The Porsche DX3 is back

[Nathan]

8 years ago I built a Madcow Super DX3 for my Level 1 certification, with Porsche decals that I got from Stickershock:
https://www.rocketryforum.com/threads/the-porsche-dx3.59761/
That cardboard Super DX3 is long gone, but this year I decided to recreate the Porsche DX3 with a fiberglass DX3 XL. I contacted Mark at Stickershock and he still had the files for my Porsche decals from 8 years ago, so I got the identical stickers. Unlike my old Level 1 Porsche DX3, this one is dual deploy and has a 75mm MMT. I plan to fly it this season at MDRA and Battlepark.

 

[rfjustin]

Good gawd.... that looks SICK!

 

[David_Stack]

Stunning!

What a beautiful finish.

I bet it is markedly quicker than the Honda step-through in the background too!

 

[FredA]

Sweet -- but shouldn't that be in Guard's Red?
Just kidding, that is quite the nice looking rocket.
Come to LDRS next year and fly it there.

 

[Funkworks]

If it were mine, I'd have a targa top and driver near the nose cone.

 

[Nathan]

Stunning!

What a beautiful finish.

I bet it is markedly quicker than the Honda step-through in the background too!

That's my Honda Super Cub. It will go almost 60 mph. Until you get to a hill. The Super Cub is the best selling motor vehicle in history, Honda has sold over 110 million of them.

 

[TheTank]

Very nice paintwork. Cant wait to see it at MDRA.

 

[Blast it Tom!]

That really is a stunningly beautiful finish... the reflections of the golf ball blew my mind! And very tastefully decorated. Very classy.

 

[Zeta]

So......how many hours spent sanding ? ...Beautiful rocket!

 

[Bat-mite]

I've been wondering what Nathan has been up to. He has been too quiet.

Awesome, as always!

 

[DMehalko]

Gorgeous!

 

[Nathan]

So......how many hours spent sanding ? ...Beautiful rocket!

Probably 6 or 7 hours of wet sanding, spread over a couple of weeks. And then another couple of hours of polishing, mostly with the power polisher.

I've been wondering what Nathan has been up to. He has been too quiet.

Awesome, as always!

Hi John, I didn't really need this DX3 XL since it is essentially the same rocket at my Frenzy XL with different fins. But it was on sale at Madcow so I had to buy it. I forgot what a PITA it is do do internal fillets on a 4" rocket with a 75mm MMT.

I only made it out to the Sod Farm once this year. The main reason is that I have plenty of CTI reloads (currently seven 75mm and nine 54 mm) but almost none small enough to keep my rockets below 2000 ft, which is about as high as I'm willing to fly at the sod farm. My Square Rocket won't go more than 2000 ft but I'm not flying that at the Sod Farm because it isn't dual deploy. Over the years at the Sod Farm I have lost three rockets in the woods and one in the pond. I have never lost a rocket at Higgs Farm (crashed, exploded, dragged for a half mile, but not lost). I'm hoping to fly lots of big rockets at Higgs Farm this season.

 

[Bat-mite]

Probably 6 or 7 hours of wet sanding, spread over a couple of weeks. And then another couple of hours of polishing, mostly with the power polisher.




Hi John, I didn't really need this DX3 XL since it is essentially the same rocket at my Frenzy XL with different fins. But it was on sale at Madcow so I had to buy it.

I only made it out to the Sod Farm once this year. The main reason is that I have plenty of CTI reloads (currently seven 75mm and nine 54 mm) but almost none small enough to keep my rockets below 2000 ft, which is about as high as I'm willing to fly at the sod farm. My Square Rocket won't go more than 2000 ft but I'm not flying that at the Sod Farm because it isn't dual deploy. Over the years at the Sod Farm I have lost three rockets in the woods and one in the pond. I have never lost a rocket at Higgs Farm (crashed, exploded, dragged for a half mile, but not lost). I'm hoping to fly lots of big rockets at Higgs Farm this season.

Looking forward to it. I have been slowing down in my own flying, but always look forward to helping others. I've been LCOing a lot, too.

 

[gerbs4me]

wow, that is one beautiful looking rocket!

 

[Bean74525]

Is this just spray can paint or did you go with something higher quality?

 

[Nathan]

Is this just spray can paint or did you go with something higher quality?

That is two coats of Duplicolor primer, sanded, then three coats of Duplicolor Paint Shop black lacquer and five coats of Restoration Shop clear lacquer sprayed with a HPLV gun. Then wet sanded with 1000 grit, then with 2000 grit, then polished with a Porter Cable 7424 polisher with a Lake Country white CCS foam pad and Meguiar's rubbing compound, then with Meguiar's Mirror Glaze Swirl Remover, then waxed with Chemical Guys 5050 paste wax.

 

[GrouchoDuke]

Gorgeous work, Nathan!

 

[DaHabes]

Your garage is way too clean....

 

[Tim51]

Your garage is way too clean....

