Upscale Alpha III

[jadebox]

Was your order insured? I've had damaged items delivered due to rough handling, and they've replaced them no questions asked. I don't know how they work if orders are not insured.

I see that Hobbylinc sent a replacement. That's good.

I recall seeing the option to insure your shipment on the Hobbylinc site. It's silly because it's the seller's responsibility to deliver things in good condition. It doesn't matter if you volunteer to pay for insurance or not. There's no reason for you to check that box unless you're feeling generous.

-- Roger

[chadrog]

I don't think a 4" body tube would fit in one of those.



Copy cat! LOL

I see that Hobbylinc sent a replacement. That's good.

I recall seeing the option to insure your shipment on the Hobbylinc site. It's silly because it's the seller's responsibility to deliver things in good condition. It doesn't matter if you volunteer to pay for insurance or not. There's no reason for you to check that box unless you're feeling generous.

-- Roger

Apparently so. It's too bad that hobbylinc has to eat the costs for the incompetence of the USPS, twice in this case. Hopefully they'll start persuing cases against them, they've been getting worse.

[dlazarus6660]

I use to work a UPS some years ago. They had gorillas throwing boxes the length of the trailer when they emptied the trailers.
Can't wait to see this fly!

[qquake2k]

I got the decals from Mark at Stickershock. They look great! Can't wait to get this one done. I also got a set for BT-60 size tube.

[AfterBurners]

I had the same problem with their tubes. I ordered 24 and 29mm and both were damaged. They don't know how to pack them. They sent replacements and they were damaged too.

[gdjsky01]

Nice build thread as usual Captain!!!

- Jeff

[qquake2k]

Nice build thread as usual Captain!!!

- Jeff

Thanks Jeff! It's kind of stalled right now, though, until I get a good body tube.

[gdjsky01]

In the past I've had good luck with BMS and Giant Leap. Then there is What's Up Hobbies over in Stockton.
- Jeff

[qquake2k]

I finally got an undamaged body tube from Hobbylinc. They shipped this one FedEx Ground. I cut it to size with the miter saw, and epoxied the motor mount into the lower section. I also got the fin slots cut.

[qquake2k]

Because of the position of the forward centering ring, the rail buttons would have been very close together. So I decided to try something different. I epoxied two pieces of 1/4" plywood together, sanded a radius in one side, and epoxied it into the coupler. The forward rail button will screw into this block, instead of the block on the centering ring. That'll give the buttons another inch or two of separation.

[qquake2k]

Got the fins epoxied on.

[qquake2k]

And got the external fillets applied. That is one BIG Alpha III!

[cjp]

Looks great Jim,like what you did with the rail buttons.

[RayGNJ]

Nice build. I've got one in the works too. Based more on the original Alpha. The one with a balsa nose cone.

Good luck with it.

[qquake2k]

Looks great Jim,like what you did with the rail buttons.

Thanks Carl!

[qquake2k]

Nice build. I've got one in the works too. Based more on the original Alpha. The one with a balsa nose cone.

Good luck with it.

That looks great! Is it 5.5"?

[AfterBurners]

Well, I got the replacement body tube from Hobbylinc, but it's in worse shape than the first.

I had the exact same issue with them on both my first and second order I placed for LOC motor tubes. They never did get it right and I ended up scraping my build unfortunately. They need to pack the tubes in triangular tube boxes. I just ended up placing an order with BMS. It's not Hobbylinc's fault it's the damn USPS carrier. They have a bunch of disgruntle employees working for them. There's no reason that box should be that badly damaged.

[AfterBurners]

Looks like LOC has changed their nose cones. Never saw the ridges or this decal before. And it doesn't look like it's finished as nicely as the other ones I've used. Oh well, I guess that's why God made sandpaper.

I measured the circumference for the decal wraps. Looks like it's right between 12-11/16" and 12-3/4". Using pi, I get 12.56636". But 11/16" is 0.6875". Not sure why the discrepancy. I guess I'll let Mark at Stickershock figure this one out.

Sorry, but that just looks stupid. Why would they have ridges like that on the shoulder of their nose cones?

[qquake2k]

I had the exact same issue with them on both my first and second order I placed for LOC motor tubes. They never did get it right and I ended up scraping my build unfortunately. They need to pack the tubes in triangular tube boxes. I just ended up placing an order with BMS. It's not Hobbylinc's fault it's the damn USPS carrier. They have a bunch of disgruntle employees working for them. There's no reason that box should be that badly damaged.

This is the first problem I've had with Hobbylinc. I've ordered lots of body tubes from them in the past. Seems like FedEX Ground is the way to go.

Sorry, but that just looks stupid. Why would they have ridges like that on the shoulder of their nose cones?

I've heard it's so you can sand the ridges to fit body tubes with different inside diameters.

[AfterBurners]

Just seems like a lot of extra work. IDK? I'm just not a fan of sanding. Anywhoo the build looks great! So when you going to get to your part? Painting that is...LOL We all know how much you like painting....I feel the same way. I can't the number of times I messed up or something else has messed up one of my paint jobs.

[qquake2k]

Just seems like a lot of extra work. IDK? I'm just not a fan of sanding. Anywhoo the build looks great! So when you going to get to your part? Painting that is...LOL We all know how much you like painting....I feel the same way. I can't the number of times I messed up or something else has messed up one of my paint jobs.

I hear ya about the painting. I always approach painting with trepidation. This one shouldn't be too bad, though, as there won't be any masking. I still need to do the internal fillets, epoxy in the aft centering ring, epoxy the baffle plate into the coupler, and epoxy the coupler into the lower body tube. Oh, and I need to sand the nose cone and do the nose weight. So I'll probably start painting this weekend.

[RayGNJ]

That looks great! Is it 5.5"?

Thanks
No, its 4 inch. Stands just under 4 feet. Looking to fly it on high Gs and low H's
I has single deployment. I just wanted to build something that was big to fly at our mid power field.

[qquake2k]

Thanks
No, its 4 inch. Stands just under 4 feet. Looking to fly it on high Gs and low H's
I has single deployment. I just wanted to build something that was big to fly at our mid power field.

Mine ended up being a little over 4 feet. Probably because of the different nose cone. I think the only G i'll be able to fly mine on is a G138. Other than that, it'll be H's.

[qquake2k]

I got the baffle plate done and epoxied into the coupler.

[qquake2k]

Got the coupler epoxied into the lower body tube, and the internal fillets applied to the fin tabs.

[qquake2k]

A couple of the internal fillets had "sunk" a little bit, because I cut the fin slots too wide. I put another line of molding glue on them. Using some 1/2" nylon spacers to set the depth, I got the aft centering ring epoxied in.

[qquake2k]

Using a 6" piece of 3" ABS pipe to set the depth, I epoxied in the bulkhead.

[GDJ]

DAMN! That's a big Alpha!

[qquake2k]

DAMN! That's a big Alpha!

Yeah, it's a little bigger than the one I had as a kid. I won't be using an A8-3 for its first flight, that's for sure!

[GDJ]

Yeah, it's a little bigger than the one I had as a kid. I won't be using an A8-3 for its first flight, that's for sure!

I don't think 12 A8's would lift this off the ground!

You thinking High G-impulse, H-impulse for it's maiden launch?