Estes Mini Bomarc Clone, Kit #TK-5, Part 17, Those White Backed Decals

On the right side, 

the white decal has been set down. Let dry.

On the left,

The maple leaf ring has been set over the top of the white decal.

For the Canadian flag decal,

I used a strip of masking tape for alignment.

Set the white decal, let dry.

On the rear tube is the smaller maple leaf circle white underlay.

All the decals in place.

The 6312 number decal is centered underneath the flag.

The French decal on the right side.

English goes on the opposite side.

Estes Mini Bomarc Clone, Kit #TK-5, Part 16, Those White Backed Decals

From the original kit instructions,

Here's the decal placement.

There is some white in the background of the maple leaf circles and the Canadian flag.

I used one of my white decal layering tricks to get the right look. A clear decal sheet is sprayed with gloss white paint. White spray paint is all that's needed, no clear coat. 

This makes a water transfer white decal.

After the white paint dries - 

Over a bright light, set the sprayed decal sheet over the home print decals.

Trace the white areas needed lightly with pencil. Trace just inside the blue ring.

The white under the Canadian flag should be a good rectangle right up to the red border.

The round white circle can be inside but still covered by the thick blue ring.

While the Mini Bomarc Paint Dries -

I used the only brown I had on the Mini Bomarc nose cone - Rusto Custom Spray Enamel. One of those new cans with that crappy "5 in 1 custom spray nozzle". The paint is still tacky after two days!

While I'm watching paint dry, a new project is in the works:

    

I got the Centuri Skylab 3D parts back from a commercial printer I found on Etsy.

These are resin printed, much smoother than the older 3D printers.

Almost all the original kit plastic parts were vacu-formed. 

At $80.00 (including shipping), it was more expensive than I would have liked. I don't have a 3D printer.

In the lower right is a "docking collar". Two are needed for the build, I was only sent one!

I've messaged the printer and a second collar is being sent out.

The Centuri Skylab Thingverse page: CLICK HERE

Thanks to Scott Dee for drawing up the 3D parts and  to Kevin Hedspeth for inspiration and answering all my questions about his build experience.

You aren't told on the Thingverse page - but - 

The two pod nose cones and nozzles fit a BT-20, not the original Centuri ST-7 tubes.

The engine mount tube is also a BT-20. A Centuri ST-7 won't slide through the large nozzle.

I don't have any ST-10 Centuri tubes, I found some Estes BT-52 tubes from an old Thor Agena B build.

Hang onto those spare parts! The nose cone shoulder slides smoothly in the BT-52 tube. 

Estes Mini Bomarc Clone, Kit #TK-5, Part 15, Silver Paint On The Nacelles

The front end of the nacelles are masked for silver paint

The silver starts at the rear end of the "P" support pieces.

After spraying and pulling the tape,

I got a clean color separation.

There's not much of a gluing area on the root edge of the supports.

I'm using the thicker Aleene's Tacky Glue to attach the nacelles. The body was masked for a open strip for glue on the body tube.

After that first glue line dried, a fillet of the Aleene's glue was applied.

The Aleene's glue will dry clear and with a semi-gloss. Elmer's white glue dries with a flat finish. Don't use yellow wood glue on a visible glue fillet like this.

Estes Mini Bomarc Clone, Kit #TK-5, Part 14, Color Paint

Paint is pretty easy on this one.

Nose cone is brown, the main body is a light gray.

After these dry, the rear of the nacelle tube is painted silver.

I was concerned about the balsa grain fill on the nacelle nose cone. 

This turned out pretty well.

There is still a masking paper strip on the root edge (gluing surface) of the "P" support piece.

I

The main body assembly is an overall light gray.

The nacelles are ready to be masked for the silver. 

The main body still needs some sanding and another final gray coat.

Estes Mini Bomarc Clone, Kit #TK-5, Part 13, White Undercoats

I thought it would be difficult to get paint around the ramjet assemblies. The main body and nacelles will be painted separately.

I masked off two gluing lines for the root edges of the nacelle support "P" pieces. I shaded the mask strips with pencil to show up better in the photo.

On the right is the inside end of the body tube masked off.

The root edge of the "P" supports were masked off with a thin piece of tape. These were taped down to a scrap piece of cardboard.

The top and sides were spray painted gloss white. 

After that paint dried, 

The nacelle assembly was slid over a dowel and the underside sprayed.

This is the underside of the wing and body.

You can see how difficult it is to get paint coverage on the inside areas.

Estes Mini Bomarc Clone, Kit #TK-5, Part 12, Launch Lugs

The launch lugs are short, two LL-2AM at .37" long.

These were cut from scrap pieces and sanded to insure both were the same length.

Because these lugs are short - 

Hold on to the lug with the tweezers while applying two thin glue lines. While still holding with the tweezers, set the lug in place under the rudder and wing.

The rear lug is even with the low end of the tube.

The upper lug is tucked under the forward tip of the wing. 

I didn't apply glue fillets on the lugs. It's difficult to get a good fill in that tight corner with all the air bubbles that can form.