Model Rocket Building Blog
AVI Nike Tomahawk Build Part 1 Scale FactorThis is one I'd wanted to build ever since I received the AVI catalog in 1973 - The NIKE TOMAHAWK Check out the AVI catalog here: http://www.ninfinger.org/rockets/nostalgia/73avicat.html I don't think many of the kits in the catalog ever made it to the hobby stores. A few of the AVI engines have ...[Read More]
AVI Nike Tomahawk Build Part 3 Scratch CouplerYou'll want to sand the coupler to have a tight slip fit into the 35mm tube, so make the second cut slightly oversize. The short mark on the left was the overlap mark when it was in the 35mm tube. The long line is the oversize cut line. Cut on the long oversize line and test the fit. ...[Read More]
AVI Nike Tomahawk Build Part 2 Scratch CouplerGood luck trying to find a 35mm coupler! It'll be made from a 1" long piece of 35mm tube. I'll be joining a 20mm tube to a 35mm tube. The center circle pencil line was simply a trace around a 20mm tube. The center was marked. The outside ring was drawn with a compass to a diameter ...[Read More]
AVI Nike Tomahawk Build Part 5 Engine Mount Centering RingsThe cut inside line was rough and had to be smoothed out. 150 grit sandpaper was wrapped around a 24mm casing. (that's actually a 24mm casing with an 18mm engine inside) Be careful when sanding, it won't take much to get it to the right friction fit of the 50 sized engine mount tube. ...[Read More]
AVI Nike Tomahawk Build Part 4 Engine Mount Centering RingsThe Nike fin can has two plastic centering rings that fit a 18mm engine mount tube. On this model I wanted to convert it to a 24mm mount. Because the plastic rings fit so well into the fin unit I decided to use them in the model. They will need to be opened up for the ...[Read More]
AVI Nike Tomahawk Build Part 6 Adapter ShroudsHere's how the shrouds looked after printing out on 110 lb. card stock The shrouds were made in the "Tools" section at: www.payloadbay.com The shrouds were glued together and set on their "circles" to check their roundness. I still haven't cut the adapter rings out on the ...[Read More]
AVI Nike Tomahawk Build Part 7 Adapter ShroudsBefore I get any further, here's what I'm trying to achieve: From the top down: 1. The taller shroud (double thickness wall card stock) 20mm to 1.5" diameter. 2. Center is two mat board laminate center ring 3. Bottom shroud (again, double thickness wall card stock) from 1.5" to 35mm ...[Read More]
AVI Nike Tomahawk Build Part 8 Adapter ShroudsWhen gluing the shrouds together, put the tabs on opposite sides. This way you won't have a lump on one side. This is the low shroud upside down on the 35mm tube. TIP: Let the glued shrouds set up over the tube ends so they dry in a better circular shape. After drying, that low ...[Read More]
AVI Nike Tomahawk Build Part 10 Gluing ShroudsThe laminated mats were cut just outside the penciled (final) diameter to allow for a custom fit to the shrouds. The rings aren't glued to the 20mm tube. Just slide them down dry. A line of white glue was set inside the edge of the upper shroud and the shroud slid onto the rings. When ...[Read More]
AVI Nike Tomahawk Build Part 9 Lower AdapterThis is how the adapter dry fits together. The two center (ring) pieces are the thick mat board. The two mat board squares were glued together with white glue. Plenty of clothespins held them together when drying. Notice the rings are on the 20mm tube. This helps keep them ...[Read More]
AVI Nike Tomahawk Build Part 11 Adapter Sand and FillTo make the mat board rings easier to sand, they got a coat of medium CA applied with a Q-tip. This hardens the rings and helps fill any cracks and seams. The rings were sanded to the outside diameter of the two shrouds. Keep an eye on the black border lines. I knew I was getting ...[Read More]
AVI Nike Tomahawk Build Part 14 Internal Adapter TubesTwo wraps of 110 lb. cardstock gave a good fit of the BT-19 into the 20 mm tube. Here I'm spreading out the white glue with the back side of a razor blade. Any flat card could be used. Over the years I've learned it takes very little glue to adhere cardstock whether it's a should or a build up ...[Read More]
AVI Nike Tomahawk Build Part 13 Internal Adapter TubesThe adapter actually fits over the low end of the plastic Tomahawk fin can. The overlap is only about 1/8", not enough support for me. I had bought a BT-19 tube from Semroc a while back, thinking it could be used for a smooth adapter. This tube was a tight fit into the rear of the fin can ...[Read More]
