Quest Striker AGM Build, Part 3, Engine Mount Assembly Gotcha

Before gluing on the front and rear centering rings, sand the ends flat. This gives you a flat, wider gluing surface.








The lower ring got a notch to allow engine hook movement. The instructions don't mention this.
GOTCHA: Without the notch, the kit supplied engine hook would be bent out each time an engine was inserted or removed.

The assembly order:
1. The low ring was glued onto the tail cone using Beacon Fabri-Tac glue.
2. The engine mount tube (with engine hook and tape wrap) was slipped into the tail cone and through the lower ring.
3. The upper ring is slid over the top of the engine mount tube and glued onto the upper edge of the tail cone using the Fabri-Tac glue.
4. Wood glue fillets are applied to the top and bottom of the centering ring/ tube joints.
5. The Kevlar line was tied on to the upper bend of the engine hook by tying a loop in the line. The upper end of the engine hook was lifted out of the cut slit and the Kevlar lip set underneath. Push the engine hook back into the cut slit.

I didn't use a Replaceable Kevlar Mount on this model. Usually the tail of the line loop is underneath and inside the tube end, out of sight. If I were to use it on this kit, the loose line tail would be visible.

GOTCHA and TIP: With the balsa fin glued to a plastic tail cone you can't get a good bond. The fit of the tail cone in the tube was also loose, the shoulder would have to be built up for a better fit.

I used an old technique from gluing balsa adapters into clear plastic payload tubes. Estes would use sticky paper shroud line tabs on the inside of the clear tubes so white glue would adhere.

I had some Avery self-adhesive paper. Strips were cut the same height of the tail cone shoulder. On the right is the wrap on the upper end for a better fit in the 35mm tube.
On the left, the low end got a wrap of the self adhesive paper for a better glue bond on the low end of the balsa fin root edge.