U.S. Rockets Mosquito 2.2

U.S. Rockets - Mosquito 2.2 {Kit} (1174)

Contributed by Jon Scheinbart

Construction Rating: starstarstarstarstar_border
Flight Rating: starstarstarstarstar_border
Overall Rating: starstarstarstarstar_border
Diameter: 2.25 inches
Length: 17.50 inches
Manufacturer: U.S. Rockets
Style: Upscale
US Rockets Mosquito 2.2

Brief:
This is a sport upscale kit of the classic Mosquito. It is a simple and fun 3FNC rocket with lots of potential. The kit is built with a 29mm mount and comes with a 24mm adapter that allows you to fly it on anything from a D12 up to a G64 reload.

Construction:
I purchased this kit at a local hobby shop. All the pieces were there. 3 pre-cut balsa fins that were very nice quality. Balsa nose cone, streamer, one body tube 2 centering rings and a 29mm motor mount tube round out the rest of the kit. It also came with 2 tubes for making a 24mm adapter.

The instructions were nicely laid out in an 8 page booklet. An illustration accompanied nearly every step. As nice as the instructions are, I decided to take a little detour and try an experiment with the shock cord mount. The kit calls for the standard 3 fold paper mount glued inside the tube. I took a small snap swivel and attached it to one of the centering rings with a staple gun. I then bent the ends of the staples over to secure it more tightly to the centering ring. I then attached a 12" 30 pound fishing lead to the swivel. The rest of the kit assembly was very straightforward: round the fins edges, make the motor mount, glue it up, and you are ready to fly. I used regular wood glue as I only plan to put Ds and Es in it. The only thing I'd change is the included shock cord mount.

US Rockets Mosquito 2.2

Finishing:
Nothing special needed in the finishing department. I am continuing to try new things with finishing. So for this model I watered down some Elmer's wood filler applied it to all the wood, waited for it to dry, then sand, sand, sand. The fins and nosecone came out great. One coat of gloss black for the body and fins and gloss red for the nose.

US Rockets Mosquito 2.2US Rockets Mosquito 2.2

Construction Rating: 4 out of 5

US Rockets Mosquito 2.2

Flight:
I stuffed some wadding in, rolled up the streamer and off I went to wait in line. On it's first flight I used an E9-6. It flew straight and high. For motor retention, I went with a machine screw, washer and wing nut setup.

Recovery:
That was it for the day as one of the fins broke off on landing. Not sure why that happened as the streamer deployed nicely and it appeared to land softly. If I do fly it with a reload, I may put on a parachute...

Flight Rating: 4 out of 5

Summary:
My 9 year old son and I really love this upsized kit. It can fly on a big field or small one. Very versatile. The only negative thing I can say about it is the design of the shock cord mount. For a rocket that is sized to run on G's, the 3 fold paper mount is not a good choice.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5

Other Reviews
  • U.S. Rockets Mosquito 2.2 By Drake "Doc" Damerau

    Brief: This is an upscale of the classic Estes Mosquito. It comes with a 29mm motor mount and a 24mm adaptor with streamer recovery. Construction: This kit is simple to build with one body tube, 3 pre-cut very thick balsa fins and a balsa nosecone. The motor mount is made of plywood centering rings and a heavy wall motor mount tube. The 24mm adapter is included. This is a very ...

  • U.S. Rockets Mosquito 2.2 By Lance Alligood

    Brief: The US Rockets (USR) Mosquito 2.2 is an easy to build ~4.5x upscale of the perennial Estes kit. (The 2.2 refers to the diameter of the airframe in inches.) While still lightweight--less than 5oz completed--it does come back on streamer recovery. It flies on smaller 29mm motors and even comes with an adapter so 24mm motors can be used. Construction: The kit includes: ...

Flights

Comments:

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J.R. (April 2, 2005)
Looks nice, but the nose cone looks wrong.

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