Fliskits Spitfire - Beer Can Version - Build Thread - FINISHED

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I realize it's a little late to suggest this, but I'll go ahead and make it anyway. For any part of a "can" that would be normally have bare aluminum visible you could (have) apply(ied) some Trim MonoKote (or aluminum foil tape) to further the illusion that the rocket is made from beer cans. I used that trick on my Deep Space OFFl build, and it gave it a really nice flashing effect as the rocket came down under parachute.

In thinking about it some more, there's still time to apply it to the underside of the nosecone.

[EDIT] Now I'm thinking of one with a "Duct Tape" finish... A "Red Green" rocket.

OB-FK480_redgre_E_20100201132205.jpg


[video=youtube;Vq4m_cFuqLQ]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vq4m_cFuqLQ[/video]

[video=youtube;w7bUfv6wZD4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7bUfv6wZD4[/video]
 
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To glue on the launch lugs I had to figure out where they went. It's not an easy thing to do on such a strangely shaped rocket body. I used a launch rod with a lug on it in the fin location to find where the stand off would need to be attached. I marked the location and glued it on.
180 Line up lug locations.jpg

After gluing the stand off on the marked location I used the edge of my metal ruler to ensure it was located correctly. I had to get my wife to hold the rocket for the picture so I could hold the phone (camera) and the ruler. Those aren't my painted nails, I swear.
183 Standoff lined up.jpg

On my previous rocket I think I used a sharpie to color the lugs, but I may have painted them, I don't remember. I didn't have the exact color paint so I decided to paper the lugs. The lug had been cut with angles at each end as the instructions said to do, so papering them wouldn't be as simple as a lug that wasn't cut. First I measured and cut out a strip of red paper that would almost go all the way around. I wanted to leave a little bit unpapered so the glue would hold better.
181 Cut section of red.jpg

I wrapped the glued paper around the lug to dry.
182 Paper on lug.jpg

After it dried I was able to trim off the overhanging paper to match the lug ends, and glued it onto the pull tab stand off.
184 papered lug glued on.jpg

It turned out pretty good.
 
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The pull tabs were neat, but this may be my favorite part of this rocket.

My first thought was to just paint the fin lug green since it was going to be glued to the green fin, but then I decided to paper it too. And since I was going to paper it, why not use the same pattern as the fin? I printed a second copy of the Rocket Fuel fin and cut a section the same length of the lug.
185 Paper for fin lug.jpg

I wrapped it around, marked the length, cut it to fit, and glued it on.
186 Paper trimmed.jpg

I was careful to line up the pattern on the fin and did a dry fit.
187 Dry fit.jpg

It looked good, so I glued it in place.
188 Glued in place.jpg

Before the glue dried I took this picture of both lugs.
189 Glue dried.jpg

How do they look?
 
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she looks awesome!!! I agree with Neil W.....what a great build thread..I come on every day just to see what you did....well done!!
 
I'm almost finished. Now all that is left is to add the recovery. It comes with a big red vinyl parachute.
190 Parachute.jpg

I used a tip from HCMBanjo and used my knife to transfer the reinforcement rings to the parachute, to avoid getting finger oils onto the sticky side, which would reduce how well it sticks.
191 Reinforcement ring.jpg

All 6 rings were put on and then the white parachute line was cut into three nearly equal lengths.
192 Rings and lines.jpg

I use what I believe to be surgeon's knots whenever I tie up parachutes. This is a loop at the end of the string that I twist in my fingers...
193 Chute knot 01.jpg

... and once it's twisted I can pull it closed. Doing this 2 or three times makes a really good knot. It's bad to tie the knot so tight you squeeze the reinforcement ring.
194 Chute knot 02.jpg

I tied the three lines. The top left knot did get a little tighter than I like. Oops.
195 Chute lines tied.jpg

Then I found the center of all three lines, marked them with a blue sharpie, gathered them together, and fed them through the end of a swivel.
196 Chute lines in swivel.jpg

Now the parachute is complete and ready to attach to the shock cord as soon as I put one on the rocket.
197 Chute ready.jpg
 
I cut the trifold out of the card stock and folded it, and curled it a little.
198 Trifold cut.jpg

To glue in the elastic I put a line of glue on at an angle.
199 diagonal glue.jpg

I pressed one end of the elastic onto the glue, then added more glue and folded it up. Putting the elastic at an angle keeps it as thin as possible. The motor tube in this rocket doesn't have a lot of room, so thinner is better!
200 diagonal fold glued.jpg

Before the glue set up I pressed the trifold against the inside of the tube to curl it at the correct shape. If the glue dried while it was flat it would be a lot harder to get it attached to the inside of the tube properly.
201 trifold shaped in curve.jpg

The elastic in the kit is 36" long. I've learned to add a length of Kevlar to whatever normally comes in a kit because it's normally not long enough. I rolled off 6 feet of Kevlar to use on this rocket. 6 feet sounds like a lot but it really doesn't take up much space and can really help keep the nose from snapping back from a 3' elastic and damaging the rocket.
202 6 feet of kevlar.jpg

To connect the Kevlar to the elastic I don't want to use glue. I've had glue weaken elastic to the point that it broke on ejection. I started with a single knot that left a couple of inches of each.
203 Single knot.jpg

Then I tied the Kevlar over and over and over until it was too short to keep tying.
204 Kevlar tied several times.jpg

And then I did the same with the elastic.
205 Elastic tied on top.jpg

When I was done, I pulled on the knot and couldn't get it to loosen, so I think it's good.
 
