A Christmas Party Conversation

Once a year I run into Todd at an annual Christmas party. Todd was the head clown with the Ringling Bros. Circus.

I asked: "What is Tom doing these days?" (His friend Tom was also a Ringling Clown) 

Todd responded: "He's working for the Lego company making large Lego displays."

Me: "Oh, that's interesting. In all honesty, I never understood all the adult interest in Legos."

Todd: "You're one to talk - Model rocket man."

Touché Todd!

Top Ten Blog COUNTDOWN for 2023, Part 2

5. Odd'l Rockets F-18 BLUE ANGEL

One of my kits made the Top 10 - How can that happen?

The kit is better than the decals I bought online. The narrow yellow Ebay decals had to be pieced together.   

 

4. Estes B.O.S.S.

The latest in the Estes Designer Series.

The Star Trek Enterprise might be a design influence here. 

3. New Way ANGLED INVADER

A great square tube kit from New Way.

I've always liked the original Estes Invader design, I like this one a little more.

2. Estes EAC VIPER Upscale

This was trickier than I initially thought. It did require complete redraws of the decals. I had to try a few different spray colors on the nose cone to match the decals. The old instructions say to use purple, but Ace Tropical Pink was the best.

 

And, the Number One build for 2023 -     

Centuri QUASAR clone

The ramjet engines on the fin tips were built up from spare parts.

The full red on the fins required double layers of the home print decals to match the paint color density.

The picture above shows the single layer decals. 

My Mother always liked this design, it reminded her of the Buck Rogers ship.

BT-60 based, a good size and detailed demo model. 

This year, only 16 rocket builds.

The 2023 launches totaled only 32. Not many, but ten more flights than in 2022! 

You can see the TOP TEN LISTS from previous years - Just type "Top Ten" in the search box on the right side under the advertisement.

Top Ten Blog COUNTDOWN for 2023, Part 1

Back to the Great Goblin build in two days - But first, a year-end tradition - the TOP TEN!

This years Top 10 is a little different. 

This past Summer I cut back on my builds so there were fewer finished models to choose from. 

Click on the BOLD model names to go to the builds.

#10 is usually not a favorite counting down to #1, or the best build.

This year from #7 to #1 were pretty good.
These are simply my picks, based on the build, flight experience and blog postings.

_____________________________________________________________________

10. Wolverine PHOENIX AIM-54A  

This was a correction build - the tube lengths I was sent were too long resulting in a "stretched" model. It just didn't look right.   

   

9. Estes KLINGON BATTLE CRUISER

This is one of two builds I started years back, but set aside after things got frustrating. I finally finished both builds. 

Compromises in the assembly and some home print decals finished things up.

No enough room for the 18" parachute. A dog in flight - very heavy. 

Props to Estes for kitting up a design that probably shouldn't fly stable.

8. MPC LAMBDA PAYLOADER

A build from the past. It's always interesting to build a kit from the late 1960s. Over the years there have been some changes in parts and materials.

7. Quest ICARUS

A classic 3FNC design with some good sticker graphics. 

Quest has been upgrading their larger kits to use the 24mm Q-Jet motors. 

6. Estes BLACK BRANT XII

Estes new scale kit is big and impressive.

A great challenge sanding the diamond shaped fins.

Lots of color and some tricky masks.

Why is this at #6?

I found the fin laminations hard to glue together. Keep an eye on them as they will slip and slide before the glue sets up.

More tomorrow . . . 

Estes Great Goblin, #9724 Build, Part 15, Nose Cone Prep & Fin Gluing

The slight raised molding seams on the nose cone can be scraped down using a knife blade. 

TIP: Use the back of the blade (dull side) like a cabinet scraper. Why dull the sharp side of the blade when the back can knock down the high spots?

Note I said "high spots". You shouldn't shave into the trough, recessed areas of the mold seam. If you scrape down below the curvature of the cone you'll see "flats" when the paint is applied. 

After scraping the raised seams, sand smooth with 400 grit. 

The remaining recesses should be filled. If they are deep you can use Squadron Putty or medium CA glue.

If the seams remain shallow, the filler/primer should fill them.

Getting the center out of the nose cone eyelet took some time.

I punched small slots using the tip of my knife blade until it could be pressed out.

