Mosquito Fin Airfoil?

Scott Johnson sent me this comment from the post about Streamer Recovery on Engine Eject Models:

"I saw another method for tumble recovery rockets as well. The current Estes Mosquito has you rocket air foil its fins (symmetric air foil), which just turns it into a fire and forget lawn dart. However, I saw old plans (it was an old mosquito like rocket on YORP or Semroc) where the fins were airplane foiled (asymmetric air foil), which would cause the rocket to rotate on liftoff and perhaps tumble during recovery."

The asymmetric air foil would make the model spin during boost but probably wouldn't make it tumble down on recovery. If the model were to nose in, it would spin on the way down, nose first. A spinning recovery would slow it down some, like the Gyroc.
Proper tumbling "featherweight" recovery has more to do with a change in the center of gravity after the engine ejects, more like the old Estes Scout.

Estes doesn't use the term Featherweight anymore. Some of the small "tumble" recovery models tend to nose in like the 220 Swift.

I can't find any kit or plan that shows an asymmetric air foil. I do remember seeing that in the Estes Yellow Pages. 
This is from the 1971 catalog.

TIP: Don't cant the fins at the severe angle shown in the middle drawing. It takes very little cant to make the rocket spin stabilized. Those fins might reach the "Speed Of Balsa" (S.O.B.) and shear off!

The original Mini-Brute Mosquito instructions said to do a symmetric airfoil the on fins.

To see the instructions, CLICK HERE

Later on, the BETA Mosquito version suggested you round the fins

To see those instructions, CLICK HERE  
Scroll down to the second set of instructions

The latest version of the Mini Mosquito (also the one included in the Mega Mosquito kit) don't say to round or airfoil anything!
Those instructions were criticized for being too vague.

Mini Brute to Mega Brute Decal Draw

Recently I won a Mega Mosquito on Ebay.
Here's how I remember the original Estes kits - the first three Mini Brute rockets had the Mini Brute "Bug" Decal.
The new Mega kit has a large, realistic mosquito silhouette decal.
The Mega Mosquito name looks like it was made on an Avery label maker.
I'm not a big fan of that font, also used on the Cosmic Explorer.
I thought it'd be interesting to update the old Mini Brute Bug for the Mega Mosquito.

The online decal scans are pretty rough. When enlarged it's even worse!
I started with this bug and dropped it into Corel Draw.

Here's the Mini Brute redraw.
I added a little more space between the letters so it would be easier to read.
Those "I"s are pretty thick.

And for the Mega Mosquito - 
A MEGA BRUTE decal!
On this one, the "E" in Brute is better formed.
The letters expand and shrink to follow the outside curve of the bug body.

Patreon members: If you would like the decal art in PDF form to print your own decals, email me at:
oddlrockets@bellsouth.net
Request the Mosquito Bug decals PDF
Both Mini and Mega bugs are included and sized for both models!

Mini Mosquito Build Finished

A quick build for a model I'll probably lose anyway!

When I can find them, the first flight will be with a 1/4A3-3t engine.

The nose cone joint is smooth and the mask came out clean.
The yellow is a good color to see against the grass field at the schoolyard.
The new water slide "bug" was set on the fin.
The decal draw is coming up in a blog post.








Here's the Mosquito from the 1973 Estes catalog. This is the look I was going for.
My black paint went a bit higher than the catalog picture, more like the new kit scheme.

And, the Mini Mosquito from the Estes online picture.
The nose cone shape is more pointed than the supplied kit nose cone.
It looks like the black paint goes farther back, to the root edge of the yellow fin.
The side view picture (see below) on the instruction sheet shows the black paint line stops halfway between the fins.



Look close - 
What's wrong with the model picture at the top of the Mini Mosquito instructions?

What's was included in the Mega Mosquito kit that is missing in the instruction art?
This image was probably drawn before the kit parts were produced.

Post your answers in the comments section below.

Mini Mosquito Build Part 3, Primer, Undercoat and Mask

The gray primer filler has been sprayed and sanded down.
You can still see a little of the nose cone / body tube joint.

A white undercoat followed then wet sanding with 400 grit.

Two coats of Rusto 2X yellow followed.

Here's the paint mask to match the face card.

The black is on one fin, opposite the launch lug side.
The black extends down over the fillet and halfway between the two yellow fins.

Mini Mosquito Build Part 2, Gluing It All Together

The nose cone shoulder seemed long so I checked it with a "T" engine in place.
The engine extended out the back by about 1/4" so the shoulder length is probably right. The front end of the engine butts right up against the open nose cone shoulder.

The vague multi-lingual instructions say "Glue all parts together".
OKAY!!!

No mention is made of plastic cement. I wouldn't use white glue on a plastic nose cone. It would probably pop off at ejection.

The instructions don't mention any fin shaping.
I rounded the leading and trailing edges.

