LOC Fantom Mini

[JAL3]

The Mini Fantom is a downscale of LOC's MPR/HPR Fantom. It is a simple 3 fin and nosecone design. I decided to start on it because my other projects had me stitting around and waiting for glue to dry.

 

[JAL3]

Actual construction began with the motor mount. A line was marked 1/4" from one end and a slit was made on the line to receive the engine hook. The centering rings were then slid into place on either end and glued. Both rings needed plenty of sanding on their inner surfaces to fit the motor tube. The thrust ring was then glued into place right over the top of the engine hook.

 

[JAL3]

The kit came with a wrap around fin marking guide but it was a bit different from what I am used to. Most, I just tape into place and make the marks. On this one, wrapping the guide all the war would obscure some of the marks. It was just taped at one end and then wrapped to make a sing circumference. I did not like the idea but it was no trouble at all. The end of the fin marking guide is taken up by a fin alignment template. The lines for the three fins and the launch lug were transferred and then an angle was used to extend them.

 

[JAL3]

The fins came on a single small sheet of balsa and were in good shape. I cut them out, stacked them to sand them even and then sanded bevels in all but the root edge.

 

[JAL3]

For this project, I decided to give another try to the idea of using label paper to "seal" the fins. Each fin was placed on the sticky part of the label paper with the root edge flush with the edge of the paper. The fin was then "rolled" over the leading edge and the paper pressed into place on the opposite side. A razor was used to trim away the excess. The result was a bit better than the last time I tried this but I still need some practice.

 

[JAL3]

As mentioned earlier, the end of the wrap around fin marking guide is taken up by a template used for the placement of the fins. A section representing the BT is cut out along with the correct angle for the fins. The instructions say to cut along the red line but the guide is in black print only. Even so, the correct line was easy to identify is is dotted.

 

[JAL3]

I had real doubts about the efficacy of this fin guide but must admit that it worked out fine. Each fin was placed using a double joint of yellow glue. When the glue was tacky enough to stick, the guide was used to maintain alignment. The launch lug was also glued into place along its line at this time.

 

[JAL3]

For a shock cord mount, this kit intends for a piece of elastic to be threaded through a perforated piece of sticker and stuck into the body tube similar to the old Centuri mount system. I declined to do this. I tied a Kevlar thread around the forward end of the motor mount and the filleted it into place with some yellow glue.

 

[JAL3]

A small notch was cut into the forward centering ring to accomodate the passing of the Kevlar.

 

[JAL3]

The inside of the airframe tube was swabbed with yellow glue, the Kevlar was fished through the tube and the motor mount was slid into place with just a bit protruding from the aft end. The instruction call for the motor tube to be flush but I like to leave a bit hanging out.

 

[JAL3]

While waiting for the glue on the motor mount to dry, I took the opportunity to add more white gjue fillets.

 

[Micromeister]

The inside of the airframe tube was swabbed with yellow glue, the Kevlar was fished through the tube and the motor mount was slid into place with just a bit protruding from the aft end. The instruction call for the motor tube to be flush but I like to leave a bit hanging out.

John:
On your next motor mount installation, try running the kevlar/shockline back thru the motor mount and out the tail end. This eliminates getting glue all over the kevlar as your installing the mount while allowing taught pressure to be applied to the line keeping it in the filed centering ring channel slot Once the glue has set up a little you can drop the kevlar/shockcord back thru the motor mount, out the forward end of the model.
Hope this helps.

 

[JAL3]

John:
On your next motor mount installation, try running the kevlar/shockline back thru the motor mount and out the tail end. This eliminates getting glue all over the kevlar as your installing the mount while allowing taught pressure to be applied to the line keeping it in the filed centering ring channel slot Once the glue has set up a little you can drop the kevlar/shockcord back thru the motor mount, out the forward end of the model.
Hope this helps.

Excellent point!

I've done that before but only when specifically directed to do so by instructions. Why I was not smart enough to think of it is beyond me.

 

[JAL3]

When the glue was dry, there was nothing left of construction except to tie the elastic to the Kevlar and plastic nosecone. I should comment here that the plastic nosecone was one of the nicest I have seen with NO mold lines.

 

[JAL3]

The built rocket was quite unpretentious, little more than a generic 3FNC. I had hopes that the painting and finishing would change that.

The first step was to take the cardboard colored rocket and make it white. This was done with the application of 3 coats of white spraypaint.

