Estes Ventris Build - help with a paint scheme

[Neuport]

Thanks Eric!

 

[pick1e]

Got the decals on and sealed with clear coat. Not perfect but good enough. I'm happy.

Looks awesome.

 

[paul.nortness]

Got the decals on and sealed with clear coat. Not perfect but good enough. I'm happy. I need to open the fin can vent but otherwise it's ready to fly as a motor eject and the nose section secured to the transition with screws. The vent really isn't necessary for the initial flights I am intending. Will maiden at Airfest on a G53 which sims to about 1400 ft. If I have time to build the sled and do some ground testing before Thursday then I will fly it DD, no motor eject. If I do motor eject I'll have to borrow a delay drilling tool or buy one at the field from a vendor. I didn't buy one with my hardware b/c I didn't intend to every use motor eject.

Weight without motor is 560 grams. Which is bloated compared to the label but still should be a great flyer.

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Just out of curiosity Neuport....are you a war gamer?

 

[Neuport]

Just out of curiosity Neuport....are you a war gamer?

No, not any kind of video/online gamer. Do you ask because of my user name or because I built a missle ? If the former, I chose the name because I have a scratchbuilt RC WWI Nieuport biplane hanging over my desk and when I was trying to think of a user name I saw it and mispelled it. If the latter, I just really like the look of military missiles and the Ventris looks like one to me.

 

[Neuport]

Thanks for saying so!

 

[paul.nortness]

No sorry....not a video gamer. I mean like table top gaming. I see a lot of that pink insulation foam in the background of your pics....that is typically used for making terrain for table top war gaming

 

[Neuport]

Oh. I use pink, blue, and white foams of various sizes and types for bulding model airplanes. They end of getting used in kids school projects as well and a few times we have made terrain. But, not for gaming.

 

[Neuport]

I got in a couple of flights at Airfest. On the second flight it picked up a 1 to 1.5" zipper 3/16" wide. I'm considering a ring of 3/4 oz fiberglass inside and out at the top of the tube. Better options?

 

[pick1e]

I simply used the supplied elastic shock cord and a cardstock trifiold on mine. Last weekend it survived a SERIOUSLY late deployment, maybe 50 feet AGL, with hardly a scratch.

 

[Neuport]

I wasn't very clear in my last post. I am looking for suggestions on how to repair the damage right now.

 

[ECayemberg]

My method of madness in dealing with zippers; in order of preference:

1) simply cut off the affected section, assuming it doesn't shorten the rocket too much, interfere with shock cord mounts, or eliminate purdy orange wraps. If possible, you're back to flying with only one quick cut!

2) Cut off the affected area as stated above and replace the affected section with a new section of airframe the same length; glued in place using a coupler. Still easy, but this adds time and material.

3) If the zipper is not *too* bad or cutting the affected section off is not an option for whatever reason, I will either:

A. Cut out only the zipper section and replace that section with a comparable piece of airframe, gluing in place with Medium and Thin CA, reinforcing externally as appropriate. In the case of your Ventris, this would be a small section roughly .5" wide and 1.5" tall. Good and Bad news here: Bad: it is hard to find replacement Estes PSII airframe. Good: if you're only replacing a section .5" wide, you can use a tube with similar, but slightly different diameter, and it's not really noticeable.

B. As you suggest, patch on the interior and exterior with a bit of glass, preferably with a filler (cardboard/paper/similar) in between. Minimize the amount of fabric and epoxy you use on the ID, otherwise your transition will no longer fit due to the decrease in ID.

Good luck!

-Eric-

 

[Neuport]

I think your right, just cutting it is probably the way to go. If it happens again, then I can try to use a coupler and add back what I lost.

 

[Spooks]

If you cut it, you can always add a new stripe, it's paint after all, might consider a longer shock cord?

 

[Neuport]

Agreed, I was planning to paint the stripe back. I'll have to check but I thought I had a very long shock cord. I originally thought the problem was due to a poor AV bay seal which lead to both the apogee and main charges going off nearly simultaneously as explained here. However, I'm not sure why that would have increased the liklihood of a zipper over what would have occured if they had staged properly. Whether or not I decide to add more shock cord I probably will add a Nerf dart cushion to the cord where it exits the BT.

 

[Derek]

Neuport,

Sorry to hear about the zipper. Your paint scheme is fantastic!

I'm in the process of building a Ventris now, and I have a couple of questions for you.

What did you use for the fillets? Yours look pretty good to me, but I'm a little lost as far as what to use. Elmers glue doesn't seem to produce nice fillets.

I also plan on modifying the transition to house a camera. I'd like to see more pics of your finished av bay if possible. I'm trying to figure out if I need to reinforce it after I cut part of the top off.

My transition also fit pretty loosely. I don't think it is usable in the original form, but it might be a good way to practice modifying it for a camera.

Thanks for your help.

 

[Neuport]

Sorry to hear about the zipper. Your paint scheme is fantastic!

Thanks!

What did you use for the fillets?

20 min epoxy mixed with micro balloons. I masked around the fins with tape and smoothed the fillets with a finger dipped in alcohol. Since then, I have started using small pieces of PVC pipe dipped in alcohol to smooth the fillets. For the ventris you probably want something small like the end of a plastic spoon, 1/2 or smaller CPVC, piece of plastic with a radius cut in the corner, etc. Whatever you use, you can place it on the fin/BT junction and mark were it just touches to gauge where to put your masking tape.

I'd like to see more pics of your finished av bay if possible. I'm trying to figure out if I need to reinforce it after I cut part of the top off.

Hope these help. Let me know if you need anything else. I cut into the end so that the outer edge of the end wall was still there to help maintain strength. Also, on my second flight, I had a pressure leak around the end cap (see the carbon staining on the inside) that caused my altimeter to fire the main early. I needed to seal it better. I may add a bead of silicone sealant to form a gasket. The four pin Deans connectors plug into my altimeter. I inadvertently left the sled out of the picture. It is just a thin (1/32-1/16 ish) piece of plywood with a small launch lug glued on that slides over the #6 allthread.

My transition also fit pretty loosely. I don't think it is usable in the original form, but it might be a good way to practice modifying it for a camera.

It is a pretty easy fix. I saturated the inside ends of the BT with thin CA. I let it dry and repeat a couple of times to build it up. I also built up some on the transition coupler. Then I sanded the parts back down as necessary to get the fit I wanted.

 

[Derek]

Thanks for the tips and pics! Those help a lot. I like how you left part of the ends intact to increase the strength. I'll probably copy that. I only plan on cutting the top off so I can slide a camera in and have it look out a hole in the tapered part of the transition.

Thanks again!

 

[pick1e]

Slick design on the AV bay, I think I'll borrow it if you don't mind

I saturated the inside ends of the BT with thin CA. I let it dry and repeat a couple of times to build it up.

On mine I used some stuff called "Zap-A-Gap CA+" which is basically CA with a filler material, so it builds up very fast (basically goes on thick and cures that way). Mine was quite loose and I used two coats then sanded smooth.

https://www.supergluecorp.com/zap/zap-glues/zap-gap