LOC/Precision - Legacy {Kit} (PK-8)

LOC/Precision Legacy

LOC/Precision - Legacy {Kit} (PK-8)

Contributed by Kerry Garrison

Diameter:	1.64 inches
Length:	50.10 inches
Manufacturer:	LOC/Precision

(by Kerry Garrison courtesy of WildRocketry.Com)

I bought this particular kit recently from Hobby Town in Brea. I was pretty happy to find a good medium power kit that could also fly under power from a D12-3. This would give me a nice cool rocket that could be flown in town with the rest of the low power kits as well as fly on my existing RMS 29/40-120 hardware under a G64-10. I'm pretty curious to see how she flies under low power. Under the big "G" I am estimating 3,200 feet.

The kit contains heavy-duty airframe tubing, cut plywood fins, and parachute recovery.

Bulkhead assembly

I started out with the bulkhead assembly. I used five minute epoxy on both sides of the plywood plate to secure the eyebolt (not included). Once that set up, I used two hour epoxy to secure the plate to the bulkhead tube as well as to secure the tube into the payload section.

Fin Construction

Fin Can Detail

Next came the fins. I originally was going to fiberglass the fins to the tube, but I didn't have any materials and I got bored and decided to build it anyway. The tube is pre-marked for fin and launch lug placement making it very easy to place everything properly. The fins were set in place using a light coat of five minute epoxy on the root edge. After all the fins were in place, the fin fillets were done using two hour epoxy.

Two hour epoxy is not the easiest stuff to work with because it runs like hot syrup. I came up with a good taping method that allows the epoxy to run off the fins and drip onto a towel. The fillets came out near perfect.

Payload/Nose Cone Primered

While the first set of fillets were drying, I began the primer work on the payload section and nose cone. Rustoleum sandable auto primer was the choice of the day. After three coats, the seam lines are almost invisible.


	Finished, painted, and duped the Purple Playa Eater. August 28th, 1999 At the LeT'R ROC launch out on Lucerne Dry Lake bed, I certed Level 1 with my much larger Vulcanite on an H128 and followed that up with lighting an I200 in this rocket. Blasted it clear out of site. Two hours later it was recovered about 1.5 miles away. Later that day I put a G80 in it and again it jumped off the pad but was recovered MUCH easier. I seriously need an altimeter in it. I gotta know what this does on the I200. After having Jeff Stai confirm my numbers, it is estimated that on the I200, we got 6,800' and hit Mach 1.2!! I can't believe it held together. I am going to redo all of the numbers in RocSim this week and double check it again. When I started to clean it up, I noticed some cracks in the fin fillets. Two fins were taken off and repaired Oct. 9th, 1999. Another flight on a G80, great flight. It was carrying an Adept recording altimeter for recording. Altimeter didn't record any data. I will retry soon. Nov. 14th, 1999 RocStock X in Lucerne, first flight was on a G64, great flight, Second flight was on a G38 Econojet to see how they perform. Very nice flight. Third flight went up on a G64 carrying a Spaceward FCS Altimeter. Recorded altitude was 1689 feet. Broke a fin loose on landing. Dec. 9th, 1999 Several repairs on the fins have left the rocket in an ugly-as-hell state. Complete makeover was just completed. New colors should make it easier to find on the lake bed. Newly fixed and repainted, she is ready to fly this weekend. The plan is to record altitudes with a G38, G64, and G80 for comparison. Dec 11th, 1999 First flight of the day was on a G80. Nice and straight. On deployment, the chute came down a little tangled. When the airframe hit the playa, a chunk of paint simply fell off. Second flight on a G35. These new Econojets are pretty decent. Perfect flight. So overall, I love this kit, it is easy to build and flies great. Mine does have a tendency to pop the fins off every few flights. The next time I need to do a fin repair I am stripping it down and glassing the fins can.

Flights

Comments:

R.V. (September 1, 2000)

After having my son build this rocket and it surviving several flights on up to a G80 motor I decided to get one and build it for a two stage experiment. Constructed a booster and altimeter bay for the rocket and changed it to four fins with through the wall mounting to the motor tube. The rocket is now almost seven feet tall in two stage altimeter recovery configuration. Have not flown it yet but every one that has seen it complete cannot wait for the first two stage flight. The basic strength of the rocket is the 38mm tubing from LOC is heavier than most paper tubing that you get for mid-power kits and very durable. Unfortunately we lost the original Legacy but it is missed for the good flying that it always did.

J.D. (March 1, 2001)

Very happy with the rocket. It built very quickly with excellent materials. I fly it with the adapter on 24mm. E-18 very nice, F's are out of sight. I have however broken all 3 fins at their mounting point. I should have made thicker fillets. So far I have 10 or so flights on the rocket. Very satisfied.

P.V. (December 9, 2001)

I am really pleased with this kit. I have flown it on E30-7s, F50-9s, and G40-10s, my favorite motor being the G40. It was very easy to build. I used nothing but Thick USA Gold CyA from Pratt Hobbies on the entire rocket, and never had any part of it break. It is also fairly inexpensive so it is not a terrible loss if you lose one. It flies high and straight every time. Probably my favorite rocket in my fleet.

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