On the right side picture - 

TIP: Those jagged edges should be smoothed out using fine needle files. Left rough it could wear through the shroud lines and shock cord.

The instruction illustration shows wood glue on the sides of the fin. Too much glue will squeeze out and leave you with a mess to clean up. 

On the left - 

Showing the glue bead I applied. It's probably less than most builder's would use. The rest of the gluing will be done along the outside root edge fillets.

This is a very strong mount - 

1. The TTW tabs are locked, butting against the flat face of the first and third centering rings.

2. The notch in the fin interlocks onto the center centering ring notches.

3. The engine mount was already well glued inside the main airframe tube.

Some builders might want to upgrade the parts. Using the recommended engines, the engine mount and fin can assembly are plenty strong.

As the fins are being glued in place,

Sight across the rear to be sure they are in line. Here you can see how the farthest fin is not in line with the closest fin. Make all adjustments before the root edge glue sets up.

Estes Great Goblin, #9724 Build, Part 14, Fitting The Fins

Here's a ready for gluing fin showing some of the filler/primer sanded off near the root edge fillet area.

On the left is a fin root base that doesn't quite seat all the way onto the body tube.

On the right is the same fin, fitted.

The root edge of the TTW tab was lightly sanded.

Sand a bit, test the fit. Sand a little more, test again.

You may have to sand a little on the recessed tab above the centering ring notch.

Each fin was fitted to its own fin slot.

The fin root edge was marked and the tube was numbered to each fitted fin.

I'd recommend keeping track as you go. It's easy to mix them up.

Estes Great Goblin, #9724 Build, Part 13, Gluing In The Engine Mount

You are directed to apply a glue ring inside the body tube 2 1/2" above the rear edge of the tube.

I marked the inside with a pencil held 2 1/2" from the lead tip.

The picture on the right shows the pencil line inside.

To give and idea of the glue placement - 

Here's a pencil line on the outside, 2 1/2" above the low end. 

Look close - you can see the centering ring through the fin slot with the engine mount slid in position. The ring will hit the glue ring and push the glue forward about 3/16".

A dowel was marked at 2 1/2" for the depth gauge. A ring of glue was applied around the top. Roll the glue inside stopping at the pencil mark.

  

BE SURE THE MIDDLE CENTERING RING NOTCHES ARE IN POSITION THROUGH THE FIN SLOTS.

I used two fins slid in place (no glue yet) to lock the engine mount in the correct position. 

A glue fillet is applied at the joint of the rear ring and body tube.

The instructions say to apply a glue fillet to the upper centering ring. This can be applied from the top using a longer dowel. It isn't easy, but can be done. 

Estes Great Goblin, #9724 Build, Part 12, Gluing On The Launch Lugs

The rear of the lower lug is placed 1/2" from the rear of the tube.

This is a "show" model, the filler primer will have to be sanded off at the gluing area. 

Note the root edge mask down the fin glue area.

Here's a "flying" model build, the seams are filled with CWF but the fins and body tube don't get filler/primer.

The lower lug is glued on the centered pencil line 1/2" above the bottom end of the tube.

I slide the fins in place (dry, no glue yet) to visually double check the centering of the lug.

The rear of the upper lug is placed 10" from the low end of the main airframe tube.

Sight down the tube to check the alignment while the light tack glue dried.

As expected, the dried wood glue fillet ended up with bubbles.

Two follow-up fillets of Titebond Quick & Thick filled the gaps and widened the glued area.

Estes Great Goblin, #9724 Build, Part 11, Launch Lugs

I glued the launch lugs on before installing the engine mount and fins.

I usually fill the seams in launch lugs.

Set the lugs into two Q-tips for a holder.

Brush on a coat of CWF.

After sanding - 

Here the two 1/4" diameter are held down on masking tape (sticky side up) for a filler/primer spray.

In the second step of the instructions you are directed to "Make a line halfway between the fin slots."

To make sure that line is centered - 

Roll a strip of paper around the bottom of the tube.

Mark the fin slot locations.

Fold in half, crease the paper after matching up the pencil marks.

 

Set the marked paper back on the tube lining up the first marks with the fin slots.

Transfer the center mark at the crease onto the body tube.

Extend the line down the tube. Use light pressure when drawing the pencil line. You don't want the pencil line to scratch the tube or show through the finish paint.

