I swung into the new Wal-Mart in my old home town this last weekend and came across a couple of sets they packaged under the Launchables heading. They had the Heatseeker in one box and the other had the Star Dart and Sizzler in one box. The price was only $8.97, thought that was a pretty good price for 2 rockets so I picked up the Star Dart/Sizzler combo.

Everything I have seen on them tells me they need streamers instead of the stock 12" chutes, especially if I am going for C engine flights. 2000' is way the heck up there!

The Heatseeker was the same price but I am not to sold on the plastic fins and all, I think it would look cheap without painting it, though the box says no painting required.

On another note I did just recieve the Thunderstar and the Eagle X-Prize kits via UPS today! Woohoo!!! Still scrounging for that Canadian Arrow and Lucky Seven, can't buy too many all at once though, the misses will start to question my mental prowess I think.

The Star Dart/Sizzler combo is usually a good deal; I once got one at my local Wal-Mart
that was priced around $5 (that's what it rang up at the checkout counter). Likewise, just
the Sizzler costs around $11 at Hobby Lobby and Michael's.

Both of these models can fly using the 12" parachutes, but they must be packed carefully
using the correct amount of wadding and talcum powder to prevent the plastic from sticking.
I've flown the Sizzler several times on the C6-7's, and they really do scoot up there well
out of sight! It was recovered successfully for the first two flights, but we lost it on the
third flight . Since this model belong to my son, and I made the decision to fly it when it
was lost, I had to buy him another kit.

__________________
Dave, NAR # 21853 SR.

I haven't gotten around to launching either my Star Dart or my Sizzler. I'm pretty proud of the paint jobs I did on them... probably why I haven't launched either one yet.




I've read that the Heatseeker isn't terribly stable, so I've avoided buying one.

Also, note that Wal-Mart has the Bullpup in a Launchables package for the same price, if you can find one. Mine has yet to be launched (and not because I'm proud of the paint).

__________________
NAR # 115523
Once upon a better day... SAM #0076
My site: http://rocketry.gonnerman.org

I found a long time ago that the E2X kits were made to make it easy for young-ens to get a Bird in the air quick, but that the translucence of the plastic made it look like the 'toy' that it is.

I like to not only paint these rockets, but use a primer- White for the body and Grey primer for the plastic parts. Sanding the first and second coats of primer on the body usually fills the spiral groove. The primer on the plastic also allows covering slight 'imperfections' of the parts. And it keeps the light from showing through.

You might want to try it on the Heatseeker! Let us know what you think of it !

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Glen A.
N.A.R. #26298 L1

Yeah, that makes sense with the plastic rockets. I didn't buy the Heatseeker, though with those ideas I may just pick one up. I like the missile look to the rocket, though I know it is not scale or probably even close to something out there in the real world.

I would not mind finding a Bull Pup since I used my kit along with a Black Brandt II kit to make a two-stage rocket, which has yet to be finished.

The heatseeker is dangerously unstable. PERIOD.

If you insist on buying it, you MUST add 1/2 ounce of nose weight inside the tip of the nosecone before gluing the nose in place. Other options include either converting to min motor power so the cneter of gravity is not moved as far aft by a heavy 18mm motor or add 3 more fins between the existing fins - make them Alpha sized.

Also, for the Heatseeker and similar E2X series rockets you will want to use a 9 inch bit of cotton cable cord for the shock cord anchor and then tie the existing shock cord to the free end of the cable cord. Otherwise, the existing shock cord moount will sever the shock cord. It will not sever the cable cord and the rocket will last virtually forever with this modification.

Unstable Heatseeker huh ?
Sounds like it could add the "early days of NASA" potential disaster excitement to every flight.
A "cartwheeler" is interesting every once and a while.

__________________
When in doubt, WHACK the GAS and DITCH the brake !!!

Yes, there is such a thing as NORMAL, if you have to ask what is "NORMAL" , you probably aren't !
Failure may not be an OPTION, but it is ALWAYS a POSSIBILITY.
ALL systems are GO for MAYHEM, CHAOS, TURMOIL, FIASCOS, and HAVOC !

Being naive to the whole big corporate dealings, but how does Estes (and others for that matter) put out a unstable rocket? I have heard others in the line are dangerously unstable also, but come on... When your primary target is kids and young folk would not the correct course of action be to create designs that are very stable on the recommended engines? From my trial version period with Rocksim I could tell what designs I created would work or not work... I did notice the CG and CP on the Sizzler and Star Dart are very close together, a little extra glue in the rear end could put them on top of each other it seems. Perhaps leaving the engine hook off those two is not a bad idea if you don't mind friction fitting engines.

In the end it just makes me sad that someone would sell a rocket the is borderline unstable. I know creative designs and 'fringe' type stuff is exciting and all but please... OK enough of my soap box. in the end I might still pick up that kit and give it a spin, taking your recommendations to heart of course. What do the simulation programs say about the Heatseeker I wonder.

I saw an amazing video the other day of a flight where the CP and CG were a bit too close together. The liftoff was unstable only to have the rocket become stable after some of the propellant burned off. However, when it became stable it was parallel with the ground and IIRC it crashed into the ground under power. I will try to find the link tonight and post in an appropriate thread.

__________________
Dave
Fire is the leading cause of fire.
Was once SAM#0132

I did the "quick" finish on my Heatseeker and didn't add any weight to the nose. Not to worry, I haven't flown it yet.

I figured if I have to add nose weight, I might as well shorten it and make it more AIM-4 Falcon like. The grooves in the body tubes are virtual canyons and need serious filling, and the cheesy stickers were really starting to bother me. So.... I peeled off the stickers, removed the shock cord slicer on the side, and decided to do without the payload section. The payload section was destroyed when I peeled it from the nosecone and transition anyway. I cut about 2 inches from the tip of the nose cone and CA'ed some balsa to close it up again, The profile is not perfect but much closer than the long pointy cone that is included. Added some small fins to the front.

I'll post pics of the Heatseeker mod a little later. I think it's gonna turn out ok. Trying to get it looking more like the AIM-4D as seen here.

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