L3 Certification Build: 8" Upscale Frenzy

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How about a slight variation on the original Frenzy XL, the only thing left to do on it is a chrome strip between the roll patter and the red forward section.

MiniFrenzyDDdecals4.jpg
 
I made some changes to that last paint design. I'm liking this one better. Hard to see what it looks like in 3D from a photo so I made a video . . .

[video=youtube;FTbYNWlpVWI]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTbYNWlpVWI[/video]
 
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Meanwhile external fillets are slowly curing . . .

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Lately I have been doing fillets in two steps; first I make a thick fillets with Aeropoxy which I apply with a dowel and then smooth out with a finger dipped in alcohol. After the fillets are cured I sand them with 220 grit to shape them and remove any ridges along the edges. After that I apply a thin layer of 15 minute epoxy to fix any unevenness and also to cover any tiny bubble holes that appear in the thick Aeropoxy fillets. Then another lighter sanding after that cures. If there are still any flaws then I repeat the 15 min epoxy step until I achieve fillet perfection. :)
 
If you try 4500, I'm willing to be that you'll never use anything else for external fillets ever again. Tape, fill, pull with alcohol covered shaping tool of your choice, pull tape, let cure, sand any ridges, done. Never had to sand a 4500 fillet to shape or had any bubbles.
 
Thanks, I may try Proline 4500 next time. I have also never used microbaloons yet but I just ordered some to try
 
Hey Nathan,

I like the new paint scheme much better. BTW have you given much thought to your shear pin sizing and qty.? I have an 8" build and I am looking at the Raptor CO2 system for both apogee and main so the topic of shear pin size is something I am just starting to look at.
 
Hey Nathan,

I like the new paint scheme much better. BTW have you given much thought to your shear pin sizing and qty.? I have an 8" build and I am looking at the Raptor CO2 system for both apogee and main so the topic of shear pin size is something I am just starting to look at.

Sorry for the slow reply but I didn't see your post before. For shear pins I will be using three 4-40 nylon bolts for both the nosecone and the av-bay. I'm not doing any scientific calculations to determine pin sizing. My 38 lb Formula 150 uses three 2-256 nylon bolts with no problems so I am guessing that three 4-40 nylon bolts will work okay with this rocket. I'll know once I fly it. The first flight will be not too high so if I'm wrong and I get main deployment at apogee it won't be a big problem.

I will also be doing deployment ground testing pretty soon now.
 
External fillets are finished and shear pin holes are drilled. The pink color on the fillets is Bondo putty. I filled some imperfections and small bubble holes in the Aeropoxy fillets with Bondo before doing the thin layer of 15 minutes epoxy. And lots of sanding after each step. The fillets look really good, I'll take some closeup pictures later.

The build phase is complete! Next step: deployment ground testing. Which of course I do BEFORE painting. Also I need to build some PVC tube rocket stands for this thing.

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Lol...
The office chair looks like a chair for a small child...lol...

Teddy
 
The build phase is complete! Next step: deployment ground testing. Which of course I do BEFORE painting. Also I need to build some PVC tube rocket stands for this thing.

Hmm, I don't know ... paint adds weight, and it might invalidate your ground testing. :neener:
 
Getting back to the paint design . . . now I'm thinking about doing something completely different. Like maybe something similar to the paint job on this truck . . .

Chevrolet_Silverado_-_Blue_Shards_Custom_Paint.jpg
 
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If you're taking votes, I actually like your first scheme (red and silver)- it allows the lines of the rocket to be a part of the show...I'm afraid the blocky cammo pattern on the truck will be too visually "busy" and detract from the proportion and scale... but just my :2:!!
 
I'm still undecided. Trying to do a blue shards paint job like that pickup truck would be more risky; it could look really good or it might end up looking like ****. With all of those overlapping coats there would need to be a whole lot of wet sanding of paint edges to get the masking for the next coat to go down right.

All the other designs that I have considered are sort of similar to other rockets that I've done before so there would be no unknown factors and I could be pretty sure that it would turn out the way I expect. Since this rocket is so huge I may end up sticking with one of those less risky paint designs, and save the crazy blue shards paint job for another rocket. Like maybe when I repaint my Formula 150 that got dragged 1/4 mile across the field at LDRS.
 
risk...reward.... F it.... you'll learn something new either way.


Oh, and I'm late to the party, but 4500 fillets are the way to go for sure.
 
Okay this is the paint design that I have decided on. Bright Silver Metallic, Cobra Blue Metallic, Silver Blue Metallic, and Gloss Black. I will be ordering the paint today.
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rsp2115.jpg

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rsp2501.jpg

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Getting back to the paint design . . . now I'm thinking about doing something completely different. Like maybe something similar to the paint job on this truck . . .

Chevrolet_Silverado_-_Blue_Shards_Custom_Paint.jpg

This reminds me of the "dazzle camo" from WW2.

pensy02.jpg
 
Too cool Nathan...
Gonna be a whole lota "wax on-- wax off" lol...

Teddy
 
Yes that's the paint that I usually use lately; Restoration Shop lacquer from TPC Global.
 
The coupler that I used to build the av-bay is a little too loose fit in the airframe. That is allowing some flex between the booster and payload sections. So I ordered a new coupler and a new switch band. The new coupler fits correctly. Also, the original coupler was 16" and the new one is 18" which is a better size for this rocket. The original coupler came from Ken Allen at Performance Hobbies, who got it from Curtis Turner. The new one came from Madcow which I'm pretty sure also got it from Curtis Turner, so I don't know why the original one would have been slightly smaller diameter.

So now I am in the process of rebuilding the av-bay coupler. Once that's done I will proceed with ground deployment testing.
 
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