Estes Great Goblin, #9724 Build, Part 10, Filler/Primer

On the left is the tube after the CWF seam filler was sanded. The pencil line below the fin slot shows an additional seam that showed after sanding. It's one of those seams where the glassine layer has shrunken into the Kraft paper seam. More CWF and sanding.

On the right - This shows some masking where I don't want the gray Filler/Primer to cover. Down the root edge, the masking tape strip was removed after spraying.

Here's how the fins were masked before the Filler/Primer was sprayed.

The TTW tab and the root edge is masked.

I cut a thin strip of masking tape for the root edge above and below the TTW tab.

Those three black dots tell me this fin is from the third kit build.

Look close at the picture on the left side.

There are still some open grain pores after the sanded CWF and filler/primer coats.

On the right I have rubbed in some additional CWF with a fingertip.

A refilling like this is rare.

This shows an area of the fin after sanding down the second application of CWF.

Estes Great Goblin, #9724 Build, Part 9, Engine Mount

Use the TTW fin tab to set the position of the middle ring.

Note the upper tab is shorter to fit over the green spacer ring. 

Initially I used a short fillet between the dry fitted, slid in fins. 

After this glue dried, the fillet was continued all the way around the ring/tube joints. 

A glue ring is applied above the ring top and the green ring is slid down to rest on the white ring.

The inset picture shows the top centering ring. 

It is below the top of the tube by about 1/16" to allow glue fillets above and below the ring.

Estes Great Goblin, #9724 Build, Part 8, Engine Mount

Don't punch out the centering rings.

Use your knife to cut through the hold down tics.

You might have to cut from both sides to free the rings.

I always thought this was a smart idea.

Use the nose cone to rub down the cutting burrs on the Part D green spacer ring.

I also sanded the inside edges of the white centering rings to get them to slide over the engine mount tube.

 

The lower ring (the mount is flipped over) is spaced using the green spacer. I use my sanding block to press it even with the end of the motor tube.

Don't glue the green ring to the tube!

Remove the green ring after the other side of the white centering ring is glued on.

Estes Great Goblin, #9724 Build, Part 7, Rounding Fins

This was a bit confusing.

There is an arrow pointing to and saying to round the leading edges of the fin. Leading edges? There's only one leading edge. The back is the trailing edge. 

The root and outside edges have a dashed line. Sand edges even. I assume that means to sand them square.

The old BT-55 based Goblin kit has you round the leading and trailing edges. That's what I'm going to do.

The forward fin shows the brushed on coat of CWF.

The fin in the back has the CWF sanded smooth. The pencil lines show where I need to apply more CWF and re-sand. 

Ideally, you should have left a thin skin of CWF after sanding. The pencil outlined areas were sanded down to the bare balsa.

TIP: To reduce saw dust -  

I sand in my lap, over on old dish towel. 

As I go I wipe the fin and sandpaper block off onto the towel. This traps most of the saw dust until I can shake it off outside.

Estes Great Goblin, #9724 Build, Part 6, Gluing Up The Fins

I'm building three kits so I tried to keep track of the two piece fins. With four different sheets of laser cut balsa (per kit) sometimes there is a slight difference in density or thickness. 

The single dot on the left side designates Kit #1, the dots on the right will match up fin pieces 1 through 4.

You'll have some useable extra balsa left.

Hang on to it for some scratch build designs.

The edges of parts F and G were glued together and placed under a clear Plexiglass cutting board. 

More weight was set on top after I made sure the root edges on the TTW tabs were lined up. You can sand and match up the outside edges later with a sanding block.

Estes Great Goblin, #9724 Build, Part 5, Two Piece Fins

Mentioned in the last post - 

You should sand and square up the edges. Sand enough just to remove some burnt ash. 

On the left is a fin piece right off the sheet showing the laser cut ash.

On the right is a sanded, squared fin edge.

This shows another angled laser cut. 

On the right the edge was sanded.

This is a root edge TTW tab and doesn't really need sanding like this. I use it to show the laser cut diffused angle. 

You will get a better glue bond when some of the dark brown ash is removed. 

Here's a 90 degree sand. 

Using a sanding block makes it easier to visualize.

Sometimes I'll look at an edge like this to ensure things are square.