The other end of the Kevlar was tied to the eyelet on the nose cone. I used another surgeon's knot. Twisting the Kevlar as I tie the knot so it's more than just a simple knot, before pulling it tight, adds a lot of strength. I pulled it tight and did it several times.
206 Kevlar twisted.jpg

Here is the finished knot. I didn't want to put glue on this either because I've heard it can weaken the Kevlar. But I pulled on this knot pretty hard and it didn't even begin to untie.
207 Several knots.jpg

Halfway down the Kevlar line I tied a double knot to give me a loop for attaching the parachute.
208 Knot in Kevlar.jpg

I clipped the swivel to the loop and the Beer Can Spitfire is FINISHED!!
209 Parachute attached.jpg

This location won't allow the nose cone to bang against the rocket on the way down.
 
Here are some pictures of the finished rocket in my kitchen where I build. I'm definitely going to take a few more in better lighting outside this weekend.

210 Finished 01.jpg211 Finished 02.jpg212 Finished 03.jpg

How does it look?
 
Wow! Very well done my friend! You sure made this build FUN! I can't wait to hear how it flies! Good Creative thinking as well. I'd never have considered putting beer can labels on it and it simply looks awesome!
 
Mushtang.....she looks SWEET!! Beautiful job with her...great idea and a really enjoyable thread all the way through!
 
Thanks guys for the nice things you've said! I had fun building it, and a lot of fun posting the thread!! I hope there weren't too many pictures here, but I post build threads the way that I'd love to see them. You can never have too many pictures of a build in a build thread as far as I'm concerned.

Thanks again to everyone that helped with this rocket. Kcobbva did a great job on the templates (that I'm about to upload), Kruegon came through with the needed body tube replacement, and Jim Flis helped me identify a major screw up and made such a great kit to begin with.
 
A few outdoor shots as I'm putting on additional layers of clear coat.

213 Finished 04.jpg214 Finished 05.jpg215 Finished 06.jpg

I'll come back and post some flight pictures and video as soon as I have some. My wife suggested that I never fly this one and save it to put on our bar in the basement when it's finally finished. She doesn't want to see it damaged, or lost in a tree, and not be able to be displayed. I told her that I built this one, so if I need to I can build another one. It's got to fly.

Here are the wraps that Kcobbva made for me. He did a great job! If anyone wants to build one with these be sure and thank him, and then post pictures of your build here! I've named the files with what paper you're supposed to print them on and what is in each file.

View attachment Paper - 2nd 3rd Busch and Duff.pdf
View attachment Paper - 4th Fosters and fin 4.pdf
View attachment Paper - Fins 1-3.pdf
View attachment Thick Cardstock - Bud Nosecone.pdf
View attachment Thick Cardstock - Coors Light Tailcone.pdf
 
Beautiful work!
Aligning that launch lug cover almost makes it invisible.
 
Looks great! Glad the build got back on track. Worth seeing it through. Too bad I can't see it fly in person lol.
 
Ya,,that's it. Man, that came out awesome.
I ve been watching from the sidelines..... :clap:
Whats up now that this bird is complete? Be interested on what would follow on a build this nice.
OH, bravo for you to say it HAS TO FLY!
 
The finish is incredible!
I was very pleased with it, the high gloss makes the cans look more like shiny aluminum and less like paper!


That really looks amazing.
Praise goes to the guy that made the wraps.


Beautiful work!
Aligning that launch lug cover almost makes it invisible.
Thanks! I was happy with the way it turned out for sure. I hadn't given much thought to the lugs until it was time to attach them and they definitely look better than if I'd used spray paint.


Looks great! Glad the build got back on track. Worth seeing it through. Too bad I can't see it fly in person lol.
Come to Atlanta and you can see your BT-70 section, which is really the star of this rocket!


Whats up now that this bird is complete? Be interested on what would follow on a build this nice.
Last night I opened the Rose-A-Roc that was delivered in the same order as the Spitfire. I have only read part of the instructions and haven't begun building anything yet, but the parts are spread out on my kitchen table. That's one complicated rocket!!
 
Very nice scheme that really compliments the rocket design.
Hoping for a good flight (and that you don't need to recycle it anytime soon!)
 
Hey Mushtang! Finally sitting down opening my kit. Time to sit back and start on Page 1 of this thread and slowly read everything. Thanks again for such a thorough build thread.
 
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