Estes Star Stryker Build, #3206, Part 3, Engine Hook & Engine Mount

I don't like finger tabs on engine hooks. 

Score it with a wire cutter, then bend back and forth until it breaks off. File off any rough edges.

Flip over with the cut end up.

I made a bent a slight curve into the engine hook.

The extra tension makes for a better hold of the engine. 

Some history:

The top picture is from the Estes instructions.

Notice the engine tube is 3" long, the hook extends 1/4" over the low end.

A couple joins the engine tube to the longer upper tube. The coupler also serves as the engine block.

This design was first used in some minimum diameter Centuri kits. This instruction illustration is from the Scram Jet.

Gluing an engine block in the correct position (by sliding it into some glue in the tube) has always been iffy, especially for first time builders. Gluing a coupler in a shorter tube from the top does two things. It easily places the engine block in the correct position. The longer engine block works as a coupler joining the two tube lengths.

Estes Star Stryker Build, #3206, Part 2, Parts Prep

 

Mentioned earlier, this build was already started.

The only thing done was the body tube seams and balsa got some CWF fill and sanding.

The pieces were stored in a small zip bag.

On the left side is the launch lug standoff.

There was a little bit of CWF inside the end of the launch lug.

To clear it, a sharpened dowel was turned in the end of the lug. Turn in the same direction as the tube spirals.

The lug ended up about 1/32" longer than the top surface of the standoff.

This was trimmed back using a single edge razor blade.

Estes Star Stryker Build, #3206, Part 1, Parts

 

The Arreauxbee Hi build is on hold while waiting for the hurricane and rain to clear - 

I picked this one up a few years ago.

Started it, then set it aside.

This was a boxed kit, I may have picked up at WalMart.

This one reminds me of the old Estes X-Ray.

Two sets of five fins, ten fins in total.

These will be fun to glue on, line up and fillet the close fins.

Here's the specs -

All  the parts:

The parachute isn't printed. At the time this kit was produced, there was some concerns about the ink.

You can see the fins, balsa nose cone and adapter already have a sanded filler coat of CWF. That's as far as I got previously.

Only one fin set is shown here. There are five sets of two fins.

Enerjet by Aerotech, Arreauxbee-Hi, Part 14, What's Goin' On?

There's been a short break in build posts - 

Over the past week, Central Florida has had rain at the most inopportune times!

The Arreauxbee-Hi is in white undercoats. I can't add color coats until this hurricane Milton passes by!

There's a reason why I chose to live in Central Florida. Even though the storm will pass right over me, hurricane wind speeds break down as it travels over land.

The residents of the Tampa Bay area will get hit hard. Central Florida will probably have some flooding.

The TV weatherman said something that made me feel better: 

"If your home was built in the past 20 years, it is probably built to withstand hurricane winds."

Enerjet by Aerotech, Arreauxbee-Hi, Part 13, Paint Planning Ahead

Here's the instruction copy on how to paint the model.

While the instructions are basically correct, befoe masking, plan ahead. You don't want to paint white over orange fins. You don't want to paint silver over an orange base color.

I would recommend an overall gloss white coat before other colors. 

Mask off all three fins and the upper body (right at the top edge of the tunnels) before painting the body orange. 

Then paint the body orange.

Mask off the two white fins and body tube. Paint the remaining fin black.

Mask off the area below the upper tunnels ends. Paint the upper body tube silver.

Notice the launch lugs must be behind in the cover picture.

Using that lug placement, plan which two fins will be white and the third black.

Here's my build, with the white undercoats applied.

I've marked the fins for white and black paint.

Note the position of of the launch lug. 

Enerjet by Aerotech, Arreauxbee-Hi, Part 12, Upper Channel Tunnels

The upper channels pieces are cut to 10" long. 

Again, I cut mine a little longer to 10 1/16".

The upper end was set down 10" from the bottom of the upper tube. This left 1/16" overhanging the bottom of the tube.

The extended tunnel ends were sanded to the bottom of the upper tube as before.

This leaves a tight butt joint of the two tunnel pieces.

The tops and sides were sanded to match the sides of the lower tunnels.

 

The tunnel ends got a shot of filler/primer, directing it at the tunnel ends.

After sanding a bit, I was left with a good joint.

Enerjet by Aerotech, Arreauxbee-Hi, Part 11, Channel Tunnels

While the instructions say to cut the tunnel extension pieces at 1 3/4" long. 

I cut mine 1/16" longer so the final length ended up at 1 13/16".

I used the aluminum angle to align the two pieces.

Here you can see the piece extended beyond the end of the tube.

Sand the extension down even with the top of the tube.

This ensures the tunnel is full length to the top of the tube. Sanding down the tunnel with a flat block will make for a better "mate" of the upper tunnel coming up.