Estes Fatboy fin thickness and body tube.

[YeahImJosh]

Quick question about the Estes Fatboy kit. Could someone who has a stock kit tell me what the balsa thickness is for the stock fins included with the rocket? My wife had a little accident with my built and ready to be primed/painted stock fatboy kit and I need to replace the fins and the body tube. Quick question about the body tube as well...It is the 8" length tube right? I don't have it right in front of me but I believe it was 8". Also, if I am building it with the stock 18mm motor mount, are through the wall fins really necessary? I was just going to get some sheets of balsa and cut out the fins without the extra part to go through the wall and glue them directly to the body tube instead. Thanks!

 

[judo]

Dang. At work right now. Built 4. 8" sounds right but I don't know 1/8" or 3/32".

 

[YeahImJosh]

Dang. At work right now. Built 4. 8" sounds right but I don't know 1/8" or 3/32".

If you could take a look and let me know when you get a chance I would appreciate it. I can't seem to find the stock fin spec anywhere online for some reason.

 

[judo]

Check back in an hour or so.

 

[Boosterdude]

BT is 8", fins are made from 3/32".

 

[RocketManDan]

that seems pretty thin? I thought the FATBOY was a 24mm rocket?? According to RockSim the fins are 1/8" and the engine mount is 24mm. The body tube is 8"

 

[Boosterdude]

Nope, stock Fat Boy is 18mm.

 

[RocketManDan]

Nope, stock Fat Boy is 18mm.

Sorry about that. Just trying to help.

 

[judo]

I got busy and forgot. Yes, to 8" , 3/32" ,and 18mm. My fins are all papered so they measure by bifocaled eyeball at 1/8". They shoot nicely on RMS D's.

 

[Sooner Boomer]

Quick question about the Estes Fatboy kit. Could someone who has a stock kit tell me what the balsa thickness is for the stock fins included with the rocket? My wife had a little accident with my built and ready to be primed/painted stock fatboy kit and I need to replace the fins and the body tube. Quick question about the body tube as well...It is the 8" length tube right? I don't have it right in front of me but I believe it was 8". Also, if I am building it with the stock 18mm motor mount, are through the wall fins really necessary? I was just going to get some sheets of balsa and cut out the fins without the extra part to go through the wall and glue them directly to the body tube instead. Thanks!

Are all the fins damaged? Are they broken off, or just split? I've got a Fat Boy that's been re-built so many times I don't know if anything but the nose cone is left from the original rocket. Personally, I think the thru-the-wall construction gives you a much stiffer/tougher rocket because the long lever arm of the fins can't bend the body tube. What I did to repair mine was to make duplicate fins (might be a good time to step up to plywood), cut the old fins off flush with the body, then cut a slit right next to the old fins. Be sure you cut on the same side of all the fins. Apply glue to the side of the tabs as well as the roots so that the new fins are attached to the old ones, as well as to the body tube.

 

[Sooner Boomer]

Here's a picture of my patched FB.