FlisKits Caution Rocket

FlisKits - Caution Rocket

Contributed by Chan Stevens

Construction Rating: starstarstarstarstar
Flight Rating: starstarstarstarstar_border
Overall Rating: starstarstarstarstar_border
Manufacturer: FlisKits
Rocket

Brief:
This was a special edition of the standard Caution paper rocket, commemorating the 2004 National Sport Launch. I downloaded it from the NSL site that year, and have been waiting for the right occasion and motivation to build it. Thanks to the 2005 EMRR challenge, I found both on a "snow day" in mid December.

Construction:
This was a great little project to do in a couple of hours when I was snowed in under about 8 inches of fresh ice and snow. The parts list is a couple of sheets of cardstock, which you then convert into a body tube, 3 fins, launch lug, and a nose cone. The pattern even includes a spare nose cone.

Kyle Hancock's review plus the tips that have already been posted do an excellent job of detailing the construction, so I won't replicate those details. I do think the most noteworthy point brought out in that review was that this is a triangular folded body, not a rolled tube, and that makes the construction and fit go much better (and it's simpler).

Rocket Pic I followed the standard construction techniques, and wound up using clay for nose weight.

Finishing:
Since the patterns print out already colored, there's really no finishing necessary. I was planning on flying in the snow, though, and fearing running colors I elected to apply 3 very light coats of Krylon clear coat. In addition to protecting the finish, this also provided a glossy finish that I hadn't been able to get off my inkjet paper on cardstock. I think the gloss, particularly with the red and black trim, was an excellent improvement.

Construction Rating: 5 out of 5

Flight:
I had previously lost my standard Caution rocket to a C6 flight that completely disappeared out of sight, so in order to make sure I got my 3 required flights in, I went wimpy with A8-3's. This is a good motor choice for this rocket, and conversely this rocket makes a nice vehicle to use up those A8-3's that tend to build up whenever I pick up Estes Blast-Off Flight Packs.

Flight

The A8-3's took it up a couple hundred feet on the breezy (10-15 mph) day, with only a slight weathercock. Deployment was slightly early, but not enough to warrant going to a 5 delay. I used a ribbed mylar streamer from a party store, roughly 2x20, which sloweds it down just enough to prevent damage, plus the bright red is easier to spot in the sky than this fairly small paper rocket.

Recovery:
This is simply a great flyer on smaller impulse motors. The only I could offer, which is a bit of a stretch, is that the cardstock fins bend or warp easily, so my flights have picked up a slight spin to them over time.

Flight Rating: 4 out of 5

Summary:
For a paper rocket, you really can't beat this. Quick and easy to build, flies fine on inexpensive motors, and best of all is the price (free on the Fliskits website). I don't think this particular version is available any longer, but I'm sure there will be other editions coming out in the future.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5

Other Reviews
  • FlisKits Caution Rocket By Kyle Hancock

    Brief: This rocket is a single-staged, streamer recovery rocket that is made entirely from cardstock. It's unique triangular body tube make this a Level 1 kit. Most cardstock rockets require precise rolling and bending, making them too hard for younger modelers. With only straight folds, this rocket can easily be done by a small child. Construction: Everything you need to build ...

Flights

Comments:

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C.D.C. (July 2, 2004)
I just built and flew eleven of these last weekend (my son's birthday party, each kid got a rocket to decorate and fly!) and this is a great little rocket. I have experience building paper models (mostly buildings) and this kit is fairly simple to build, although a tad time-consuming for it's simple appearance. And the instructions are great! Many tips and options presented to make construction go more smoothly. The fin design makes alignment nearly impossible to screw up. This would be a great rocket kit for a class on a low budget.
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LU (March 5, 2007)
After having build and launched several Caution rockets - compliments to FlisKits! The design is easy to construct (2 hours for prototype, 1 hour for each of the others)and reaches altitudes of over 700 ft on the B4-4 engines we use. To avoid warping of the card stock I have used UHU glue that contains no water and dries chemically. Therefore fins and body tube came out straight. After competition all rockets received a single coat of dope (yep, the one you use for airplane models)which stiffens the cardboard additionally and makes it waterproof without adding much weight. On this first coat I applied a thin layer of acrylic colour with a brush. The acrylic sticks well to the surface and gives a highly visible finish. Both coats also have the advantage that they dry quickly. The nose cone shoulder received a wrap of TESA film for stiffness and easier removing. All streamers were cut from blue trash bags. The shock cords came from a girl friends pants. Overall costs per rocket were around $2, including the engine. The flights went better then I had expected and until now we only have lost one rocket to the roof of a skyscraper. Another one didn't survived the kids that were hunting for it, since they were not able to decide, who of them will bring her back. Another one safely landed after a successful flight in a distance of 60 ft from the launch pad. I want more of that! Yours sincerely Lars Urban

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