Rocketship Games Alice's Star Rocket #R6, Finished

What a fun little rocket.

Some great engineering is shown in the engine mount with the integrated launch lug, fin slots and Kevlar tie point.

A BT-20 is about as large a diameter as you want in a MicroMaxx rocket.

On a model this small, I have no problem with the fins slots showing.

Rocketship Games Alice's Star Rocket #R6, Part 7, Assembly

The instructions show glue rings inside the tube end for the engine mount.

The way the model is designed, the fins lock the engine mount in place. For that reason, I only applied a line of Fabri-Tac glue inside, just above the fin slots.

The Kevlar line was fed through the back of the mount. The launch lug slid through the large slot and up into the glue ring.

With the lug in the slot, all the fin slots are in line!

Fabri-Tac glue was set on the root edge of each fin and pressed through the tube slot and into the engine mount slot.

 

The rip-stop nylon Streamer is attached using the supplied sticker.

Rocketship Games Alice's Star Rocket #R6, Part 5, Paint

This is one of those rare builds where I really don't have to do any masking!

If you don't glue in and fillet the fins at this point, you can skip masking.

The nose cone was sprayed yellow, off the model.

The picture on the right shows the fins stuck down on tape for a blue spray on the flip side.

The kit comes with a very clean cut sheet of vinyl stars.

I didn't have an appropriate pink paint so I went with orange. The orange color would still give a good contrast to the stars.

Mentioned earlier - 

The face card has the launch lug in yellow, I painted the lug orange with the engine mount in the rocket.

The face card shows the stars spiraling down the body tube.

I placed the larger stars first, then filled in the open areas with the smaller ones.

Rocketship Games Alice's Star Rocket #R6, Part 4, Assembly Prep

I waited until after the filler/primer was sanded to remove the fin slots pieces.

With the launch lug slid in the longest slot, the fin slots line up perfectly. 

I tested the fin fit making sure the rounded leading edge on the fins was facing up. It's a good friction fit "grab" in the slots. Be sure the leading edge is facing up - or the outside edge could end up scarred.

Here I've set the fins onto sticky side up tape for the white undercoat.

Spray one side, let dry.

Flip over the fins and spray the other side.

The Kevlar shock cord is tied onto the attachment point at the top of the engine mount.

The long, loose end is tucking inside the mount and trails out the back for gluing into the body tube.

The face card shows the launch lug in a different color than the main body. I thought that drew some attention to the launch lug. I sprayed it while slid in place the same color as the body.

Rocketship Games Alice's Star Rocket #R6, Part 3, Balsa & Tube Seam Filling

The instructions are very will drawn.

Here you can see how the fins fit thru-the-wall and into the slots printed into the 3D engine mount.

The BT-5 tube had the seams filled with CWF.

On the left the tube top is squared up on a block with 320 grit sandpaper.

The inside ends of the tube were masked off to keep the filler/primer coat out.

The fins were separated from the balsa sheet.

On the right side - 

The six fins were taped down for a good shot of filler primer. 

Notice the root edges are butted against each other  to keep off the primer for stronger gluing.

I tested the fit of a MicroMaxx motor.

The engine mount needed a very slight adjustment for a better friction fit of the engine.

Rocketship Games Alice's Star Rocket #R6, Part 2, Parts Prep

I normally separate the fins and apply CWF with a brush, but these fins are thin.

This fin stock is 1/16" thick. I decided to apply the CWF filler using a fingertip while the fins were still on the sheet.

The thinner coat should keep the chance of water warping low.

This picture shows the fins from an earlier MMX Hawkeye build, but the filler on this model was applied the same way.

Here's all six fins, still on the sheet drying underneath my kitchen cutting board.

The top of the board has a pebbled surface, the underside (setting on the balsa) is smooth.

This wet balsa will take a while to dry with the sheet of plastic sitting on top.

The nose cone finish is smoother than the engine mount. The engine mount has the more typical "ribbed" 3D surfaces.

After testing the fit in the BT-5 main tube, I did sand some of the roughness down. Don't sand too much - I still maintained a good slip fit in the body tube.

