MRC Enforcer Build, Finished

This was an interesting "hit or miss" build.
The fin unit and nose cone were the best molded plastic parts I've ever seen.
The mainframe body tube was unusable. Thin and I doubt would last through the first few flights.
The rough brown launch lug could have used a Mylar covering.
The parachute was very good and the shroud lines very strong.
Thanks to Lonnie B. for supplying the kit.

MRC Enforcer Build, Part 6, Shock Cord Mount

Here's MRC's version of the tri-fold mount.
Two sections with the shock cord going through slits.

The shock cord is cut from the instruction sheet which seems weak.  I always redraw and cut them out of 110 lb. card stock.




A sort length of 1/8" rubber was in the kit. I substituted a longer length of elastic.

Here's the finished mount.
The backing was curved while the glue was still wet.




The mount is set inside the tube 1 1/2" from the end.

TIP: Mark the elastic using a ruler. This will be your depth gauge.
The instructions say to put glue in the tube, I applied white glue to the back side of the card stock mount.

Look close to see the pencil mark on the shock cord.
The mount was dropped in up to the pencil mark and the mount pressed into place.

MRC Enforcer Build, Part 5, Mylar Body Wrap and Launch Lug

The Mylar is thin and very shiny.
MRC was smart to make the full body wrap in two sections. It's easier to do body wraps in smaller sections.

The face card shows the name running down. I set mine so it reads "up".

Here's the fully wrapped tube.
What's strange is, with both wraps started at the same pencil line, the ENFORCER and flag aren't centered or lined up! Oh well.

You are directed to glue the launch lug on with super glue.
I cut a small strip through the Mylar wrap and glued it in place with white glue.
The launch lug is brown, no Mylar covering is supplied.

MRC Enforcer Build, Part 4, Mylar Body Wrap

The instructions show marking the body tube between two long blocks. Who has two equal long wood blocks of the correct length?

I used my aluminum angle to make a pencil line down the body tube.

Getting sticky Mylar to roll around a body tube without wrinkles is always a challenge.
To start, I peeled back a half inch of the wrap. A 1/4" strip was cut off the backing paper with scissors. You end up with just the exposed edge to set onto the straight pencil line.
With just a small sticky strip you can lift the wrap of and re-position if needed.


Run your finger up and down the wrap smoothing out any bubbles.

Peel off the backing a half inch and smooth again.
Continue applying just a half inch at a time and with any luck the stripes will match up when you get to the other side.
My stripes didn't quite match up! Close though.

MRC Enforcer Build, Part 3, Engine Mount

Here's the kit supplied engine hook.
The instructions say to put the short bend towards the back. It didn't look like there is enough of the hook to hold the engine in at ejection.

The split ring is glued on the engine mount tube, even with the back end. The mount is slid in from the rear and stops against a shoulder inside the fin unit.
The mount is "locked" inside the fin unit when the front ring is glued on. I notched the ring to fit over the engine hook.

The finished fin can is a well designed unit.
The two centering rings hold the mount securely. With the rings on either side of the fins you really don't need to glue the mount to the plastic fin can.
I'll put a drop of CA on it to prevent it from turning.

MRC Enforcer Build, Part 2, Engine Mount

The engine mount tube was also too thin but should be strong enough with the centering rings and engine block glued on.

The lower centering ring was already split for engine hook movement.
One bend of the engine hook was pretty small. I didn't trust it so I substituted one of my own.






The split centering ring was coming apart.
I squeezed in some white glue. It was slid into the fin unit to hold it together while it dried.







No engine block was included in the kit.
I cut off a 1/4" section from a used engine casing. The outside diameter was a little small so a strip of copy paper was glued on.

MRC Enforcer Build, Part 1, Parts

MRC got into the rocket business in the late 1980s. They sold rockets for just a few years.

The Model Rectifier Corporation still sells model trains, RC planes and plastic kits. 

The face card illustration makes a model rocket launch seem very dramatic. Big flame and a tower.

To see their 1988 catalog - CLICK HERE

Lonnie B. picked this one up at a raffle and gave it to me for some blog fodder. It's a good little piece of model rocket history.

Here's all the parts. The kit was in a big bag, almost too large for the parts. Notice the Mylar body tube wrap.

The plastic parts were very well molded. There were no visible seams in the nose cone or what MRC called the "bat" plastic fin unit.
The down side are the body tubes. Too thin with a wide interior seam. The wall thickness reminds me of the old CMR tubes. These are not the quality of the CMR tubes.
The main air frame tube is a standard BT-50 diameter. I'll swap it out for a real BT-50.




Here's the parachute after being cut to size.
The width is 10 1/4", flat to flat.
The three shroud lines were pre-cut from very strong rug and button thread. The lines were 24" long.