This build is a classic, a Semroc reissue of the Estes Goblin kit #702-K-55. I remember getting one as a free kit about 1971. It was later added to the catalog line up in 1972. The price was $2.50. It featured a long nose cone, square block fins and a goofy black decal sheet. I remember thinking ...
Even though the instructions have you make the two engine mounts separately, I built them at the same time. Step 9 doesn't mention cutting a notch in the RAH-5055S for clearance over the engine hook. The picture shows the gap above the hook without the notch in the ring. I went ahead and cut a ...
Instead of running a line of glue around the engine mount tube and sliding the rings in place on the glue - The Semroc instructions have you place the centering rings, then add the glue. Semroc gets it right again! This insures the rings are at the correct placement instead of laying down the glue ...
This is both finished engine mounts. The D engine mount at the top has the thinner RAH-5055S rings. The 5055 rings in the original Estes kit were thicker like the 18mm adapter shown below. The D engine mount is installed in the rear of the 55 tube in Step 15. Again I used the flat side of my ...
Everyone should know how to round the edges of a fin. For those who might not, this is just one way to do it. If you don't have a sanding block, pick one up at a hobby store. Preferably one that allows you can change sandpaper easily. If you were to follow the original Estes instructions: On the ...
Many use Sanding Sealer to fill the balsa grain, I prefer thinned Elmer's Carpenter's Wood Filler. The picture has been flipped to show the proper orientation of how the fin will glue to the body tube. The leading edge is at the top, the root edge is at the left. Brush on the Wood Filler first ...
Enlarge the picture at the right and you can see the brush strokes. On a nose cone, brush from the tip down forcing the filler into the grain. When you get about half way down the nose cone, the grain becomes longer and more apparent. Just like on the fins: On the lower half of the nose cone, ...
The fins were tacked in place with white glue. Before the fillets were added, the pencil lines were erased with a white eraser. I didn't want to apply glue over the pencil lines and have them show up under the paint. The Semroc Goblin re-issue kit has a 3/16" diameter x 3" long launch lug. The ...
If you are a real stickler to build like the designer intended, take a look at the Goblin Assembly drawing. In the drawing the model is drawn on a horizontal. Very few people notice the "3" decal is really laying on it's side! The rounded "right" side of the 3 is turned 90 degrees clockwise so it ...
After the tape was removed, you can see the rounded leading edge mask.
The decals in the kit are very close together on the sheet. You can save a little work by leaving the bats right over the Goblin name. Leave one bat to the left and one to the right. These two decals will back each ...
This picture is a little hard to see, it was shot at night. I wanted to show one way how to get a rounded leading edge mask. This description is for the tape piece on the right. The Scotch tape was place on my sliding patio door. Freehand with a sharp knife, a small quarter circle was cut to the ...
This was a standard build, sometimes I enjoy putting together a classic.
In the lower left picture, notice the 20/50 engine mount adapter. It trails ...
