Estes Monarch Build, #7214, Part 5, Cutting Out The Fins

There is enough "free" balsa on one side of the Monarch fin sheet to cut out one of the larger, lower Optima fins. 

The other two larger fins will be cut from two glued together  Monarch fin pieces.

Before gluing together the fin pieces, sand the laser cut burnt edges square with a block. Glue the two pieces flat with weight on top.

 

The third fin only needed a small fin tip extension glued on the trailing edge.

From the remaining balsa the smaller forward fins are cut.

All the fins are cut and gang sanded.

Estes Monarch Build, #7214, Part 4, Fins

 

I decided to kitbash the Monarch into a downscale Optima.

I've always liked the dual fin design and bold graphics.

I couldn't find a fin pattern so I looked up a rocksim drawing on rocketreviews.com.

This was copied and dropped into Corel draw.

To do the quick downscale, a circle was drawn to 1.325", the diameter of the Monarchs BT-55 tube. The drawing was reduced to match the tube diameters. This also reduced the size of the fin templates.

A print was made and the patterns cut out.

Now . . . how to cut new fins using the existing kit laser cut balsa sheet.

Estes Monarch Build, #7214, Part 3, Engine Mount

The finger tab was cut off and the engine hook flipped over.

A subtle curve was bent down the length of the hook for better motor retention.

The upper centering ring got a small punch for the added Kevlar line.

The upper ring was slid on just over the upper bend of the hook for strength. 

The rest of the mount was assembled as shown in the instructions.

A 1/16" diameter heat shrink tube was slid down the Kevlar line and against the top of the upper centering ring.

Thanks go to Rick Randoll of NewWay Space Models for this Kevlar heat protection idea. 

A heat gun on low setting shrinks the tube around the Kevlar line.

The inset picture shows the Kevlar line below the base of the lower ring, set into the glue fillet.

Estes Monarch Build, #7214, Part 2, Questions?

It looks like I already sanded the coupler. 

Sometimes these red couplers are too tight and can get locked up in the wrong position when gluing.

Why are two joined tubes used in this design? Was it a SPEV?

The parts list says it's balsa, but a blow molded nose cone is included. No screw eye is provided, it's not needed.

The instructions don't mention using glue on the screw eye threads.

The plastic nose cone has one of the small, breakable eyelets for shock cord and parachute attachment. I'll fix that in a later post.

GOTCHA - In order for the rocket to sit flat on the fin tips, 

The fin sanding instructions are wrong!

The leading edge (shown here) is actually the root edge.

The root edge is the leading edge.

I'm not going to use the Monarch fins. 

The next post will show something more interesting.

Estes Monarch Build, #7214, Part 1, Background & Parts

I'm taking a break on the Enterprise build. I remember pausing the Klingon build a few years back. Sometimes you just have to ease up and build something simpler.

A few years back, I picked up some Monarch kits in an Estes clearance sale. 

We all have kits that sit in opened bags, pieces being cannibalized in other builds. 

That might explain some parts questions.

 

Here's the Monarch, it reminds me of a three fin Big Bertha.

It also looks like the Quest Big Betty with a sleeker nose cone.

BT-55 based, 18mm engine mount. 

There was no parachute in the kit bag, I probably used it in another build. I have plenty extras.

The balsa is tight and stiff.

Estes USS Enterprise #1275, Part 30, Intercooler Dowels

Four short 7/32" lengths of the remaining 1/12" diameter are cut. I usually cut a few extras and pick the best ones for the build.

I like to keep small pieces in zip lock bags until needed.

The dowels were held using tweezers. A line of glue was applied. 

The dowels are placed using the tweezers.

The low end of the dowels butt up against the front of the intercoolers.

Estes USS Enterprise #1275, Part 29, The Tail Caps

GOTHCA! The tail cap liners (slip-in shoulder base) won't fit into the tail caps!

The diameter of the liner is the same diameter of the tail cap. Notice the sides of the liner taper towards the right side.

The instructions say to "sand the liners until they fit 1/4" into the tail caps. I sanded using 220 grit.

The picture to the right show how much of the edge was sanded off that first shoulder.

 

After sanding, one tail cap liner slid in.

The second liner required a cut slit in the side. No amount of sanding the tapered shoulder would allow a slip fit.

Estes USS Enterprise #1275, Part 28, The Recovery Probe

When the face of a centering ring is exposed - 

I like to sand, seal, then re-sand the face.  

This rear ring face was sanded with 220 on a block,

then got a wood glue coat rubbed in,

Then more sanding with 220 and 400 grit.

The long 1/8" dowel is there to reinforce the thin walled BT-20.

The upper picture shows the glue line before the dowel was set down.

My dowel had a slight warp. I let the glue set up a bit before placing the dowel. The half dried glue helped hold the dowel to a straighter line. Fillets are going to be fun!

In the picture, this sealed ring face is facing down, against the long dowel.

The BT-50 parachute tube is slid down and butts up against the outside edge of the dowel. 

