Wac Corporal Micro Scale (ASP-Kits)

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Micromeister

Micro Craftman/ClusterNut
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Some time back I purchased a number of ASP (Aerospace Specialty Products) Micro Maxx "Scale" kits. Fully intending to build these kits they are Semi-Scale "kits" so I hung them on a nail in the Rocket dungeon until I found or made the time to upgrade them to some sort of Scale.
One that has always been on my "To build" list is the Wac Corporal which was also one of the ASP kits.

To start with ASP's kit has both Sustainer and booster using the same minimum T2+ diameter Body tubes. this Bothered me when I first opened the kit as the sustainer is actually larger and has a very short Boattail to boot. Several other items needed a little work & I wasn't sure if I wanted to attempt to stage the bird or not.
Just after New Years the kit crossed my eye again and I decided it was time to do something with it. Opting a single stage flight profile, we're going with most of the original kit parts. adding a few wraps of Tracing velum to the sustainer to bring the OD up to scale. After CA soaking the aft end of the Sustainer the boat-tail was Filed off, CA filled and sanded down to as close as I could. After the fins were shaped, attached & fillets applied the boat-tail all but disappears:( it did allow the addition of a taped forward Booster attachment ring and a modified rear Stand-off Bar ring file & sanded down from a T2+-T3 Centering ring. The Booster Fin attachment straps are models using Chrome mylar adhesive backed vinyl after painting they well be black. the Supplied Balsa NC was a little short so Epoxy & CA build up and sanding corrected the length and added diameter to match the sustainer body.
As is my usual I've replaced the always too light and short supplied shockline with 30" of 70lb braided Kevlar along with the mylar streamer which will be replaced with 1/2" x 9" yellow Teflon Wadding/Streamer. Leaving the Streamer/shock-line stored in the sustainer as a Drag Out recovery system per the original design.
Some photos will be added a bit later. Honestly I forgot to take some of the early construction pics as I was building.
Looks like it's going to be a very nice addition to the Fleet.

Edit: Add Some early Photos. Note that this build was started in October of 2011...Talk about a Slow build:) Sometimes it takes awhile to work out the Scale upgrade bugs and get the "Round Tu-it" thing going again.

MM 399uc01_Wac-Corporal NC CA filling_10-16-11.JPG

MM 399uc02_Tracing Paper wrap Upper Tube_10-28-11.JPG

MM 399uc03a_CA soak Aft end boattail area_10-29-11.JPG

MM 399uc03b_wick CA into tube end_10-29-11.jpg
 
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My first entry into scale modeling was the 18mm ASP Wac. Did... 4th place? I think at NARAM 49. I very much liked the quality of that kit. Any photos to share?
 
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My first entry into scale modeling was the 18mm ASP Wac. Did... 4th place? I think at NARAM 49. I very much liked the quality of that kit. Any photos to share?

10-4 on the quality of ASP Kits Brian; In the past I've used a number of their 18mm kits as starting points for Scale builds. always great quality parts and materials.

Have several pics in the camera but haven't had time to download or edit them. If all goes well I hope to have Sustainer and Booster Primed, sanded & Base color coated this weekend. While the pieces are in the Paint Booth drying I should have time to work with the photos. I noticed the other night some of the earlier pics didn't seem to be as focused as I'd like.

Edit: Adding re-start building Photos.
 

Attachments

  • MM 399uc04a_Sustainer,filed Boattail & Conduit_01-29-14.JPG
    MM 399uc04a_Sustainer,filed Boattail & Conduit_01-29-14.JPG
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  • MM 399uc04b_Booster-Sustainer CloseUp Fins & Fillets_01-29-14.JPG
    MM 399uc04b_Booster-Sustainer CloseUp Fins & Fillets_01-29-14.JPG
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  • MM 399uc05_Cutdown LLugs in Fin-Body Join Fillets_01-29-14.JPG
    MM 399uc05_Cutdown LLugs in Fin-Body Join Fillets_01-29-14.JPG
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  • MM 399uc06a_Mylar Fin Strapping detail_02-04-14.JPG
    MM 399uc06a_Mylar Fin Strapping detail_02-04-14.JPG
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  • MM 399uc06b_Mylar Fin Strapping Detail CloseUp_02-04-14.JPG
    MM 399uc06b_Mylar Fin Strapping Detail CloseUp_02-04-14.JPG
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  • MM 399uc07a_Clear Tube.5in sep with attachment rings_02-06-14.JPG
    MM 399uc07a_Clear Tube.5in sep with attachment rings_02-06-14.JPG
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Over the weekend did get the priming, sanding and Base color coating done. Sanded my cheapy brown primer down sparingly with dry 320 grit, tac-rag wiped then applied Old formula Krylon Black to the Booster & Nosecone, several very thin coats of yellow to the Sustainer. Now will let them sit for awhile to harden up before doing some Finessit-II polishing prior to final top color coats. Perhaps by next weekend?

