Model Minutes Leduc 22 Build, Part 17, ENOUGH! I'm Done!

The model is turned over and the rear glue tabs are set down.

The centering ring is glued too far back for the triangle tabs to completely fold over!

Earlier on, the foam centering ring was glued between the printed lines on the interior tube. The printed lines were the same width as the centering ring. I glued it on accurately.

I thought maybe the rear tail cone might allow a slip fit and cover the gap. It didn't.
This is where I gave up. This kit had too many strikes against it.

1. The three rear fins were thin and floppy. I had to beef them up with an interior card stock layer.
2. The canopy template didn't fit around the nose section. I caught the error and made the clear wrap larger.
3. The short upper stage foam coupler isn't long enough to keep the on top of the model. My nose section fell off and dented the card stock tip.
4. The markings on the central tube are off, enough that the outside tube won't fit over the centering rings on the inside.

I rarely give up on a build. I did stop work on the Estes Klingon Battle Cruiser model, I will get back on it one of these days. This model however, was thrown in the trash.

Model Minutes Leduc 22 Build, Part 16, Outside Body Tube

The outside tube is rolled.
Wing slots are cut and the tabs folded inside like done earlier with the inside tube.
At the bottom. slots are cut for the bottom three fins. The printed blue lines are removed.

I was happy with the way the body tube fit over the foam centering rings.
The instructions say to use a scrap piece of foam to line up the wing slots.

The triangle tabs are glued and rolled over onto the top centering ring.

Here's all the top tabs glued in place. Notice all are folded on the lines at the base of the folded triangle wedges.

The next post is where it all falls apart . . . 

Model Minutes Leduc 22 Build, Part 15, Rear Fins and Body Slots

If you glue the fin tabs directly onto the printed lines on the interior tube, they don't rest against the rear centering ring. I assumed this is what the designer meant to do.







Here's what the main body assembly looks like up to this point. Three rear fins are glued on and two centering rings are also glued onto the interior body tube. Both the centering rings are centered inside printed lines on the interior tube.




The two main wing sides are joined in the center. The wing slides all the way through slots in the interior and outside rolled tubes.

The slot is cut in the interior tube. The tube is floppy but the slots can be cut with a new blade. Cut the top and bottom slit first, then the long vertical l

There is no good way to fold the slot sides inside the body. I used my long tweezers pressing the tabs and getting as sharp a fold line as I could.

Model Minutes Leduc 22 Build, Part 14, Screw Eye and Short Coupler

The kit screw eye didn't look like it would hold in the short foam board shoulder. I used a larger eye from the spare parts drawer.

I set the nose section in the lower body. The shoulder is short and the nose section fell out and onto the floor.
The nose cone tip was now bent and the clear canopy came loose.

Maybe I can reform the canopy tip. That short, 3/16" long foam disk coupler doesn't feel like a reliable sliding fit into the main body.

Model Minutes Leduc 22 Build, Part 13, Cockpit Struts

The supplied dowel is cut into three, 3" sections.
I checked the length of the dowel beside the canopy pattern height. it looked like the dowels would be too long at 3". I cut them back so there was about 1/4" on either side going into the punched holes.

The dowel ends were tapered for easier insertion in the holes.
The dowels were pressed in place. The upper nose assembly was set on the dowels. The chair was glued onto one of the dowels.

Before cutting out the wrap around clear window, I checked the fit of the pattern around the nose assemblies. Good thing I did, the pattern was short!









I lengthened the side and cut out the canopy from the thin plastic sheet.

I ended up using clear tape to hold the clear wrap end closed.
On RocketReviews.com, past Leduc 22 builds have mentioned that some glues won't hold the clear canopy in place. I ended up trying for a friction fit with some white glue along the edge.

Model Minutes Leduc 22 Build, Part 12, Nose Weight

Here's the nose weight supplied with the kit. I'll be using a D12 engine so all of it will go inside the upper nose section.

Look close and you will see the bad fit of the small nose cone tip.

Almost all the clay was pressed into the upper section and nose cone. I was able to use the clay to better form the nose cone tip.

The bottom of the upper nose section got a card stock disk glued on.
Notice the three blue dots.

The dots are the dowel (clear canopy) support locations.
You are told to punch holes for the dowel ends. I used the old spinning knife tip method.

Model Minutes Leduc 22 Build, Part 11, Nose Section

You'll find it easier to cut the jagged tabs with straight pulls of a knife while the piece is still on the sheet.

This piece is the bottom section of the nose assembly. A round foam disk is glued in the bottom. There is very little nose cone shoulder extending down into the main body section.

After the tabs are bent in a printed disk is glued onto the top.

I made copies of the nose cone to practice with. After two tries I felt confident to use the one that came with the kit.

I use a sharpened dowel to help form the tight cone.

To help get a tight tip, I held the card stock over some slow boiling water to steam it.

That didn't help!
I didn't get a good close of the nose cone tip. I lifted the glue tab and tried again. I wasn't happy with the end result. This is a small, tight cone form.

