The Launch Pad Lance MGM-52

The Launch Pad - Lance MGM-52 {Kit}

Contributed by Chuck Layton

Manufacturer: The Launch Pad

Rocket PicMaybe 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.

Smoothing the Paper ExtensionThe 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. Cone detailsSimply 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.

Ready to finishOverall 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!

Other Reviews
  • The Launch Pad Lance MGM-52 By Scott A. McCluskey

    ( Contributed - by Scott A. McCluskey) Brief: The following information was taken from The Launch Pad's website: THE Launch PAD's Lance missile is a 1/8.48 mid-power scale design for your choice of either the nuclear warhead armed version of the MGM-52 or the conventional warhead missile which uses slightly smaller fins. At 28.75" in length its "D" powered liftoff used to ...

Flights

Comments:

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J.D. (February 1, 2001)
The launch pad kits are my fav so far. Sorry Vern your kits used to be as good as these. I am finishing my Lance now. It is my first LP kit and I am very pleased with it although I did change a couple of things. I used bass wood for the fins that I supplied and I cut fin slots and made a new pattern for the fins with tabs on it to insert into the body tube slots. That's all the modifying that I did because I didn't want to weigh the model down to much or change much about a already perfect kit. I did have a little problem with the paper extension for the nose cone but fortunately I used the the supplied material as a pattern and used my own card stock. The second nose cone extension that I made turned out perfect. Every thing else turned out great and when the weather gets nice enough to paint it, it will have a black and white U S ARMY paint scheme which I like to use on any army rocket I build. Can't wait to launch it. If you like to build rockets the old fashioned way, do pick up one of these kits and put your skills to the test. Great kit and I cant wait to start on my U S ARMY Hawk.
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L.M.D. (January 22, 2002)
After building well over a dozen Estes kits, I wanted something a little more challenging. The Lance is the first Launch Pad kit I built. The instructions were very detailed & the rocket went together quite well. I like the fact that the kits let you use your own skills to complete them, as I had modified mine by glassing the fins, etc.. After building the Lance, I was eager to launch it. It flew straight & true! Beautiful liftoff & parabolic course! The only problem I ran into was at ejection. The string used to hold the nose cone broke sending the nose, like a bullet, into a cornfield. This is no major thing. Next time I will use Kevlar to secure the nose. All in all, the Lance is a GREAT flyer, easy to put together & I would recommend it to anyone that wants to get into mid power rockets!
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K.R.J. (February 3, 2002)
If you think the kit flies impressively, you should see the real thing fly! I was assigned to one of the last Lance Missile batteries in Europe (3/12 Field Artillery), before the Cold War ended. If you crammed a G40 into the kit, well, that'd be what the real thing was like! Excellent kit, though.
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R.T.L. (April 8, 2002)
Actually I don't have a comment on the model kit. I also flew the real thing and am trying to get in contact with 3/12 guys. Shoot me a message, my email is: treeman38@hotmail.com
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A.H. (September 10, 2002)
The reviewer should keep his lib wacko thoughts out of kit reviews! The neutron bomb could sure be used now! Carter was a fool!

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