Rocketship Games Alice's Star Rocket #R6, Part 1, Parts

Here's a fun Micro Max rocket design.

I have a feeling that this model was designed for the daughter of the Rocketship Games family. Her name must be Alice.

Note in the picture above, the sheet of pre-cut vinyl stars. There are a few extras.

The six fins are laser cut from 1/16" thick balsa.

Through the wall (TTW) fins on a 1/8 A, MMX rocket!

The red piece in the inset picture is the one piece 3D printed engine mount.

Notice the slots for holding the root edges of the fins.

Integrated into the engine mount is the launch lug and a small Kevlar tie loop.

The yellow square is a sticker for streamer attachment to the Kevlar shock cord.

The white nose cone is very smooth, 3D printed. On the base is a crossbar to tie on the Kevlar shock cord.

The streamer is cut from rip-stop nylon.

Two coloring pages and an additional sticker sheet is included.

This could be a perfect model for a young girl who likes Unicorns.

Rocketship Games MMX Hawkeye, Finished

The stickers look good. They are thin so the edges aren't that noticeable.

I think the gray, white and black trim colors look good and were easier than masking a tiny rocket.

The two black launch lug "guns" are actually even, there is some camera distortion.

The kit supplies two "Hawkeye" name stickers, the Estes kit only had one. I applied one on each side.

In the Estes kit, the red square stickers go on the base of the nose cone. Stickers don't have much "give" and wouldn't probably conform to the NC taper so I set them back on the body tube.

I like MMX models. They are as big a build challenge as larger rockets and don't take up as much space in the Rocket Room between flights.

Rocketship Games MMX Hawkeye, Part 8, Stickers

The kit supplied stickers are die-cut.

TIP: Don't set these in place using water! The top surface ink isn't sealed and the ink bled on the first decal.

There are extras so this wasn't a concern.

Some of the stickers are tiny!

I found it easier to place them from the tip of my hobby knife.

There is no streamer or parachute, the model uses nose-blow recovery like the larger original Estes kit.

Tie the Kevlar line to the nose cone lug. Stuff the loose end inside the hollow base of the nose cone.

TIP: Here's a general tip for friction fitting some engine applications.

Instead of wrapping tape around the base of the motor, try some thin strips down the casing.

Notice the top of the tape, how it rolls over the casing lip. This prevents the tape from folding over when pressed into the body tube.

In the picture at the right, you can see the tail of the tape strip sticking out at the nozzle end.

Rocketship Games MMX Hawkeye, Part 7, Paint & Details

Here's the model after an initial white undercoat and sanding down the fillet blobs.

The instructions suggest white fins and a gray body.

I thought that would be some difficult masking as the model is so small.

I opted to paint it more like the original Estes Catalog picture, an overall light gray with a white nose cone.

It occurred to me - Wait to glue on the small faux motor tubes - leave those white. Glue them on after the light gray overall paint dries.

Also, wait to glue on the black plastic launch lugs. 

On the left is the main body painted an overall light gray.

the nose cone was left a gloss white.

On the right side picture you can see some of the gray paint scraped off to glue on the white faux motor tube.

One motor tube is glued on.

The two launch lugs were left black, not painted. These were glued in place using medium CA glue.

Squeeze out a drop on scrap cardboard.

The lugs were held with tweezers and drawn through the CA puddle leaving a thin line of glue on the underside. 

Set the lug in place using the tweezers. Note the scraped line exposing the body tube surface for the second lug on the left.

Rocketship Games MMX Hawkeye, Part 6, Engine Block & Fin Gluing

I made a "Block and Tackle" (Jim Flis idea) to set the engine block in the body tube. 

A simple 1/8" wide wrap of tape stops the engine casing when pressing the engine block in place. This will leave a friction fitted MMX engine with 1/8" extended out the back of the tube.

Here's the toothpick included in the kit.

I measured just below the engine block position so it would hit the glue before ending up in it's location.

The Kevlar line is tied to the loop at the top of the red engine block.

