Hello There...
As the title implies, I've been building an Estes Little Joe I that I received as a holiday gift more than a year ago. I decided to start building it rather than finish my other rocketry projects since this was given as a gift along with a Super Big Bertha from the Mrs.!
It's a pretty good quality kit save for the lack of the written word in the instructions. I *pine* for the old style instructions that came with Estes kits, which, if you actually read them, left no room for interpretation whereas with the cartoon-like instructions we get now... not so much!
Now that's out of the way I've been trying to build this one with great care etc. as the fin construction (they're cardstock covered balsa frame construction if you were unaware) is somewhat intricate. I followed the directions as indicated...
I have two curmudgeon complaints here:
Upon putting the fins together, in spite of the laser cut main supporting spar, they are slightly different in span... as I discovered when I applied the *carefully* cut cardstock covers to each. The cardstock extends well past the balsa tip plates by slightly different amounts for each fin. No big deal really but the cover photo does not show recessed fin tips... nor does any photo of the LJ-I appear to show such an arrangement. Yes this is minor... I will likely trim away the excess (something NOT noted in the instructions... even via cartoon!) I could leave them this way but the cardstock tips will damage on every landing... so, OFF it comes!
BTW: DON'T use white glue on the cardstock covers the way I did.... it's virtually impossible to get them on without them wrinkling where the glue comes in contact. I used as little glue as possible (whatever that means) but you'll be painting them silver... and that shows EVERYTHING if you don't do something about it. Luckily I have bondo and sandpaper.
The bigger issue I have is that the fins have tabs for TTW construction. A good thing under any circumstances. But the construction is such that the motor hook (spring steel...) is right *underneath a slot*! That means you're gluing this fin to the motor hook... which flexes whenever you insert/remove a motor! I see a fin failure ultimately! Murphy's law: If you fool with something long enough, you'll BREAK IT!! The motor mount construction sets this up... If I were to build this one again, I would change the position of the motor hook so it was between the fins... cutting a new notch in the aft centering ring... and extending the short fin tab by the required amount.
As the title implies, I've been building an Estes Little Joe I that I received as a holiday gift more than a year ago. I decided to start building it rather than finish my other rocketry projects since this was given as a gift along with a Super Big Bertha from the Mrs.!
It's a pretty good quality kit save for the lack of the written word in the instructions. I *pine* for the old style instructions that came with Estes kits, which, if you actually read them, left no room for interpretation whereas with the cartoon-like instructions we get now... not so much!
Now that's out of the way I've been trying to build this one with great care etc. as the fin construction (they're cardstock covered balsa frame construction if you were unaware) is somewhat intricate. I followed the directions as indicated...
I have two curmudgeon complaints here:
Upon putting the fins together, in spite of the laser cut main supporting spar, they are slightly different in span... as I discovered when I applied the *carefully* cut cardstock covers to each. The cardstock extends well past the balsa tip plates by slightly different amounts for each fin. No big deal really but the cover photo does not show recessed fin tips... nor does any photo of the LJ-I appear to show such an arrangement. Yes this is minor... I will likely trim away the excess (something NOT noted in the instructions... even via cartoon!) I could leave them this way but the cardstock tips will damage on every landing... so, OFF it comes!
BTW: DON'T use white glue on the cardstock covers the way I did.... it's virtually impossible to get them on without them wrinkling where the glue comes in contact. I used as little glue as possible (whatever that means) but you'll be painting them silver... and that shows EVERYTHING if you don't do something about it. Luckily I have bondo and sandpaper.
The bigger issue I have is that the fins have tabs for TTW construction. A good thing under any circumstances. But the construction is such that the motor hook (spring steel...) is right *underneath a slot*! That means you're gluing this fin to the motor hook... which flexes whenever you insert/remove a motor! I see a fin failure ultimately! Murphy's law: If you fool with something long enough, you'll BREAK IT!! The motor mount construction sets this up... If I were to build this one again, I would change the position of the motor hook so it was between the fins... cutting a new notch in the aft centering ring... and extending the short fin tab by the required amount.