Installing Untangled Shroud Lines

You can tie on shroud lines without tangling. It just takes a little more time.

Don’t pull all three line loops through the screw eye (or in this case the snap swivel) at the same time. Pull them through one by one for three separate loops.
I mark the centers of the shroud lines with a Sharpie pen. This way all six shroud lines (three loops = six lines) will be an equal length.
First, all the shroud lines are tied onto the parachute material.
With one hand, pinch the two adjoining tape disks together between your thumb and index finger. With your other hand, run your fingers down the line loop to the end. Make a fold at the halfway point of the line loop. Mark that center point with a pen or pencil.


In the first picture you can see the center mark on the shroud line.
The single loop has been fed through the small metal hoop at the end of the swivel.
Before pulling the line tight, take a moment to be sure there is no twists in the line. Pull down slowly and remove any twists that might form.


In picture two, the first line has been pulled tight. The center mark on the line loop is right against the metal swivel hoop. With the line mark centered, both of the (now two) lines are equal length.

Picture three shows all three loops pulled tight against the metal loop end of the swivel. All the center marks are at the top of the new knots. Add a drop of glue over the knot to lock everything in place.

Fliskits Mystery - Lost Package!

I took advantage of the Fliskits anniversary special. Jim Flis was offering free shipping for the month of September. I ordered a five-pack of MicroMaxx engines for 30 engines in total. With the free shipping, this was a great price. The order was sent in about the 20th of September.

I was gone for the weekend doing some work with my (former) brother-in-law. When I got back, I checked the mailbox and front porch - nothing.
A week passed and still no package!

I contacted Jim Flis by email, he said to wait a few more days just to be sure it wasn’t caught up in the mail. I waited and still no delivery.

Jim wrote back and said he’d send out another five pack of engines. If the others arrived, he told me not to open them and simply “return to sender”, or I could send him a check for the "missing engines". The new, replacement engine shipment arrived just a few days later.

My neighbor, a pilot for FedEx, had been gone for quite a while. On his return, he knocked on my door with the first FlisKits order!
He explained it looked like it was going to rain. He saw the package on my doorstep and took it into his home. That same day he left for two weeks of flying.

He could have left a note on the door!
I ended up sending Jim Flis a check for the 30 extra engines. I now have 60 Micro Maxx engines.

Pigasus Build, Part 11 Fins

These are the pig legs, one before and one after sanding down the primer.
Some builder's lay down more coats of primer than me, sanding between coats. Before the first color overcoat, their surfaces will be gray overall. I spray and sand just enough just to fill any imperfections left after the Carpenter's Wood Filler.

Next up, the gluing lines for the wings and legs were sanded down on the body tube for better adhesion. The root edge gluing line was wider than usual so I was able to use some 220 grit on a sanding block.

Cruise Update Part 2 Arriving in Jamaica

So after arriving in Jamaica I went through immigration. Typical immigration except my work order said I was arriving in Aruba, not Jamaica.

The girl behind the counter said: “I’ll be right back”, she then walked away with my paperwork and passport.

She returned five minutes later and motioned me to follow her through a door.
It was a darkened room, we were joined by a big man. It was like a scene from a bad movie, my first thought: “Uh oh, cavity search!”
He started an interrogation! “Why are you here in Jamaica when the ship assignment papers said the destination is Aruba?”
His delivery wasn’t pleasant. “Which port are you going to meet your ship?” I didn’t know.
“How could you not know what port you are going to?”

I tried to explain the situation, that the ship had to change ports to help with an emergency medical evacuation of a guest.
Questions continued for another ten minutes. After my suggestion, he finally called the port agent.

When he got all the information from the ship, his demeanor changed. He was suddenly my best friend. He was joking now and patting me on the back.

After a 1 ½ hour drive to Ocho Rios, I finally got on board the Statendam.

Pigagus! Build Part 10 Fin Primer

Here’s the balsa and launch lug ready for their coat of primer.

I’ll usually place masking tape, sticky side up on a scrap piece of cardboard and lightly set the fins on the tape. I make the tape less sticky by setting the tape on my jeans pant leg and removing it. Lint is left on the sticky surface making it less tacky.

Smaller fins are stuck standing up with the root edges on the tape.
Larger fins like these are set down flat, rather than running the risk of them falling over under their own weight.

I'll shoot one side with primer and let dry. Everything is flipped over and shot again.

Cruise Update Part 1

What does this have to do with rocketry?

I packed some carded rockets and a Dr. Zooch Saturn SA5 to start when on the ship.

I copied this picture from the new, updated Dr. Zooch website at:
http://klydemorris.goods.officelive.com/NewProducts.aspx

My journey so far:

I arrived at the Orlando Airport at 5:00 a.m. for a 7:00 a.m flight to Aruba to meet the ship.

When checking in, I found out my ticket had been cancelled!

One phone call later told me the ship was re-routed and I would meet the Statendam at Montego Bay, Jamaica.

Understand, this wouldn't normally be a problem. But it's just me carrying two LARGE instrument cases, two suitcases and a backpack.
Of course, my new flight is on the other side of the airport.
You'd point and laugh if you saw me pushing and wheeling the load through the airport.
I should buy stock in Velcro, it's holding everything together.

So I wait - good thing there's free WiFi at the airport

The Igniter That Refuses To Die!

Here it is - the

IGNITER THAT REFUSES TO DIE!

We're getting close to Halloween, what did you expect?

Today marks the tenth MMX launch on this igniter. The only way I break these things is when the toothpick retainer is pressed into place.

I'll keep reusing it until breaks or burns through.

Needless to say, I have lots of extra new Micro Maxx igniters in my range box.