ACME Spitfire

[mjennings]

So I was working on my ACME Spitefire from Fliskits and ran into a bit of an issue, the central body tube protrudes about an 1 1/16" above the outer body tube. This causes the nose to sit well above where it should. does some one have the dimension of what it should be so I can trim it down to get a proper fit. I think I need to trim some where between a 1/4" and a 1/2", resulting in 9/16" to 13/16" above the outer tube. See the picture I took if my explanation didn't make sense.

 

[Pantherjon]

The top of the stuffer tube should extend 3/8" past the low side of the top tube section..The side opposite from where the toothpick gets glued to..And all that space around the stuffer and outer tube gets filled in with the clay

 

[jflis]

Ouch! Man, that sure don't look right!

The central BT-50 tube should be 14.45" long, overall. I would be most interested in the length of the tube in your kit.

Pantherjon's dimension sounds perfect, so you should be able to fix that. Keep me posted on your build with this and let me know if you have any problems fixing that long tube.

jim

 

[mjennings]

Thanks Pantherjon

Jim I'll double check the length, part of the problem came from that I got the BT-50 inserted a little to far in to the rear BT, but that distance was less than what I was sticking up. I had some sand to fit to get some of my joints a little cleaner so that might be the rest of it.

 

[mjennings]

Jim I got approximately 14.625" from my measurements, I could see where I could be an 1/8" long in the measurements.

 

[jflis]

Jim I got approximately 14.625" from my measurements, I could see where I could be an 1/8" long in the measurements.

Well, that sounds about right (if your measurement was a tad long), but man that looks out of wack (he says about an ACME Spitfire... )

Still, keep us posted on the fix. Cutting the tube down should be easy enough (though it's frustrating that you should need to...)

jim

 

[mjennings]

ehh to long is always an easier fix than to short. Hopefully I'll get the fins on soon and maybe if the humidity breaks get her sealed and primed.

 

[sandman]

ehh to long is always an easier fix than to short. Hopefully I'll get the fins on soon and maybe if the humidity breaks get her sealed and primed.

What!:y:

You don't have a tube stretcher?

How else would you get two 18" tubes from one 34" tube?:neener:

 

[mjennings]

3/8" from Pantherjon left a slight gap so I took it down to a quarter and it fits well now

Sandman that's easy you split the tube and give it a slight spiral to make up the missing two inches, only thing is you lose some diameter. :neener:

 

[mjennings]

well I finally got some where on the ACME Spitfire. I got it filled and sealed over the weekend, in the process I sanded into the tail shroud a little so I printed out a reinforcement sheet, glued it on, and got 2 coats of primer on tonight. 87 degrees and 66% humidity can't beat that with a stick especially here in Florida. The rain did eventually come so I didn't get all my priming done.

Two Pre-Priming Photos

 

[brianc]

in the process I sanded into the tail shroud a little so I printed out a reinforcement sheet, glued it on

LOL! Now you know where to put a hatch panel and rivets.


It'll fit right in!

 

[jflis]

ya know.... you have to wonder what goes through someones mind if you happen to invite them over to your place as you're building the ACME Spitfire and they have never heard of the kit....

If they say *nothing*, you KNOW they're THINKING something, and it probably isn't very complimentary... LOL Something like "man, this dude needs to cut back on the coffee..." LOL

Looks great to me, but then I know what it's SUPPOSED to look like...

jim

 

[Pantherjon]

Looks nice Mike! You going for any 'special' paint scheme?

 

[mjennings]

Thanks, I know what you mean Jim, every once in a while I go how does this thing fly straight? Paint scheme is going to be simple red with ACME in black on the sides, with a certain coyote with a taste for road runner, perched on a fin.

As far as the rivets go I ran off copies of the shroud on copy paper cut them apart and attached them to the original shroud and fins.

 

[mjennings]

I got the the first two coats of the red on tonight. first time using acrylics, man do they spray different from thinned testors,

Pictures of paint problems here if anyone whats to comment
https://www.rocketryforum.com/showthread.php?t=4389

 

[Bluegrass Rocket]

I didn't think to take build pictures of my Spitfire but, I thought I would share photos of the finished kit. I went with an all copper finish, thinking rolled sheet metal with rivets.

 

[jorpet]

Wow! I thought PantherJon's was stunning, Bluegrass your rocket is stunning as well!

That one is going to have to join the build pile soon!

 

[jflis]

Oh I just love it!

I've yet to see an ACME I didn't love. SO much potential there, for the creative mind

 

[mjennings]

Very nice, hopefully I'll be able to fix my paint issues and get something that looks pretty good.

 

[BobH48]

Being the classy guy that I am, I went with the "new" DPW highway barrel look.

No rusted and dented barrels for me.

 

[jflis]

Yep, there's another!

You should make another DPW barrel to use as a standoff when placing it on the pad

 

[mjennings]

So I got the not so good red sanded off over the weekend using some 400 grit and wet sanding, if I didn't happen to have a specific plan for this rocket I might have left it the distressed painted look it was pretty cool but didn't take a picture. All it needs is one more addition and a coat of future and it is ready for the field.

 

[mjennings]

one more picture

Hopefully I get some more done in the next few nights.

 

[Pantherjon]

Looks nice Mike!

Picture from here.

 

[mjennings]

Thanks, but I already pulled something off of the Warner Brothers Kids Page and cleaned it up and have it printed. It's just a matter of getting it laminated to card stock cut out and glued on.

 

[jflis]

Love the ACME decal THAT one should attract attention (and be very easy to find even in tall grass!)

 

[Pem Tech]

I didn't think to take build pictures of my Spitfire but, I thought I would share photos of the finished kit. I went with an all copper finish, thinking rolled sheet metal with rivets.

Oohhhh..
Very nice.
How did you do the rivets?

 

[mjennings]

Thanks Jim, actually it is a stencil, it is a font called Stencilia I grabbed from Dafont.com Left a little stencil behind on the non launch log side but a little brush work fixed it up pretty well.

 

[mjennings]

Well I finally got her finished and things may turn out OK for the coyote in the end.

I printed off Wile E Coyote laminated each side to two pieces of card stock, trimmed him down, sanded the corners of the fins down and attached him with good old Elmer's white glue. Wow that sounds a lot easier than it was. In hind site I wish I had laminated him to thin poly styrene as it would have been stronger and easier to cut. He's not perfectly lined up between his left and right half's but I'm ok with it I knew I had one shot to get it right and I got it close enough to be happy.

now it's picture time!

also attached is the PDF I got from the Warner Brothers site that I started with.









View attachment printables_wile-e-coyote_02.pdf

 

[JRThro]

Ouch! Man, that sure don't look right!

The central BT-50 tube should be 14.45" long, overall. I would be most interested in the length of the tube in your kit.

Pantherjon's dimension sounds perfect, so you should be able to fix that. Keep me posted on your build with this and let me know if you have any problems fixing that long tube.

jim

Jim,

Am I right in thinking the end of the motor clip is supposed to be even with the end of the body tube? That's how I built mine, because that's what the instructions seem to say.

The build is still in progress, btw.