Vintage kit build thread: Impulse Aerospace Check-Six
 

I'm going to build an obscure one--obscure to me anyway: the Impulse Aerospace "Rugged Rockets" Check-Six kit. The instructions read copyright 1997.

Rugged indeed! The BT's appear to be phenolic and are rock-hard (I hope they paint OK.) All parts are accounted for and are in fine shape--including the waterslide decal sheet.

I love this recommended motors list! Bye bye! "It's rugged, so it probably landed safely. Somewhere."

TBC

Gosh, I had forgotten about Bill Maness and Impulse Aerospace. Seems they were out of Washington state as I recall. Use to advertise in the Tripoli high power mag; maybe the NAR mag too, but I don’t recall that right off hand.

I don’t have specific memories of this kit, but yes, it looks pretty stout!

Earl

Yes, out of Washington state.

Almost time for some booze.

I'll "cut my teeth" on these materials by first assembling the payload and PNC. Using (3) Navy knots (two bowlines and one larks head) I tie the Kevlar tether and small jump ring to the G-10 fiberglass bulkhead of the coupler. I then run a line of 15 minute epoxy around the ID of the coupler tube, feed the Kevlar through the tube, and then center the tube onto the bulkhead and let it rest until the epoxy migrates downward and joins the fiberglass bulkhead to the coupler tube.

After the epoxy hardens I lay the coupler/bulkhead assembly onto my Herculean thigh and using the mahogany sanding block I reduce the diameter of the bulkhead until I get a slip-fit into the phenolic payload tube. I then epoxy the coupler assembly into the payload tube.

TBC

Last steps for the night. This ABS PNC is sweet! It has no seam lines at all and it's so hard it feels like medical-grade artificial bone or simulated ivory. The only thing I don't like is that the hole for the wood screw that secures the PNC to the payload tube is very close to the bottom of the PNC's shoulder. Since the will be so close I'll drill a pilot hole.

I first insert the PNC into the payload assembly and trace the location of the hole onto the PNC's shoulder. Using the pin vise I bore a .060" hole into the shoulder of the PNC . This pilot hole should keep the ABS from breaking out--and it works.

Oh! Tonight it's NOT Scotch. "The Vixen" has prepared a Black and Tan for me--along with a hot pretzel.

Good night. TBC

These were darn near bulletproof. Heh, at the old "Roar at the Shore" in NJ, some would put the biggest motor in them, and you would never see them again.

Light that thing up on a G-anything, preferably a G138.

Really nice build thread, Jeffy!

If I remember correctly the company had almost as many names as kits. Guys, help me here, but I think this company, at various times went by: Seattle Rocket Works, Rocket Vision, Impulse Aerospace, Rugged Rockets, and eventually got sold to Lawn Dart Rocketry.

Any history you guys could provide would be great.

Kits were the following:

Chariot
Check-Six
Grymm
Mach Buster
Six-Pack
Solar Venture
Spit Fire
Star Fire

They also sold one of the best mid/hi power pads ever produced, the Quad Pod

As shown in Jeffy's build thread, parts were VERY robust. Very different from anything else out there.

Steve

A buddy of mine had the Mach Buster. It looked like a tiny version of a LOC Lil’ Nuke. He flew it on a Aerotech F72-10. It disappeared for a LONG time but was recovered. Launched it at our big HPR field in Winnsboro, LA. The max recommendation was a G55 (I still have three G55’s in my range box). He never tried a G55 after that F72-10 flight which was pretty extreme. His came with a tiny chute and nomex chute protector that he swapped that out for a streamer. Highly recommended if you really power it up and expect to recover it because these rockets can certainly handle a hard landing and very high altitudes.

Cute little thing ;)

I’ll see if I can locate a picture of it

"Grymm"... I like that... Probably describes the prospect of recovery.