New Way Blade Runner, Finished

I was looking forward to building this!

It should turn heads at the next club launch.

The blade fins make for a very clever design. 

The ring covers the fin/strake glue joint.

It took a little extra effort to fill and paint, but the finished look is worth it.

Big, Clean graphics.

Three colors and an easy mask.

My favorite new design this year!

New Way Blade Runner, Part 16, Vinyl Trim

A strip of black, self-adhesive vinyl is supplied to go over the color separation line.

TIP: The masking line paint ridge could show under the vinyl so I lightly sanded the paint ridge with some 400 grit wrapped around a Q-tip. Don't sand too wide, just knock down the paint ridge. 

On the left,

Fold back the backing to position just the start of the wrap.

On the right,

The wrap in place. Start and finish the wrap on the launch lug side.

New Way Blade Runner, Part 15, Decals

The short ring tube wrap decal could be cut in two for easier application.

More bars between the white and gray paint.

Dry fit - Notice the faint pencil line extending from the fins. Every other vertical black line lines up with the five fins.

Wet the body where the decal will be positioned.

The same wrap decal from the side - after soaking -

Slide just the first black bar off the backing paper and position it down the pencil line.

Continue sliding the paper off the decal as you wrap the decal around the tube. With any luck the decal will meet and line up on the other side.

New Way Blade Runner, Part 14, Decals

The ring was slid down the strakes from the top. I didn't use any wood glue.

After the ring was in place, I set a small drop of CA glue at the top of the joint. A Q-tip was close by to pick up any excess glue.

These decals were printed using a laser printer on laser/clear waterslide decal paper.

These took 25 seconds of soaking before they slid off the backing paper.

Double check the decals against the face card picture before cutting them out.  

These horizontal blade fin bars are set down and centered on the fins.

New Way Blade Runner, Part 13, Masking & Painting The Blade Fins

Masking tape was set underneath the blade fins, sticky side up making a "cone" cover shape. 

Why mask off the light gray (already sprayed) just to have more light gray spray? It's difficult to get an overall even coat. I want a consistent gloss finish, over and under the blade fins. 

I didn't use filler/primer on the outside blade fin faces. 

On the right picture, the blade fins were sprayed with gloss light gray. 

The blade fins were sanded with 400 grit. The reflected light shows the gloss paint sanded dull.

After two days drying time the blade fins will get a final coat of light gray and the masking tape will be removed.

New Way Blade Runner, Part 12, Gluing On The Fins

The fins were painted before gluing on the blade fins.

The paint increased the thickness slightly. 

For an easier fit, the tab edges were sanded.

The blades were pressed in place. The fit was tight.

CA glue was set on the outside to lock the blades in  place.   

The tabs were sanded even with the faces of the blades.

Use a sanding block of this.

On the left - The tabs have been sanded even. The blades are flat.

On the right - Some CWF was brushed on, only on the outside flat face. This will fill any gaps and grain on the tabs and slots.

New Way Blade Runner, Part 11, Mask & Color Coats

The lower body is to be painted light gray.

The mask line is 7 1/2" from the top of the body tube.

Gotta' love a simple mask! You don't have to be overly concerned about a perfect mask line, it'll be covered by a black vinyl strip.

The nose cone is painted gloss black.

Note the tape mask is set about 1/16" below the shoulder ridge.

The ring tube is painted light gray off the model. I set some tape sticky side out on a painting wand to hold the ring.

I'm only concentrating the paint spray on the outside of the ring for a better glue bond inside where it contacts the five fins.

New Way Blade Runner, Part 10, Filling The Pinholes

I could see two small pinhole air bubbles in a glue fillet.

Lightly drag you knife blade tip along the fillet and you might feel the dip.

Instead of a applying a full length glue fillet, 

Use a toothpick to direct a small mount of glue into the pinhole.

Press and drag the small glue dot into the fillet hole.

Immediately smooth and remove excess glue using a Q-tip.

New Way Blade Runner, Part 9, White Undercoats & Parachute Assembly

The main body was sprayed with gloss white.

A little more sanding will follow and then a final coat of white.

The 12" New Way parachutes are  interesting.

The reinforcing rings are jewelry ring price tags made from no-tear Tyvek.

The adhesive is only on the round ends allowing an easy tie of the shroud lines in the middle fold.

The shroud line holder is meant to be easily unfurled.

See the hole on the left side of the black spool?

Hold the "spool" with just your thumb and index fingertips over that hole. This allows the spool to rock back and forth as you pull the string free. No tangles!

Here's how the shroud lines tie into the reinforcements.

As always, I recommend tying the lines on using long tweezers.

New Way Blade Runner, Part 8, Gluing On The Fins

Five fins!

The marking guide fit very well. Pencil marks were made and extended the full length of the tube.

On the right -

I used the marking guide as a height guide at the 1 1/4" mark.

The long strakes glue down the fin lines, butted up against the  top of the fins. 

For a better alignment, I used the reversed clothespins. Be careful not to glue the clamps to the fins.

To see the original post and make your own flat clamps: CLICK HERE

After the glue dried on the forward strakes,

I tried the fit of the ring tube. A perfect slip fit!

The ring tube will be glued on after the fins and strakes are painted. Otherwise, it would be very difficult to get good paint coverage with the ring glued in place.

New Way Blade Runner, Part 7, Gluing In The Engine Mount

The Kevlar and shrink wrap are run down thru the mount so they won't get in the way.

