Estes Quinstar build

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BEC

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Over in the Quinstar thread in the Vendors section I mentioned that I had gotten one as well and was going to post a build thread (including how I recovered from messing it up). Then after a few days John Boren asked me when I was going to get around it. Finally, here we go.

First the obligatory package, then parts spread pictures.

The third shows the five interlocking balsa parts laid out.

Fourth, those same parts but with the motor mount and top cap subassemblies and the body tube (which is BT-50).

Next is a six-picture sequence showing how the big parts start to interlock. At this point there is no glue involved with these parts.

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Here's where it started to wrong. The instructions admonish you (twice) to make sure that the numbers at the top of the parts are all facing the center. But, as you will see, I got part #5 in backwards. The effect of that was to have two wide arms next to one another on one side and two narrow arms next to one another on the other side, instead of pairs of wide/narrow as it is supposed to be.

The thing is, I didn't notice this until I had put all five together, put the initial glue on the joints (and put a weight on top of the stack to to hold things aligned while the glue set).

So.... to fix this I had to trim down one of the wide ones. To facilitate this I glued the lightning hole parts back in. On the erroneously placed short arm I glued on a portion from the scrap sheets.

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After the arm that needed trimming was trimmed, it was back to building per the instructions. The top cap goes in (I had previously laminated the two parts together), then the triangular small parts on top, and larger ones on the arms. Then, the parts in between the arms, followed by installation of the body tube/motor mount sub assembly (the mount was installed in the body tube earlier). The last bit added is the launch lug, and it's ready for painting.

Since this sequence was taken I did shoot the bare wood model with bright red Rustoleum 2x as the instructions suggest (don't fill, prime, paint to save weight) - and don't go insane trying to sand the thing :D.

Just a little sanding just on the tops where the decals go, and then decals will finish it up.

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That is pretty cool and lot more complicated than the rest of my saucer fleet.
 
Wow this really does look cool in the flesh. Thanks for taking the time to document.
 
Nice recovery on the assembly, it actually looks to be a pretty straight forward build, no special jigs or anything.
 
Bernard,


If you can, I would cut out the openings in the piece it looks like you reinserted the cutouts back into. It Might make the whole model out of balance. Not sure if it will but I've never flight tested it the way you have. I'm sure it will still go up, just don't know if it will wobble on the way up and down or not.

John Boren
 
Well, perhaps I should, in the interest of science, fly it this way....then open up those cutouts if I can and if necessary. From a weight perspective the difference I'm sure will be on the same order as the varied densities of the five sheets. But from a drag perspective at it spins, I can see it being different than you intended.

I see now looking at the slid-together-but-not-yet-glued pictures in the first post that I already had part #5 in the wrong way around.
 
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Well, perhaps I should, in the interest of science, fly it this way....then open up those cutouts if I can and if necessary. From a weight perspective the difference I'm sure will be on the same order as the varied densities of the five sheets. But from a drag perspective at it spins, I can see it being different than you intended.

I see now looking at the slid-together-but-not-yet-glued pictures in the first post that I already had part #5 in the wrong way around.

If you are coming to Novembers launch Bernard we definitely would love to see both the Quinstar and the Jolly Logic Chute Release in action :)
 
Sorry. As it turns out, I have a BEMRC launch to run the same day - at which I may conduct that science experiment of which I spoke - if I don't get a chance to do so sooner.
 
I have not seen this one. I will have to get one soon and add it my collection of "odds".
 
All ready to fly when the opportunity presents itself....


picture will be added if/when it is possible. This image situation has gone from bad to worse around here :(

(will post in my similar YORF thread shortly)
 
Well it must be working if Charles was able to grab the image from my YORF thread and put it here. Thanks. Now I don't have to do it :).
 
I'm building mine now, I'll add my build notes here.

First, I came *this close* to making the exact same mistake with piece #5 as BEC did. I dry-fit it with the piece backwards, and if I didn't have this thread in my head I probably would have glued it that way. Instead, I realized it before I applied glue, and flipped it around.

Next, when gluing the main frame together, I figured I'd start with just the main central seams, and then do the ones at the edges afterwards. I laid a bead of Titebond II down all 5 seams, and was a little concerned about the play between the pieces. So then I had a good idea and stuck a piece of BT-50 into the center of the star, so at minimum I'd be assured of being able to fit the motor mount in later.
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Then, I saw my glue was running down towards the table, so I suspended the whole thing horizontally on the BT50, like a rotisserie, and rotated it every few minutes until the glue solidified. Then I added Titebond M&T fillets.
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I'll probably keep it on the rotisserie for the rest of my filleting.
 
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