Eclipse Original Design - Estes PSII Airframe Parts

[Jozef]

About a year ago I ordered some heavily discounted PSII kits and airframe parts from Estes. I concocted the Eclipse from Estes Argent airframe components, built a baffle into the aft coupler, beefed up the transition harness anchor point, added a 1/4 inch kevlar harness tag ..... and fins cut from 1/8 canvas phenolic sheet. Motor retainer is Aeropak. Before assembly, I used a single edge razor blade to "squeege' Bondo glazing duty over all airframes and block sanded until all spirals and low spots were filled. various epoxies are used in assembly. After assembly the airframe got three coats of Minwax Polycrylic applied with a foam brush...sanded lightly between coats. This stuff really toughens the skin on paper airframes. It is also neutral to any topcoat system your may apply. It is shown here with the initial primer coat. I have yet to decided in a paint scheme, but it will be automotive base coat/clear coat. Intent is to fly it with G and H motors

 

[Nytrunner]

Love the PSII builders and their derivatives.

Is it going to be single split with a chute release?
(A little cleverness can get a stratologger cf in that transition )

 

[Jozef]

Love the PSII builders and their derivatives.

Is it going to be single split with a chute release?
(A little cleverness can get a stratologger cf in that transition )

Yes.. Motor eject with JLCR.

 

[Nytrunner]

That'll work nicely.

If I'd kept things that simple, I wouldn't have had to repair my Argent over the holiday

 

[Andy Greene]

Looks good Joe - I have a hopefully unmolested box of PSII bt's and parts arriving in the am for my latest addition to the fleet.

 

[Jozef]

Yes, The PSII builder kits that are left are a steal. Order extra parts and let your imagination take over. For my third PSII conversion, I built an open rocket file for a Velociraptor built around PSII components. I have a Binder Design Velociraptor yet to be built and love the design. I have not yet worked on the talon fins. The airframes have the bondo treatment I referenced earlier. The tailcone is cut from a Partizon NC. The motor retainer is a 29 Slimline. The motor tube is cut from phenolic tube. The fins are cut from canvas phenolic sheet. No work in this one until I finish the ETHOS 2.0

 

[Jozef]

OH... hers is the one that started my PSII kit bash binge. Same process and components used in the Eclipse build. Forgot to mention rail buttons. Paint is automotive base/clear with a pearl intercoat. Graphics are by Mark Hayes

 

[Nytrunner]

The thought of that much spot putty on the entire airframe makes me itchy, but it looks like it works for you.


What's your technique for slotting boat tails? I'll be facing that challenge soon for my L2.

 

[neil_w]

Wow, that Argent is stunning.

 

[Jozef]

The thought of that much spot putty on the entire airframe makes me itchy, but it looks like it works for you.


What's your technique for slotting boat tails? I'll be facing that challenge soon for my L2.

I slotted these with a dremel cutoff wheel labeled thin cut. I used a srraight edge to extend the fin slots from the airframe slots. On the Bondo spot putty, it’s just a thick primer like material. Most guys fill spirals, but paper airframes are full of low spots.

 

[Jozef]

Thank you, Neil

 

[Nytrunner]

I slotted these with a dremel cutoff wheel labeled thin cut. I used a srraight edge to extend the fin slots from the airframe slots. On the Bondo spot putty, it’s just a thick primer like material. Most guys fill spirals, but paper airframes are full of low spots.

That does make sense for that scale of cone. I've got to find a way to trace 4 10" slots down a LOC 5.5" short cone, so I'll have to account for the drop while keeping my marks true.

I use the spot putty on everything, but only on spots lol. Wood filler on the spirals and filler primer have worked for me so far. I may try your technique on my Leviathan build though. That just seems like a lot of putty.

 

[Jozef]

That does make sense for that scale of cone. I've got to find a way to trace 4 10" slots down a LOC 5.5" short cone, so I'll have to account for the drop while keeping my marks true.

I use the spot putty on everything, but only on spots lol. Wood filler on the spirals and filler primer have worked for me so far. I may try your technique on my Leviathan build though. That just seems like a lot of putty.

I used the wood putty mix in the past because that was the trend on the forum for paper and wood airframes. I found the stuff to be too coarse grained for small spirals and tended to warp balsa fins. In that I came from some auto refinishing, I wanted to adapt any products that could be applied to our sport. If applied with a single edge razor blade in a squeegee fashion, the product used does not create a thick layer. The attached photos show an Estes Nike Smoke airframe at application and after block sanding with 220 grit. I let the stuff dry for a couple of days before sanding as you would with any single stage acrylic primer. Application of the glaze leaves some ridges that are easily cut by the 220. I do this before assembly as it aids in easy block sanding. No fins to interfere and it does not hinder wood glue or epoxy for adhering the fins. My low power rockets use this process with wood glue to attach fins. Other following photos are from an Estes Nike Smoke airframe after application and after sanding. You can see that more than spirals are filled with a fine texture. Sorry for the sideways photos, but have yet to find out how to fix that on TRF


This is the pearl white Argent after one coat of Duplicolor filler primer..

 

[Jozef]

That does make sense for that scale of cone. I've got to find a way to trace 4 10" slots down a LOC 5.5" short cone, so I'll have to account for the drop while keeping my marks true.

I had the same issue on my tailcone. the fin slot lines tend to converge at the trailing edge when using a flexible straight edge. I used the tapered lines to set a center point aft of the fin slot the trailing edge