Estes Cosmic Interceptor Build, Part 3, Prepping The Engine Vanes

Lightly sand the laser cut ash edges with 400 grit.

The pics show the before and after sanding.

The exposed edges (shown here marked with pencil) should be sealed. If not sealed, the paint will soak into the open fibers and the edges will be uneven.

A segment of tubing will glue over the edge without the pencil line. 

Run a narrow bead of glue down the side edges. 

With the side of your finger, even out the bead getting a rounded even coverage from side to side. 

After the glue bead dries, lightly smooth with 400 grit.

Estes Cosmic Interceptor Build, Part 2, Centering Ring Fitting

Here's all the engine mount parts - 

The centering rings are on the laser cut cardstock sheet to the right side.

This build will involve some fine fitting of parts.

Save the excess cardstock,

at least the large pieces left over.

It'll come in handy for a future build.

The fit of the rings was so tight, they wouldn't slip over the engine tube!

Wrap some 220 around a finger to enlarge the hole until you get a friction fit.

 

Here's the fit I was looking for!

Estes Cosmic Interceptor Build, Part 1, Parts

This one has been in the build pile too long!

40" tall, 2" diameter and the upscaled Interceptor nose cone.

Multi-piece wings , a detailed engine and an air intake scoop.

Another great John Boren design. released in 2012 and discontinued between 2017 and 2018.

Two lengths of 2" diameter body tube, the two long tubes are the main body, the shorter (slightly wider diameter) tube is for the intake.

Two couplers, one to join the main body tubes, the second is for the engine mount.

That small ring fits over the engine mount ribs.

Other parts, most are self explanatory.

A 24" nylon parachute,

1/4" wide x 38" long elastic shock cord

Two 1/4" diameter launch lugs

That coupler is one from the above picture, used in the engine mount.

Four sheets of 1/8" dense balsa.

Plenty of laser cut, cardstock details. The smaller piece is for the air intake scoop, the larger piece holds the engine mount parts.

Estes Mini Scale Combo Pak, #0874, Tomahawk & Exocet, Build, Finished

Not much to these BT-5 based, mini rockets.

Nose blow recovery, no parachute or streamer. I did add streamers to both models. Without the chromed streamers they'll be hard to track during recovery.

The die-cut cardstock fins were difficult to get smooth and flat. 

The fin decals on the Tomahawk weren't much. If you didn't black the outside edges before applying the decals, you'd end up with white borders on all sides. 

The shock cord cover could have been better positioned, lower so the black band decal wouldn't go right over the lumpy top cover. Oh well!

Estes Mini Scale Combo Pak, #0874, Tomahawk & Exocet, Part 17, Recovery Streamers

Before simply turning the screw eye into the nose cone shoulder - 

Find the center with a pencil point. It might take a few tries to find the actual center. If the screw eye isn't centered you might rub against the inside of the tube.

Screw in one full turn and check the vertical alignment. Adjust before continuing.

Here's the Exocet nose cone, the forward fins require the nose weight washers for stability. The diameter of the washers are another good reason to be sure the screw eye is centered. 

The shock cord is tied on using the Duncan Uni-Knot: CLICK HERE

Using this knot the shock cord end points down. When packing the shock cord you'll appreciate the shock cord end facing down into the tube.

The streamer (dollar store table cover) material was gold on one side and chrome on the other.

Tape the shock cord to the streamer . 

Fold the overhang and tape again.

Estes Mini Scale Combo Pak, #0874, Tomahawk & Exocet, Build, Part 16, Exocet Paint & Decals

Earlier in the build I questioned why there two tubes joined by a coupler. As it turns out, the upper tube on the Exocet is the color separation line between the orange and black paint!

It's a simple mask, body tube color separations usually come out very clean. The upper body was covered.

The Scotch tape mask left a very clean line.

Only two decals, centered between the upper fins. 

The same decal is on the other side.

These decals are old, but held up very well when transferred. They just needed a longer soak time.

Estes Mini Scale Combo Pak, #0874, Tomahawk & Exocet, Build, Part 15, Tomahawk Fin Decal

The Tomahawk also has black decals that cover both sides of one fin.

That leaves all the exposed edge white. 

Before placing the decal fins, I blacked the edges with a Sharpie.

The root edge is cut right up to the black ink. This gives you a clean root edge color separation. The rest of the fin though -

The fin decals are slightly larger than the fin face.

Roll over the edges as best you can. They aren't long enough to stick to the other side of the fin.

Apply one side of the fin decal and let dry.

