Enerjet by Aerotech, Arreauxbee-Hi, Part 13, Paint Planning Ahead

Here's the instruction copy on how to paint the model.

While the instructions are basically correct, befoe masking, plan ahead. You don't want to paint white over orange fins. You don't want to paint silver over an orange base color.

I would recommend an overall gloss white coat before other colors. 

Mask off all three fins and the upper body (right at the top edge of the tunnels) before painting the body orange. 

Then paint the body orange.

Mask off the two white fins and body tube. Paint the remaining fin black.

Mask off the area below the upper tunnels ends. Paint the upper body tube silver.

Notice the launch lugs must be behind in the cover picture.

Using that lug placement, plan which two fins will be white and the third black.

Here's my build, with the white undercoats applied.

I've marked the fins for white and black paint.

Note the position of of the launch lug. 

Enerjet by Aerotech, Arreauxbee-Hi, Part 12, Upper Channel Tunnels

The upper channels pieces are cut to 10" long. 

Again, I cut mine a little longer to 10 1/16".

The upper end was set down 10" from the bottom of the upper tube. This left 1/16" overhanging the bottom of the tube.

The extended tunnel ends were sanded to the bottom of the upper tube as before.

This leaves a tight butt joint of the two tunnel pieces.

The tops and sides were sanded to match the sides of the lower tunnels.

 

The tunnel ends got a shot of filler/primer, directing it at the tunnel ends.

After sanding a bit, I was left with a good joint.

Enerjet by Aerotech, Arreauxbee-Hi, Part 11, Channel Tunnels

While the instructions say to cut the tunnel extension pieces at 1 3/4" long. 

I cut mine 1/16" longer so the final length ended up at 1 13/16".

I used the aluminum angle to align the two pieces.

Here you can see the piece extended beyond the end of the tube.

Sand the extension down even with the top of the tube.

This ensures the tunnel is full length to the top of the tube. Sanding down the tunnel with a flat block will make for a better "mate" of the upper tunnel coming up.

Enerjet by Aerotech, Arreauxbee-Hi, Part 10, Channel Tunnels

Square up the tube ends before fitting the long wood tunnels.

You can do a CA glue wipe on the inside and ends of the tubes before sanding square.

With the fins in place, 

Extend pencil lines from the root edge of the fin tips all the way down the body tube.

You are supplied with a wrap around tube marking guide, but I simply drew pencil lines using an aluminum angle.

Some 220 grit was wrapped around a dowel.

The tunnel gluing line was sanded down to the tube the entire length of the lower body tube.

The wood tunnels are glued onto the body tube.

I used the aluminum angle to align the tunnels. 

The length of the tunnels fall short of the tube length by about 1 3/4". You will piece together another piece of tunnel to go the entire length of the lower tube.

Before cutting the short fill pieces, 

see the next post.

Enerjet by Aerotech, Arreauxbee-Hi, Part 9, Engine Mount, Launch Lug & Screw Eye Fitting

With the lower body tube turned over - 

Here's how the engine mount sits, recessed into the body tube.

Note the centering ring is right at and even with top of the fin slot.

With the fin locks in line with the fin slots, test the position by sliding a fin or two in place. You don't have to snap the fin tabs in place yet, just be sure the fins project straight out.

It could be difficult to apply CA glue to the rear fin tab/fin lock joint.

TIP: As shown in the last build, set a toothpick tip into the joint. Drip the CA glue onto the toothpick, enough glue so the drop runs down the toothpick and into the joint.   

The paint was scraped off around the launch lug slot.

Notice the low end of the raised alignment tab stops at the bottom of the lug. 

DON'T SCRAPE the the paint past the bottom end of the slot. The raised lug base sits down to the bottom of the slot.

The picture to the right shows how the CA glue was applied. The glue is applied towards the center so it won't squeeze out beyond the edges of the lug base.

The screw eye is turned into the coupler bulkhead.

TIP: On the right, notice the screw eye isn't screwed in beyond the threads. If turned in past the threads, the screw eye will be loose. The threads help lock it in place. Apply glue on both sides of the screw eye.

Enerjet by Aerotech, Arreauxbee-Hi, Part 8, Launch Lug Prep

The kit includes both rail guides and launch lugs. The square launch lugs are for a 1/4" diameter rod.

     

These are molded in black plastic. I wish they were molded in white. They will require a white undercoat for color coats later on.

There was some flashing that needed filing. 

I used a sanding block with 400 grit to square up the sides. 

This isn't a required step, I just wanted flat sides.

The lugs were set down on cardboard for white under coats.

The lugs will end up orange to better match the color on the main body tube.

Enerjet by Aerotech, Arreauxbee-Hi, Part 7, Engine Mount - Gotcha!

The fin-lok rings were very tight - 

too tight to slide onto the motor mount tube.

The inside walls were shaved wider using a #11 blade.

Shave a bit, test the fit.

You want a tight fit on the engine mount tube.

The fit of the plywood centering ring was tight and needed to be slightly widened. 

I shaved a bit off the inside diameter for a tight slip fit.

The rings were slid into position at the recommended measurements and glued on using medium CA.

The third upper ring was glued over the face of the baffle plate.

The fin tabs wouldn't fit into the fin-lok rings with the rings at the recommended positions.

The instructions say the front edge of the rear ring should be 1 1/4" from the rear end of the tube.

GOTCHA: The front edge of the rear ring should be 1 1/16" from the rear end of the tube.

Look to the inset picture at the upper right.

I had to cut and extend the lower notch up about 3/16" for the fin to snap into place.