Hor Rod Rocket Shop Dash

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Bone Daddy

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This is a rocket I won awhile (actually quite awhile) back for one of the design of the month contests.

Was looking for something to build and she finally came out of the closet.

The kit is really nice as the three Hot Rod Rocket Shops I won all were.
Includes both a streamer and a parachute.
The balsa for the fins is not die or laser cut, but the included pattern is on a nice piece of bond paper.
Balsa nosecone will be replaced with a plastic one.

First task was to replace the balsa fins with 1/16" basswood.
I only had a 2" wide piece on hand so the fins are a little bit different hen the face card.
Since the fins are a little different, I suspect a few other things will be a little bit more different before we're through...............

Fins are mounted and fillets are about half done with Titebond molding and trim glue.
That's it for tonight.

More later.

dash mod 3 rs.jpg

dash mod 1 rs.jpg

dash mod 2 rs.jpg
 
Just got my big (no, really big) box of rockets from Estes.
Very tempted to pick up another one............................

Still working on fillets.
Not sure if I really love the molding and trim glue.

Bones
 
Thanks AfterBurners.
It will definitely be a 10' bird.

Shot some primer.
Spirals to fill, fillets still need shaping.

Lots of sanding to do, even to finish her as a 10' bird...................


Bones

dash mod 5 rs.jpg

dash mod 4 rs.jpg
 
Yeah, I just didn't put enough time and effort into paint prep on this pretty little bird.
It's not unusual for me at this point in a project to say "I wish I spent more time on prep" and then proceed to spend more time and money on stepping up the color coat. The flat black Duplicolor lacquer turns out to be very unforgiving. This is in contrast to my experience with flat black enamel which seems to hide everything.

Well back to sanding......................

Bones

dash mod 6 rs.jpg
 
Well this is turning out to be pretty much a buy the book build except for the slight mod in fin design. As such, it probably should be in the low power forum.

Flat black color coat finished.
Meguiar's rubbing compound followed by polishing compound and the finish is as good as it's going to get.

Note for future reference, I should have used spot putty over the trim glue fillets.

There is a strange area in one fillet that looks like cracks.
I'm tempted to go in and fill and paint, but I may just live with it.
Lots of little pits in the fins.
A definite 10' bird.

Started applying trim monokote.
It will cover up some of the finish problems.

I really like the shape of this rocket.
Maybe an upscale at some point in time?

Bones

dash mod 8 rs.jpg

dash mod 7 rs.jpg
 
More cracks are appearing in the finish at the fillets.

Duplicolor lacquer and Titebond molding and trim glue not compatible?
Glue shrinking?

Bones

dash mod 9 rs.jpg
 
The Dash is finished - or not, more on this in a bit.

Silver monokote trim finishes off the look.

I have several different color nosecones.
I like the white and the black.

The close up of the fins shows those annoying cracks in the finish.
The ocd in me wants to go back and fix them.
The oh let's just go fly rockets in me says forget about it.

I'm feeling a compromise, just not sure what it is yet.

Definitely going with streamer recovery.

Bones

dash mod 9 rs.jpg

dash mod 10 rs.jpg

dash mod 11 rs.jpg
 
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