Flis kits Borealis

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jim fustini

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I have a Flis kits Borealis that I am thinking of starting to build. Has anybody built one? And do you have any tips? Most of my time lately has been spent on high power projects, ( just completed my level 2 bird) This kit seems to be somewhat delicate and I don't want to make any mistakes. I have built the Rose-a Roc a while back and it was quite a challenge, but it turned out great.
That is what I like about Flis kits they have more challenging builds not just 3FNC's . Anyway any tips would be welcome .thanks
 
Thanks Vanel, I have seen the EMRR reviews. I just thought I would post my first thread and get some advice from TRF members,to get to know some of you. Thanks for the reply.
 
Jim,

This should help:
  1. Read the instructions.
  2. Read'em again.
  3. Take your time
  4. Make sure you have all the tools you need
  5. Read the instructions again
  6. Then begin

:D
Serously, the kit will go together very well without too much complexity if you *read* the instructions. It *is* delicate in its own way but my experience tells me that you're apt to do far more damage to the model transporting it to and from launches than you will flying it... :)

Also, here are some threads from the TRF archive that should be a big help:

A build thread by EchoVictor

Finishing and flight thread by cjl

I look forward to hearing from others who have built this beauty :)

jim
 
Thanks Jim, I guess there is nobody that knows more about the kit than you do.
I ALWAYS read the instructions first. It's just that some instructions (no names) have their steps to build, ending up making the kit more difficult than need be. I have worked as a metal fabricator for 25 years and have found countless errors with blueprints. This tends to make one cautious.:)
 
This ones been sitting there and intimidating me for almost 2 years now.

I'd like to see one go together piece by piece.
 
I built one (posted one of the EMRR reviews). I will say it's a LOT simpler than it looks. Really. Not much effort or complexity. Really. Don't be scared by it.

Best advice I can give is, if you really want it to look sharp, figure out what color scheme you want BEFORE building it, and pre-paint parts where necessary to avoid complex masking. You'll then want to either scrape off a very tiny line for bond surface, or mark and mask with really thin strip of tape (maybe 1/32). I'll bet I had the actualy construction done in about 2 hours.

About the only Fliskit I'd say is potentially intimidating would be the Grissom, the soon-to-be-released Saturn 1b, and to a slight degree the Alien 8 (Shrox). Jim's a master of optical illusion--the really cool/complex design is done through the parts themselves and the way the manage to fit together. Actually putting them together is a snap, but since you've likely never hit similar models, reading the instructions is a really good idea. You just can't spill the parts out and start putting these things together by look/feel/instinct.
 
Thanks Chanstevens, For the tips. I have the USS Grissom and the Night Whisper. I"ll save them for the long cold winters here in Michigan:) I live about a ten minute drive from Commonwealth displays. They have a huge selection of Flis kits. It is nice to pick up and check out the kits before you buy. But I still do alot of online shopping. I have about 35 model kits to build, and 2 high power LOC kits. I also do alot of scratch builds.
 
echoing what Chan said, I've heard several folks tell me that *painting* the Borealis is far more of a challenge than *building* it is... :)
 
Construction procedure used by Jim Flis:
1. Read the instructions.
2. Read'em again.
3. Take your time
4. Make sure you have all the tools you need
5. Read the instructions again
6. Then begin


How I usually do it:
1. Rip package open
2. Dump contents onto the floor
3. Throw instructions aside
4. Pick up several parts and go “Cool!”
5. Randomly test fit lots of parts – many of which do not actually go together
6. Find instructions
7. Look at part list to compare to package contents
8. Notice nose cone is missing
9. Swear
10. Go find cat
11. Take nose cone away from cat
12. Swear at all the holes the cat has chewed in the nose one
13. Get wood filler and fill in teeth holes in nose cone
14. Resume matching parts list to package contents
15. Notice shock cord is missing
16. Go find the other cat
17. Take shock cord away from cat
18. Find glue
19. Start gluing parts together
20. Wonder why parts don’t fit together properly
21. Find instructions
22. Wipe off the hairball the cat coughed up on the instructions
23. Realize you didn’t accomplish steps 2-7, 16 and 23 now that you are on step 37
24. Rip apart half the stuff already glued together
25. Swipe at least three parts from another un-built kit to replace the stuff damaged ripping it apart
26. Follow instructions and glue things in proper order
27. Paint rocket
28. Get mad at cat for rubbing against rocket and almost knocking it over
29. Put rocket in on high shelf so cats can’t rub against it
30. On launch day reach up and grab rocket snapping fin off as you take it down from shelf
 
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I meant to add that I have a few Flis Kits. I mostly scratch build, but the Borealis, Alien8 and ACME Spitfire are all in the build queue. Good stuff with great instructions.
 
