Mustang Question

[horsefish]

The wife and I started on the Mustang kit last night. Dang those fin locks are tight, but a little sanding loosened them up to get them on the motor tube. Since this is the first Aerotech Rocket I (we) have built, I have a question about the fins. Since the fins are wide at the the base where they touch the body tube and semi-conform to the body tube, do you guys (or gals) still put a small fillet on the fin root edge where it meets the outside of the body tube? Also, what about internal fillets? With the small body tube and the fin-lock rings, I think that internal fillets would be very difficult. I didn't see anything in the directions about my questions, but am going to look them over again to make sure I didn't miss something.

Thanks,

Bob

 

[BlueNinja]

It says to put beads of CA on the inside where the fins meet the motor tube. I don't know about the mustang and external fillets because it lands on the BT, not the fins.

 

[horsefish]

I was sure I had seen that in reading through the instructions initially, but couldn't seem to find it last night. Anyway, found it this morning. The wife is pretty much doing all the work and I am just coaching since this is her first ever rocket. I think I was more focused on helping her than I was on the instructions. Maybe I should just turn her loose and have at it herself and that way we won't bugger it up.

Thanks,

Bob

 

[loopy]

I put a very small epoxy fillet on the joint just to smooth it out a little. Internal fillets are kinda overkill, since the rocket lands on the bottom of the body tube, and the fins don't take the stress of the landing.

Loopy

 

[Zak Orion]

when I built mine I just put some epoxy fillets where the fins meet the body tube and have had no problems with the fins coming loose(even after it landed on a barn roof, rooled down tangling the chute around the body tube then dropping 15ft off the roof onto concrete surface). Internal fillets on a mustang would be difficult and with the finlock system on such a small body tube I don't see where it would be needed.