Model Minutes Leduc 22 Build, Part 10, Launch Lug

The launch lug is a tightly rolled piece of card stock.
You are given a plastic drinking straw to use as a diameter guide.

To get it tight enough I reached in with my tweezers, grabbed the glue tab and turned.

Glue was applied and the card stock rolled tight again.
A rubber band was wrapped around it to keep it tightly closed.

The straw is pulled out before the glue dries.
Here I'm rounding out the ends with a sharpened dowel.
This is a very thick walled launch lug.

Model Minutes Leduc 22 Build, Part 9, Cockpit Seat

This is an optional part, I figured it would add some detail under the clear canopy.
The fold embossing is done first before cutting out the part.

After cutting it out out, it's a strange looking piece.

The glue tabs are long and thin. I had to use long tweezers to do the folds. They can't be folded down the line using your fingers alone.


The folds were sharpened with my Sharpie burnisher.

Here's how it looks dry folded, no glue yet.



The angled cuts on the rear black side were too long and wouldn't allow the piece to close against the front. Here I'm cutting off the corner of the glue tab. A glue stick was used to adhere the part.

Model Minutes Leduc 22 Build, Part 8, Rear Fins

TIP: Don't ever buy Rose Art glue sticks, they are crap! They are stringy and bead up. You can't get the glue to lay down smooth.

Look close at the center of the fin. Some of the glue stick mess got on the outside grey ink. When I tried to clean it off some of the ink was removed - Arghh!
I threw out the bad glue stick and bought some made by Elmer's.

The Elmer's glue stick goes on purple and dries clear.
The G4 tip piece is glued on the outside edges of the fin.







As always, burnishing was done with the backside of a Sharpie barrel.

Model Minutes Leduc 22 Build, Part 7, Rear Fins

The three rear fins are only two layers of card stock folded over. WAY too flimsy for me. There is two more small pieces glued on the outside edge but that won't be enough to stiffen the fins.

I decided to add a cardboard laminate in the middle layer.

Some cereal box cardboard was cut. The ink side was roughed up with some 220 grit sandpaper. The ink side is roughed up so the glue will stick better.






I simply traced around the wing cut-out. The interior layer pece was cut out just inside the traced line.

I added the fin tab shown as the "G3" area on the bottom piece.

Model Minutes Leduc 22 Build, Part 6, Engine Mount

The 24mm engine mount tube is rolled around a D engine, not too tight, not too loose.



The pre-bent engine hook is set into two holes you punch in the engine tube. Slice the centering rings over the engine hook.

The engine hook is interesting, you can see how it locks over the engine casing.


The hook is held down with glued thread.
Put a small drop of glue on the tube and set the thread end into it. Let it dry before you try to do any more wraps.

Do three or four wraps then rub a drop of glue into the threads. Let that dry before continuing. Follow with more wraps and glue.


Here's all the thread wraps in place.
Two drops of glue are set over the ends of the bent wire where they enter the tube holes.

Model Minutes Leduc 22 Build, Part 5, Central Tube and Coupler

"General instructions Photography may lightly differ". (Yep, they typed "lightly differ".)
The central tube picture was different than the center tube included in the kit. The tube picture was from a different model.

Even the long central tube can be formed in the palm of your hand. Do one side then flip the card stock over and form the other side.

Be sure the end of the dowel is rounded, otherwise you might get some scarring that could show through at the tube mid-point after it is rolled.

The outside tube coupler was too loose on the lower T1 and upper T3 sections.
NOTE: To the left of the T3 mark is the upper centering ring location. Later in the build I glued the rings right between those lines.

I cut another strip of 110 lb. card stock and rolled a second, tighter coupler.
NOTE: The replacement coupler wrap I made was the exact length of the kit supplied piece. Notice it is set right to the placement line on the lower tube.

Why bring these printed placement marks up now?
I want to be sure alignment would be correct later on, all the lengths and part positions should be correct for the final assemblies. You'll see what happened in future posts.

Model Minutes Leduc 22 Build, Part 4, Centering Rings

The model uses 18mm C6-3 or 24mm D12-3 engines. The engine mount centering ring holes are cut to size.
The template has a dotted line to mark for the 24mm BT-50 sized rolled tube.





The instructions say to hang onto the centers. I never found out why.








Some 220 grit was wrapped around a finger and the center hole cleaned up.

Model Minutes Leduc 22 Build, Part 3, Centering Rings

All the centering rings and two wings are carefully laid out on the foam board. You do have to follow the instructions sheet to get all the parts on the sheet.

Be sure and use a new sharp knife when cutting out the rings.
On the left is how the ring looks right off the sheet.

On the right is the ring after sanding the edges smooth. I tend to cut out things like this slightly oversize and sand to the best fit.

I was in California when I started this kit. I had to buy some supplies out there.
Here's a small sanding block I found at Ace Hardware. The block is soft rubber. The sanding strips have a Velcro like backing and stick to the flat side of the block.