Estes Strikefighter, Kit #2015, Build, Part 17, Glue Fillets

I lay small pieces of masking tape around the end of the body tube to keep paint out of the inside of the tube. This makes for a better fit of the nose cone.

All the fine sanding of the fairing pieces paid off - 

The surfaces are even and uniform. 

I tried to keep the glue fillets small on the fins and stabs.

More pinhole bubble holes showed up when the white paint was shot.

There are some rough areas around the scoop. 

More work - more glue fillets and sanding.

Mini Goblin Kit & T-Shirt

Estes just released a Mini Goblin kit and t-shirt.

CLICK HERE for the kit

CLICK HERE for the t-shirt

 

For any of the "older" design purists out there - 

The "3" should be flipped on it's back so it looks like a stylized bat.

Check out the original instructions at Jim Z's: CLICK HERE

If the model were standing upright the 3 is flipped 90 degrees on it's right side.

I'm being picky. Still, an interesting original design tweak.

Estes Strikefighter, Kit #2015, Build, Part 16, Stabilizers & Wing Gluing

The core tube and vanes assembly is slid into the nacelle tubes. Rotate them as shown in the picture below. Notice the (rear) short vanes are even with the back of the nacelle tube. 

The stepped root edge of the stabilizers are glued to both the BT-20 and BT-50 tubes. I had to sand each fin root individually for full contact down both tubes. 

On the left side of the picture you can see the gap. The right side picture is after sanding and fitting.

The smaller stabilizers are glued on, in line with the wing and the vane.

The stab and fin root edges are close together. Save yourself some frustration and glue fillet the stab before gluing on the fins.

The fins are glued on. 

These root edges also had to be fitted to fully sit on both tubes.

This picture view is from the rear.

I didn't need the fin angle alignment guide to glue the fins on.

Estes Strikefighter, Kit #2015, Build, Part 15, Some Early White Paint

I shot the fairings early to better see the fillets. 

Look close - the glued edge areas are shiny, the center of the strip isn't. 

The edge fillets are sealed by the glue. The paint soaked into the cardstock where there wasn't any glue. Paint will seal things up, some light sanding is needed to even out the surface.

 

The core tube and vanes would be impossible to paint once they are slid into the nacelle tubes. These will also get a shot of gloss white.

I did mask the glue areas. Notice the thin tape strips covering the outside edges of the vanes.

After the paint dried, I found some small fillet bubbles.

Rather than using the glue bottle on the bubbles, I applied small drips onto a toothpick tip and pressed the glue into the recess holes.

Estes Strikefighter, Kit #2015, Build, Part 14, Gluing On The Fairings

The upper picture shows how the glue beads up when applied to the cardstock fairing edges. This is much more glue than is needed.

Using a finger and a Q-tip, remove the excess making the glue line as even as you can.

The fairing ends should have been curved as shown in the previous post.  

The nacelle tube glued onto the wing - 

It's easier to start with the shorter nacelle fairing pieces.

Set the end tips into the root edge and the rest of the fairing should lay right in place.

Double check to be sure the fairing is straight. Use a Q-tip to softly press the glued fairing edges down.

Here's both the nacelle and wing fairings. There are eight in total.

To be honest, I wasn't looking forward to gluing the fairings on. They turned out to be easier than I thought. Keep the fillets small.

I shot the fairing areas with gloss white, knowing there would be some glue fillet sanding.

The scoop was glued on, 1/8" from the bottom of the BT-55 tube.

Estes Strikefighter, Kit #2015, Build, Part 13, Nacelle Tubes & Fairings

The nacelle tubes were marked and the primer lightly scraped for better adhesion. 

WHOOPS! I scraped the entire length of the tube, the fin root edges aren't that long. Some sanding between white paint coats should smooth this out.

Notice the pencil alignment line extended around and over the lip of the tube end.

The fairings were printed on 65 lb. cardstock.

The curved ends were rounded n a sanding block where there wasn't a smooth arc.

The ends were curved in over the barrel of a Sharpie.

Notice the print lines will end up "inside". Sometimes printer ink can bleed through white paint.

Estes Strikefighter, Kit #2015, Build, Part 12, Engine Mount

I use a rounded dowel to apply a ring of glue inside the low end of the body tube.

Note the (2") pencil mark on the dowel and the glue around the top.

Slip the dowel in up to the pencil mark depth.

Roll the glue in a ring inside the tube. Add more glue if needed to complete a complete circle. 

Insert the mount until the tube ends are even. As you are pushing the mount in, try to turn it to even out the inside glue fillet.

To add glue around the rear ring,

Use a Q-tip to apply and spread out the rear ring fillet.

With the Kevlar slipped through the top of the tube - 

Mark the line below the upper lip of the tube.

Keeping the Kevlar below the lip of the body tube prevents zippers (where the Kevlar cuts through the body tube) because of an early or late ejection. 

Run the Kevlar out the back of the model again.

Tie a overhand loop with the mark at the top center of the Kevlar knot.

Tie a overhand loop knot in an elastic shock cord.

Weave the loops as shown on the left.

Pass the knots through the loops - 

Tighten up the connection.

Note the Kevlar mark at the end of the loop.