5/8" wide shock cord is designed for high power rockets like this Phenix. The ends are pre-sewn into loops. So instead of tying knots on the ends which can reduce the strength of the cord, you'll use metal Quick-links. Using these, you'll attach it to the screw eye on the forward engine mount centering ring. Using the Quick-links, you'll also be able to swap out the shock cord easily if it should ever be damaged.
|
|
|
|
Decals - The kit is very simple to decorate. Just paint it olive drab green, and slap on the vinyl lettering. It will be the fastest paint and decoration job that you ever did n a rocket.
|
Metal Hardware - Used on the base of the nose cone so that the parachute can be attached. You'll be glad it come with such stout hardward so that your rocket stays together throughout the entire flight.
|
|
|
|
Fiberglass Bulkhead and Centering Rings - Like the fins, the 1/16" thick fiberglass rings are first class all the way. They are so strong, that you'll be able to fly this rocket on the biggest and badest rocket engines, and it will not even flinch.
Nylon® cloth parachutes - You'll receive a 30" diameter chute built for high power size rockets.
|
Plywood Accents - There are a couple of scale accents on this model. The first is the launch lug stand-offs. Since the nose is so big, the launch lugs have to be placed far off the body tube so that the rocket can be placed on the pad. Also, the real rocket contained spin motors on the nose cone. I wish they were molded into the nose cone, but they are easily added using some small pieces of plywood. These have to be shaped prior to applying them to the nose cone, as they do have a unique shape that is hard to sand onece they are attached (see the image below in the section about the real Honest John rocket).
|
|
|
|
Through-the-Wall Fin Mounting - The 2.6 inch diameter body tube is pre-slotted at the factory, so the build is very fast and straight-forward. Tabs on the base of the fins are slipped through slots in the body tube and mount directly to the engine mount tube. This makes the fins extra strong.
Again, you'll be happy they were pre-slotted at the factory. The tubes are so hard that it would be a chore to try to slot them yourself.
|
What Makes This a Skill Level 3 Rocket?
|
The main reason this is a Skill Level 3 is that the instructions call for epoxy as the primary adhesive. Epoxy can be messy and cause an allergic reaction in some people. Adult supervision and wearing rubber gloves is recommended when working with epoxy.
You will also have to sand out the inside of the fiberglass nose cone to make the aft bulkhead fit properly. Wear a particle mask to avoid breathing in the fiberglass dust.
If there is one small flaw in this kit is that you'll have to drill a 1/4-inch diameter hole through one of the centering rings to accept the eyebolt where the shock cord attaches. It seemed strange to us, since the bulkhead on the back of the nose cone is pre-drilled, but this centering ring is not pre-drilled. Since you're drilling into very hard fiberglass, you'll need an electric drill to get'r done.
This Honest John is a bigger rocket that uses very strong tubes. 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 NOT to fly are just as important as quality construction techniques.
This kit does not include an engine retention system. There are some suggestions on our motor retention information page. Additionally, it can easily be modified to use the Aero Pack Engine Retainers (select Part Number: 24064). This gives the model an extra professional-looking appearance.
|
Tools needed to assemble this rocket kit:
- Pencil
- Ruler
- Scissors
- Masking Tape
- 1/4 inch dia. drill bit and electric drill
- 15 minute epoxy
- 30 minute epoxy
- Sandpaper
- Particle mask for sanding fiberglass
- Motor Retention: Not included in the kit (select Part Number: 24064)
To Launch This Rocket Kit, You'll Also Need:
|
Tell Me More About the Real Honest John Missile
|
The Honest John was a tactical ballistic battlefield missile deployed in the late 1950's by the United States Army. The warhead was either a 1,500 pound high explosive or a nuclear warhead with a 100-kiloton yield, approximately five times as large as either the Hiroshima of Nagasaki bombs used in World War II. It only had a range from 5 to 25 miles. Question: Do you want to be standing 5 miles away from a nuclear explosion? Obviously, it was a weapon of last resort. You'd use it when the enemy was massing thousands of tanks against you, and you had no other way to prevent them from over running your defensive position.
|
Specifications
Weight: 2.2 tons
Guidance: Unguided Ballistic
Length: 24.6 feet/ 7.498 m
Speed: Mach 1.5 (900 mph/ 1,448 kph) Diameter: 29.9 inches/ 9.113 m
Fuel: Solid, single stage
For more information about the real Honest John rocket, visit Wikipedia
|
|
|
Click on the image to the left to view a larger image of the spin motors on the nose cone. You'll need this image to sand the details to the proper shape. |
|
Frequently Asked Questions about the Mad Cow Rocketry:
Honest John Rocket Kit
|
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 recommend the Aerotech Mantis Launch Pad.
|
|
Q. What kind of hook should I use to hold the 29mm reloadable engines in my Honest John rocket?
- A. Aero Pack Engine Retainers. These are useful on rockets that use the 29mm diameter reloadable motors. And yes, they can be installed on existing rocket kits like this kit.
|
|
Q. Will a Shock Cord Protector work on the Honest John rocket?
- A. Yes. While not required, this would be a nice upgrade to the Honest John kit. A shock cord protector prevents the shock cord from getting too scorched by the ejection charge. Click Here for more information about shock cord protectors.
|
|
Q. I need help selecting motors. What should I do?
- A. Watch this YouTube video.
|
|
|
|
To see how the Madcow Rocketry Honest John 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 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.
|
|
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. On the payload bay, it works greats to attach the plywood bed to the brass rails without making an epoxy mess (it is highly suggested for these electronics bay kit).
|
|
Rail Buttons
Rail buttons allow you to fly this rocket kit off the "big-boy" launch pads that are used by all the rocket clubs around the country. These pads guide the rocket for a longer distance, so that they leave the pad straighter and therefore help the rocket to fly higher.
|
|
"Your site keeps getting better all the time. Great product quality and top notch customer service - perfect for someone getting started in model rocketry. Lots of great information for everything from building to flying, to the science behind rockets." -- Howard Greenblatt
|
|
Nylon® and Nomex® are registered trademarks of E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company.
|
|
|
Shipping and Handling Fees:
|
To estimate the shipping charges, please see our shipping information page. This page also explains how items are shipped, as well as offering you additional shipping options.
|
|
|
|
