Art Applewhite 38mm BLACK CINCO Saucer Build (BETA TEST)

[Kaycee]

I've enjoyed flying Art Applewhite's creations for several years. From the 13mm 'free' ones that are ready to download from his web site all the way to the 38mm kits, all of Art's kits are quick and easy to construct. Better still they are all fun to fly!

https://artapplewhite.com/

My 38mm CINCO has been flown many times over the years. With over 16 flights and a diet of commercial and research motors, to date it's seen ~3700Ns of AP and it's still going strong. It's my go-to vehicle when the clouds are low, need to test a new research motor or just want to -WOW- the crowd. My 38mm CINCO has never failed to deliver anything but successful flights and plenty of smiles.

I recently contacted Art and ordered two more 38mm CINCOs. He asked if I'd be willing to test a new 38mm BLACK CINCO and report back to him with my thoughts. Of course I said yes, and offered to create a build thread as well, so here we go...

I'll document the building of Art Applewhite's 38mm BLACK CINCO from build to flight testing.

Most all of the construction steps will also pertain to the WHITE CINCO that is currently available. I'm actually building both the WHITE and BLACK CINCO together, but most of the pictures will only be of the black version.

Please give constructive advice during the build. If you like what you see, please contact Art and encourage him to make this available for everyone.


The first 2 pictures are of my original CINCO. I built it bone-stock using white glue. The only addition was the Rockets Magazine sticker.

 

[Kaycee]

All 3 kits arrived safely and were packaged very well. Here's the first look of the BLACK 38mm CINCO...

 

[Kaycee]

Note: The black outer skin is flat black (better left as-is). As a comparison the original (white) CINCO has a smooth white finish (better for painting).

Here are the upper and lower sections...time to get cutting!

 

[halcro1]

Cool.. cant wait to see the progress

 

[Kaycee]

As per the instructions included with the kit, I used a new #11 Xacto blade.

I used a straight-edge and a steady hand for cutting out the top and bottom sections. Patience here will reward clean cuts and a nicer finished product...

 

[Kaycee]

Another picture of the top of the CINCO and of the scraps that were cut.

Don't throw away the scraps! Some will be used later...

 

[CarVac]

What sort of motors does this like best? I49's?

 

[artapplewhite]

What sort of motors does this like best? I49's?

Long burn, low thrust motors are not what you need for high drag designs. A medium thrust motor is better. A high drag design on a low thrust or regressive burn motor will arcs over under thrust and if the burn is long enough, hit the round under power.

The I49N is also a poor choice for another reason, the Warp9 propellant. It burns very, very hot. The 7 to 8 second burn heats up the motor casing a lot more than other propellants. This causes the foam in the foamboard around the motor mount to melt. I have flown the 38 mm stealth on an I49N and it wasn't pretty.

Art Applewhite
www.artapplewhite.com

 

[iter]

I49 is a glider motor :=)

Ari.

 

[Kaycee]

Next on the list is to cut out the outer printed ring on the upper and lower sections. This will provide clearance for the 38mm mount once halves are glued to shape. I also cut out the V notch for the launch rod...

 

[Kaycee]

The instructions state to cut a bevel between the upper and lower cut line of the lower section. I suck at that, so I came up with my own way of making sure I had a good glue joint once the halves are joined. The idea is to cut straight down through the marked line, carefully cut through the foam but -not- cut through the paper on the bottom. BTW, take a few of the scraps you saved previously and make a few practice cuts. After a few cuts, you'll get the hang of it. When done properly, the foam will pull away easily. I know my description lacks a bit, so here are a few pictures to demonstrate what I do...

 

[Kaycee]

It's time to form the top and bottom sections. Bend each one to shape as in the instructions. Once satisfied that the sections will meet properly, glue the paper 'seam' to only one side of each half. Wipe off any excess glue that oozes out with a wet paper towel. Let the glue set completely. While that is drying, now is the time to take a few scraps and practice gluing the joint together. Place a very thin bead of glue on the edges of a piece of scrap and let dry for ~5 minutes. Do not get any glue on the outer (black) surface. If you do, again wipe it off immediately with a wet paper towel. After the 5 minute wait, apply another very thin coat of glue on the edges and push the 2 pieces together. If you did this step correctly there will be no glue that oozes out of the joint. If so, you used too much. Repeat as needed on scrap pieces until you get a clean joint.

Now it's time to glue each half into shape. As you did with your practice pieces, apply a thin bead of glue on the edges to be joined and also on the other side where the 'seam' will glue. Allow to set for a few minutes and apply another very thin coat of glue on the edges. Carefully bring the glue joint together. Again, if any glue oozes out of the joint, wipe with a damp paper towel. Take a scrap piece, place it on the outside of the half you've formed and clamp (black side down) with a few spring clamps or paper clamps. I placed my scrap piece with the black sides facing the outer skin of the CINCO so if any glue were to ooze out and stick to the scrap, at least the colors would match once removed. This step is very important for a nice final finish if left black. Repeat for the other half and let cure overnight...

 

[Kaycee]

The next day the clamps were removed. The glue joints turned out pretty nicely...