Mark the toothpick with pencil,

A drop of glue is applied to the top of the toothpick and set in the tube using the pencil line as a depth gauge.

The block is slipped in and pressed into place with the taped engine casing.

The wings and rudder fins are glued onto the laser cut lines on the body tube.

The forward small vane fins are glued to the lines towards the front of the tube.

Dry fit the Dorsal Bar piece before applying any glue. You may have to widen the slot to slide over the Rudder fin.

The Dorsal Bar piece is glued over the top rudder fin.

Mine overhang the back by about 1/16". That will be trimmed off after the glue dries.

Rocketship Games MMX Hawkeye, Part 5, Filler/Primer Sand & Kevlar Tie

This shows the before and after sanding of the filler/primer shot coats. You can easily see the gray filler/primer left in the grain pores when it is sanded to surface.

The CWF filler fills 3/4 of the balsa.

The filler/primer fills any remaining grain.

A simpler two-step process than the old four coat sanding sealer fill.

Here I've sanded the filler/primer off most of the upper end of the main tube. After sanding, the laser cut fin positioning lines were still visible and useable.

This is the 3D printed combination engine block and Kevlar tie point.

This piece has ridges, like most of the 3D printed parts I've seen. The nose cone was much smoother. The ridges won't matter, the engine block won't be seen inside the body tube.

As suggested in the instructions, I applied some glue to the end of the Kevlar to keep it from unraveling.

Rocketship Games MMX Hawkeye, Part 4, Dorsal Bar Fill and Nose Cone & BT Smoothing

The dorsal bar is thin and delicate.

I had one side crack and glued it back with CA. 

The original kit didn't have the slot extending to the rear. In the Estes kit the rectangular piece was glued 1/16" forward of the Rudder fin.

I sanded the filler/primer off the top with the piece still taped to the scrap cardboard.

The nose cone is very smooth for a 3D printed piece.

The shoulder was a bit wider than the main body tube. I reduced the side diameter with my sanding block, followed by smooth sanding with 400 grit.

The body and Faux motor tubes had the seams filled with CWF and sanded to surface.

Here I'm ready for a shot of filler/primer. Some Q-tips were folded over to make short painting wands. I used a baggie to cover my hand and keep the paint off.

Rocketship Games MMX Hawkeye, Part 3, Balsa Prep and Primer

The balsa grain was filled while the parts were still on the laser cut sheet. I wouldn't normally fill the balsa this way, but the pieces are very small and the balsa thin.

Here I'm breaking apart the the pieces off the sheet.

A bit more CWF was rubbed into the edges and allowed to dry.

On the left, some 400 grit was wrapped around a dowel to sand the round trailing edges of the wing pieces.

The leading edges were rounded.

The pieces were set down on scrap cardboard for a shot of filler/primer.

There is an extra vane piece.

The slotted "dorsal bar" (runway) piece is not shown here.

Rocketship Games MMX Hawkeye, Part 2, Balsa Filling

Normally I would brush on thinned CWF - but these fins are very thin and would probably warp!

I left the fins attached to the sheet for filling.

To keep the coverage thin, I dipped a fingertip in the CWF and rubbed a thin coat over the surface.

I'll worry about the leading and trailing edges later.

On the left is the thin coat of filler.

On the right, I've set the balsa under my Plexiglass sheet to dry. 

After it was dry, there wasn't any warping.

Rocketship Games MMX Hawkeye, Part 1, Parts

The Rocket Ship Games Hawkeye is a Micro Max version of the OOP Estes kit. 

4 1/2" tall with a 7mm diameter body.

The nose cone is 3D printed and very smooth.

Note the fin alignment lines are lightly laser marked on the body tube.

The red 3D printed piece on the left is the engine block / Kevlar anchor tie.

The fins are laser cut from 1/16" thick balsa.

The "decals" are stickers on clear plastic. The decal edges are "kiss" cut.

The two black tubes are launch lugs. Both are positioned higher on the body under and against the upper vane fins.

Coiled black Kevlar. 

A toothpick (not shown) is included used as a glue applicator for the red engine block.