(FlisKits) L-13 Build Photos (Completion)

[maclif]

I just got done building a somewhat modified FlisKits L-13. I've really been fascinated by Robert Goddard's work. My goal - build a flyable close to scale model of the L-13. I'm still downloading all the build photos.

Some of the key changes from the kit:
Added (hopefully) flight-strength steering and blast vanes
Added wrap for the steel band and an access panel (per L-13 drawings found)
Added external tubes (per L-13 drawings found)

I spent nearly as long on the paint job as the build. And I spent about twice as much (or more) on paint than the rocket.

-Clif

-More pics of the build coming soon-

 

[btb103]

Wow! That is gorgeous. Great job!

 

[sodmeister]

Welcome to TRF ,and your first post is truly a fine one ! You did a great job on the rocket ,very nice construction and the paint work looks great.

I need to get me one of those kits in my collection ,love the FLIS !

Cheers

Paul T

 

[jflis]

WOW!

That is a wonderful job there! I love your design for the stronger vanes on the tail. I will be most interested in how they work out.

Keep us posted and welcome to TRF
Jim

 

[maclif]

Keep us posted and welcome to TRF
Jim

Thanks! I spent most of my formidable years in the 80s and 90s building about everything Estes was making and quite a few of my own design. I got a wild hair this summer to revisit the sport. I was really impressed by FlisKits quality. I didn't realize anyone was still making rockets that actually came with balsa parts any more.

I need to CG/CP test the rocket. I'm curious if I'll have to add nose weight or not. I'm going to go straight into a C6-sized motor. Between the details and paint (oh man, a lot of paint when on that bird), it's heavier than originally designed.

-Clif

 

[blackbrandt]

Now those are some awesome pictures of an awesome paint job! How much did you have to pay the insects to stay away from the paint? :rofl:
And, congratulations on the Level 13 certification!

 

[maclif]

WOW!
Jim

Jim - I kind of slapped my forehead after responding. I'm about a half a cup of coffee in this morning and didn't quite put together jflis and Jim is, well, Jim Flis.

Thank you for putting such a great kit on the market. I need to clean up the pdfs of the plans I drew up for the fin modification. I really do think they'll be able to withstand the rigors of flight. The vanes are paper-wrapped basswood and the supports are basswood.

-Clif

 

[maclif]

My workspace. The centerpiece of my garage is a 7' 1/2" long workbench I designed and built with nearly all hand tools (before you ask, start of design to finished bench was about a year and three months).

Needless to say, the bench worked well for rocketry.

Also, a piece of kitchen countertop material, two (eventually three) cradles and your usual supplies.

-Clif

 

[maclif]

First up - the motor mount. I deviated from the plan slightly by drilling a hole through the upper centering ring. From there, I looped the cord around the lower ring, tied a knot to hit the upper centering ring and ran it through the centering ring. Glue was applied to the cord on both rings. I've never been a fan of running the cord between rings and the body tube.

-Clif

 

[maclif]

Next up, the boat tail. This went together very smoothly. I made a copy of the cardstock before making the tail, just to be safe. The inside of the tail is coated with white glue. The outside was soaked in CA once it was attached. After soaked with CA, it was filled around the body joints to smooth things out.

-Clif

 

[maclif]

Next, the fins. Before I hit this stage, I had made plans for the vanes. I also glued the fin template onto a piece of wood to make it a bit more stable. Just in case if the vane was a massive disaster and I needed to make four new fins...

I left the trailing edges flat (usually I don't), and the main leading edge was rounded over.

The fins are strengthened with copy paper. I printed out my plans, and then glued them (ink side in) to the fins. This acted to strengthen the fins and also give me my guide reference points for the vane supports. I glued it print side in so as to not make a mess with the ink when it was glued. This made the fins really strong. When done I could lightly see my glue reference points through the paper.

-Clif

 

[maclif]

Along the way I filled, primed, filled, primed the balsa nosecone until it put plastic nosecones to shame.

