Brief:
This LOC/ Precision Forte is a simple 3.1 inch kit. It has a 38mm motor mount, and can fly on anything from an F25-4 to a J350 with a lot epoxy and fiberglass. It does not have a payload section, and the fins go all the way to the motor mount (thank you LOC).

Construction:
All the parts that came with this kit fit together perfectly and were very sturdy. The parts included:

• -One main airframe 34"x3.1"
• -One 3.1" nose cone
• -Four delta shaped plywood fins
• -Two plywood centering rings
• -One 38mm motor tube
• -One 28 inch parachute
• -3/8"x80" shock cord
• -One 1/4"x6" launch lug

All the parts were kraft paper, plastic, plywood, nylon, and elastic.

The instructions like all LOC instructions were printed on the back of the face card. I didn't use them. This rocket is a very simple build. All the parts fit together perfectly. I used 15 or 30 epoxy throughout the entire construction.

First the motor mount was assembled. I wanted to try making internal fillets, so I made a centering ring out of cardboard to keep the motor mount tube even while the aft ring was not in place. So the forward centering ring was epoxied 1/8th of an inch away from the top of the motor tube, and the cardboard one about 7 inches from the bottom. Once it dried, I slid it into the main airframe and lined up the bottom ends of each tubes. After filleting around the top and bottom of the rings, The first fin was epoxied on. Since I was running low on epoxy, I tried making internal fillets with white glue. This slowed down the process. All four fins were soon glued in place, with four fillets per fin on the inside. External fillets were made with epoxy. After it was fully cured, the aft centering was epoxied in place.

Not having any Kevlar around, I used the three fold paper method on a larger scale, using thick CA glue and then epoxying it deep inside the airframe. Once cured, I smeared epoxy over it, just to guarantee that it wouldn't rip out. I always forget to put the launch lug on, so I always do it last.

The lug was glued and filleted on with epoxy.

Finishing:
Finishing is just like any other rocket. Prime and paint. I used painters touch primer and then Krylon gloss black. Four vertical white stripes were added over each fin. Finally, I printed off some skull and cross-bone decals for the fins.

Construction Rating: 5 out of 5

Flight:
The first flight was in Amesbury at a CMASS launch. I prepped it with an F25-4 using a 38-29mm adapter. Everything was friction fit. It was windy that day, with winds over 10 mph. The LCO counted down, and as the launch button was pressed, the ignitor fell out (I hate Copperheads). It lit on the second time though, carrying the "Pirate Rocket" on its maiden voyage to around 700 feet. Ejection was right at apogee, and the bright purple chute opened almost instantly. Lettuce rained down on everyone below, and the rocket landed on top of Jim Flis' tent (oops). We got it down, and there wasn't a scratch or any damage on it.

Recovery:
Recovery was perfect. Ejection was right at apogee, and the chute opened as soon as it made contact with the air. The decent rate was perfect. It landed around 50 feet away from the pad. The lettuce makes great wadding. For 99 cents you can get about 5 or 6 flights out of 3 inch rockets.

Flight Rating: 5 out of 5

Summary:
The LOC/Precision Forte is a great kit. Very simple to put together, and very sturdy when completed. I cant wait to see what she can do on a G40-7.

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5