...
About the only Fliskit I'd say is potentially intimidating would be the Grissom, the soon-to-be-released Saturn 1b...
Uh-oh... I was just going back and forth about whether to order a Borealis or a USS Grissom, or maybe both. And that watchmaker's-scale Saturn 1B is very high on my list... Now I don't know what to do. :(

You just can't spill the parts out and start putting these things together by look/feel/instinct.
I build an actual kit every once in awhile, and when I do, I tend to go in the opposite direction. During the build, I obsessively pore over each step of the instructions, stare at the parts involved in that step, reread the instructions again, stare at the parts some more, etc. Back and forth, back and forth. Check to see if I have the right supplies. Decide to go out and get a different glue and a different grit of sandpaper. Change my mind before I get to the door. And so on; you get the picture. After some time has passed, I may begin to actually carry out that step. :rolleyes: Imagine Monk at a build session - that's me! :p

MarkII
 
echoing what Chan said, I've heard several folks tell me that *painting* the Borealis is far more of a challenge than *building* it is... :)

Absolutely - I modified the paint job a bit to make it easier, by painting the bottom one solid color rather than the suggested combination. Even so, it looks excellent. It really is surprisingly easy to assemble. You would never guess it from looking at it, but it really isn't bad. Great flyer too. One thing I will say though is that despite the ducted ejection, you can still scorch your chute, so make sure to use a bit of wadding with this one.
 
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Im with cjl here. A little wadding is needed, I fried my first 'chute on my first launch, and the thing came in ballistic!!! Straight up, eject hit, popped out the nosecone and the burned up chute, and straight down!! I was so upset because of all the time and effort Id put into it, but it really is a TOUGH rocket!! It hit so square on the landing that the three skinny straw tubes and their base just pushed up into the main body tube. Just pulled it out, reglued it and its been great ever since!! Wadding ever since then, and no issues whatsoever!! Flies super-straight, and looks AWESOME!! Everyone gives it looks. The paint tip is also a good one, because there is alot of detail that can really make this bird pop. It goes together great, the instructions are first class, and definately a rocket to be proud of!! Enough puckering up, now I need to fly it again!!!

P1010679.jpg
 
Interesting paint scheme there - it looks good in black with the different nose cone. It's definitely a tougher rocket than it looks though (unless you screw it up in transport, which I have done with many rockets).
 
That's really odd about the burned 'chutes. I've never had that happen with mine (I have 3 of them...)

As for tough, yeah she's tougher than she looks. I lawn darted one of my early proto's (no ejection charge) and all I had to do was tack glue a fin joint and flew her again.

I have, however, destroyed 2 of them just transporting them, so... :)

It's one of our most exciting kits, no question
 
I burned a nice little hole in my chute on the first flight (luckily, the chute was still intact enough to be effective), so I would definitely just throw in a bit of wadding. You don't need much - the ducted ejection does prevent most of the burning, but I wouldn't feel comfortable any more without wadding.
 
I fried my first 'chute on my first launch, and the thing came in ballistic!!! Straight up, eject hit, popped out the nosecone and the burned up chute, and straight down!! I was so upset because of all the time and effort Id put into it, but it really is a TOUGH rocket!!

That was the first real good Flis Kit crash I whitnessed. Since then I have seen several others, but after a bad crash the Fliskit always seems to be back in service in short order.
 
Im with cjl here. A little wadding is needed, I fried my first 'chute on my first launch, and the thing came in ballistic!!! Straight up, eject hit, popped out the nosecone and the burned up chute, and straight down!! I was so upset because of all the time and effort Id put into it, but it really is a TOUGH rocket!! It hit so square on the landing that the three skinny straw tubes and their base just pushed up into the main body tube. Just pulled it out, reglued it and its been great ever since!! Wadding ever since then, and no issues whatsoever!! Flies super-straight, and looks AWESOME!! Everyone gives it looks. The paint tip is also a good one, because there is alot of detail that can really make this bird pop. It goes together great, the instructions are first class, and definately a rocket to be proud of!! Enough puckering up, now I need to fly it again!!!
Is that picture at CRASH?

That's where I flew my Borealis for the first time - I'm hoping to get out there more this summer.
 
That's really odd about the burned 'chutes. I've never had that happen with mine (I have 3 of them...)