You can trim them to the fin edges using a new single edge razor blade.

Estes Mini Scale Combo Pak, #0874, Tomahawk & Exocet, Build, Part 14, Tomahawk Wrap Decal

I should have checked beforehand - 

That upper black band goes right over the lumpy shock cord cover! I've seen this a few times in kits. As an example: Decals are sometimes placed over launch lugs. Poor planning and kit design. 

If I had looked ahead I could have put the shock cord cover lower, just beneath the black band decal.

Before placing the black band, I ran a black Sharpie around the top edge of the body tube. It will make for a cleaner color separation if you cover up the white paint.

Start the decal with the left side set into the edge of the shock cord cover.

The decal rolled around all right but there was a bump directly above the raised shock cord.

While it was still malleable, I cut through the decal from the center area forward. This made a "flap" where after one side was pressed down, the other side layered on top. 

The raised area is now pretty flat. Not perfect, but better.

Estes Mini Scale Combo Pak, #0874, Tomahawk & Exocet, Build, Part 13, Color Coats - Finally!

I had the two models prepped for color coats - ready to move onto my patio to spray paint. I looked out the back window and saw this - 

Two hours later the rain had dried up. I was risking some "bluing" or a dulled finish, but decided to spray anyway. Enough delays!

The upper body of the Exocet was painted orange. The final black on the lower body will fully cover the orange and white fade.

The Tomahawk nose cone was taped to a dowel and painted red.

There was some dullness in the gloss white caused by the humidity after the rain. Sometimes you can shine it up using automotive polishing compound and a microfiber cloth. 

On the left is the dulled white - 

On the right, the same fin after polishing.

Apollo Spacecraft Video

While I wait for the white undercoats to dry - 

 Here's an interesting, in depth video: CLICK HERE 

Rain! . . . and more rain!

Just about the time the humidity drops at 2:30 p.m.  It rains! I can't paint.

Work continues on the Mini Scale Combo Pack rockets, but is stalled by the weather!

School Supplies - Rocket Supplies

An annual reminder - Back To School Supplies are on sale!

I don't use school glue. I use wood glue.

But - the wood glue nozzle is too wide! 

Buy a bottle of school glue, and change the two nozzles.

The threads are the same.

At the Dollar Tree store - 

Clay nose weight for $1.50.

It's also good for trimming boost gliders.

 

Occasionally I can use glue sticks.

They are great for paper body wraps.

Another buy at the Dollar Tree store.

Mylar table cover sheeting for streamers and parachutes.

Also available in a chrome finish.

This sheeting is pretty thin, it's more prone to ejection charge  damage. 

So, be extra careful when packing the wadding: CLICK HERE

Estes Mini Scale Combo Pak, #0874, Tomahawk & Exocet, Build, Part 12, Sanding White Undercoats

Here's the same fin, before and after fine sanding after a white undercoat.

The die-cut pressure crimped the backside of the fin edges.

It's finally smoothing out after initial sanding, filler/primer and sanding and now sanding the white undercoats.

The paper shock cord anchor looks okay after light sanding. There is still a shock cord hump.

 

The tube joint should look better after the color coats.

Estes Mini Scale Combo Pak, #0874, Tomahawk & Exocet, Build, Part 11, The Exocet Launch Lugs

Here's the instruction launch lug illustration:

The forward lug should be set back 3/8" to hide it behind the leading edge of the upper fin. 

The lower lug is set into the root edge of a lower (offset) fin.

If the lower lug is set into the root edge,

(The upper picture is a dry fit)

Enlarge the picture - 

Note the lugs aren't in line if glued on this way. This could cause friction on the launch rod.

The lugs are larger than the instruction illustrations suggest.

The lower lug was glued on a little to the right of the lower fin root edge.

Now the two lugs are in line.

Estes Mini Scale Combo Pak, #0874, Tomahawk & Exocet, Build, Part 10, Gluing On The Exocet Fins

I didn't trust the fin marking guide from the instruction sheet. I used the one I made from the Tomahawk build.

Enlarge the inset picture - 

TIP: Continue the pencil lines around the end of the body tube. If you are centering the root edges on the pencil lines, it helps to have an alignment point looking from the rear. 
 

The smaller rear fins are even with the end of the body tube. Check their height by setting something flat against the low end.

I set a wrap of tape with the top edge at 1 3/8". The top of the tape aligns the trailing edge of the upper fins.

The eight Exocet fins -

From the rear, double check your even spacing. The model is small, this could take some extra time.
 

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.