 

[JAL3]

The facecard scheme called for a white body, black fins and a green nose cone. My intention was to go along with that scheme but I had been have really bad luck with paint lately. I decided to try painting just a single fin first. I taped it off using Frog tape and then brushed on the acrylic. The result was less than stellar. There had been some seepage and it looked like one of my earlier efforts.

 

[JAL3]

Since my maskign jinx still seemed to be active, I modified my plans a bit. I kept the color scheme but decided to apply the black to the entire base of the rocket from just below the launch lug. Even I have trouble messing up the masking of a simple ring. The rocket was duly masked and the paint brused on. It wa given a little while to dry.

 

[JAL3]

Masking for the green was simple. I applied tape around the forward end of the BT and sild the nose cone out a bit. I then wrapped some foil around the body of the rocket to protect it from spray.

 

[JAL3]

The spraying itself was trivial. Two coats of green were applied and the masking was removed.

 

[JAL3]

You may recall my overconfident statement about not being able to mess up the masking of a simple ring. I was selling myself short. I was able to mess it up and there was some leakage under the tape. On inspection, though, I decided that I could live with it. The black was a bit mussed, the green was great and I was happy that painting was over.

 

[JAL3]

At this point I would very much like to wax rhapsodic about the wonderful waterslide decals but I cannot since there were none. Instead, the kit came with crack and peel stickers. The stickers DO really dress the kit up, especially with the facecard color scheme, but in the end, they are stickers. They are also quite stiff and a few of them refused to stay laying down along the body tube.

The artworks consists of a pair of chevrons for each fin, two name placards, two similarly sized "438's" and a couple of little bitty things that were completely forgetable.

 

[JAL3]

There is one matter having to do with the stickers about which I am unsure. One of the logos is a very good looking "Fantom". At first glance, I thought there was a second just like it but, instead, it is a mirror image. I don't mean that the letters are slanted in the opposite direction; I mean that the letters are reversed. I have no idea if they are supposed to be that way or not.

 

[Pantherjon]

Well, the reason for the reversed sticker is that when you fly it, it creates a hole in the quantum time/space barrier. So that when viewed 4th dimensionally it looks correct..



Seriously, that just may be an 'oops'..I will have to check my Mini Fanton to see if it is the same..Or I guess depending on what side of the rocket you are looking at you have either a Fantom or a motnaF..:roll:

 

[JAL3]

Well, the reason for the reversed sticker is that when you fly it, it creates a hole in the quantum time/space barrier. So that when viewed 4th dimensionally it looks correct..



Seriously, that just may be an 'oops'..I will have to check my Mini Fanton to see if it is the same..Or I guess depending on what side of the rocket you are looking at you have either a Fantom or a motnaF..:roll:

I didn't spend the extra money for the flux capacitor option so time/space barriers should not be an issue.

I'd be curious as to what you have. I could see it being intended as I recieved it but it could be a mistake as well.

 

[Peartree]

I didn't spend the extra money for the flux capacitor option so time/space barriers should not be an issue.

I'd be curious as to what you have. I could see it being intended as I recieved it but it could be a mistake as well.

No flux capacitor needed. Due to their high velocity to mass ratio, there is a small percentage chance with each launch that the vortex of their passage through space may open microscopic wormholes near the path of their passage. In these cases rockets can be pulled out of regular space if the wormhole appears too close to the rocket. Rockets of particularly small mass and size (think Quark) can often simply disappear while others may have only a portion of the rocket pulled into the 4th dimension causing a loss of structural integrity and the general appearance of disintegrating in flight.

 

[JAL3]

...the general appearance of disintegrating in flight.

I'm so glad to know that its only the appearance and that my little toys are safe in an alternate reality.

 

[judo]

may have only a portion of the rocket pulled into the 4th dimension

Just keep it out of the 8th dimension. We don't need to attract hostile aliens.

 

[JAL3]

Just keep it out of the 8th dimension. We don't need to attract hostile aliens.

You got that right. I have enough hostile aliens around here!

 

[JAL3]

I went by the shop today and found that the very thick stickers had started to come up away from the curvature of the tube. I pressed them back into place and they would hold for a few seconds and then pop back up.

Any thoughts on the best adhesive to solve this problem?

 

[Peartree]

I went by the shop today and found that the very thick stickers had started to come up away from the curvature of the tube. I pressed them back into place and they would hold for a few seconds and then pop back up.

Any thoughts on the best adhesive to solve this problem?

I have successfully used thin CA for this sort of thing. If it's really bad and if you remembered to scan your stickers before putting them on (I never remember to do that) then you *could* print up some decals to use instead of the stickers. CA sounds a lot easier.