Sunday, June 2, 2024

Semroc Wac Corporal Build, Background



The WAC Corporal was the first sounding rocket developed in the United States and the first vehicle to achieve hypersonic speeds. These were the first missiles launched at White Sands.
For more information: CLICK HERE

I don't remember buying this kit!
This was one of Semroc's "Deci-Scale" models, 1/10th the size of the original rocket.

This is advertised as a semi scale model. 
The real Wac Corporal was 12" in diameter. The kit body tube is a Centuri Series 11 at 1.17" diameter.
The kit has a cardstock boat tail. 
12" parachute recovery.













If you were flying rockets in the 1960's you probably had an Estes Wac Corporal. It seems this was the first "scale" model produced by  Estes.

The Estes version was built around a BT-20 and was only 11.8" tall.
A long launch lug was hidden under some balsa strips making the tunnel.
This smaller model didn't include a boat tail. Two lead disks were screw eyed into the nose cone for 1/4 oz. of nose weight.

To see the original ESTES instructions: CLICK HERE

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