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#1 My first skill level five rocket

Posted: Sun, 03 Apr 16, 00:17 am
by Commander
Here's the parts check on my latest project. This one is kinda special to me since I have never built an Estes skill level five kit. There weren't very many and usually were expensive (by the standards of the day). So finally I began the final skill level assault.
Parts check.jpg
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Any guesses what it is?

#2 Re: My first skill level five rocket

Posted: Sun, 03 Apr 16, 03:43 am
by Trident
I know, so I'll leave the guessing to someone else. I did not realize the tailcone from the 1250 Interceptor was included.

#3 Re: My first skill level five rocket

Posted: Wed, 13 Apr 16, 03:16 am
by bernomatic
It's a close match, but not quite the same piece. I think only the wonks who would argue over a particular fin pattern on another forum would have a problem with someone using it on a clone though.
tail cones
tail cones
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If you look closely, you'll notice that the vanes on my reissue Interceptor are squared off, while the one for the new build are rounded.

Hopefully, I'll be able to get back to some build threads now that the switch is over.

#4 Re: My first skill level five rocket

Posted: Thu, 14 Apr 16, 02:43 am
by Jetlag
It's a Xarconian Cruiser. A fun kit, indeed. I flew mine at NSL 2015. It flew well, but I should have used fillets on the pods. One popped off and the other's joint let go a little. Fixed now...
Are you going for face card finish?

Allen

#5 Re: My first skill level five rocket

Posted: Thu, 14 Apr 16, 15:52 pm
by Commander
Jetlag wrote:It's a Xarconian Cruiser. A fun kit, indeed. I flew mine at NSL 2015. It flew well, but I should have used fillets on the pods. One popped off and the other's joint let go a little. Fixed now...
Are you going for face card finish?

Allen

I'm not sure, my thoughts flip flop on that. I have a "space camouflage scheme I've been imagining and this may be the place I try it. But then I kinda want the original scheme, so I may have to order another while they are still on clearance at Estes.

#6 Re: My first skill level five rocket

Posted: Tue, 03 May 16, 03:42 am
by Commander
Hmmmm.... It's been over a month and no updates on this build.

Well yes, that is true. Besides being busy with the site switch, I ran into a bit of bad luck with the wings. I had built the engine mount with no difficulty :o but for some unknown reason while doing the wings, I decided to try some new techniques. Suffice it to say the wings did not come out satisfactory
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So my typical reaction is to set the project aside (if possible) till I am over the feeling of wanting to bang my head against a hard object for being so obtuse as to try a new way with an already difficult build.

Being OCD I find it hard at times to continue with a rocket after I mess it up. However, when I have in the past forced myself to fix and continue the build, I often learn valuable lessons.

So even though this was a minor mishap, the way to correct this is easy. By lightly scouring one side of the joint, then holding over a heat source (in olden days I would have used a 100 W light bulb, but a hairdryer, space heater, or even a heat gun if you are careful, will work. the glue will become soft and you can separate the pieces without too much difficulty. Alternate between the scouring, heating and gently bending the pieces at the joint and in short order they will be apart. Patience is your friend here as trying to force the pieces apart may cause the parts to separate in a way that is not along the original seem.

#7 Re: My first skill level five rocket

Posted: Mon, 09 May 16, 18:37 pm
by Rocket Babe
I can identify, I'm cdo. It's the same thing just in alphabetical order. :lol:

#8 Re: My first skill level five rocket

Posted: Thu, 12 May 16, 04:30 am
by bernomatic
All right back on track now. and if Uncle Ted will let me get out of the political arena, maybe I can get this build moving.

I went back to the old method of gluing wings flat and aligned and what do you know,

Success! :)
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#9 Re: My first skill level five rocket

Posted: Sat, 15 Oct 16, 02:48 am
by Commander
<sigh>

Does life really speed along that fast? I guess so, especially the summer months.

I spent all night last night moving and re-arranging the contents of the rocket bunker looking for the wings I glued back in May. I didn't put them with the rest of the kit sitting in the bag on the table. No, they would have been in danger of being damaged by doing that. Not to worry, I found them after a three hour search sitting on one of the half completed window sills down here, undamaged :D . It was too late to do anything at that time so I set them aside for the night and went to bed.

#10 Re: My first skill level five rocket

Posted: Sat, 15 Oct 16, 03:35 am
by Commander
Today, I cleaned the wings off and took them over to my Corian Slab.

Yes I have a chunk of Corian Slab 50cm by 76cm which a photographer in the building where I work sold to me as he was closing up shop. It has three pads, missing the fourth corner and one side has some drilled holes in it, put for eight bucks... Now I suppose I can be all that and maybe start drinking Scotch and ...

Sorry, back to the build.
I laid the the wings out mirrored and was lightly sanding the joints flat, when I noticed that held together at the rear, the front strakes were about 6mm apart. After closer examination, I found that the root edges of one of the wing assemblies did not line up at all. There was enough misalignment in the two joints to create that 6mm separation. Separating the pieces and regluing the wing again did not sit well with me, especially after I found out that Estes didn't carry the Cruiser on there website anymore at any price, let alone the 1970's price they were selling these at. They are available elsewhere.


This picture shows the wings after the fix. the narrow ends originally were a bit apart.
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So I decided to try another "new" technique. Yes, I should read post #6 again about not trying new techniques.

Nothing went wrong.

I took a length of angle iron and clamped the front end of strake and the trailing edge of the wing to it.
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Then using my heat gun on the low setting, I fanned back and forth across the glue joints while gently pushing the middle portion of the wing up against the angle wall. After about a minute, I clamped the rest of the wing in place against the wall and left it to cool.
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