Estes Scissor Wing Transport Build, Part 4, Pop Pod & Rear Fins

The rear ring was notched to fit over the engine hook. I cut the finger tab off the back end of the hook.

The laser cut line on the large swing wing was interesting. Notice how it comes to a point. This should probably be a smooth curve.

All the balsa parts were coated with thinned CWF and sanded smooth. After that everything got a shot of primer/filler and sanding.
I know, built a glider light. Check out the filled balsa below.

The bulk of the balsa grain filling is done with one coat of thinned Carpenter's Wood Filler. Any remaining grain is filled with one coat of the Duplicolor primer/filler and sanding. Notice most all of the grey primer/filler is sanded off.

Estes Scissor Wing Transport Build, Part 3, Pop Pod

I didn't want to cut up the instructions so I scanned the marking guide wraps.
TIP: When you scan fin templates or marking guides, always put a ruler inside the scanner. After you print a copy, check the print ruler against the physical ruler. If both match up you should be good to go.

Even though the printed copy ruler was correct, the kit marking guide still didn't match up - close though - 

Before gluing anything onto the BT-20 pod tube, I filled the seam in the short length that will be exposed out the back of the BT-50 main body.



After sanding down the primer/filler the tube was marked for the engine hook and rear centering ring.

The rings were too tight on the pod tube. I could have peeled the inside, but instead -

TIP: Burnish down the raised burr with the rounded end of a ballpoint pen. Now I had a good friction fit.

Estes Scissor Wing Transport Build, Part 2, Cleaning Things Up

You can build the model right from the bag with good results. You sand and clean up the laser cut balsa parts, why not true up a few more?



Centering ring ends are cut at a slight angle. I use a sanding block with 220 grit to square up the ends. This is desirable if the flat end of the ring is exposed or even with the rear end of the body tube.

Two concerns with the nose cone:
The tip wasn't well formed. The tip was slightly bulbous. This was better formed with 220 grit, then 400.

The shoulder edge width wasn't consistent. When fitted to the body tube, one side overhangs the tube. This was also taken down with 220 grit on a block.

The flat shoulder edge wasn't clean. This edge wouldn't fit flat against the top of the BT-50 body tube. Simply square it up with a block.

Estes Saturn V Mask TIP

If you've ever tackled the kit, you know - 
Masking around the corrugations and tunnels on a Saturn V is difficult and somewhat confusing.

In the past I've built two of the Apogee Saturn V models. The instructions in the Apogee kit are on CD and very comprehensive.
One thing I took away from the Apogee CD instructions was this tip.

TIP: Before doing any masking - You can outline the black areas with a Ultra Fine Point Sharpie pen. Use careful placement of a short straightedge for the straight lines. This does require patience and a steady hand. This mid section probably took three hours to outline.
Follow up and widen the line with a Fine Sharpie.

The ultra fine point pen will flow well at first but can get clogged as you go. Keep a piece of paper handy to draw scribbles and clean off the tip and get back the dark black ink.

You will have to go over some lines a few times times to get an opaque black. Just do the outline edges - don't try to fill in entire black areas with the permanent Sharpie marker.

You'll still have to mask and spray everything, this just helps get cleaner color separations going in and out of the tight corrugations. Masking tapes are very hard to apply around the raised tunnels.
Don't go too thick with the outlines. Again, the ultra fine tip is only used to sharpen the color separation lines on the hard to mask corrugated wraps.

TIP: Notice the clean paper towel. You will be holding the model with many different hand positions as you outline and mask. Wrap and hold the model with fingertips on the paper towel. The white rocket body can easily be discolored from oily fingertips.

TIP: Spray the model using gloss paints. Water side decals won't stick to flat finishes. Flat finishes will really absorb dirt from handling and oily fingertips.

Estes Scissor Wing Transport Build, Part 1, Parts

The parts were of high quality.
That long BT-50 was old style, brown, strong with very slight seams.

The 1/8" thick wing sheet is balsa. The 1/16" thick sheet with the tail surfaces really looks like Tung wood to me. The kit was made in China, Tung wood is native to China.

The parachute is pre-assembled in a yellow and black print..

The parts of interest:

Stickers! Why? The original had water slide decals. If you are doing a reissue, make it as close to the original as possible.
From left to right - 
Clay weight, black elastic for the elevator, two small rubber bands for the swing wing activation, new plastic nose pivot pieces.

Here's a closeup of the peel and stick decor. The pieces are stamp cut.

At the lower left is a recommended engine sticker.

Estes Scissor Wing Transport Background

From the cover of the 1974 Estes catalog - 

THE INCREDIBLE 
SCISSOR WING TRANSPORT

"Explore this advancement in boost-glider technology. Lifts-off vertically with main wing parallel to the fuselage. At apogee, internal power pod ejects and main wing pivots to perpendicular position initiating gentle glide phase."

I don't know if I'd call it a "gentle" glide phase. I remember mine did glide, but it was fast!

This was a very complex pop-pod boost glider. I knew that Wayne Kellner had a hand in it's design, he also developed the first pop-pod Bomarc model for the Citation Line. That Bomarc also ejected an internal pod, lifting the elevator to transfer the rocket into a glide. This design adds the swinging wing.

The original model had die-cut plywood in the center wing pivot. This reissue from 2004 has a molded plastic pivot and plastic wing hold down tip.
To see the original instructions: CLICK HERE

It's interesting that this 2004 reissue kit face card shows an original Scissor Wing wing pivot from the 1974 design. You can see the launch lugs under the wing edge.








I did a post on the original design inspiration for the Estes kit
To see that post: CLICK HERE

Does this Popular Science cover look familiar? it came out a year before the Estes kit did.

Model Minutes Leduc 22 Build, Part 17, ENOUGH! I'm Done!

The model is turned over and the rear glue tabs are set down.

The centering ring is glued too far back for the triangle tabs to completely fold over!

Earlier on, the foam centering ring was glued between the printed lines on the interior tube. The printed lines were the same width as the centering ring. I glued it on accurately.

I thought maybe the rear tail cone might allow a slip fit and cover the gap. It didn't.
This is where I gave up. This kit had too many strikes against it.

1. The three rear fins were thin and floppy. I had to beef them up with an interior card stock layer.
2. The canopy template didn't fit around the nose section. I caught the error and made the clear wrap larger.
3. The short upper stage foam coupler isn't long enough to keep the on top of the model. My nose section fell off and dented the card stock tip.
4. The markings on the central tube are off, enough that the outside tube won't fit over the centering rings on the inside.

I rarely give up on a build. I did stop work on the Estes Klingon Battle Cruiser model, I will get back on it one of these days. This model however, was thrown in the trash.