Estes EAC Firecat #0821, Build, Part 8, Launch Lug & Decals

GOTCHA: Scroll ahead to Build Step 12 before gluing the Launch Lug in the wrong place! The Lug placement needs to be positioned so the launch rod can clear the outside diameter of the nose cone!

Did you ever forget to glue on a launch lug? Me neither! (Yeah, right.) I didn't notice the launch lug was missing until after the first white undercoats.

I had to carefully scrape off some paint before gluing on the 1.25" long launch lug.

TIP: I don't usually apply glue fillets on launch lugs that are tucked into tight corners like this. The glue is very hard to evenly apply and smooth the fillet.

I have drawn up a PDF of the parts list, decals and fin templates. On the right is the first version. The new drawing (see below) is available to Patreon supporters.

If you are a Patreon member, email me at: oddrockets@bellsouth.net and ask for the Firecat decal PDF.

EDIT: After painting the model and applying my decals, I made some changes in the decal sheet, shown on the right.

The original Firecat kit used the Estes Bandit decal sheet. The Firecat instructions say "The name Bandit . . . will not be used."

There's a problem.

To place the decals like the face card and instruction drawing requires things be cut up. Cutting up home print decals exposes the ink edges which can bleed when soaked.

That BT-48 wrap was meant to roll around the Bandit's BT-55 tube. Some test wraps gave me a width of about 10 of the interior vertical rectangles.

Other trim pieces were cut from that remaining wrap decal.

In my re-draw I separated those pieces for easier cutting and transfer.

At the bottom of the sheet are two rectangles, one is an extra.

Print the decal, cut off the bottom third of the sheet. The upper two thirds is clear coated as normal for home print decals. The bottom third is sprayed gloss white.

More on the decal application comes later in the build.

The fin templates and parts list are still included, but on a separate sheet of the PDF set.