Super Neon Mosquito Bash

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Here are all the trusses. I am reinforcing them using rocketpoxy applied with a tooth pick

Truss poxy.jpg

Waiting for the one side to cure sufficiently so I can flip them and do the other side
Then I'll feel safe to add the bands
 
The trusses are a lot stronger with the epoxy

Did a little sanding and applied bands to the first set

truss band.jpg

5 more pair to go....
 
A little detail on the bands

For one type I cut triangular pieces. I start with a little glue on the truss, start wrapping, and continue to wrap and add glue as needed until the wrap is done
I apologize for the quality of some of the pictures - difficult to be holding the piece and using my iPhone camera to take a shot with the other hand

band1.jpg band2.jpg band3.jpg

I did not get step by step shots for the other band. Here I used 2 rectangular pieces. Wrapped teh wide one followed by wrapping the narrow one

band4.jpg
 
Also worked the coupler. Used one of the centering rings. Made two notches. Took some Kevlar and tied knots, then tied ends together to make a continuous loop.
Since the center is normally made to be punched out I mixed up a bit of epoxy and drizzled it into the coupler

coupler1.jpg coupler2.jpg
 
Starting the launch lug. I want to offset it from the body

First I used a small BBQ skewer taped on for guidance with some wax paper
Then some larger Skewers on either side
And removal of the small one

LL1.jpg LL2.jpg LL3.jpg

I need to wait for these to completely dry before I add the lug
 
Added the launch lug - or should I say lugs.

I wonder if the Angry Launch Lug would approve?

But they are beveled... :p

ll4.jpg
 
I prefer the low and slow rockets, so having a rocket be draggy doesn't disturb me

However, having me in drag would be very disturbing :y: and something I just don't do
 
Decided to start work on the other "fins".

Of course I can't do things the normal way..........

I started with gluing 2 dowels together. Then added some balsa. A little sanding to contour to the BT5 tube..... and viola (well - dry fitted)

fin1.jpg fin2.jpg fin3.jpg fin4.jpg
 
Oddly enough, I popped for a Mega Mosquito and a Neon XL in the last great Estes Sale.
On a slow weekend, since my Mega Mosquito I still survives, I turned to the Neon XL and started playing with it, piecing it together.
Everyone asks, how many engines is that going to require? (One D or E, but there's six "sonic tubes" clustered around it.)
So as I finish this exactly like the box suggests, I found your thread again, and realized that I could have kit-bashed them together.
Not this time...but I'm enjoying your thread and your vision.
Carry on....
 
Spent a while tacking the trusses onto the body tube, and then followed up with using 5 min epoxy to reinforce the mount

truss1.jpg truss3.jpg truss2.jpg
 
I wrapped the body tube with sandpaper and I've been sanding water bottle tops to fit

These are going to become portholes

One thing I noticed is all the caps have "printing" molded into them. Using a grinding attachment for the Dremel I was able to reduce this.
The before and after shots

port1.jpg port2.jpg


I then painted the inside with copper paint. I'll mask the outside when I paint for it to show through
1st picture shows the insides painted. Second shows what they look like from the outside

port3.jpg port4.jpg
 
Very nice job on the Mega Mosquito/Super Neon XL bash.

I grabbed a couple of Super Neons in the latest Estes sale.

One is going to be bashed into a booster for two of the Guillow's foam space shuttles. I think I am going to do a slight restyling of the other SN XL and rake the tube fins and change the balsa fins.

The Mega Mosquito kit I have other plans for. The devil is talking to be about a mod to the MM so that it looks almost line a normal MM at launch, but becomes a variable geometry rocket glider that still looks a lot like a MM at ejection.....;)

Not trying to hijack your excellent thread.....I will start other threads as things develop.
 
attachment.php


Bird killers!!! Bwa Ha Ha Ha!!
 
Going for symmetry, I replicated the launch lugs on the other 2 sides. One set I did "plug" with a dowel. I first had to do a few wraps in paper to make a snug fit. This way I'll be able to drill this set to add rail buttons

LL5.jpg

Using epoxy I started installing the portholes

port5.jpg port6.jpg

Need to let them dry then do the other 2 sets

Here is how it looks so far

almost1.jpg
 
Not much today. Used a toothpick to apply epoxy where the fins hit the pods to reinforce the joint

fin5.jpg
 
I'm starting to think that the trusses don't fit in with the rest of the rocket and I'm thinking of cutting that section off (and save it for another rocket - I put too much effort into them)

I'm open to opinions....
 
I'm starting to think that the trusses don't fit in with the rest of the rocket and I'm thinking of cutting that section off (and save it for another rocket - I put too much effort into them)

I'm open to opinions....
Kinda agree, although they would look awesome on another rocket with different styling. Would you leave it shorter or replace that section?
 
OFF WITH ITS HEAD!!!

no head.jpg

Decided the trusses just didn't go with the rest of the rocket

The sad remnants

head.jpg

I used the last Super Neon fin tube to replace the missing piece. I will also add another row of portholes

no head 2.jpg
 
I like the headless version, I think the trusses would fit better on a rocket with a beefier bottom if you get what I mean.
 
I like it. the bird killers made it look too busy and random. they are cool, but belong on a different design. good call.
 
The new 3 port holes have been sanded and painted, and need to be applied

port7.jpg

There was a bit of a mismatch where the tubes joined, so I added a bit of Carpenter's Fill

new tube.jpg

While that was drying, I started adding the scoops / fairings?

scoop 2.jpg scoop 3.jpg
 
You cut off its head?

You’ve been watching too much “Game of Thrones”.
 
I've done a bunch of cleanup. More to go, but I think I'm going to hit it with a coat of primer to help see where it needs more touch up

But first I need to mask the pre-painted portholes....

almost ready.jpg
 
Sorry for the delay - life issues do sometimes get in the way

Used some purchased labels to mask the port holes for priming

portmask.jpg
 
Things have been busy and some things just take a while

Got it primed and then painted white

paint1.jpg

I did have a few runs that I needed to sand down and repaint. It's drying now, but we are having super cold weather and up to a foot a snow on the way...
 
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Been a while

Had a bad case of the building blues - just couldn't get motivated.

But, sort of recharged after NYPower

Added some stripes

trim1.jpg

trim2.jpg
 
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