Loc/Precision R.A.M.
By Jeff Curtis
Published: 2024-11-24
| Construction Rating: | starstarstarstarstar |
| Flight Rating: | starstarstarstarstar |
| Overall Rating: | starstarstarstarstar |
| Manufacturer: | LOC/Precision  | |
| Diameter: | 1.8000 inches | |
| Length: | 43.0000 inches | |
| Style: | Sport |
I was browsing the Animal Works web site and noticed they had a Loc R.A.M. kit in stock. R.A.M. is an acronym for Rage Assault Missile. It is 43" tall.
1.8" body tube - 24" slotted and 10" payload section
Plywood fins
Plywood strakes
29mm motor tube
3 1/8" centering rings
1.8" tube coupler
Plywood bulkhead
9' tubular nylon shock cord
Kevlar shock cord mount
1/4" launch lug
2 rail buttons
Eye screw
Vinyl decals
As usual, I started with the motor mount. I used T-88 epoxy to attach the three centering rings. The shock cord mount goes throug the forward centering ring and was epoxied to the motor tube, The rear two centering rings were spaced to straddle the fin slots. II attached the shock cord to the Kevlar shock cord mount using a double sheet bend knot. The motor mount was then epoxied into the body tube.
Next I glued the fins and strakes to the body tube. As that glue dried, I added the eye screw to the bulkhead and reinforced it with epoxy. Then I glued the bulkhead into the aft end of the coupler. After all that glue dried, I epoxied the coupler into the payload tube. Next I taped off the fin roots and strakes. I mixed some T-88 with microballons and began adding the fillets. It undoubtedly added weight adding fillets to the strakes, but it made the rocket strong. It took 4 days to do each set of fillits as T-88 takes a while to cure.
The Rocket was ready to paint after sanding the nose cone seams. I went with black for the fin can and nose cone. The rest was painted with Rustoleum Teal Blue. I applied the vinyl decals and added the rail buttons. I just put the rail buttons through the body tube and secured them with some epoxy. Rail-Buttons.com provides some short screws with their rail buttons and I used those due to the narrow space between the body tube and motor tube. Finally, I secured the nose cone into the payload tube with a couple of rivets.
All in all, it came out looking pretty sharp. It was published to weigh 11 ounces but mine came out at exactly one pound. I guess those strake fillets added more than I thought but its built like a tank.
I've had a chance to fly the R.A.M. at Midwest power using a Estes F26-6, which is an Aerotech motor with an Estes label, It was a beautiful flight which despite the fins and long strakes did not windcock. Ejection was right at apogee, but shortly after that it drifted through the sun and I lost site of the rocket. I was never able to find it again and had no idea where it landed. Open Rocket predicted an altitude of 1076. I did not have an altimiter in it, but I would say the predicted altitude was close. Fortunately, another flyer found it and turned it in to lost and found. This was a big relief as the R.A.M. is out of production and hard to find.
As expected from Loc/Precision, this is a solid rocket and a good looking rocket. It flies great too. Those strakes drew favorable comments from a coupe of people, I think I only paid around $45 for it, whic was a bargain. If you see one available, I would grab it. Or you could scratch build it with Loc parts and use the Open Rocket file to print out templates for the fins and strakes. The Loc R.A.M. comes highly recommended.. .
LOC/Precision R.A.M. Reviews
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