AVI Nike Tomahawk Build Part 15 Nose Cone and Fin UnitsAfter getting the adapter close, time to prepare the plastic parts. The top 20mm plastic nose cone is how it comes direct from Quest. The bottom nose cone has had the seams sanded down and the tip tapered to a more scale profile. The Tomahawk fin units are very clean, except ...[Read More]
AVI Nike Tomahawk Build Part 16 Decal DrawJust so you know, I haven't given up on the AVI Nike Tomahawk build! The weather and my work schedule weren't good for paint and primer so I'm working on the decal drawings for now. There are many rows of screws shown on the Peter Alway drawing. From the top down: One row of 12 round head Allen ...[Read More]
AVI Nike Tomahawk Build Part 17 Decal DrawThe upper half of the adapter has a recess area with two large bolts. To get an approximate size of the area, I took a picture of the Alway drawing. This picture was set into Corel Draw and reduced until the lower tube width was 35 mm., the same diameter of the lower tube on the model. From this ...[Read More]
AVI Nike Tomahawk Build Part 18 Body Tube PrimeBefore this picture was taken, the tube seams were filled with CWF mixed a little thicker than the filler used on balsa. This thicker mix stays in the seams better. Both tubes were sanded to surface leaving the CWF filler in the seams. Both tubes got a single heavy coat of gray primer. This is ...[Read More]
AVI Nike Tomahawk Build Part 19 Fin Can Fin PrepThe leading edges of both plastic fin cans had some rough edges. This is the before shot. The upper right corner looks almost rounded off. And after squaring up with 400 grit. Most all the flat surfaces were fine, only one fin needed some molding "dots" sanding off. Behind ...[Read More]
AVI Nike Tomahawk Build Part 20 Transition EdgesI haven't given up on the Nike Tomahawk! I'm just taking a little break. I want to get back on this one again when I return on December 10 after four weeks on the cruise ships. Again, I ran into paint problems. While applying white undercoats to the plastic fin cans, I had more problems with the ...[Read More]
AVI Nike Tomahawk Build Part 21, Tomahawk Paint MasksHere's one I started a long time ago and set it aside. I had a hard time trying to mask the upper stage Tomahawk fins. These fins were a plastic MPC fin can. If you want to see the start of the build, CLICK HERE This model was first shown in the 1973 AVI catalog - CLICK HERE It's ...[Read More]
AVI Nike Tomahawk Build Part 22, Tomahawk Nose Cone Paint MasksRight above the Bakelite brown band is a thin cream stripe. Rather than masking it, make a decal! TIP: You can spray a clear decal sheet with any color. Don't run it through your printer, just spray the sheet with color paint! I had an old can of WalMart cheap paint in a cream color. ...[Read More]
AVI Nike Tomahawk Build Part 23, Lower Fin MaskingThis is the mask for the fourth, fluorescent yellow fin. Each fin took eight pieces of Scotch tape to match the root edge diamond shape. Here's the mask after the tape was pulled. TIP: Fluorescent paint is almost translucent. Be sure to paint it over a white undercoat. Any dust, lint or ...[Read More]
AVI Nike Tomahawk Build Part 24, Upper Fin maskingMy first attempt at masking the Tomahawk fin can was a disaster! That's one of the reasons it took so long to finish this one up. I was frustrated and set it aside for two years. It finally came to me how to pull off the mask around the raised fin attachments - Cut a small half circle with my ...[Read More]
AVI Nike Tomahawk Build Part 25, Dry Fit AssemblyThe upper 20mm body tube is fitted to the fin can with a yellow coupler that came with the fin unit. Early on I made a tube to fit connect the Tomahawk to the transition shroud assembly. A few wraps of glued card stock got a friction fit. The fit was good and tight.[Read More]
AVI Nike Tomahawk Build FinishedI wanted to build this model since seeing it in the AVI Astroport Catalog in the mid 1970s. I don't know if this kit was ever produced. Obviously the MPC Tomahawk and Nike Smoke plastic fin cans were used. I pieced most of it together from a Quest order. The metric tubes (those made in the US) ...[Read More]
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