New Apogee Peak Of Flight Article

I wrote a new article for the Apogee Peak Of Flight online newsletter, #417.

This one is about Prepping Kit Parts Before Assembly.
"Right out of the kit bag, most parts are pretty good and will assemble into a flying model rocket. There are some steps you can take before assembly that will make for a better fit and a stronger finished model."

To read the article, CLICK HERE
There are plenty of tips and maybe a few things you haven't thought about.

MPC Martian Patrol Video

Jimmy Yawn got a great video of my MPC Martian Patrol launch at last Saturdays N.E.F.A.R. launch.

http://nefar.net/gallery/2016-05/index.html
Scroll down to "Mars Patrol"

The engine was a C6-3 not a C6-5.
One saucer hovers the other one flips. 
"The other Martian is really sick!"
For those who remember it, a rare one.

Thrustline Arapahoe C, Part 12, Masking

This is not an easy mask. The fin tips and strakes get some different paint treatment.

On the right is one of the two fin tips. A single piece of Sharpie marked clear tape goes over the leading edge and down the sides. The picture shows the ends trailing over the back. The ends actually roll over the trailing edge and angle over the opposite side.




Another small strip covers the "V" angle left from the first pieces layed down around the trailing edge.

The strakes are masked the same way you'd do the squared leading edge of a fin.

The fins and strakes are fairly close, I couldn't use pieces of a plastic grocery bag to cover the larger areas.
This has got to be one of the messiest looking masking jobs I've ever done. When you are in doubt about the coverage of a mask - add more tape!

Thrustline Arapahoe C, Part 11, Fin Gluing and White Spray

This is a dry fit of a fin. Notice the pencil mark on the fin root edge at the break between the body tube and tail cone.

Above the pencil mark, wood glue will be used for the wood/body tube joint.
Below the pencil mark, The Beacon Fabri-Tac glue will be used for the wood/plastic boat tail joint.

Crap! I got some bad Rusto 2X paint!
Luckily I stopped early and it sands down easily.
Why do I continue to use Rustoleum 2X?
The good outweighs the bad. It covers in fewer coats with a good gloss finish. I've only had occasional rough, "cottage cheese" with the gloss white paint.

After sanding the model got another coat of white.
I made sure to do some test sprays (off the model) to be sure the rough crud was cleared of the spray tube inside the can.

Launch! N.E.F.A.R., Bunnell, FL May 14, 2016

Summer heat is here!
The first real warm day of the season, winds were up to 15 mph. Good turnout and the second rack of LPR pads were set up.

Here's two vintage models on adjacent launch rods.
Jim's BIG R2D2 was launched with a C6-3. It arced over and hit the grass before the ejection charge went off. I had the same flight path with an R2D2 in the 1970s.
My MPC MARTIAN PATROL with an Estes C6-3 flew pretty much like in the past. A fast spin on the way up to 350 feet. One styrofoam UFO hovered in, the other one tumbled.

I finally got a lifting body model to glide - sort of! 
In the 1970s my experience with a Centuri X-24 Bug was disappointing. The Quest HL-20 was not any better.
My newly finished Centuri X-24 BUG had a labored boost with a B6-2 and ejection at 100'. The "glide" was a little nose down but still a lifting body flight!
Everybody was a bit surprised, including me.
A little more clay stuck in the low back end should pull the nose up.
I'll keep an eye on the NEFAR website to see if Jimmy Yawn posts the flight video.

Steve Moon did a beautiful job on his Semroc (Estes) Trident.
Those thin red stripes around the centering rings are carefully placed trim tape.
Later that day Steve had a perfect flight with an Estes C6-5.

The next Odd'l prototype KOKOPELLI test flight used an Estes C6-5. Arrow straight boost to 600'.
The spill hole 18" parachute with the 15 mph winds took it over the fence and into the next field. A long recovery walk, but no damage.






Another prototype test flight with the Odd'l F-17.
This time I used an Estes C6-5. The boost had a slow turn to ejection at a respectable 700 feet.
Another long recovery walk.

The N.E.F.A.R. team tried something new this month.
Occasionally a launch is held while a plane circles the field. We often wonder if the pilot comes in close to watch a launch or two.
This giant "X" near the MPR pads was to warn the pilots to say clear of the field.
There were enough planes we had to wonder if the giant X was drawing them in!



My best flight of the day was the New Way A-20 DEMON.
Estimated altitude with the Estes D12-5 engine was 800'. The pickup walk was worth it. Minor damage to the leading edge of one fin.

Five flights, two good prototype launches and a first successful lifting body "glider". A good day worth the sunburn.

My Rocketry Favorites

If I could only have five rockets in my fleet (today), they would be - 

Dr. Zooch Saturn V - My favorite (manageable sized) scale model.

Sirius Rocketry Interogator - A truly beautiful design. Lots of decals, too.

FlisKits Honest John - A small one has to be on the list. Arrow straight and high MMX flights.

Odd'l Rockets Cyclone - Amazing to watch the recovery No moving parts and the upper half almost hovers. This would be a favorite even if somebody else produced the kit.

BMS 3" School Rocket - A new favorite. A sturdy, big demo model, perfect match with a E9-4.

My choices take everything into consideration. Kit and parts quality, fit and finish, instructions and flight characteristics.
Bear in mind, I'm a builder first. Some kits are just better engineered than others.

Thrustline Arapahoe C, Part 10, Fin Position Marking

After the tube was shot and the filler/primer sanded, it was marked for three fins and three long strakes.
The difference on this design is the strakes go down the tube length between the three fin positions.

Here the fin root glue positions were sanded down using a block. Sand to a estimated width of the fillet. Pencil lines were then redrawn.

The Estes Monarch kit fin marking guide fit well.
To get six positions from the three fin marking guide, the paper guide was folded in half between the printed two lines.








The strakes were glued on first.
I used an aluminum angle to check and make sure they were straight.