MM 399uc08a_Stock .5in styrene stage Sep. Bars on DF Tape_02-06-14.JPG

MM 399uc08b_Stage Sep Bars Painted Black_02-08-14.JPG

MM 399uc09a_Wac Corporal in Brown Primer_02-08-14.JPG

MM 399uc09b_Booster& NC Sanded_02-09-14.JPG

MM 399uc09c_Wac Corporal Sustainer Sanded_02-09-14.JPG

MM 399uc10a_Wac Corporal base Color Coats_02-09-14.JPG
 
Over the long weekend had a chance to proceed a bit further on the MMX Wac-Corporal.
Mask and 2nd color treated the Sustainer, Installed the Clear pass thru interstage coupler with fine styrene struts attached. knotted the 70lb kevlar to the forward end of the rear eject interstage coupler along with 1/2" x 9" yellow Teflon Wadding-Streamer.
Last paint step is to mask and paint two of the sustainer fins Silver. Then apply the two sustainer body strip decals.

More photos will follow laters.

MM 399uc10b_Wac Corporal 2-tone Sustainer_02-16-14.JPG
 
Lookin' Good!

IIRC, Chris Michaelson and I unintentionally built ours at nearly the same time. I think there's some posts about it here or in the archives.
 
Thanks Brian:
Have you flown Wac? I know several people who have built the Wac-Corporal ASP kit but None have actually flown it.

I'm curious as to how well the clear tube cleans up after a few Launches. I plan on having a couple long cotton tip swabs & alcohol to as quickly as possible remove the ejection residue but I'm sure some heat and flame damage will no-doubt occur.
 
Thanks Brian:
Have you flown Wac? I know several people who have built the Wac-Corporal ASP kit but None have actually flown it.

I'm curious as to how well the clear tube cleans up after a few Launches. I plan on having a couple long cotton tip swabs & alcohol to as quickly as possible remove the ejection residue but I'm sure some heat and flame damage will no-doubt occur.

Flown many times! A great MMX performer. You're correct about the clear plastic- it will get coated with residue, but I haven't seen any heat/flame damage yet.
 
Flown many times! A great MMX performer. You're correct about the clear plastic- it will get coated with residue, but I haven't seen any heat/flame damage yet.

That's great news Brian;
This one should be a fine Addition to my Micro Scale model fleet.
with any luck the plan is to mask and silver paint two sustainer fins this evening. Perhaps I'll get a couple close ups of the inter-stage rings & struts as well.
 
Lookin' good! I admire your ability to work with such small parts.

Also, does MMX staging work just like regular BP, or is there some special trick to it?
 
Thanks Brain: Actually it's all about what you get used to. Honestly it really isn't very much harder working with these small models then it was Up Scaling standard models. There are a few things that help like a pair of tweezers but other then that Construction is almost Identical to model construction as done for decades:)

While this particular model is not staged rather a rear ejection/Streamer Drag-out deployment.

Micro's Do Stage just like any other BP motor model with this one little exception our only "Booster" motor is actually after market Quest Aerospace modified (and Certified) MMX-II-NE motors. The NE designation denotes "No Ejection" meaning the ejection charge part of these motors has been removed. However the .854s average Delay train remains. This Delay before burn-Thru can be Heart Stopping on some heavier larger OD Staged models. Bill Stine has mentioned his intent is to have a "True" -0 Booster motor made in the next China Motor run.

To date I've had Excellent results flying several two Staged models up to T4 (.448"dia.) OD Airframes. Logging more than 20 staged flights I've had only one mishap where the model failed to stage but did ignite the Upper stage motor burning up the still attached lower stage internals.
 
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