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[jqavins]

It just occured to me that I haven't posted any in progress pictures since painting started. So here it is. The yellow bottom and green nose dome have had their intercoat sanding, the blue hasn't yet.


That dome really needs a sanding sponge, 220 grit. I don't have any sanding sponges except a set that goes from 600 to 20,000 or something like that. So I made one, from 220 grit paper and a kitchen sponge. I wouldn't recommend it, but it works in a pinch.


Now I'll give the blue a go before bed.

 

[mbeels]

The nosecone looks great! Very unique!

 

[jqavins]

I got the second and final color coats on the three sections today. It's a ten foot finish, but it'll have to do.

 

[jqavins]

It's high time for an update. A couple of weeks ago I put the first decal in warm water; when it began separating from the backer, I carefully lifted it out, and it immediately shriveled, narrowing into a string.

"Maybe the water was too warm" I thought. It was warmer than I usually use. So I tried again with Слава after the water had cooled off. Same thing.

I might reprint the decals and then try a different technique, or I might fly it decalless until I can save my nickels and dimes to make my first Sticker Shock order.

I also installed the parachute. I need a vent hole in the upper half so it doesn't blow the nose cone during ascent, and then it's ready to fly if I also (temporarily) forgo to gold leaf. But it does seem a shame to go decalless.

 

[jqavins]

I took advantage of some unexpected painting weather (it was 28° when I left for work yesterday, and is 60° now) to go one more round with the ridges on the nose cone. Sanded then sprayed. It was looking pretty good before, but I think this time it will be a good deal better.

That's all. Still trying to decide about the decals (I think I'll go with StickerShock, and that'll bee a whole new process for me) and with how I'll lay out the metal leaf. I'm paralyzed by indecision.

10/30, 2:07 pm, update: Yes, it is a big improvement. You really can't see the layer lines at all any more.

 

[jqavins]

Maiden launch (sans decals) and Q-Jet D16. Yeah, it's heavy (about 12 oz, but not too heavy for a D16^*. Apogee was at about 15 or 20 feet and it crashed, ripping open about 6 inches of the top and breaking off a fin. Repairable.

I don't know whether the problem was the motor or the launch lugs out of alignment, but it felt OK on the rod.

* ThrustCurve says a little slow off the rod, but all of 119 feet apogee. Alright, too low for that delay. But still.

 

[mbeels]

Did the nose cone survive? Sounds like a good candidate for a 24mm motor mount!

 

[jqavins]

Yes, the nose cone is fine. It's tough enough to wreck the tube.

It has a 24 mm MMT. I wanted to put in a D to keep it low (but not that low) and didn't have a D12 (which would have been wholly inadequate anyway) so I field built an adapter to use the D16.

Next time, an E30 or something like that, because I really do want to keep it low.

 

[mbeels]

Ah, I saw the D16 and jumped to conclusions. The E30 is probably a great option, high thrust and the total impulse is 30 Ns, so it is more like a D-and-a-half. Hope to see it fixed and flying again.

 

[jqavins]

Today I started on the repair. My plan was to rough cut the ragged top so I could get a coupler where I need it to back up the final cut. Since it was going to be rough, I just used a pair of scissors.

Turns out the scissors cut was unexpectedly good, so I'm calling that done. The nose cone shows the degree of imperfection.


There will certainly be a good deal of filling the imperfections, but I considered that inevitable from the start.

Then I measured what was left, 14⅝", so I cut what I needed to make up the original 18" length, 3⅜" from a fresh piece of tube. Or rather, I computed 3⅜, but cut 4⅜". Many of you know my motto, "Measure twice, cut once, screw it up, do it over." I decided not to do it over this time, i.e., not to bother cutting off the extra inch, and now the blue section is an inch longer than it was.

It's now glued up, the coupler and the two pieces at once, with a piece of angle to keep the result straight.


-----------------
Two hours later:

I took the angle off and started the fill process. That meant first sanding the paint on the original part a little, then spreading and smoothing in filler, that 3M foamed spackle with primer. It'll need sanding again, obviously, and at least one more round of fill and sand. But I've got plenty of time for that, since painting weather won't be coming around for a good four months or more.

 

[mbeels]

Looks good, glad to see it will fly again.

 

[jqavins]

I picked up the repairs again today. Everything is attached and flight worthy, if not pretty. It'll go up on Sunday at my club's New Year's Day launch.

 

[jqavins]

Snapped the launch lug standoff from the lower part, so I reattached it and the fillets are drying now.

The temperature is about 55°F higher than it was this time a week ago, so I'm a tually getting some paint on the repaired upper section. I'd have some yellow on if not for snapping off the launch lug.