-Clif

 

[maclif]

And then - to the assembling of the fins. I punched small needle holes into the boattail where the fins connected to give a little additional strength to the joint. After being glued on, each one received three layers of yellow glue gussets.

-Clif

 

[maclif]

Then, the fun began with making the steering and blast vanes supports. They are made out of basswood and I pre-cut them to size. I started with the steering vane supports (outer fins) and then worked my way in. Each vane has two supports. Once all the supports were glued into place, I stood the rocket up and gently sanded all of the vanes until flush. After that, I reshaped the ends if needed.

Each one of those has been triple-reinforced with yellow glue.

-Clif

 

[maclif]

And that top picture was the blast and steering vanes - they were paper-wrapped basswood. The dot on the steering vane (rectangle) was to help locate the steering rod later.
-Clif

 

[maclif]

Steering vanes came on next - the larger of the two vanes. Those joints were (wait for it) triple reinforced with yellow glue.

-Clif

 

[maclif]

Next, the steering rods. These were oversized to make fitment easier. I ended up using the end of the rocket as reference instead of my reference points on the fins.

These aren't load bearing and are impossible to really get to. So, no triple reinforcement.

-Clif

 

[maclif]

The steering rods were filed down to size, then the inner blast vanes were added. And then triple reinforced with yellow glue. I used the bottom of the support pieces as references for all the fins.

-Clif

 

[maclif]

Along the way I made the scale launch pad guides. They're primed, sanded and then rounded to match the curve of the body tube.

-Clif

 

[maclif]

Scale detailing came on next. I added the kit-included launch pieces. I also made a cardstock wrap where one of the steel bands was on the rocket as well as a cardstock access door I saw on the plans. Finally, I added some external tubes that ran along the rocket (that were on drawings, but not in the kit).

-Clif

 

[maclif]

Then I spent about 20 minutes with some magic markers and slapped the finish on.

Wait, maybe not.

-Clif

 

[maclif]

This was my finishing setup. A third cradle, a lazy susan, a 20" fan, a few 20"x20"x1" home air filters and some plastic cover.

I use the heck out of my workbench, but I'm a stickler to keep from getting paint on it.

-Clif

 

[maclif]

This is laying the primer down. It added quite a bit of fuzz to the exposed basswood parts on the vanes. In retrospect I should have sealed these earlier. I made many little sanding contraptions to get the vanes and supports cleaned up.

The finish process basically went like this:
Prime (3ish coats)
White (3ish coats)
Aluminum (3ish coats)
Then add paint colors in the natural order for them. I painted like it was built - added the metal layers first then the red layers. After that, I finished with the top metal pieces.
Every time I masked off an area, I laid down about 3 layers of white paint before putting the new color down. So, for example, the red fins are have the following layers of paint:
primer
white
aluminum
white
red

-Clif

 

[maclif]

The rocket after it's primed and painted with a base of gloss white.

-Clif

 

[maclif]

The rocket after aluminum was painted on. I stuck a piece of aluminum next to it for reference. I think the color is pretty accurate.

-Clif

 

[maclif]

Typical painting process. Mask. White. Color. I painted the red fins separately than the red part of the body tube. I'd rather do more, less complex masks than one complex one.

-Clif

 

[maclif]

The body painted up pretty much the same way. I painted the steel band that went all the way around (where the cardstock was) after putting down the red on the body.

-Clif

 

[maclif]

I said I like simple masks. However, there was only one way to really do the vanes - and that was the mother of all masking jobs. I think the vane mask took the better part of two hours just to put the tape down.

-Clif

 

[maclif]

I like the nosecone - it's the only part that has all four colors. There's a steel band at the bottom, alternating sheet aluminum and red and the top is turned aluminum.

After all that was done, I put three layers of satin clear coat on. That made the nosecone top a lot closer in color to the body. You can still tell a difference, but not as much.

Then, I tossed the chute in. It has a fishing swivel and the center spill hole cut out.

And, now it's ready to check CP/CG and launch. I'll probably do that this spring.

-Clif

 

[blackbrandt]

Wow! I thought that those things on the end were Acme Rail Guides! You did awesome on this build!