This flying model rocket kit is obviously based on a military missile, the Falcon AIM-4C. The real deal is manufactured by Hughes and is part of the first guided air-to-air missiles used by the USAF. Originally labeled GAR-2A, the AIM-4C served as an improved and sensitive infrared seeker. First put to use in 1956, over 26,000 units of this model missile were manufactured. Please note that there is no fin marking guide provided with the model rocket kit. The instructions won't tell you where to attach the launch lug either. As this is a level three kit, the modeler is expected to know how/where to attach the fins and launch lug. Building this The Launch Pad (TLP) kit offers a level of challenge, which is always welcome. Most of the more difficult work involves cutting out the fins and struts and fitting and gluing them to the rocket. The paint scheme selected for the model offered some unique challenges too, such as painting the top part of the nose cone and the white sections on the fins.

Parts List

The kit comes complete with all parts required to build the model rocket, including the items listed below.

- 3 body tubes (BT-80)
- 2 tube couplers
- balsa fin stock sheets (1/8" and 3/32")
- fin and strut template sheet
- motor tube
- engine hook
- 3 centering rings (one notched)
- 1 plastic nose cone
- red Mylar parachute assembly
- elastic shock cord
- instructions

Hobby supplies needed to build the TLP Falcon include hobby knife, ruler, pencil, CA, and white or yellow glue. These items are not included with the rocket kit.

Construction

Assembly of the Falcon flying model rocket starts by assembling the motor mount. As I was planning to use a motor retainer (and thrust ring), the engine hook was not used. Glue the centering rings at 1/4" from either end of the motor tube. If you're using the engine hook, glue the notched centering ring at the aft end.

Next in line is the nose cone assembly. The nose cone is glued into a short piece of body tube and a coupler is glued into that body tube section. The gaps were filled with putty and as instructed, the inside of the tube coupler was painted with CA to strenghten it. As you can see, the image on the right shows the nose cone assembly, with the fins already attached.

You can add the nose weight to the nose cone at this time. The clay weight was completely hard and dry. As per the instructions, I added a few drops of water and let it sit overnight. Didn't do much, so a few more drops of water were added. The next day, the clay could almost be molded. Added a few more drops and the next day, the clay was perfectly workable.

Now it is time to cut out the fins and struts. There's quite a bit of cutting to do. There are six fins and eight struts to cut out. Each fin has to be cut in four pieces (for correct balsa grain direction) and assembled into a fin. The pieces shown in the image are the balsa wood which came with the model rocket kit. For this model rocket kit assembled for review, basswood was used instead.

Before the fins can be attched to the rocket, the two body tubes must be joined. I used a BT-80 baffle rather than the supplied coupler.

One of the centering rings is glued 5 1/2" from the forward end of the upper body tube. This can be a little tricky. I used a BT-50 body tube to gently push/tab the ring into place, after making a circle of glue 5 1/2" into the tube with a piece of scratch balsa. As indicated in the instructions, this centering ring serves to keep the parachute near the nose cone. It should not be mistaken for a baffle disc.

To attach the fins and struts, I started with the fins themselves, one fin at a time. First, the four fins/aerials were attach to the nose cone assembly. The bottom fins are next. After applying two small white glue fillets to the fin, the bottom strut was glued into position. It too was given two small white glue fillets. This and using basswood will add some weight to the finished rocket, I simply felt strenght was important enough to do this.

Once all fins were attached, I sanded the fins smooth (to remove any excess glue) and glued the four upper struts in place. I waited to do those until all four fins were attached to the rocket so they wouldn't get in the way when sanding the fins smooth.

As mentioned above, a few changes were made to the rocket while building it (motor retainer, basswood fins, baffle). This will obviously affect the location of the center of gravity and as a result flight. Always check stability after making changes to a flying model rocket kit. Any changes you may wish to make are done at your own risk, including the same modifications I made. In fact, I'd suggest not making the exact same changes if you wish to fly this model rocket on Estes D12 engines. The rocket ended up slightly too heavy to fly on Estes D12 engines (including nylon parachute, it may be light enough with the Mylar one).

Measurements

The completed Falcon is 31.5" tall and has a 2.6" diameter. The large fins make the model rocket look quite impressive.

Finishing

The spirals in the body tube were filled with watered-down wood filler. This may not have been required as the spirals were small. The fins and body tube were sanded smooth, starting with a 320 or so grid sandpaper, up to as small a grid as 600. Next, Rust-Oleum automotive primer was applied to the Falcon. As it had been sanded smooth before, the primer didn't reveal too many imperfections. As much as possible of the primer was sanded off in an effort to avoid adding more unneeded weight. The image on the right shows the model rocket before some of the primer was sanded off. I didn't try to replicate the color scheme as shown on the face card. After looking at some images of this missile online, I found a look of a (different model) Falcon that jumped out at me (see here and here). The sides of the fins were painted white (Rust-Oleum white protective enamel spray) first. After 48 hours, the strips that were to remain white were masked off and the entire rocket was painted orange (using the same kind of paint). After another 48 hours, the black accents were applied to the forward fins/aerials and the tip of the nose cone.

Flight Data

The Launch Pad (TLP) suggests using the D12-3 Estes motor, the single use Aerotech E15-4 and E-30-7 and the RMS reload F24-4. These are all 24mm rocket motors and offer a nice selection to choose from.

As the engine mounts sits 1 3/4" inside the airframe tube, some metal repair tape was added to the inside of the airframe tube. This was done in an effort to avoid damage to the body tube from the engine's flame.