Aerotech IQSY Tomahawk

[dpower]

Hi,

Just finished building my first Aerotech kit, the IQSY Tomahawk. It was an impulse buy at a LHS this week for $45, which seemed like a good deal. It wasn't marked down, but looked like it had been sitting there for 15 years, so that was probably retail back then. Wish I would have read the EMRR reviews *before* I built it, popping those fins in deforms the BT a bit (I really thought I was going to smush it, they go in pretty hard). Other than that, it went together real nice. I usually prefer builders kits, but this was fun for a change - from box to completely built in one day! I've got some inflammation in my thumb joints, and am wearing a brace, so the lack of sanding was a real pain reliever. (Yes, I'm getting old!)

Anyhow, I'm putting on the flat white now, then I'll mask off for the black fin & red NC/shoulder. My question is regarding the red - what shade of red, and should it be gloss or flat? The instructions just say "red", but the pics I've seen are more of an orange-red. I'm not a scale nut, but would like it to be reasonably close. Since the white & black are flat, it would *seem* like a flat red is in order too.

Thanks!

[Rocketcrab]

From the I did research on the IQSY Tomahawk for my scale entry at NARAM-50, the nose cone is gloss red. I have no idea on the FS number, as I could not find it. I used good ol' Krylon red.

I know what you mean about those fins on Aerotech kits. I was kidding Bob Sanford, the designer of the Inititator and several other kits, about that "feature". He told me they required "finesse".

By the way, from your signiture I take it you are a fellow Parrothead?

[Initiator001]

When I built photo models of the AeroTech IQSY Tomahawk, I used Krylon Banner Red for the nose cone.

As for the body tube getting deformed when installing the fins on AeroTech kits, I lock the fins in place without any adhesive. Then, from the inside of the body tube using a thin stick or pen/pencil, push outward from beside each fin tab. This will 'pop' the body tube back in place around the fins. Then I use CA to secure the fins in place.

[fox_racing_guy]

One of my favorite rockets for sure and I used Krylon Gloss (old formula) on all of mine as well.