Brief:
I built the Red Strike as a beta test for Red River Rocketry prior to the actual kit production. It is a BT-50-based rocket that features a boat tail, flies on 13mm motors and recovers on a 12” mylar parachute. The Red Strike is an excellent model for flying on small fields and the design is outstanding. Not your typical three fins and a nose cone.

Construction:
Parts included:

• BNC-50 nose cone
• BNC-50 boat tail
• BT-50
• 13mm motor tube
• TR5 thrust ring
• Laser-cut fin sheet
• (2) Eye screws
• 4” x 1/8” launch lug
• 1/8” elastic shock cord
• Kevlarcord
• 12” mylar parachute kit
• Decal sheet

The parts are high quality and the kit goes together very quickly. You can easily build the kit in a day. The instructions are numbered and very easy to follow. I started by test-fitting all the parts and then sanding all the balsa and tubes to assure good adhesion and for proper fit. I prepped using Elmer’s Fill n Finishto fill the grain in the balsa and the tube spirals. Next, I rounded or tapered the wing fins as instructed and then glued the two-part fin tips together. While the fin tips were drying I installed the motor block into the motor tube. The boat tail tapers down and is drilled to center the motor tube, so no centering rings are used. I placed a mark at the top of the motor mount as a reminder to be sure I oriented the motor mount properly before gluing it into the boat tail. If you glue it in with the rear of the motor mount at the top, the motor block will prevent proper installation of the motor. No motor clip is provided for motor retention, as the boat tail is not really designed for this, so the motor needs to have tape applied to hold it in for flight.

The instructions indicate to install one of the eye screws into the top edge of the boat tail and tie the Kevlarcord to that. Instead, I made a standard tri-fold shock cord attachment and installed the Kevlar cord in that with a loop at the end to attach the elastic shock cord. That way, I can easily inspect and replace the Kevlarif it incurs any damage from repeated exposure to the hot ejection gases and residue. To minimize abrasion from the Kevlar against the body tube, I soaked in CA around the top 1/2" of the body tube and tied the Kevlar so the knot in the loop meets the lip of the body tube.

Next, I glued the boat tail into the rear of the body tube and then installed the motor tube with the end flush with the end of the boat tail. After that I cut out the marking guide and drew the fin lines on the body tube and attached the fins. The laser cut fins fit the body tube and boat tail perfectly. I took extra care to assure they were aligned exactly opposite of one another and straight away from the body tube, and later, as the fin tips were applied, I used an angle guide to be sure the fin tips were perfectly aligned as well. While those were drying I angle-cut the ends of the launch lug, assembled the parachute, and filled the outer fin tip joints with Elmer’s Fill n Finishand sanded to a smooth finish. Finally, I installed the fin tips and launch lug and tied the shock cord to the eye screw, then applied light JB-Weld fillets to all the joints for extra strength. Ready for finishing!

Finishing:
I put on a couple of coats of Krylon primer, sanding between coats, and then finished with Krylon red on the entire rocket. The decals are very thin, so use a couple of drops of liquid soap in the water to aid application. Surprisingly, they went on fairly easily, although one of the nose decals folded over on itself on one side and I couldn’t get it straightened out. It’s hardly noticeable, though. The decals really complement the overall look of the rocket. Very cool!

Construction Rating: 5 out of 5

Flight:
My only flight was at NARAM-50 on a 1/2A3-2T. It zoomed up almost arrow straight with light weather-cocking and ejection just before apogee, recovering gently on the 12” mylar parachute.

Flight Rating: 5 out of 5

Summary:
Overall, this is a great looking rocket and can be totally completed in one day. I really like the looks of the rocket and it is perfect for small fields. I was very tempted to bash it into a mini-Jayhawk, but decided it might be better to beta test the kit in its intended form. J

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5