bigone5500
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Well I finished the mosquito today. All but the shock cord and parachute.
The list of parts are as follows:
I cut my motor tube my usual way by marking the tube all the way around with my estes fin marking alignment tool and wrapped some masking tape around it to guide my hobby knife as I made many passes around it to cut. I used the same method on the main airframe. I glued the motor block into the MMT tube and reinforced it by placing an extra bead of Titebond II on the end. I cut a slit 1/4" from the same end as the motor block for the engine hook. I wrapped a couple rounds of masking tape to secure the hook and smeared a film of Titebond II to keep the tape from peeling back. When this was dry, I glued the CRs to the tube.
I marked the airframe using my estes tube marking guide and making my lines with a door frame. I used a 6" rule to mark my fin slots by laying it on the line I marked and making tick marks on both sides to make a 1/8" wide slot. I used the estes fin alignment guide to make these lines. The photo shows the fin slots as not extending to the rear of the tube but I ended up cutting the slot all the way back for ease of inserting the MMT/fin assembly.
After the MMT had time to dry, I tried tacking the fins on with titebond II but this proved tougher than I had planned. I ultimately used epoxy on them and I think this was a wise choice for fins of this length. I inserted the MMT into the airframe and tacked the fins on using the BT to aid in both holding them and for alignment. When they were tacked well enough, I took the assembly out and added more epoxy for fillets and also put some where the tabs meet the aft CR.
Next I drilled a hole into the forward CR and inserted the 400# Kevlar then tied it to the MMT tube and secured the knot with CA and also CA'd the loop to the MMT tube. I wicked some thin CA into the hole I drilled to help keep it from tearing through. I then inserted the MMT/fin assembly into the rocket and glued it in place with epoxy. I also tied a barrel swivel to the end of the Kevlar and put a drop of CA on the knot.
When the epoxy was dry, I masked off the airframe and fins for the epoxy fillets. I use US Composites epoxy with microballoons. I applied epoxy to all fins at the same time and after removing the tape, I smoothed them out with an alcohol dipped finger.
At this point all that is left is to attach the shock cord and parachute to the nosecone. This was a fun build and I recommend anyone that likes the estes mosquito to build one of this size.
Pics attached...
The list of parts are as follows:
- Fins: 1/8" Basswood
- Centering rings: Mat board
- Airframe: Red Arrow Hobbies BT80 size tube
- Motor tube: Red Arrow Hobbies BT50 size tube
- E length motor hook
- Nosecone: Estes Fat Boy style plastic
- Shock cord: 1/4" poly elastic
- Shock cord leader: 400# Kevlar cord
- Motor block: 1/4" section of used motor tube
- Parachute: 18" nylon
I cut my motor tube my usual way by marking the tube all the way around with my estes fin marking alignment tool and wrapped some masking tape around it to guide my hobby knife as I made many passes around it to cut. I used the same method on the main airframe. I glued the motor block into the MMT tube and reinforced it by placing an extra bead of Titebond II on the end. I cut a slit 1/4" from the same end as the motor block for the engine hook. I wrapped a couple rounds of masking tape to secure the hook and smeared a film of Titebond II to keep the tape from peeling back. When this was dry, I glued the CRs to the tube.
I marked the airframe using my estes tube marking guide and making my lines with a door frame. I used a 6" rule to mark my fin slots by laying it on the line I marked and making tick marks on both sides to make a 1/8" wide slot. I used the estes fin alignment guide to make these lines. The photo shows the fin slots as not extending to the rear of the tube but I ended up cutting the slot all the way back for ease of inserting the MMT/fin assembly.
After the MMT had time to dry, I tried tacking the fins on with titebond II but this proved tougher than I had planned. I ultimately used epoxy on them and I think this was a wise choice for fins of this length. I inserted the MMT into the airframe and tacked the fins on using the BT to aid in both holding them and for alignment. When they were tacked well enough, I took the assembly out and added more epoxy for fillets and also put some where the tabs meet the aft CR.
Next I drilled a hole into the forward CR and inserted the 400# Kevlar then tied it to the MMT tube and secured the knot with CA and also CA'd the loop to the MMT tube. I wicked some thin CA into the hole I drilled to help keep it from tearing through. I then inserted the MMT/fin assembly into the rocket and glued it in place with epoxy. I also tied a barrel swivel to the end of the Kevlar and put a drop of CA on the knot.
When the epoxy was dry, I masked off the airframe and fins for the epoxy fillets. I use US Composites epoxy with microballoons. I applied epoxy to all fins at the same time and after removing the tape, I smoothed them out with an alcohol dipped finger.
At this point all that is left is to attach the shock cord and parachute to the nosecone. This was a fun build and I recommend anyone that likes the estes mosquito to build one of this size.
Pics attached...
