I received an email asking about screw eye sizes. Sometimes I'll go a bit larger than the use the screw eye supplied in the kit.
The smaller 1" long screw eye was in the Estes Phoenix Bird kit, a BT-55 sized model.
The threads are low and probably wouldn't grip well in a soft balsa nose cone shoulder.
The larger screw eye might be considered a "medium" size at 1.375" long measured from end to end. I'll be using that screw eye in the Phoenix Bird build.
There's not that much difference in length or eye diameter and I'll feel better about the grip of the higher screw threads.
A BMS clone kit of the FSI Viking 1 includes a big, heavy screw eye. It's heavy enough to improve stability (moving the C/G forward) without adding nose weight washers.
Do a test and screw the smaller eye into the bottom of the cone in a place that you wouldn't notice a small hole. I'm betting you won't be able to pull the eyelet out but if it does come out easy then you'll know for sure.
ReplyDeleteGood point about testing with the smaller screw eye.
ReplyDeleteI'm old-school and the screw eyes included in the newer kits don't have the higher threads I used to see.
I've had a few nose cone ejection separations so when in doubt I'll switch over to the larger threaded screw eyes.