U.S. Rockets Mosquito 2.2

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

Contributed by Drake "Doc" Damerau

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
U.S. Rockets Mosquito 2.2

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 easy and quick kit to build. The fins are glued to the body so they may be prone to breaking. Not counting painting, the total build time was less than one hour.

The shock cord is a black bungee cord type. Although like the Estes type cord, it is at least three times as heavy. It's mounted the same way and Estes cord is mounted.

The kit comes with a simple 29mm to 24mm adaptor. It consists of a tube within a tube. Assembly is done by gluing one tube into the other. The great thing about it is you can use it for any rocket.

U.S. Rockets Mosquito 2.2

Finishing:
Finishing was a bit tougher than kits with plastic nose cones. If you have ever painted a balsa nose cone, then you know the difficulties in getting a good finish. This is a giant balsa nose cone so it took quite awhile to get the grain sealed. The body tube is glassine coated so there are no spirals to fill here.

This kit comes with several heavy stickers to plaster around as you see fit. I went with the classic Estes mosquito paint scheme.

Construction Rating: 4 out of 5

U.S. Rockets Mosquito 2.2

Flight:
The first flight was perfect on a C11-3. The streamer unfurled completely and the rocket came down nicely. Although it landed softly, one of the fins broke off. A line of CA gel fixed it in no time. The second launch was less than an hour later and the flight was again picture perfect. This time it landed quite a bit rougher, but no broken fins.

Flight Rating: 4 out of 5

Summary:
This is a great little kit, although I don't think I would launch it on a 29mm motor. Ease of build and perfect flights make this a great rocket for your fleet and a joy to build.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5

Other Reviews
  • 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: ...

  • U.S. Rockets Mosquito 2.2 By Jon Scheinbart

    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 ...

Flights

Comments:

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

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