Fliskits Deuce 29 Build Log

[markg]

https://www.fliskits.com/WPRESS/product/deuce-29/
I picked this up from FlisKits at URRF this year. I'd been looking to add a MPR cluster rocket to the fleet and this is one fits the bill nicely.

The kit comes with just about everything you need, including parachute, harness and rail buttons. It features 3D printed centering rings and laser cut wood bits to make the canted cluster MMT easy to assemble.

I swapped the u bolt the kit came with for an eye bolt that was a grams lighter. Secured in place with red loc-tite.

The laser cut wood parts fit nicely into the 3D printed centering rings. They are secured in place with epoxy.



After gluing the forward CR onto the MMT I used wood glue and epoxy to mount the 29mm BTs. I sanded the glassine layer off the BTs where it meets the epoxy and glue in order to get a solid joint.



An elastic band holds the tubes in place while the glue dries.

 

[jmasterj]

Looking forward to reading this; I have one on the build pile that I need to move up!

 

[markg]

After the epoxy and glue dried on the MMT I added wood glue fillets for the motor tubes.



The kit comes with a template for cutting out fin tab slots and the cutaway for the canted motor tubes. I taped it onto the BT and used a fresh exacto knife to cut the holes.



Someone complained about the accuracy of the template in another thread here somewhere. I found the template to be perfect. Dry fit of the MMT shows easy to fill gaps.



And a full dry fit with fins and 3D printed nose cone. Looks like a rocket now!

 

[markg]

In order to make sure I got a good solid connection between the back of the BT and the MMT, I cut up a couple of small pieces of 2x4 to match the OD of the BT. Before inserting the MMT I spread West 105 on the inside of the BT where it would meet the CRs. I then added some 404 filler to the 105 epoxy to apply some fillets at the back to make sure the BT stayed tight around the back.



A slight out of focus picture showing the bondo I applied to the BT to fill the spirals and coated the 3D printed nose cone with to smooth it out. Way at the back you can see a bit of the wood filler that I put on the the connection between the motor tubes and the BT. That'll take a couple of rounds of filler/sanding to get a good finish on. For the forward rail button, I added a flange nut, this gives a good backing and allows me to remove the button for painting or replacement as needed. For the rear button I'll swap out the screw with a longer one and then thread it directly into one of the wooden supports on the MMT.



The laser cut fins look like very nice quailty plywood. I rounded the forward and rear trailing edges with a small hand plane, then sanded the surface with 180grit sandpaper using a RAS. There were two patches on the plywood that needed a bit of filler to smooth out.

 

[markg]

A bit of finishing work before I finish up the final assembly. It's much easier to sand the BT and fins before I put them together. I sanded down the bondo and wood filler on the BT and sprayed a couple of coats of gray primer onto the BT. Most of it will be sanded off and I'll end up with a pretty smooth BT for the final paint job.



The fins get a couple of coats as well. I should have masked off the areas where the fillets will go but since I forgot I'll sand those areas clean before assembly. I won't spray any color until after assembly.



The nose cone doesn't require further assembly so I went ahead and finished it. Sanded the bondo and sprayed a couple of coats of primer. Let that dry for about 45 minutes, then sanded with 220 and sprayed a couple of coats of blue followed immediately by a clear coat.

 

[dpower]

Subscribed! I keep watching the website hoping more are kitted. Think it’ll fly on a pair of Estes E16 or F15 motors?

 

[markg]

Subscribed! I keep watching the website hoping more are kitted. Think it’ll fly on a pair of Estes E16 or F15 motors?

I'm going to figure out the sim part of this after I get it finished and get a final weight. The rocket is designed to fly safely even if only a single motor ignites. I would guess BP motors might be enough if both lit, but would not be powerful enough if only one lit.

cheers - mark

 

[markg]

Time for the fin fillets. I'm using a 1 inch dowel covered in packing tape to smooth the fillets. To mark the fillet sides I put marker on the dowel and rub it on the fin and BT. Use some painters tape to mask on that line to catch the excess epoxy.

West Systems 105, 3g of 205 and 5g of 105 mixed up in a disposable cup. Add 7g of 404 filler to thicken the epoxy. Use a scrap piece of balsa to spread it along the fin root, then dip the dowel in some isopropyl alcohol before running it through the epoxy.

I waited about 45 min, then pulled of the masking tape and smoothed the edges a little with a gloved finger dipped in alcohol. The motor tubes get in the way of the dowel so for the aft end of those fillets I finished those with a gloved finger dipped in alcohol.

Once everything is dried up I'll hit it with some primer to see how it looks then add bondo and sand until I'm happy with the look.

Now I have to come up with a plan for final painting.

 

[loujoe]

Cool!!

 

[markg]

While the Deuce waits for paint I've found the dual mounts useful for holding other rockets waiting to dry.