The New Estes ARF Fin Can

ARF = "Almost Ready to Fly"

Here's the slide - lock fin can on the upcoming Estes ARF models.

We've all seen the "slide the root edge tab in the slot" models before. MPC (now Quest kits and parts CLICK HERE) was the first to use this in the 1970s.
What's looks different here is the locking ring. In addition to retaining the engine it might also prevent the fins from sliding back out the slots.
I haven't seen the 24mm Booster-55 and Booster-60 units up close. CLICK HERE
These new fin cans look to be the 18mm engine equivalent.

Most all the "Coming Soon" BT-55 and BT-60 based ARF models use one of these cans with different shaped fins.

Quest Aurora Build, Part 7, Flaps and Rudders

The flap crack lines weren't very straight when the wing was flipped over.
To make a better "fold" line I used the rounded top side of a razor blade to score the fold on the top.

The end of the wing was starting to split when it was lifted.

The crack was held shut with tweezers and a drop of thin CA was set on the crack. This held the wood closed.







Cut off the gray sides from the template and flip over the wing.
Set the template on the wing and trace the rudder lines with pencil.








Here's how the rudder pieces sit on the wing.
The rear of the rudder stops the upward movement of the flaps.

Quest Aurora Build, Part 6, Cradle and Flap Cut

The glider cradle pieces were filled before gluing beside the lug.

CWF is water based and there will be some warping after the first side is pained and drying. When the other side is filled the new wet filler will counteract any warp.

Here's the two cradle pieces back to back after sanding.
There is very little warping.

The wing halves are taped together.
Pencil trace the line on the rear edge of the wing marking template.
This is the cut line for the flap hinge.

You'll have to cut a little more than halfway through the balsa to make the hinge.
It's hard to get a clean straight line bend on the top.

Kevlar Inventor Dies

WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) -- Stephanie Kwolek, a pioneering female chemist at DuPont who invented the exceedingly tough fibers widely used in Kevlar body armor, has died, colleagues said Friday. She was 90.

Kwolek made her discovery in the mid-1960s while working on specialty textile fibers, according to DuPont's website. She invented a liquid crystalline solution that could be spun into the exceptionally strong fibers now used worldwide in police and military protective equipment.
In 2007, Kwolek told The (Wilmington) News Journal that the discovery launched an exciting period in her career as the chemical company explored uses for her discovery.

DuPont management "didn't fool around," she told the newspaper at the time. "They immediately assigned a whole group to work on different aspects."DuPont CEO Ellen Kullman said in a statement that Kwolek was a creative, determined chemist as well as a pioneer for women in science."Her synthesis of the first liquid crystal polymer and the invention of DuPont Kevlar highlighted a distinguished career," Kullman said.Vasta said Kwolek was proud of her work and pleased to learn that even police dogs had been fitted with Kevlar vests.She also said Kwolek also worked to encourage other women to enter scientific fields once traditionally dominated by men.
"Whenever she had an opportunity to speak to teen girls or little girls, she used all that time to talk about her career in science and say it was important for women to go into science," she said.
U.S. Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., said in a statement that Kwolek had made the world safer. He called her a legendary scientist and an important part of the history of the small state.

All that, and rocketry would never be the same.

Mexico, the Last Straw!

MEXICO, Tulum Resort
June 19, 2014

My talent agency contact was told last Friday about the shocks I felt when playing the Tulum show on June 12.
Matt (Juggler) said he was shocked twice when he did his show on Monday, June 16. (His Vocoder unit is now fried from a power spike and won’t even power up.)
The Tulum resort entertainment lead (Orlando) was emailed last Friday about the electrical shocks.

I arrived on the 19th, ate a fast meal and started setting up my equipment.
Before plugging anything in I asked the sound man:
“How’s the electrical?” He said: “It’s good!” I took that as: “It’s been looked at and fixed”
I was crouched down near the receiver, he was standing.
“Which XLR cable should I use for the receiver?”
He pointed to one of the three cables.

