TAZZ

 The Thrifty Rocketeer blog continues...

So it's another Wednesday night and I'm bored, so I do what I usually do when I have time on my hands and 10 days til the next club launch.... I drive over to HBY LBY and cruise the Estes Rocket supply aisle.

Now, I must admit, I don't often find anything that grabs my attention, however, I just as frequently walk over to the clearance wall and prowl about for anything that catches my eye.  Sometimes it's just a keychain....sometimes a couple of plastic, wood or tin letters that I can rearrange into something shocking...or something for me at home.

And sometimes I leave with a bargain.  Other times I just walk out.

But tonight, I spot something I hadn't ever really considered...  a TAZZ.

I am totally unfamiliar with TAZZ, but the sticker on both the two kits on the pegboard catches my eye.  Normally priced at $19.99, there's not much chance of catching a sale price on their  rocket kits.  However tonight, the bright orange reduced price of $7.99 attracts my attention.

Now, I'm not much for plastic parts, and if a kit has a plastic fin can, that's usually the end of my interest.

But the TAZZ appears to be a rocket powered Gyroc, that spins as it descends.  Plus, there seems to be an orange streamer that separates along with the motor-mount thrust unit, making this a more interesting spin on the glider concept.

I determine that the price is worth the gamble, and so I pick one off the hook... and walk over to the clearance wall.

There's the usual assortment of reduced, discounted, broken or chipped items, plus a LOT of oversized letters made of tin, wood, plastic, porcelain, or otherwise. But again my eye is caught by something to one side.

There are four sets of craft scissors marked down from $2.99 TO $1.49...  and at least three smaller craft scissors for kids' hands similarly marked down.

Now, I recently saw a meme on Facebook that talked about how a rocketeer had to sleep out on the couch when his wife caught him with her sewing scissors... cutting paper and stuff... and I recall how I laughed out loud at this, until my seamstress wife asked what was so funny.  

I clammed up and counted myself lucky that she had four pair of orange-handled scissors in her craft drawer that I've used at various times without getting caught. 

So, reflecting on this, I selected a larger pair of scissors and headed for the check-out. I felt pretty good, having scored both items for under $10.   The clerk recognized me and commented how I was buying a kit with plastic parts, so I schooled him on the bargain price of the kit, and that to ease my boredom, I am likely to try one.

Upon examination, I find this appears to be a rocket assisted Gyroc, that jettisons the motor, and in doing so, releases the flaps on the fins, so that the rocket spins on the way down like a copter for a tumble recovery.  No chute for this one. 

Also, the recommended motors are A8-3, B6-2 and B6-4 which indicates this is a lower end low power kit.

It's worth my time to play with it and if it fails, I won't have much invested.

I look at the balsa fins and discover they are going to be a little more challenging, as the flaps are hinged with a plastic flap, and they are powered by two rubber bands that secure with plastic hooks on the fins.  So this kit will require plastic cement for the hooks, and some of the motor mount, as well as the nose cone.  

That's right, I said nose cone.  The kit has no need for the nosecone to be ejected, and so the nosecone is going to be glued into place... a rarity in model rocket construction. 

So, here's a good question.  If the fins are balsa, do they not need to be sealed before painting?  I know that gliders traditionally are very lightly painted to avoid weight... but don't they require sealing?  I see no steps in the instructions talking about sealing or pre-painting the fins before gluing them onto the body.

Looks like the Thrifty Rocketeer has some prep work to be done...