I've launched three Mosquitos this fall and lost all of them on the first launch. Orange, yellow, green, it didn't matter what they were painted. They teleported off the launch pad, reappeared when the engine emitted smoke and vanished again after the ejection charge, never to be seen again. I even found the ejected engines out of two of them, but not the rocket.

I think part of the problem is that the thermonuclear ejection charges blow the Mosquito off in a random direction at ejection. At least, as far as I could tell, the thing was leaning over into its apogee turn just as the engine blew out. For some reason the ejected engine is always easier to follow than the Mosquito.

Strangely, I was able to fly the Swift about a dozen times before losing it. The Swift isn't *that* different, although the fins are longer, so I suppose there's a bit more drag. Maybe that makes all the difference.

But I got multiple flights out of the Swift with 1/2A3 engines, but immediately lost the Mosquitos on 1/4A3s. Go figure.

Hmmm. I wonder... If one attached a foot or so of thin yellow kevlar to the inside of the nose cone and coiled it up in front of the engine. Perhaps the string would make it visible. Of course it would also probably prevent tumble and lend just enough stability to cause the thing to lawn dart. As light as it is, that might not matter.