Maybe it’s the current political/military situation or maybe it’s just my strange fascination with relatively small Army missiles designed to launch nuclear warheads short distances that caused me to purchase the LANCE MGM-52 from The Launch Pad.

This scale kit is based on the LANCE mobile field artillery system. It was the replacement missile for the Honest John and the Sergeant systems. The LANCE was unique in that it used prepackaged liquid fuel propellants that could be swapped in and out quickly in the field. In the early 1970’s the LANCE achieved minor notoriety as the launch system for the “Neutron Bomb.” Fortunately, President Jimmy Carter killed this insane weapon in 1978.

The Launch Pad LANCE is 28.75” long and 2.6” in diameter and is designed to fly on a range of 24mm motors from D12’s to F24’s. Even though the kit is rated at skill level 2 it should not be treated as an Estes level 2. There are several challenges including rolling paper shrouds for the nose cone tip extension and the tail cone.

The 5-page instructions are fairly detailed and together with the line sketches they are relatively easy to follow.

Construction:
Construction: The parts included with the kit are all “Estes quality” meaning thin Kraft paper body tubes and balsa fins that must be cut from stock. I rarely build a kit exactly to the instructions and this kit was no exception. I chose to upgrade some of the components to produce a more durable rocket.

I replaced the balsa fins with basswood and covered them with a layer of 3 oz. glass. The body tube was then rolled with 2 wraps of 3 oz. glass.

The most challenging elements in the construction of this kit are the paper nose cone extension and the tail cone. Patience is key here. After cutting the pattern out of card stock I found it helpful to drag a pencil over the inside surface to induce a curl. Then heat a cup of water in the microwave and hold the paper shrouds over the water. This will cause the shrouds to curl even further. Simply glue them together and paint them with CA. I also filled the space between the very tip of the extension and the round top of the plastic nose cone with epoxy. (I know this adds weight, but with these military styled kits and their close CP/CG relationships that is a good thing.) The extension is glued to the nose tip. Body filler and sanding will produce a smooth joint.

I replaced the paper centering rings with thin LOC rings so that I could use 2 tee-nuts for motor retention instead of the engine hook. The last modification I made was to replace the thin mylar parachute with a Top Flite nylon chute and the elastic cord with 3/8” nylon tape.

Finishing:
After a filler coat of Kilz and sanding I used Krylon primer and their camo flat green paint (which I only ever see in the stores during hunting season.) The kit does not come with any decals. White vinyl trim can be used for the straight lines but you’ll have to have someone cut the 3/4” U.S. ARMY decals.

Overall I am very pleased with the realistic field look of this model. If it lands in deep grass though, finding it could be a problem. It really blends in!

On the last page of the directions there are drawings and instructions for making the LANCE an incredibly detailed missile. I chose to do some of the black and white stripe detailing but stopped short of cutting pinheads to use for scale rivets! After all, I’ve got 6 other piles of rocket projects scattered all over the basement and garage including my L3.

Launch Pad kits are a nice challenge to build and finish. They usually have options for construction and detailing. I would recommend the LANCE (or any Launch Pad kit) as a nice alternative to the basic formula build mid-power kits. It is definitely for the experienced modeler.

I had planned on flying the LANCE by now but so far (as we all know) the weather recently in the Northwest has been less than stellar for flying. So instead I’ve had to be satisfy the need to fly by chasing my 7 yr. old around the house pretending to nuke him if he doesn't hide well enough. He thinks the LANCE looks v-e-r-y realistic!