Brief:
The DG&A Gimlet is a 3" high-powered rocket with a 38mm motor mount. It is 58" in length and would make an exceptional Level 1 rocket. The current Gimlet is actually an upscale version of the original that was 2.6" in diameter with a 29mm motor mount. If you are considering a high-powered rocket, that would be an excellent Level 1 candidate, this is the rocket.

Construction:
The Gimlet comes in its own shipping box. All components are separately wrapped to protect them during shipping. All of the parts were shipped correctly and undamaged. Included with the kit is a set of excellent detailed instructions. The instructions are well written with B&W pictures to document each assembly step. In addition, a fin layout guide is included to ensure that the fins are in alignment.

The kit includes the following components:

• Kraft glassine (LOC style) 34" booster and 10" payload airframes
• (3) cut 3/16" aircraft grade plywood fins
• coupler
• (2) plywood centering rings
• (1) plywood bulkhead plate
• 3" plastic nose cone
• 38mm x 10" motor tube
• 30" nylon parachute made of rip-stop material
• (2) eyebolt/washer/nut assemblies
• ½" launch lug
• (2) quick links
• 9/16" x 24' nylon webbing shock cord with looped ends.

After verifying that all components were present I began assembly of the rocket. The booster tube is not pre-slotted, but was marked for fin and launch lug placements. I first cut the fin slots in the booster tube. Although some might argue that it would be nice if the tubes were pre-slotted, I found it very easy to cut the tube slots with a razor knife. Use a sharp razor knife, take your time, and do not try and cut completely through the tube on the first pass.

The directions are well written with black and white pictures to assist you in the assembly. I did make a few modifications during the assembly. First, after I cut the fin slots in the booster section I placed 2 layers of 2 oz fiberglass over the booster and payload section. During assembly and fiberglassing I used 30 minute West Epoxy. Second, during construction I did not permanently install the aft centering ring until after I was able to add internal fillets to the fins along the motor tube and inside of the body tube. This is one change to the instructions that I would definitely recommend. Internal filets add substantial strength and increase the overall strength of the rocket if you plan on flying it on larger motors. Lastly, I drilled the payload bay section to allow the attachment of my altimeter bay. The addition of the electronics payload bay section allowed me to use an altimeter for deployment. Note: I built the rocket using the existing parts which allow for a single deployment at apogee. The rocket can be easily converted to dual deployment by using a longer payload bay tube at the top.

Finishing:
The kit is supplied with a vinyl decal. The color scheme chosen was yellow with a black payload bay and nose cone. These colors were chosen to allow me to use the decals and to allow for high visibility in flight and during recovery. Before painting I first primed the rocket with three coats of sandable primer, sanding between coats. After the rocket was primed I used Krylon yellow and black to finish the rocket. Lastly, I gave the rocket several coats of Krylon crystal clear coat.

Construction Rating: 5 out of 5

Flight:
The first flight of the Gimlet was on an I357 at KLOUDBurst 12 in Argonia Kansas. Winds were calm after a day of showers. The boost was perfect. The rocket flew straight and reached apogee at an altitude of 2260 feet. It came down softly under chute with no damage.

The second flight was on an I300 the next day at KLOUDBurst. Although sunny, the winds the next day were around 18 miles per hour. The rocket left the pad and flew straight with no weathercocking. The chute deployed at apogee at an altitude of 2980 feet.

Third flight was at McGregor, one of our local flying fields in Texas. This time I flew the Gimlet on an I357. The rocket reached an altitude of 2320 feet.

The next flight in the summer of 2002 was to have been my level 2 attempt at LDRS 21 in Amarillo. I prepped the rocket and prepared to fly it on a J350. Unfortunately, just as the motor came to pressure the motor blew and destroyed my attempt. It appeared that I had one of the defective J350 reloads that was available about that time. Fortunately, Aerotech replaced my motor and has now fixed the problem.

After the incident at LDRS 21 I repaired the rocket and returned it to duty. Since the repair the Gimlet has flow several times. These fights include an I300 and a Cesaroni Pro38 - J360. The J360 took the rocket to over 5,400 feet.

Flight Rating: 5 out of 5

Summary:
This is a great kit that would be an excellent introduction into high-power. The Gimlet is very stable and easy to build. The instructions are very detailed, well written, and easy to follow. It would make an excellent Level 1 rocket.

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5