FlisKits: New Cord Anchors

When we originally began the Micro to the MAXX line of kits we needed to find something to substitute for the screw eye common in standard size kits. We settled on a small craft nail that you would push into the base of the cone to hold the kevlar shock line in place.

This works well and has several years of success. The problem is that they can be a pain to install with the shock line. Small parts, thin shock line, tiny hole, etc, etc...

Well we came across a new Cord Anchor that will start appearing in all of our kits, where applicable. This is a split brad and makes attaching the shock line a breeze, as can be seen in the attached pix. NOTE: That is #35 kevlar in the picture and that nose cone is a NCB-2.5 size cone (very small)

• First pix: 2 brads (1 open, 1 closed), cone, shock line
• Shock line slides between the two halves of the brad (NOTE knot in end of cord)
• Push the brad into the base of the cone
• Press firmly to seat it against the shoulder base
• Pull the knot tight against the brad and apply a drop of glue (trim as needed)

Simple as that and even easy for my fat fingers and aging eyes...

Seems like an OK anchor as long as no additional Nose weight is required.

I've found it's just too easy to hollow out even the smallest Fliskit balsa NC and add a small Kevlar loop held with a few drops of CA/epoxy depending on the amount of Nose weight needed.

I'm sure in dealing with mass produced kits it's a lot easier and makes more sense to use a nail or split brad for ease of the builder.

Good find Jim, Looks like another Plus for Fliskits.

Well, any kit that would require nose weight would include it along with instructions for installing it and the anchor for the shock line. To date none of our kits require such weight so the issue hasn't come up.

Those look like a great improvement Jim! They should make the task of anchoring the cord to the nose cone so much easier.

I occasionally use these tiny brass craft screw eyes in scratch builds. I do like those split brads, though. So simple!

Those are great Jim. They'll keep less of the Kevlar under the head of the brad so that it'll sink in flush with the balsa. The old design was harder to push in because the knot in the Kevlar usually ended up taking up too much space under the brad.

jflis said:

Well, any kit that would require nose weight would include it along with instructions for installing it and the anchor for the shock line. To date none of our kits require such weight so the issue hasn't come up.

Click to expand...

The Just Past Due needs nose weight when you add the extra three engines that it's begging for. I figured that out after I flew it the first time and drilled a hole straight down through the tip of the nose. A little lead shot and some epoxy and it's stable again.

billspad said:

The Just Past Due needs nose weight when you add the extra three engines that it's begging for. I figured that out after I flew it the first time and drilled a hole straight down through the tip of the nose. A little lead shot and some epoxy and it's stable again.

Click to expand...

Good idea, but couldn't you just put a little clay in the payload section?

MarkII said:

Good idea, but couldn't you just put a little clay in the payload section?

Click to expand...

If I thought of that before I glued on the nosecone, yes.

Jim:
Had a chance to use both the Old style brass nail (Ulysses kit) and a New Split brad (Buck-Shot kit) over last weekend.

Used both with heavier 90lb kevlar. The new split brad makes the job SOOOOOOO much easier even with the heavier lines. Slips into a tiny slit in the Nosecone with just a bit of CA.

Great find Jim!.... They might be something to add to the Micro to the Maxx parts line as well???

Ended up removing the brass nail from the Ulysses Transition splitting & crumbling the shoulder pretty good...glad I have spares LOL!!! Reason I had to remove the nail was to detach the upper section from lower during finishing. The fix was to bore a small hole in the new transition shoulder, form a 1" overhand loop in a small piece of 90lb kevlar CA'ed in the replacement transition shoulder.
When finishing is done I'll reconnect body to upper section with a 2 or 3 half hitch knot to the loop and we're good to go.

John, good idea. I will see about adding those split brads to the web site this weekend.

jim