Even the cracks in the floor look tasteful and well designed

 

[Nathan]

Even the cracks in the floor look tasteful and well designed

I had those cracks sealed before they put the epoxy coat on the floor. The cracks came right back.

 

[Tim51]

I had those cracks sealed before they put the epoxy coat on the floor. The cracks came right back.

Maybe they're the grit that makes the pearl...the imperfections that inspire you to finesse your perfect rockets

 

[crossfire]

Probably 6 or 7 hours of wet sanding, spread over a couple of weeks. And then another couple of hours of polishing, mostly with the power polisher.




Hi John, I didn't really need this DX3 XL since it is essentially the same rocket at my Frenzy XL with different fins. But it was on sale at Madcow so I had to buy it. I forgot what a PITA it is do do internal fillets on a 4" rocket with a 75mm MMT.

I only made it out to the Sod Farm once this year. The main reason is that I have plenty of CTI reloads (currently seven 75mm and nine 54 mm) but almost none small enough to keep my rockets below 2000 ft, which is about as high as I'm willing to fly at the sod farm. My Square Rocket won't go more than 2000 ft but I'm not flying that at the Sod Farm because it isn't dual deploy. Over the years at the Sod Farm I have lost three rockets in the woods and one in the pond. I have never lost a rocket at Higgs Farm (crashed, exploded, dragged for a half mile, but not lost). I'm hoping to fly lots of big rockets at Higgs Farm this season.

Beautiful looking DX3. How do you like the red/white Honda setting in the back ground of one of the pictures? I am thinking of getting one

 

[Nathan]

Beautiful looking DX3. How do you like the red/white Honda setting in the back ground of one of the pictures? I am thinking of getting one

That's my 2021 Honda Super Cub. I've had it for a couple of months. It's great as long as you don't need to go more than about 60 mph. They are extremely popular in other parts of the world, mostly southeast Asia, where they see small motorcycles as efficient economical transportation. But there's not much market for small motorcycles in the U.S. where almost every motorcycle sold is either a Harley or a high powered sport bike. .

 

[John_lennon]

Beautiful rocket you've got quite the method to turn out a mirror finish on your model. Truly amazing.

 

[hobie1dog]

I've never yet seen a rocket finish of that quality anywhere in last 40 years of being into this, thanks for the pictures.

 

[Angel_of_the_Skies]

That is two coats of Duplicolor primer, sanded, then three coats of Duplicolor Paint Shop black lacquer and five coats of Restoration Shop clear lacquer sprayed with a HPLV gun. Then wet sanded with 1000 grit, then with 2000 grit, then polished with a Porter Cable 7424 polisher with a Lake Country white CCS foam pad and Meguiar's rubbing compound, then with Meguiar's Mirror Glaze Swirl Remover, then waxed with Chemical Guys 5050 paste wax.

Hey there Nathan. Hope you are well. I’m currently in the process of priming my second Zephyr Jr kit after almost a month of prep work and filling any minor imperfections with duplicolor filler (geez this is truly a patience game)

I have two questions if you don’t mind. First, when having dark color and lighter base coat colors on a rocket, is it a good idea to use a white and grey/black primer to better highlight the base coat colors used ? (In a zephyr jr, there are three main colors: white, green, then black)

Lastly, do you sand in between base coats? If this question has already been answered I apologize, thank you in advance !

 

[Highpowerrocketyahoo]

Nice! Is there a thread showing the inside of the av bay? Id live to see the switch setup

 

[neil_w]

Lastly, do you sand in between base coats? If this question has already been answered I apologize, thank you in advance !

Just in case Nathan isn't around, I'll help you out here.

Yes, he sands. A lot. More than anyone.

If you search you can probably find the thread where he describes his painting techniques in detail. I can't find it at the moment, but it's out there. It's pretty amazing.

 

[K'Tesh]

If you search you can probably find the thread where he describes his painting techniques in detail. I can't find it at the moment, but it's out there. It's pretty amazing.

I think this is the post you're talking about....

Painting The Magg (or How I Spent My Summer Vacation)

I often get asked about how I paint my rockets, so in this thread I will describe my rocket finishing technique in detail. I took lots of pictures while finishing the Minie-Magg which I just completed. This is the rocket that I will be using for my L1 attempt. This process took 5 weeks so I...

www.rocketryforum.com

 

[Angel_of_the_Skies]

Yes, he sands. A lot. More than anyone.

Thank you Neil, you’re always of help.

I’m only about to start on the base coat priming stage and there has already been a lot of sanding on my part.

Let me just say…WOW is this taking longer than I would have thought.

My plan was to prime the BT and half of the fins with white primer for the white base coat and green half of the fin, and then the other half of the fins with grey primer for the black base coat.



I wonder however, how do other rocketeers do it on more complicated color ways. I doubt they mask every design and alternate between primer colors, unless possible.

My question would be, would it be best to keep the primer color white for the whole rocket instead of masking off the black portion of the fins and alternating into a grey primer ?

I hope I am not hijacking the thread, I intend to ask questions that would aid in any similar questions others may have as well !