The instructions have you apply glue 1 3/4" from the bottom of the main airframe tube.

I use a dowel to roll a line of glue inside the tube. Setting the dowel beside the engine mount shows me the glue line would be better at 1 7/8" to apply the glue just below the upper centering ring.

Notice the two depth pencil lines on the dowel. The lower pencil line is the 1 7/8" mark.

A ring of glue is set around the top edge of the dowel.

Set the dowel in the tube up to the 1 7/8" pencil mark and roll the glue into a ring line inside the tube. You will have to apply more glue on the dowel to get a ring all the way around inside the tube.

Slide the engine mount in, turning the mount when in contact with the glue to even out and make a smooth interior fillet.

With the mount glue dried, 

TIP: Note the straightened coat hanger hook in the right side picture. The hook will help get the shock cord back through the top of the tube.

 

There isn't much room to get a fillet at the lower centering ring/body tube joint. 

I applied a small glue drop to one side of my long tweezers. Set the drop in on the joint to smooth as best your can. Keep some Q-tips handy to pick up any glue boogers.

New Way Blade Runner, Part 6, Tying Elastic Shock Cord To The Kevlar

As I normally do, some steps are out of order from the instructions.

I like to mark the body tube seams with a fine point pencil for visibility when filling.

The tip of my knife blade is dipped in thinned CWF. Wipe off the back of the blade leaving the filler on the top side of the knife. Set the knife in the recess seam and with a back and forth motion of the knife, leave filler in the seam.

You should be able to leave filler for a length of about 1 1/2". If not, your filler needs more thinning with water.

The instructions spell out how to tie the elastic shock cord to the Kevlar before gluing the engine mount in. You don't want the Kevlar line to extend beyond the top end of the body tube. This can lead to a "zipper" at an early or too late ejection, the Kevlar tearing through the body tube. 

Set the mount along the side of the body tube with the 1/4" pencil mark on the mount even with the end of the tube.

Straighten the Kevlar line out down the tube to the top. Mark the Kevlar 2" down from the top of the tube.

At the 2" mark, tie the Kevlar to the elastic shock cord using a simple, overhand knot.

The short, larger diameter heat shrink tube is slid over the knot. 

Hit with a heat gun or hair dryer at the low setting. On the left is the before, on the right is after using heat.

You can cut off the excess.

New Way Blade Runner, Part 5, Fin Prep & Grain Fill

Like all laser cut fins,

these aren't cut straight down but in a narrow wedge.

It'd be like cutting out fins with a straightedge and the knife blade at a very slight angle.

Just be aware of which edges are a glue joint, like the root edge. A root edge cut at an angle could glue onto the body tube at an angle.

The flat blades are glued onto an outside edge. I used a flat diamond file to easily square up the sides and inside corners. 

There are 20 pieces of balsa to fill!

When brushing on the thinned CWF filler, be sure to keep the tab slots clear and open. 

Here I'm using the backside of my knife to clear the slots.

New Way Blade Runner, Part 4, Freeing The Fins

Here's a closeup of the laser cut fins. There are hold down ticks - 

and the corners need to be free.

Use the tip of your knife blade.

I tried a dry fit of the flat "blades" in the fin tabs.

These tabs were purposely cut a bit high so they extend above the fin face. Too many kits have short tabs requiring extra filling. These tabs can be sanded to surface after the glue dries!

New Way Blade Runner, Part 3, Engine Mount

The rings are glued in place on their 1/2" marks made earlier.

Tie the Kevlar with a small square knot. Cut the loose tail off at about 1/2" long.

Press the Kevlar loop, knot and tail into the glue fillet.

Slide the heat shrink tube down the Kevlar line until the end rests on the upper centering ring. 

While holding the heat shrink tube against the upper ring - 

Apply heat using a hair dryer or heat gun on the low setting. It should shrink around and tighten over the Kevlar.

When tying the Kevlar knot, make it small and tight against the motor mount tube. There isn't much space between the BT-20 and BT-50 tubing.

Notice the Kevlar relief notch is to the outside edge of the upper ring. This keeps the Kevlar to the outside of the hot ejection charge.

New Way Blade Runner, Part 2, Engine Mount

The 20/50 centering rings are laser cut from plywood.

I like to sand off the charring from the faces using 400 grit on a block. 

It's not necessary to do this, I want cleaner parts - especially when the surfaces can be seen on the finished model.

The motor mount tube is marked 1/2" from both ends for centering ring positions.

Slot the tube for the engine hook at 1/4" from the top and insert the upper bend of the hook.

The retainer ring ends up centered between the centering rings. Slide on, apply a ring of glue and into position. 

The fit of the rings was almost perfect! A hair tight.

For a smooth slide over the ends of the tube, a piece of 400 grit was wrapped around a finger and used to lightly "ream" the center hole.

New Way Blade Runner, Part 1, Parts

What a great new design from New Way! I've never seen anything like it.

18.75 inches tall,

BT-50 based with five multipiece fins. The flat face fins drag stabilize the model, almost like a conical rocket.

Simple colors and an easy mask.

Decals are effective and clean.

All the parts are well produced. A sandpaper and Q-tip package is included.

The parts of interest:

Heat shrink tubing to protect the Kevlar line at the engine mount.

Larger diameter heat shrink tubing to go over the Kevlar/shock cord tie.

Plywood centering rings.

Engine lock retaining ring

Black vinyl stripe to go over white and light gray color separation line.