I picked up the end of the XLR cable and felt 120 volts.

The pain ran up my left arm and threw my head back like a whiplash.
You read about not being able to release a cable or “hot” wire.
I was able to let it go but it was thrown and not dropped.

I was stunned. It took the entertainment crew a moment to realize what had happened.
I sat down and felt like I would throw up. I felt twinges in my jaw. I had no gripping strength.

Calls were made and the three resort medical reps showed up 10 minutes later. They gave me oxygen and took my blood pressure. She said my blood pressure was very low.
I filled out an accident report and didn’t sign any releases.
They suggested I go to the Hospital. I didn’t want to go. I was angry but kept my cool.

Two resort electricians showed up to check the system after I got hit!

I started feeling a little better and stood up. I walked toward my driver and felt dizzy. I went to the lobby and sat down for 20 minutes.

What amazed me was the show went on! They had a dozen kids on stage dancing.
There are imbedded lights set into the stage floor. Those lights had better not be on the same circuit as the mixer power outlets.

One of the medical staff insisted I should go and get a check up at the Tulum Hospital.
I was tired and noticed pain in the base of my left thumb. The roots of my teeth and eyes hurt like a very bad sinus headache. I never get headaches, but this was a big one.

My driver, a resort rep and I drove 10 minutes to the Hospital in Tulum.
All the nurse did was take my blood pressure again. The pain in my hand was now spreading to my thumb tip and the inside of my left arm. She gave me a prescription for pain pills and B vitamins.
She said the pain in my hand and arm was normal after a large electrical shock and suggested an EGK. She also said a “stress ball” might help with movement.

I never saw or heard anything from the resort entertainment staff lead.
He’s setting a very poor example for his employees. He screwed up big and knows it.

We got in late. The agency rep wanted to talk tonight but I need a night’s sleep to cool off.
Tomorrow (Friday) is my day off.

My driver should be commended. He went above and beyond to help me to and from the hospital.

STRIKE THREE!

Quest Aurora Build, Part 5, Lug? & Cutting Standoffs

Here's a closeup of the lug in front of the face card.
You can see the plastic lug is open on the face card shot.

On the face card:
Directly opposite the lug is a raised black tunnel running almost the entire length of the body. This tunnel was on the prototype model and not part of the produced kit.

On the stick-on decal sheet is a thick two piece band to simulate the tunnel.

I don't quite understand these two steps.
Quest supplied die-cut balsa wings and rudders.
The builder has to cut out a lug standoff and two "cradle plates" for the glider.

Die-cutting was always done to make the build easier, whether it was a model airplane or rocket kit.
Of all the balsa pieces, these three are the hardest to cut out!

They aren't wide and the longest cuts go against the grain.
Be sure to use a sharp knife and make many light passes of the blade.
These pieces (especially the smaller stand off) can easily split down the grain.

New Kit Decal Problems

A question from wz2p7j on YORF:

"Is it possible to get bad decals? I'm trying to finish off a Photon Probe and the decals have to be the worst I have ever worked with. No matter how long I soaked 'em I still had great difficulty getting them to float off of the backing paper. The last one half started to come loose but the other half was stubborn as hell and I eventually tore the decal. And they kind of snapped loose rather than just floating loose. I even had a little soap in the water. Somehow I saved the decal and the rocket came out pretty nice but man, never, ever worked with decals that acted like this."

Chris

Others suggested using warm water to soak the decals. But I don't think that was the problem.

My response:

Decals are just inconsistent!
With kit decals now printed overseas, quality control would be hard to keep track of.
Even home print decal quality can vary from the paper batch to the clear coat used to seal them.

TIP: Never start with a larger, major decor decal on a model.
Cut something small off the side of the sheet, a small logo or something you may not want to use.
Keep track of how long it takes to release from the backing paper and use that as a guide for the remaining decals. That first test decal also gives a good indication how well the other decals will transfer and slide on the model.