Estes Trajector PSII E2X: Tips and Tricks

[ActingLikeAKid]

So if you got this during the sale...

It's a quick and easy build and a lot of fun. Here are some tips:
-Cover the entire flight surface of the fins with masking tape before glueing them together. CA is fine for glueing the fins together and attaching the pods. But even if you're careful, there's an excellent chance that you'll get a tiny drop on a finger (ON YOUR GLOVE, YOU'RE WEARING GLOVES, RIGHT?) and then transfer it to some of the fin and then curse and then paint the fins gloss black and then have to sand the primer off the fin tab to make it fit. Ahem. So cover the fin surfaces so you don't muck them up. Also they do look 100% better with some gloss enamel on them.
-SUPER easy to do a kevlar-string shock cord mount on this (Wish I'd taken a picture, but the mmt is in the rocket. D'oh!) Drill two holes in the top CR, about 1/2" apart, between two of the fin notches. It should look something like this: / / o o \ \ (where the / / is a fin notch and the "o" is a hole). Holes should be around 1/8" dia. Make a loop of kevlar cord that goes through the holes and is long enough to reach from the top CR as installed to about 1" shy of the top of the body tube. Make sure the knot is on the bottom side of the CR. Mix up your favorite epoxy and put a gob in the CR. This will stop the cord from pulling through and the knot should be encased in epoxy. 1000% cleaner and stronger than a surface mount shock cord.
-If you're using something like RocketPoxy that can be thinned with alcohol, do everything you can not to get epoxy in the fin slots, but if you do, a q-tip dipped in alcohol works a treat for cleaning the slots out after you've installed the mmt before you put the fins in.
-This is probably overkill but I prefer a fishing weight to the nose clay. I got a lead egg sinker, put it on the end of a kitchen skewer, buttered the tip with RocketPoxy and slid it down into the NC. I did have to embiggen the hole in the NC, but doing it this way seems a lot more secure. Also for the love of all that is holy DO NOT use a kitchen skewer that has been around lead or epoxy for anything food related.
-I don't see a reason to put any of the engine blocks in. Leave the mmt tube unmolested, put the retainer on the back, and if you're using a BP engine, just make a collar for it out of masking tape. (~3-4 wraps, about 1/4" overlap, slice off excess)
-THE CENTERING RINGS ARE REALLY LOOSE in the body. You'll need at least 1 wrap of masking tape for a nice snug fit.
That's all for now, pics when it's done.

 

[Incongruent]

So if you got this during the sale...

It's a quick and easy build and a lot of fun. Here are some tips:
- But even if you're careful, there's an excellent chance that you'll get a tiny drop on a finger (ON YOUR GLOVE, YOU'RE WEARING GLOVES, RIGHT?)

Nah. I'm used to having CA on my fingertips... gluing fingers together...
Fingers work better than tissue for wiping off stray drops from the malfunctioning bottle. Tissues to towels leave fibers, gloves don't pick up the CA as well in my experience...
Can't feel the CA through a glove.
Comes off in under 12 hours.

The only time I mind is when I need to eat or wash my face... scratchy scratchy... especially since my fingers don't notice it. The CA is also fun to flake off...


I enjoy CA coating things... is that weird? It hardens the outside and angles can be sanded sharper...

 

[tab28682]

Some good ideas in the first post. I left of the motor blocks for the same reason.

An even better way to install a Kevlar shock cord in any PSII E2X kit is to is to drill a small hole through both centering rings after the motor mount is assembled. Thread the Kevlar through both holes and tie it off in a loop around the rear of the motor mount tube.

This way, you can easily replace the shock cord if needed. Simply cut the loop at the back and pull out the old Kevlar cord. Take about 8" of scrap music wire that is 1/32" or smaller and make a needle out of it by folding over one end of the wire and crimping the end of the new Kevlar in it. Thread the needle through the holes in the motor mounts and tie off the new shock cord around the motor mount tube.

After the motor retainer is glued in, it is a little tight in the back, but it is still doable.

I believe you could use a long 3/32 drill bit and drill the centering rings for this shock cord mount after the model is complete. Looks to be just enough room between the threads of the motor retainer and the outer flanges of the centering ring.

I also highly reccomend the Phantom Trajector skin wrap produced by John Pursley. Not inexpensive, but easy to install and hugely improves the look of the Trajector. Here is a picture of mine with the wrap. I also painted the fins, pods and motor retainer to give it a new color scheme that looks better with the wrap.

 

[mccordmw]

Ah the Trajector. My favorite rocket. I try to launch mine every chance I get. I love lofting it up on an F15-8.