Estes Blackhawk #2053 Build, Part 13, Launch Lug, Cover Plates & Major Fins

The launch lug is glued on the bottom center pencil line.

The two thin cover plates are glued on, tucked into the root edge of the launch lug and against the bottom front plate tab.

The largest top fin is glued into the back end of the BT-50 tubes.

Use the central plates to line up the top fin. 

When fitting the fins and smaller detail engine fins, you may have to sand down the inside span for a friction fit. Some were too tight, others too loose.

Here's the first two largest fins, set at 90 degree angles. Sight from the back and make adjustments.

Check back before the glue sets up - These pieces can slide and move just when you think all is lined up.

Estes Blackhawk #2053 Build, Part 12, Front Plates & Canopy

The top and bottom front plates are creased to fit and cover the open area at the tp of the rear assembly.

The embossed lines were folded over the edge of my straightedge.

The forward bend was creased sharp using a burnisher.

Here the model is upside down with the bottom plate facing up.

Here's how the front looks. Notice the "sandwich" of the lower plate bend, the thick central plate in the middle and the upper plate front bend.

 

The canopy marking guide is set to the left and the inside line traced with pencil.

Flip it over and trace the other side.

Do some canopy dry fits. The inset picture shows the canopy front where the cut out angle fits over the fold of the front plate.

You'll find the right and left side of the canopy has to open up to match the traced pencil lines.

Before gluing the canopy on, I reformed the canopy base wider than how it ended up after gluing together.

Rather than set glue on the very thin inside edges, I held the canopy on the pencil lines then applied short shallow glue fillets. 

When gluing thin cardstock like this, you don't initially need much glue.

Estes Blackhawk #2053 Build, Part 11, Gluing Top & Bottom Plates

There's the two internal vent tubes with the BT-50 main tubes glued to the outside.

So the ejection charge goes up - turns left - then turns up again to blow out the parachute. The tube on the right side doesn't have a parachutes.

Look close to see the glue line down the side top and bottom plates. See the picture below for positioning.

These really add to the strength of the whole unit.

On the left is the top plate. There is a long notch for the engine hook movement.

On the right is the bottom plate. There are cut out panels that will be covered with thinner cardstock pieces. This might have been done to reduce weight on the back end. Down the middle of the bottom plate is a pencil line for the launch lug positioning.

Estes Blackhawk #2053 Build, Part 10, Cleaning Up The Nose Cones

There was a molding divot near the base of both nose cones.

Apply a small CA glue drop and let thoroughly dry. While drying, prop the nose cone on it's side or the thin CA will run.

Sand the raised drop to surface with some 400 grit sandpaper.

While there wasn't any molding ridges running down the length of the nose cone, there was a very slight ridge around the tip.

On the left is the nose cone right out of the bag.

After some 400 grit sanding, the nose cone on the right has the ridge removed and a better contour.

Estes Blackhawk #2053 Build, Part 9, Canopy Forming

The canopy is made up of three pieces.

The two sides and the many folded top.

Do a few dry fits (no glue) to be sure you are lining up the the right tab to the right cut on the side piece.

One of the tricks to gluing cardstock like this is not to use too much glue on the tabs.

Apply some glue to a single center tab and spread it around, especially towards the outside edges. You should have a light overall "skin" of wet glue.

Joint the top tab to the side piece. 

It helps to have a long, smooth jawed tweezers to pressure hold the tab in place. 

Continue doing single tab gluing until both sides are glued to the top.

Look on the inside. If one of the tabs is raised, you can sneak some glue under the tab using your knife blade.

Here's the finished canopy, 

Inside and outside.

I thought the canopy shape would be more like a rectangular box shape with the bottom side open. I found out later the sides flare out and have a wider span than the top - more of a trapezoidal shape.

Estes Blackhawk #2053 Build, Part 8, Cleaning Up More Parts

Now I get to dig into all the die-cut cardstock.

Free up the pieces by cutting through the hold down tics. 

Don't take for granted the die-cutting is all the way through the cardstock. Turn over the piece and check before pressing out the pieces.

On the right it shows a rough edge. Sand the edge square removing the tics. 

Here's an example of a die-crush.

On the left you can see the pressure cut bump along the edge.

I used a Sharpie barrel burnisher to compress the edge shown on the right side piece. 

Sometimes the raised bump is too high to be pressed down with the burnisher. It'll have to be sanded down.

That can raise fibers in the cardstock and look rough after spray paint.

Squeeze out a drop of medium CA glue. Dip a Q-tip and rub the glue into the raised edge. This hardens up the cardstock.

Now you can sand with 400 grit and you should have a smoother edge after paint is applied.

Estes Blackhawk #2053 Build, Part 7, Gluing The Mount & Tubes

Again I used some 220 grit wrapped around a casing to open up the side tube hole.

A dry fit and tracing around the tube joint with pencil. 

A glue line was set on the pencil line and the tubes joined. 

Double check the alignment before the glue starts to set up.

Like on the old Estes Trident -

TIP: Be sure to add some heavy fillets that won't blow out at ejection.