These round corners reflect the original Estes Plan #25 and match the lower rounded fins: CLICK HERE
Here's how the two piece fins join up.
I like to sand the rounded leading edge on the forward fairings before gluing to the bottom fin.
It's a little difficult to sand a rounded edge in the inside corner. Sanding one side beforehand does half the job for me. After gluing the pieces together I just have to feather in the rounded leading edge of the lower fin.
With the upper fairing fin rounded -
Glue the two piece fin together setting the root edges on a straightedge.
I also set a weight over the glue joint so the pieces will both be flat and even.
In step 6 of the old instructions, the illustration (fig 6) shows square corners on the fins and fairings, however the text tells you to:
ReplyDelete1. Glue the fins
2. Glue the fairings
3. Round the edges of the fairings and fins.
On step 15 the text tells you to sand the outboard fins to the same profile as the main fins.
The Mars Snooper II features somewhat simplified construction.
* fins are die-cut
* At the aft end there are only two shrouds rather than the three. Also the shrouds are glued onto the BT-50 tube.
* the "cooling fins" on the rear shroud are die-cut cardstock
* The launch lug is external, with front and rear glued to the fins outside of the shroud (i.e. they're not built into the shroud)
* instructions don't have you airfoil the fins, just round the leading and trailing edges. The upper fins don't have the forward fairing.
* the pods are glued with the leading edge of the inboard and outboard fins flush with the front of the tube. The original Mars Snooper have you align the fins with the trailing edges flush with pinholes you make in the pod tube (the leading edges overlap the forward nosecone in the original)
* paint scheme is simple -- paint it overall white, let dry, then mask off the "landing legs" and paint the entire rocket red.
Hi Naoto,
DeleteThere is some inconsistencies in the instruction drawings. You are a lot like me - I probably look a little deep into the instructions. Fun to see the changes over the years.
One other thing I just noticed on the old instructions is the shape of the upper fins is slightly different depending on the figure. In some illustrations the fin tip has rounded corners, and some other the corners are squared off.
ReplyDeleteI suppose the shape could vary a bit depending on your technique on rounding the fin edges?
Hi Naoto,
DeleteI wonder with the smaller drawings, the artist might have taken the easy way out and just squared off the edges. On smaller drawings it would be difficult to draw a tight round corner and connect the lines using the old style Rapidiograph pens.