Apply a ring of glue inside the BT-50 and slide the tube down until it stops against the top end of the dowel.

Estes USS Enterprise #1275, Part 27, The Recovery Probe

When building my first Enterprise in the 1970s, I remember being disappointed by the recovery probe. It adds length for stability and area for packing the 18" parachute. It is a flight necessity but unsightly. 

I'm not going to fill the tube seams (it's 30" long!) but will fill the nose cone and plywood standoffs.

To make it less noticeable on the launcher, the recovery probe will be painted flat black.

The body tube marking guide matches up when wrapped around the tube.

A simple engine hook holds the probe to the Enterprise.

The upper probe tube is slotted to hold the upper bend of the hook.

The plywood hold-down piece had some chipping on both ends. These were glued down and sanded smooth.

The launch lug spirals and plywood grain was filled with CWF.

The plywood standoffs are glued onto the tube using pencil marks made earlier.

The launch lug was about 1/16" longer than its standoff. It was trimmed to fit.

Here's the completed low end.

The lug and hold down dowel were glued onto the standoffs.

Estes USS Enterprise #1275, Part 26, Ooops!

A comment by Naoto Kimura:

"Hrm... the probe end (i.e. the dowel) looks a tad long to me. 

I don't recall it projecting as far out when I built the model."

I thought the dowel seemed a bit long. Naoto is right!

I don't know why I cut the dowel long. I tend to follow dimensions in the instructions.

Measuring from the position of the plywood bulkhead - 

The dowel should have been 5 1/8" long. At the front the pencil mark shows that length.

The extra dowel length was cut off.

The front 1/2" was tapered but not to a needle point.

The first layer of the glue dot on the tip has been applied.

Estes USS Enterprise #1275, Part 25, The "Stand"

It's a nice gesture to include a cardstock display stand.

As is, it won't fit together. The cut slots (or slits) are too thin to slide together the thick cardstock.

With a sharp knife and straightedge, 

The slots were widened.

320 grit sandpaper was folded and the slot sanded until I got a better slip fit.

Here's the finished, assembled stand.

Plain, but functional.

Estes USS Enterprise #1275, Part 24, Forming & Gluing The Rectangles

The rectangles are flat, the tube is round.

On the left, notice the right and left sides don't contact the tube.

On the right is a much better fit.

Curve the rectangles by pressure forming them around a dowel or around the Sharpie barrel shown here. 

The picture on the right shows the slight curvature

The intercoolers and rectangles are glued on the engines.

All are centered on their pencil lines at 7/32" from the rear of the tube.

Estes USS Enterprise #1275, Part 23, Intercooler Assembly

The dowels were fitted to each individual cardstock piece.

Previously, the fitted pairs were marked 1, 2, 3 & 4.

When gluing, sight down the two pieces and adjust to center.

The filler/primer gluing areas were scraped for better adhesion.
 

Estes USS Enterprise #1275, Part 22, Rectangle Detail Prep

Here's the back of the die-cut cardstock piece.

Note the crimping. This side will be glued down.

A before and after sanding with 400 grit on a block.

Any raised edges are rolled over with a burnisher to flatten the top.

The edges get a smoothed bead of glue to seal them.

After the glue dries, sand the sides with 400 grit.

Estes USS Enterprise #1275, Part 21, Intercooler Prep

Note - The front side of the cardstock intercooler piece is shorter than the rear.

The die cutting process has buckled the the centers of the intercooler pieces.

I filled the depressions with CWF and sanding. Here the pieces are taped down for a shot of filler/primer.

After sanding the filler primer.

In this picture, the front is to the left side.

There are small die-cut inconsistencies in the length of the inside cuts. All four dowels were cut to fit each individual intercooler piece.

The pairs were pencil marked 1, 2 3 & 4.

The dowels also got a shot of filler/primer and sanding.

Note the tall overhang of the front end cardstock.

This was trimmed down to fit the diameter height of the dowel.

Estes USS Enterprise #1275, Part 20, Engine Mount

The engine mount assembly is pretty standard.

The kit didn't include an engine block. I installed one using a Q-tip to apply a glue ring from the top. The block was slid in until it rested in the glue, against the upper bend of the hook.

The "recovery probe" assembly is held by a second engine hook that clips into a slit in the engine mount tube. A slit is made at the bottom of the glued in coupler.

This upper hook is not glued in. I'm checking the slit and position of the hook.

Here's the finished mount.

A bead of glue was applied to the upper bend slit of the tube.

Estes USS Enterprise #1275, Part 19, The Radar Dish

A hole is made in the radar dish center to fit over the sharpened dowel.

Start the hole by spinning a blade tip in the center.

Enlarge the hole using a small rat tail diamond file. By using a file to open it up, you'll end up with a rounder hole.

Careful, it's easy to make the hole too big. File a little and check the fit. 

Glue the dish using liquid plastic cement.

The "ball" at the end of the dowel tip is a drop of white glue. You might have to build up the diameter of the ball using a few applications of glue.