SecretSquirrel
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However, my opinion of what "should not be that hard" probably corresponds most realistically to 90% of current modelers couldn't handle it. (And I am not referring to the population represented by TRF/YORF/RP, I am referring to the great unwashed masses that purchase all those RTF rockets and that make up 99% of the rocket-buying base.) They probably cannot do this.
I would like to say that I think it is commendable that you would "force" a little hand-work back into our hobby and not simply knuckle under and provide a trio of nose cones and tail cones.
If these tip-bodies are to be part of a potential kit offering, may I suggest: you should provide sufficient materials for four or five pods (surely it wouldn't cost that much), have the builder assemble all sets, and let him select the best three. Whaddya think, Don?
I'm definitely intrigued, just based on what you have shown!
I'm just trying to gauge how this will go over and decide if it's something we should pursue or abandon.
As you can see, the central element of the pod is integral to the fin (those babies won't pop off on landing). So we would have to include extra fins which use up a fair amount of balsa. This would cause a fair increase in the price of the kit. It's something to think about but the cost may be prohibitive.
Wish I could show more, but I'm a little reluctant to do that. I have no idea when we'll get this kit out.
I agree with Kevin.
I would buy a kit like this.
In fact, the Firebird SST had something similar for its pods, IIRC.
Until then, I still have most of a tube of Bondo Putty left over from another project.
It think that it's an excellent idea. As I indicated above, Estes Industries was very successful in selling kits that required tasks like this back in the 1960s. As a teenager with only limited model building experience, I was not all that put off by such construction steps. I just forged right ahead and did my best with them. Tackling steps like this is a great confidence booster! I would be delighted to see more kits like that again, kits that demanded a little bit more from the builder. It's one of the reasons why I build so many of my rockets from scratch.We've reached a point where we feel we offer a fair selection of easily assembled kits. We're now looking at things that offer a few more challenges. "Sanding to shape" isn't what I would call a basic skill, but it's something that serious builders should consider mastering. In future, we may be offering kits that require similar skills and I'm just trying to gauge how this will go over and decide if it's something we should pursue or abandon.
I am a bit perplexed about the "can't buy" thing.
I sometimes forget that "subtle" doesn't always come across on the forums. We're not planning to sell this kit, we're planning to give it away.
The Firebird does have something similar but the instructions do not call for you to round off the corners. My original concept was to have the builder do that but I was talked out of it for fear that it was not builder friendly. My Firebird has nice tear drop shaped pods.
I agree that shaping like this is not a "basic" skill but it is learnable. I hope to learn it someday.
Until then, I still have most of a tube of Bondo Putty left over from another project.
No one ever learns a new skill by avoiding it. Every time that you complete an assembly like this, you get a bit better at it. It doesn't take that long to achieve basic competence in balsa shaping but you have to actually be willing to do stuff like this instead of passing on it. None of us get any better as builders if we only work with stuff that has been pre-cut and pre-shaped for us. I'm sure that most people who are reading this thread have fashioned parts or sections that were at least as demanding as these pods (and they do not appear to be terribly demanding).Wood filler hides a multitude of sins in my fleet.
As a ham-fisted hack in the shop, I'd be happy to offer my services as a beta-tester. If I can get good results from your destructions and pieces parts, anyone can!
Honestly, if you want to send me a kit for eval, I would be happy to photograph every step and return a full and honest report to you.
Send me a PM, if you want.
G.D.
I sometimes forget that "subtle" doesn't always come across on the forums. We're not planning to sell this kit, we're planning to give it away.
Details to follow.
The easy part of this is to round the points. The outside edge shouldn't be a problem either. However, the inner portion of the pod aginst the fin will be a deal changer....
I used to fret over getting the instructions just right. Then I came to realize that no one reads them.
No one ever learns a new skill by avoiding it. Every time that you complete an assembly like this, you get a bit better at it. It doesn't take that long to achieve basic competence in balsa shaping but you have to actually be willing to do stuff like this instead of passing on it. None of us get any better as builders if we only work with stuff that has been pre-cut and pre-shaped for us. I'm sure that most people who are reading this thread have fashioned parts or sections that were at least as demanding as these pods (and they do not appear to be terribly demanding).