Dr. Zooch Saturn V Build Step 9 The Mask & Reveal

With the rear wrap taped in place, the black areas were extended down the body tube using a pencil and aluminum angle.
These lines will only go a little over an inch above the top of the wrap edge.

I went back and double checked the width of the vertical strips.

A piece of paper was marked and all four widths were checked. One black area had to be adjusted.

I used my standard Scotch tape mask.
The tape was set on a window glass, marked with a wide Sharpie pen and a new clean edge cut.
These tape strips were set down the pencil lines.

Here the Scotch tape masks are being lifted showing the mask.

The cardstock wrap print is held against the black masked area.

The match next to the lower printed black widths are good.

Dr. Zooch Saturn V Build Step 9 Jumping Ahead -

The more models you build, the more you'll jump around the instructions. On this build I am jumping ahead to make the painting and masking easier. Only time and many builds will tell you where you can do this.

The instructions have you glue the body wraps on in Step 5 and paint the vertical black bands on in Step 9 shown at the right.

I was concerned about using masking tape and the possibility of it lifting the card stock wraps when it was removed. I also don't brush paint with any success.

I decided to paint the black before the wraps were glued on, using a "dry wrap" to mark and match up the mask lines.

Here's how I painted the white on the body.
I left some primered body areas where the card stock wraps would be glued on later. The masked areas are slightly narrower than the wrap width to be sure the wrap covers up the paint edges.

The bare tube (well, there is some primer left on it) would give a better surface for gluing on the wraps.

The engine mount was glued in now, after the body got it's white coat.

In Step 2, the instructions have you glue in the engine mount. I waited until after the assembled body got it's white coats. This way there wouldn't be any more masking .

The instructions have you glue the rear centering ring even with the end of the tube. I recessed mine by about 1/32" so I could apply a small fillet.
This may effect the fit of the "Engine Cutout". I may have to cut down the diameter to have it fit inside the recessed ring.

The rear wrap was taped tight around the end of the main body tube.
The black areas will be pencil marked using the wrap.

Be sure to center the engine hook between two of the fairing locations.

Note: In the Step 9 drawings, the vertical black stripes are reversed. Looking straight on a fin the black should be on the left side, not the right.

Dr. Zooch Saturn V Build Step 3 Fairings Part 2

After the fairings are cut out they are close to a good fit against the BT-60 main tube.
The ends make contact but the the center area is raised in a slight arc.
Note: This picture was flipped so the fairing pointed the same way as in the other pics. This side facing you should actully be black.

Coax the sides down by rolling a dowel over the sides.
Concentrate on the center area between the rear and tip.

 

This shows the improved fit against the body tube.
On the left side (in both pictures) is the fairing just cut off the BT-20 with no forming.
On the right side (again in both pics) is the fairing rolled over with the dowel.

On the right side picture notice the shape of the reformed fairing on the right side.
The unformed fairing has rounded sides.
The formed fairing (right side) has straight sides with a more triangular shape.

Looking ahead, in Step 6 you'll do some additional rounding of the fairings.

V2 Recovered!

Well, Merry Christmas to me!

I was gone for a month since my V2 landed in a tall tree at November's R.O.C.K. launch.
While I'd given up on getting it back, I didn't know that other members of the R.O.C.K. group were "trimming the tree".

Roger and Bracha Smith made too many trips to the launch site trying to knock it down with a rope and weight.
As I understand it, other members of the club came back with saws. Roger and Bracha gave it to me when I picked up Roger for the TTRA launch on Saturday.

Sure it sat in the tree for a month, but it is in very good shape!
I'll have to replace the center tube and some major fin repairs are needed.

It'll fly again - in thanks to those who took the time to get it out of the tree!

Tampa TTRA Lunch December 15, 2012

I drove to Oviedo, FL (JonRocket.com Headquarters) to pick up Roger Smith.
He had a new camera and put it to good use today!
Still pictures are mine, all action shots were taken by Roger.
Roger's pics are here:
http://www.rocketreviews.com/december-2012-launch-6696.html

Here's my Semroc DEFENDER launched with three C6-7 engines.

It really moves off the pad and reached an estimated 1600 feet on a C6-5 cluster.
I'd recommend the C6-7 engines.
There was a long run then walk to pick it up, drift under the two parachutes took it too far away.
That's Lonnie Buchanon's classic Big Bertha on the pad next to the Defender. 






Lawrence Brown flew his Pershing II on an Estes E9-4.
You gotta' love scratch builds like this!






Check out the back end of Brian Urban's Pershing.
That's actually a recessed ceiling light hood!

Brian flys the Pershing with J 350 Aerotech engines.

My SCAVENGER had it's third flight with an Estes E9-6.
This engine was from the same package where the second E9 blew through ten feet up!

Today's flight was perfect with ejection at apogee. I was concerned that the six second delay would be too long.

Keep an eye out for the Dollar Tree (plastic) champagne glass nose cones going on sale for Valentine's Day! This model uses one on a near mathcing Quest 50mm tube.





The Dr. Zooch SLS had a good ride on an Estes C6-5.
Even with all the detail, this seems to be a sturdy model. No damage on recovery.






A favorite today was Brian Urban's Estes Saturn V on an E engine.

As always, Brian takes the extra time to do the beautiful builds.
(Hey, where's the tower? Sorry, I couldn't resist!)

My also flowns:
Estes SUPER ALPHA on a C11-5. Perfect flight and recovery.
Custom SOLAR EXPLORER on a Quest B6-4. Good flight, but already seeing some crimping on the BT-50 tubing!

Dr. Zooch Saturn V Build Step 3 Fairings Part 1

The Step 3 illustration shows the Zooch Ant cutting the fairings on the outside lines. I cut mine a little outside the lines.

When they are glued onto the BT-20, you'll cut through both the fairing card stock and tube at the same time.

                 



It helps to pre-curve the fairing stock before gluing on the BT-20 tube.








As they are glued onto the tube, roll down the ends with a clean, smooth dowel.







To get an even pressure while drying, copy paper was tightly wrapped and taped over the glued fairings.

Dr. Zooch Saturn V Build Step 2A Primer

For the past year I've been using Dupli-Color Automotive Filler Primer.

I've read about other modelers doing three light coats of primer sanding between coats.
Lately I've done only one thick coat after filling the body tube seams with CWF.
Any remaining recesses in the seams are filled with this filler primer.

This primer sands off in a fine gray dust. It'll still load up your sandpaper.
After that single thick coat, the bulk of the primer/filler is removed with 320 grit.
Sand with the 320 (or some fine 220, the 220 roughness varies quite a bit) until you can just see the white tube starting to show.
Then switch over to 400 grit and smooth it out.

Here's the dry assembled body parts ready for the white undercoat.