The first Mini Brute Mosquito instructions said to air foil the fins.
That's what you want in a model this small - better performance!
The fin grain was filled before gluing them on the body.

Following the directions -
I glued it all the parts together.

Mini Mosquito Build Part 1, Parts

Before starting on the build, check back to this older post about the Mini Mosquito instructions HERE

This one will be quick!
This is the Mini Mosquito packed as a bonus kit with the Mega Mosquito model.
It's a repro of the original smallest rocket in the Estes 1972 catalog.
There is really only six parts in the Mini Mosquito.
Three fins, one nose cone, a BT-5 body tube and launch lug.
This new version has a small Mosquito decal.

The parts of interest:
The small decal sheet. The production copy is larger than the 'bug" and the very tiny Estes logo. The logo is unreadable.
Again, the embossed production date stamp is too close to the decal image.

The plastic nose cone with a long shoulder.

Mosquitos, Anyone?

The Estes BT-5 Mosquito could be considered a downscale of the Estes STREAK
The Streak was BT-10 based. The BT-10 was a clear Mylar tube, close to a BT-20 size.

The face card says "Ideal for small field and demonstration flying."
Demonstration flying? The Big Bertha is a demonstration bird.
This one is too small and fast for spectators to follow.

I always thought the Mosquito fins were based on the "B" pattern from the Streak kit. The rounded ends were considered the competition shape.
The Mosquito fins are more of a teardrop shape.

This is the Leading Edge Rocketry SKEETER.
It's 11" tall, BT-60 based and uses 18mm engines.
The rounded fins are closer to the Streak competition shape.








Balsa Machining Service brought out the IMP.
They were giveaway kits at a NARAM a few years ago.






Another BT-80 based Mosquito is the Madcow MOZZIE.
This one stands 19.5" high, a little taller than the Estes Mega Mosquito at 18.6".
Engine choices range from D12-3 to G38J-7.

There's more like the Mosquito, sort of - 
The Centuri Lil' Herc, Estes Swift, Estes Quark and Semroc Triton.

I'm sure there are more.

Any guess as to what the next blog build will be?

Another Mega Mosquito and Mini-Brute Mosquito Question

I stopped by the JimZ website to check the older, more detailed Mosquito instructions. I was curious if they rounded or airfoiled the fin edges.
They are HERE, scroll down to the BETA series version.

Read the EXTREMELY IMPORTANT message  below the exploded parts illustration.

Here's the only construction illustration from the new kit version. It's an exploded parts illustration.
It says simply: "Glue all the parts together".
White glue is shown, plastic glue is not.
White glue won't hold the plastic nose cone in the cardboard body tube.

I'm not complaining, I just think it's interesting.

Mega Mosquito and Mini-Brute Mosquito Questions

On TRF, Kirk G had a question about the recovery of the small Mosquito model (bonus kit) included with the large Mega Mosquito: 

 Originally Posted by Kirk G 

So, I picked up a Mega Mosquito combo package from Estes during their December sale, and now that Easter is here, I'm breaking it out to do some family crafting....

As I look at the contents, it becomes clear that there is a smaller mini-mosquito in the package.
It appears that there are five parts... three mini balsa fins, a short two inch body tube, a mini nose cone, and a launch lug (soda straw).

As I sand the balsa fins, and treat them with a little sealant, I am also gluing the launch lug onto the side of the body. Then it hits me.... THERE IS NO PARACHUTE.

I read the "instructions" and find there is no mention of a chute, streamer, nor breaking system of any kind! Now I'm getting worried.

But if these small motors have a time delay, they'll have an ejection charge, and that is going to blow the capsule/nose cone off. There's no room for a parachute in the tube once the motor is inserted....(and there's no motor mount nor retension bar or clip either!)
So, how do you keep the nose cone from coming off and being lost???? And why shouldn't I roll-up a n orange streamer to try to pack into the nose cone and upper body tube, separated by some dog barf?
Anyone with experience on this mini-mite, please advise!

My response:
I just looked at the instructions for the small Mosquito included in the Mega Mosquito kit.

They are vague, you get just an exploded drawing with the line "Glue all the parts together"
Under "Prepare Engine" it basically says wrap with masking tape for a "Snug Fit". (I don't know if I'd want a snug fit on this one) 
On the other side in the flight instructions no mention is made of featherweight or tumble recovery.
On the right side of the wrap around face card it does say "Tumble Recovery".

I would guess that Estes assumes you have built simple models before tackling the Mega Mosquito.
Take a look at the older, more descriptive Estes instructions on the JimZ website:
http://www.spacemodeling.org/JimZ/estes/est0801.pdf

With more kits instructions prepared in three languages there is less room for descriptive copy.
This complaint has come up before. Pictures and arrows don't always answer every question.