 

[Kaycee]

Time to test-fit the motor mount to the top and bottom halves of the CINCO. If the fit is too tight, carefully trim the foam from the backside until you achieve a snug fit....

 

[JAL3]

The Cinco is my favorite of Art's designs. I wish the black one had been available when I got my 38mm. I guess that means I will shortly owe him money again.

 

[Kaycee]

Since this build is about a BLACK CINCO, I took the supplied 6" long motor tube and scuffed ~1-1/2" off each end to remove the glassine layer using 400 grit sandpaper, then sprayed a couple coats of Flat Black Rustoleum on each end of the tube...

 

[Kaycee]

Test-fitting the MMT. It was necessary to cut a little bit of the -seam joiner- on both halves so the motor mount would fit correctly. It was an easy modification. I used my Xacto knife...

 

[Kaycee]

Time to strengthen the joints of both the upper and lower halves. I'm using Titebond Molding & Trim glue for the next steps. The reason is simple--it stays-put even on vertical applications and I won't have to worry about the glue running away before it dries. It also dries clear.

Here I've added the glue to the inner joints of both halves. For the lower section I added glue the full length of the joint. For the upper section I added glue from the top, but stopped short of where the lower section will eventually mate with the upper section. I'll address this later, adding fillets once the the upper and lower sections have been joined.

After the glue was applied to each section I placed them on a flat surface. I added a little weight and let dry overnight.

 

[Kaycee]

After the glue dried overnight, here are the joints. These are not the best pictures because it's hard to see the glue. It dried clear as expected.

The upper and lower sections are now -very- stiff.

 

[Kaycee]

Next is to test-fit the upper and lower sections together. The fit looks pretty nice to me, so work on the MMT was next. I used some painter's tape to protect the painted ends of the MMT, then sanded between the tape as shown. This will give a nice, strong area for the glue to dry once the upper and lower sections are joined.

 

[Kaycee]

Time to join the halves together. I added glue to the MMT and slipped it into the top section, then added a small amount of glue to the edge of the lower section where is will meet the upper section. The lower section was then slipped into place. After a few minutes I added a fillet of glue where the halves meet, the last of the exposed grooves in the upper section and finally a little coat of glue on the exposed foam on the edge of the upper section. I let the glue dry overnight...

 

[Kaycee]

...and here's what the finished BLACK CINCO looks like, next to its white cousin that I built at the same time.

A few thoughts on the Black CINCO: I'm going to leave the CINCO just as you see it, no paint or sealers as I like it as-is. If built per the instructions you will have a great flying saucer that is sure to please. And while I made a few departures from the instructions during the build, I did so only to improve the strength and longevity. I suspect that I'll get 25+ flights or so out of this CINCO, and that's going to require alot of AP! Time to get mixing!

Bottom line? I like it! It's yet another winner and a nice addition to the vast offerings from Art Applewhite Rockets. Hopefully the BLACK CINCO will be available soon. I'd like to see more colors available also...how about it Art?

Test flights for both CINCOs will take place in January. I'll update the post with pictures and video at that time.

Thanks for watching!

 

[Kaycee]

The Black CINCO flew for the first time this past weekend at our monthly PMW launch.

Here's a picture of the Black CINCO, now sporting a Rockets Magazine sticker. It's shown here with a 2G Research motor.

 

[Kaycee]

I flew the Black CINCO several times over the weekend on both 2-Grain and 4-Grain Research loads. This was the only flight of several that tumbled on descent, and even so the CINCO suffered no damage...

[video=youtube_share;3VmcRIp0K1o]https://youtu.be/3VmcRIp0K1o[/video]

 

[Kaycee]

I also did something I haven't previously done to a saucer...I added a keychain camera to the Black CINCO.

Here's a video of a 2-Grain Research motor...

[video=youtube_share;d9_V-cjjOT0]https://youtu.be/d9_V-cjjOT0[/video]

 

[Kaycee]

The video of the 2-Grain motor came out pretty well, so I plugged-in a 4-Grain motor.

[video=youtube_share;hkLhQkM8Yq8]https://youtu.be/hkLhQkM8Yq8[/video]


As you can see, both flight profiles were as expected and stuck the landing.

 

[Kaycee]

Ok, so the Cinco can fly on 2 & 4-Grain motors just fine. You might be wondering just how much more motor -can- it take?

I found out, and will share my results tomorrow.

 

[Pantherjon]

Very cool:cool2: What is that object at the 26 second mark of the video in this post? The motor on a chute? That why it is so stable on the way down?

 

[Kaycee]

Very cool:cool2: What is that object at the 26 second mark of the video in this post? The motor on a chute? That why it is so stable on the way down?

That's actually the sun!

 

[artapplewhite]

The video of the 2-Grain motor came out pretty well, so I plugged-in a 4-Grain motor.

[video=youtube_share;hkLhQkM8Yq8]https://youtu.be/hkLhQkM8Yq8[/video]


As you can see, both flight profiles were as expected and stuck the landing.

Cool videos. The Cinco seems to be a lot more stable in flight that more conventional rocket. There is much less spinning going on during the ascent and it stays fairly level during the descent with just a little rocking back and forth.

I hope to use some of your construction photos when I make the instructions for the kit.

Art Applewhite
www.artapplewhite.com