Estes Mini Scale Combo Pak, #0874, Tomahawk & Exocet, Build, Part 9, Gluing On The Fins

The Tomahawk marking guide ends matched up when wrapped around the tube. I marked the fin locations.

TIP: Always check the guide by rotating it one quarter turn around the tube. At the second mark, the pencil mark didn't line up with the arrow on the guide!

I made up a marking guide and got the fin lines evenly spaced. 

A wrap of tape insured the tips of the root edge were at the same height. This is one of the few models where the trailing edges aren't even with the low end of the tube.

Glue fillets followed - 

On the left, the primer has been sanded down to the body tube for the launch lug to be centered between two fins.

On the right, is the shock cord cover position not in line with the launch lug.

That raised cover might cause friction with the launch rod.

Estes Mini Scale Combo Pak, #0874, Tomahawk & Exocet, Build, Part 8, Covering The Shock Cord

It's easier to use tweezers to grab the end of the shock cord.

Pull the cord through the slit until 1/4" sticks outside the body tube.

I traced around the paper shock cord anchor, then scraped off the gray primer for a better glue bond.

Apply glue to the back of the exposed shock cord and press the cord down onto the body tube until the glue sets up.

Glue the paper anchor over the shock cord and body tube area.

Use the center marks to line it up. Shape with a burnisher.

When the anchor is still wet with glue, you can shape and mold the paper cover.

I won't know how good this will look until paint is applied.

Estes Mini Scale Combo Pak, #0874, Tomahawk & Exocet, Build, Part 7, Slitting For The Shock Cord

The shock cord install reminds me of the oldest kits. You made two slits in the body tube and laced the shock cord through them. You were left with unsightly cuts and a bulge after the paint was applied.

Maybe this simpler single slit and paper cover will look better.

The shock cord "anchors" are cut form the instruction sheet.

A 1/8" wide slit is made 3/4" down from the top of the body tube.

Notice I pencil marked the 1/8" wide slit position before cutting with a knife.

The nose cone shoulder is only about 1/4" long so you will have enough clearance.

Cut the slit - 

Fish the shock cord end into the slit using the tip of your hobby knife. This ended up being easier than I initially thought.

Estes Mini Scale Combo Pak, #0874, Tomahawk & Exocet, Build, Part 6, Installing The Engine Blocks

In the instructions, both of the two models have a slit cut in the upper body tube. The shock cord is fed through the slit. The exposed shock cord gets a paper cover glued over the top.

One model will get the slit tube method, the other will get a Kevlar line tied to the engine block.  

A notch is cut into the outside of the engine block. The Kevlar line is tied and tightened over the notch.

Feed the Kevlar line through the middle and out the bottom.

The original yellow engine spacing tube was missing. I cut a BT-5 coupler to 1 3/4" long.

The fit in the tube was tight so I peeled off the outside layer for a slip fit.

The spacing coupler is pencil marked 1/4" from the bottom.

Slip the Kevlar line through and out the bottom of the spacer coupler. The engine block rest on top of the spacer coupler.

Apply a bead of glue 1 1/4" inside the low end of the BT-5 tube.

Push the engine block in and into the glue up to the pencil line on the spacing  coupler.

For now, leave the Kevlar line out the back of the model.

The second model got an engine block without the Kevlar tie.

Estes Mini Scale Combo Pak, #0874, Tomahawk & Exocet, Build, Part 5, Joining Tubes

Always round over the corner ends of couplers for a smoother slide in the tubes.

This coupler is marked 3/8" from the ends with a center line.

The coupler is glued into the longer tube.

The shorter tube is glued on top, over the coupler.

 

The joint seam is filled with thinned CWF.

Dip a knife tip into the CWF, drag the filler bead around the seam.

Sand the joint with 400 grit on a sanding block.

Estes Mini Scale Combo Pak, #0874, Tomahawk & Exocet, Build, Part 4, Finding Parts

One of the lugs was missing from the opened kit. 

On the left is the original, yellowed with age lug. The longer lug is for the Tomahawk.

On the right is the same length lug, cut in half for the Exocet.

One screw eye and one nose weight washer were in the bag.

I went to my hardware bins to find the smallest screw eye and washer. I always save leftover screws, bolts and washers from previous projects.

The two washers are for the Exocet.

Here's the different length lugs after filling and sanding the CWF.

The older, longer lug had tighter seams than the new lug on the right.

Estes Mini Scale Combo Pak, #0874, Tomahawk & Exocet, Build, Part 3, Fin Prep

All the outside edges (not the root edge) get a narrow bead of glue.

Smooth and even the bead with the side of a finger.

After the glue dries, the fin edges are sealed.

Sand the dried glue with some 400 grit.

The root edges are set against each other to keep them clear of the filler/primer.

The fins get a good shot of filler/primer.