Two sets of optional body wraps for this rocket are available for purchase from FlisKits. Each gives the Stingray a unique look. The illustrated instructions include directions to build the model rocket with and without body wraps. For review purposes, a model was built without the optional wraps. This leaves finishing to the imagination of the rocketeer. The Stingray has a futuristic look. It could be an advanced military craft, cautious explorer, or a harmless cargo ship. It becomes what you want it to be, depending on how you finish it. This is a skill level 3 flying model rocket kit. The trickiest parts are cutting the smaller balsa pieces and working with the paper body shroud. This model rocket kit was fun to build, its different design only added to the experience. It is not a "three fins and a nose cone" kit, it far more exciting to build.

Parts List

This flying model rocket kit is offered by FlisKits in a plastic bag with face card and the items listed below.

- 9" BT-50 body tube
- motor tube with engine block, engine hook and centering rings
- Kevlar and elastic shock cords
- balsa nose cone with metal screw eye
- 2 balsa wings with bulkheads and fin tips
- 6 balsa pieces for two gun ports with toothpick (guns)
- balsa launch lug standoff with launch lug
- upper and lower shroud
- instruction booklet

To build your own Stingray, you'll need a sharp hobby knife to cut out all the balsa pieces and paper shroud, a ruler, pencil, and glue.

Construction

There are a good number of balsa pieces to cut out of the balsa sheets, as you can see from the image on the right. While the instructions tell you to cut out the pieces as you go along, I cut them out all at once. This way, they could all be filled and ready for assembly. The motor mount assembly is first. Cut a slit for the engine hook and insert it. Wrap some tape around it to keep it in place. Glue the engine block in the motor mount tube and attach the centering rings.

The centering rings are cut. One has a piece removed to slide over the engine hook, the other is given a notch so the shock cord can be tied around the engine mount and go out the body tube.

Next, the bulkheads are attached to the wings and the wing assemblies are glued to the rocket's airframe tube. The bulkheads actually attach to the motor mount tube while the wings attach to the airframe tube. Now for the trickiest and most fun part of this building the FlisKits Stingray... the shroud.

The upper and lower pieces are cut from the pre-marked card stock. The two pieces are glued together and are fit over the body tube. Glue the shroud in place. It is trickier (and more fun) than it sounds and I had some small gaps, which were filled with white putty and sanded smooth. Once the paper shroud is in place, the fin tips are glued into position.

The gun ports are assembled (4 pieces each). The launch lug standoff in the kit used for review was too long, or the launch lug was too short. The combination didn't match what the illustrations in the instructions showed. Not a problem, won't get in the way of a good launch and flight.

Both the gun ports and launch lug are glued into place and the screw eye is glued into the nose cone. This completes this model rocket's assembly.

Finishing

First, Rust-Oleum primer was sprayed all over the model. After sanding the primer smooth, Colors By Boyd "Back-N-Blue Pearl" enamel pray paint was applied. This paint is interesting to watch when the sunlight hits it just right, it sparkles nicely. That combined with the shape of this model rocket gives it an interesting look.

Measurements

This model rocket is 14.4" long, has a 0.976" diameter (BT-50) and a 8.22" fin span.

Flight Data

To fly the Stingray, FlisKits recommends these model rocket engines : A8-3, B4-2, B6-4 and C6-5.

For the first flight, a C6-3 was used. It was windy that day and the launch rod was angled into the wind. It was a wonderful flight, the rocket went into the wind and the wings could be seen moving as if they were trying to stabilize for flight.

Having seen that, we wanted more of the same. A C6-5 was used this time. The angle of the launch rod was not changed. This time, the rocket went much, much straighter. Still a great looking flight. As it came down from a higher altitude, the wind carried it far enough to land in a pond. It is shallow water and the rocket was only a few feet off the shore. As there are bound to be alligators in the water, I was not about to risk an encounter with them by walking into the water.