BMS School Rocket, Build, Part 5, Fin Prepping

The pre-cut fins are 3/32" thick.

Laser cutting cuts the sides in a slight wedge, widening out on the backside.

On the left, some of the laser ash has been sanded, squaring up the cut angle. This makes it easier to glue the fin on straight.

With the fin tabs in the slots, 

The trailing edge is even with the end of the body tube.

Just the leading edge is rounded.

I knock off the sides with my sanding block with 220 grit sandpaper.

Smooth off the leading edge with 400 grit.

Quest Intruder Kit Bash, Part 11, Drawing Up New Decals

Here's a shot of the Quest kit decals.

These were peel and stick.

The red and dark blue triangles had to be pieced together with American flags between them.

I didn't like the nozzle or canopy stickers. The canopy is black, looks like a flipped over "U".

The nozzle wrap is all the triangles side by side.

The round windows need some tweaking.

And, the Estes Interceptor decals.

There are a LOT of them! I remember taking four hours to apply them all.

The decals I drew up would be a combination of the two. There will be fewer decals than the Interceptor has.

Here's what I drew up for home print water slides. I hate the looks of thick, shiny stickers.

I've always liked the bold wing decals from the Estes Interceptor.

The nozzle wrap has been redone.

The canopy windows take cues from the Orbital Transport.

The round passenger windows are now rounded rectangles.

I set two sizes of INTRUDER name decals. I may use them depending on the remaining space on the sides.

The stars in the blue blocks still need to be added.

Quest Intruder Kit Bash, Part 10, Details

The jet pods and guns are missing on this Interceptor look-alike. I wanted to add these details, but not an exact copy.

I started with some shaped dowels on the wing tips.

I was happy with the angled back end of the dowels, but the simple rounded front didn't look good.

I went through my spare parts and found two BT-5 nose cones. Cutting off the tips could make some ramjets, but set on the rounded dowel ends it didn't look right.

More on this (and a solution) in an upcoming post.

In kit-bashing there is usually some trial and error.

I noticed some rough plastic on the nose cone shoulder. This is where the nose cone was broken off the molding "trees".

I applied a drop of medium CA glue for a raised fill.

After drying hard, 

this was sanded to surface filling the rough recess.

Quest Intruder Kit Bash, Part 9, Joining Two Rounded Leading Edges

Joining two rounded leading edges can be tough.

How do you sand a rounded edge in a tight corner?

Round the smaller (forward) fairing piece leading edge first. Leave the leading edge of the wing fin square for now.

Then glue is to the (still square) larger wing fin.

My sanding block is at a 45 degree angle.

Round the wing leading edge while feathering the inside corner.

Don't sand hard into the corner.

Here's the finished round leading edge with (hopefully) a smooth transition between the two pieces.