As for tough, yeah she's tougher than she looks. I lawn darted one of my early proto's (no ejection charge) and all I had to do was tack glue a fin joint and flew her again.

I have, however, destroyed 2 of them just transporting them, so... :)

It's one of our most exciting kits, no question

*sigh* Now I've got to go get one.
:cyclops:
 
Construction procedure used by Jim Flis:
1. Read the instructions.
2. Read'em again.
3. Take your time
4. Make sure you have all the tools you need
5. Read the instructions again
6. Then begin


How I usually do it:
1. Rip package open
2. Dump contents onto the floor
3. Throw instructions aside
4. Pick up several parts and go “Cool!”
5. Randomly test fit lots of parts – many of which do not actually go together
6. Find instructions
7. Look at part list to compare to package contents
8. Notice nose cone is missing
9. Swear
10. Go find cat
11. Take nose cone away from cat
12. Swear at all the holes the cat has chewed in the nose one
13. Get wood filler and fill in teeth holes in nose cone
14. Resume matching parts list to package contents
15. Notice shock cord is missing
16. Go find the other cat
17. Take shock cord away from cat
18. Find glue
19. Start gluing parts together
20. Wonder why parts don’t fit together properly
21. Find instructions
22. Wipe off the hairball the cat coughed up on the instructions
23. Realize you didn’t accomplish steps 2-7, 16 and 23 now that you are on step 37
24. Rip apart half the stuff already glued together
25. Swipe at least three parts from another un-built kit to replace the stuff damaged ripping it apart
26. Follow instructions and glue things in proper order
27. Paint rocket
28. Get mad at cat for rubbing against rocket and almost knocking it over
29. Put rocket in on high shelf so cats can’t rub against it
30. On launch day reach up and grab rocket snapping fin off as you take it down from shelf

Man thats too funny:roll:
Cheers
fred
 
HAHAHAHA!!! cjl!!!! That WAS at C.R.A.S.H.!!!! You know your field!! I haven't got out yet this year, brand new baby in my house, but I've gotta whole bunch I need to fire off!!!
 
Yeah - I know it pretty well. I've been flying there since about 2004 or so, though unfortunately, I've been somewhat short of time for the past year or two, so I haven't made it out quite as often as I'd like. I still manage to get to most of the NCR launches, but to get to CRASH as well is somewhat difficult with school and all. Of course, I'm off for the summer, so hopefully I can make it out for most of the launches at least through september or so.
 
Well, I just got back from a CRASH launch where I launched my Borealis another 7 times on C6-3 motors (I ran out of motors before the weather turned bad), and the rocket is still in one piece, the shock cord and chute are intact, and I didn't even scratch the paint (which may be a personal record). There were 2 interesting failures though. When it weathercocked and was still travelling at a decent speed at ejection, it seemed prone to flying into its own chute, which would get caught up on the toothpics used in the center of the ring fins. It would then come down fairly quickly with no chute, nose first. Surprisingly, although it did this twice, it was undamaged, but it does seem like those toothpicks are perfectly positioned to catch the chute as it is trying to open when it ejects with some forward velocity. This does help show how tough of a rocket it really is though.

I'm thinking of trying an Apogee D10 for the next time I fly it. Anyone know if they hold together on a D?
 
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Note to all lovers of the Borealis and excess power: the stock Borealis, fun though it may sound to try, cannot successfully fly on an Aerotech D motor (specifically, a D13). Disaster results (in a spectacular fashion).

Hey, Jim - what are the odds that I could get a custom Borealis with the fins laser cut out of plywood instead of this paper stuff?

IMG_0567.jpg
 
Note to all lovers of the Borealis and excess power: the stock Borealis, fun though it may sound to try, cannot successfully fly on an Aerotech D motor (specifically, a D13). Disaster results (in a spectacular fashion).

Hey, Jim - what are the odds that I could get a custom Borealis with the fins laser cut out of plywood instead of this paper stuff?

You'll notice, though, that the BT-2 tubes between the motor and main ship are still intact... :)

Yeah, I bet that WAS spectacular too!

Plywood? I dunno. Frankly, I doubt plywood would do much better. The fiber fins sheared, I would guess, mainly due to flexing of the tube fins under stress. Ply fins would either *also* shear or the flexing tube fins would simply steer the model all over the sky... Would look like the thing was trying to navigate an asteroid field under full throttle... LOL

jim
 
Plywood??? Try G-10!

Well, I just got back from a CRASH launch where I launched my Borealis another 7 times on C6-3 motors...
Man, you need to build more rockets! :eyepop: :D Or at least bring more to a launch...

MarkII
 
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