Note: This kit was reviewed when produced by Seattle Rocket Works which has transferred rights to LawnDart Rocketry.

The Nike Smoke was a NASA research rocket used to test wind conditions in the upper atmosphere. Several hundred of these 19-foot rockets were launched by NASA during the 60's and 70's.It used the Army's Nike booster, a workhorse on many research rockets and military missiles.

This is my second Nike Smoke model rocket. My first was a Centuri kit that I built in the 70's and it was an excellent flyer. The Seattle Rocket Works one is a bit smaller . . . it uses a BT-5 body tube and is about a fourth as large as the Centuri kit I once had. It can literally fit in the palm of your hand.

I won the Seattle Rocket Works kit as a prize for flying in my first contest. (don't ask me how I placed)

INSTRUCTIONS:

One of the first things I noticed about this kit was the instructions. They were rolled up and held together by a paper ring with the Seattle Rocket Works logo on it, like a linen napkin in a fancy restaurant. But I was really impressed by the straightforward thoroughness of these illustrated instructions. They didn't leave much to chance.

EASE OF BUILD:

This rocket may be small, but it is not easy to build. It is a real scale model and comes with impressive scale drawings. You could build this kit for points, but I'm not into that so I built it for fun. 

I'm a typical middle-aged BAR (Born-Again Rocketeer) and I have big, clumsy fingers and need bifocals. So, the diminutive size of this rocket was a particular challenge for me. Fortunately, the parts came in a handy ziplock bag, or I would have lost some of them.

My old Centuri kit had a plastic nose cone, which made it a bit easier to assemble. The Seattle Rocket Works kit has a balsa nose cone, but you must glue a paper fairing to it. This was not as difficult as I thought it would be.

The balsa fins are the old-fashioned kind. You have to cut out a cardboard template, trace the fins and cut them out of a piece of balsa sheet with a knife. This was refreshing, most kits are plastic or pre-cut wood these days.

Sanding the fins was a bit difficult, due to the small size of the fins and the large size of this builder's fingers. I managed to put a passable edge on them, but scale modelers will want to spend extra time to put those famous razor-sharp Nike edges on them.

The launch lug was a bit of a drawback. In the photo it shows the launch lug conspicuously placed near the CG (center of gravity). This would be okay for fun flying, but would wreck a scale model. I seriously doubt any real Nike-Smokes were ever launched with a ten-foot piece of sewer pipe welded to the side of them. Scale modelers will probably chuck the launch lug into the parts bin and launch this little rascal with a rack.

I cut two small pieces of launch lug and attached them fore and aft with balsa standoffs, which looked better than the recommended placement. The instructions claim that no standoffs are needed even though the nose cone is larger in diameter than the body tube, but I decided to take no chances.

Seattle Rocket Works included a piece of clay with the kit for nose weight in case the balance is too far aft. I chucked this in the parts box. Clay is fine for nose weights in plastic nose cones or boost gliders, but it doesn't work for me with balsa nose cones. If I need nose weight, I will unscrew the screw eye and add some metal washers.

QUALITY:

Sturdiness is difficult to measure in a kit this small, but it looks like it should hold up well. The completed kit looks very sharp and the decals add to the scale-model look. The white body and nose with fluorescent fins looks very good and should help with retrieval.

This rocket comes with a crepe-paper streamer. They are okay, but I prefer plastic streamers as they are a bit more sturdy.

CONSTRUCTION RATING: 4 ½ points

FLYING:

Another nice thing that came in the box with this kit was the packing material . . . fire-retardant cellulose insulation. I am familiar with this stuff, having bought a whole bale of it for about $4.00 at the home warehouse. It works better than the flame-retardant toilet paper (although it would not be an acceptable replacement for toilet paper's primary function). A nice touch that indicates Seattle Rocket Works are real rocket flyers, not toy makers.

I launched the Nike Smoke on a windy day, with gusts over 15 mph. (The range closed early that day, due to the high winds) Motor was a 1/2 A3-2T. Liftoff was fast and flight was about 300 feet, at least. Tracking was difficult due to small size and finding this little rocket was also a challenge, with foot-high weeds in the recovery area. The rocket was returned undamaged and ready for additional flights in the future.

Seattle Rocket Works rates this rocket up to a A10-3T, but I wouldn't advise this much thrust unless you want to lose it.

Overall, this was a nice flyer for a little rocket, well suited to smaller flying fields.

FLYING/RECOVERY RATING: 4 ½ points

OVER ALL RATING:

I rate this rocket, overall, at 4 ½ points.It is an excellent scale model and I only made some minor suggestions for improvements. It flies very well and my only problem is the diminutive size, but some people like miniatures. I really liked this particular rocket, though . . . I may scale it up someday. Perhaps a 1/2 scale with an I motor...

Quotes (from R.M.R):

"...I must say I'm impressed...The instructions are detailed and well organized...Certain other famous kit manufacturers would probably market this for 3 times the cost...this tiny, highly detailed bird will certainly grab attention..." 

"The instructions and data sheet were very nicely drawn and printed, very complete, and professional looking...The finished product looks really good...Overall I was very impressed by the kit, instructions, and finished product. For such a small model, every detail is taken very seriously..."

"...overall this kit is excellent...perhaps the finest quality microscale kit I have ever seen. I have seen a lot...I highly recommend this kit." 

"I sent my order off to Seattle on Monday and received the rocket on Friday. Quick turn-around...It comes packed in cellulose wadding with a certificate suitable for framing ;-)...I haven't had a chance to build it, but the instructions look clear and it appears to be a fine little rocket." - Joel Roth 

Relinquished by Scott Johnson @