Model Rocket Building Blog
Thrustline Arapahoe C, Part 1, Background and SizingI've always liked the OOP Thrustline Arapahoe E design. This picture is from Rocket Reviews: CLICK HERE John McClure did the build and review. The original kit was made for D and E engines. The main body tube was a BT-60. I picked up a few Estes Monarch kits in the recent clearance sales. I'm not ...[Read More]
Thrustline Arapahoe C, Part 2, Background and SizingGo to the right under EDIT, go down to SCALE. At the SCALE FROM line, change the 1.637 " (BT-60 dia.) to 1.325 " (BT-55 dia.) Hit the SCALE button. Here's the model in BT-55 size, Open Rocket does the work for you. The model looks bigger in the window, I just adjusted the percentage in ...[Read More]
Thrustline Arapahoe C, Part 3, Fin Pattern PrintingTo get a print of the re-sized fin patterns, Go to FILE, Click on PRINT / EXPORT PDF This window is brought up. Click on ARAPAHOE, to clear all the boxes, Then click on FIN TEMPLATES. These patterns should show up. This main fin is from Page 3. Pages 1 and 2 show the long gussets as two pieces. ...[Read More]
Thrustline Arapahoe C, Part 4, Tail ConeThe tail cone is made from the nose cone from a second Monarch kit. The BT-20 engine mount tube has to fit inside. The nose cone tip is removed. Set the engine mount tube over the NC tip and trace around it with a pencil. Saw off the end on the pencil line. More of the nose cone lip had to be ...[Read More]
Thrustline Arapahoe C, Part 5, Engine Mount and Hook ReliefThe engine mount tube has got to be longer than the kit supplied tube. I was trying to do this kitbash using only parts from the two Monarch kits. I used part of the second kit engine mount tube. To joint them together, a strip of card stock was glued around the two tubes. Both centering rings ...[Read More]
Thrustline Arapahoe C, Part 6, Fin PlanningThe root edge of the fins runs down the curve of the tail cone. An easy way to get a start on the curve is to simply trace around the tail cone on some card stock. Hold the tail cone and body tube still. Trace while holding the pencil perfectly vertical. The inset picture on the right shows the ...[Read More]
Thrustline Arapahoe C, Part 7, Fin Cutting and FittingTo help prevent the wood from breaking down the grain, start the cut at the corner where chipping can occur. Only one fin half had to be pieced together. When piecing balsa together, sand the edges flat (get rid of the burnt laser cut edge and square up) before gluing together. Here's the three ...[Read More]
Thrustline Arapahoe C, Part 8, StrakesI rounded just the tip corners on the fins first before rounding down the long leading edge. The way the grain is running, these fins are very easy to break at the corners. I had to dip into some balsa scraps to make the strakes. Most all these balsa pieces were left over from other kits. The ...[Read More]
Thrustline Arapahoe C, Part 9, Tail Cone Gluing, Ends and EdgesBefore gluing on the tail cone and spraying primer, the shoulder was sanded down to the same outside diameter of the body tube. TIP: Beacon Fabri-Tac glue was used to glue the engine mount and centering rings to the tail cone. Card board to plastic glue joints can be weak. The Fabri-Tac glue was ...[Read More]
Thrustline Arapahoe C, Part 10, Fin Position MarkingAfter the tube was shot and the filler/primer sanded, it was marked for three fins and three long strakes. The difference on this design is the strakes go down the tube length between the three fin positions. Here the fin root glue positions were sanded down using a block. Sand to a estimated ...[Read More]
Thrustline Arapahoe C, Part 11, Fin Gluing and White SprayThis is a dry fit of a fin. Notice the pencil mark on the fin root edge at the break between the body tube and tail cone. Above the pencil mark, wood glue will be used for the wood/body tube joint. Below the pencil mark, The Beacon Fabri-Tac glue will be used for the wood/plastic boat tail joint. ...[Read More]
Thrustline Arapahoe C, Part 12, MaskingThis is not an easy mask. The fin tips and strakes get some different paint treatment. On the right is one of the two fin tips. A single piece of Sharpie marked clear tape goes over the leading edge and down the sides. The picture shows the ends trailing over the back. The ends actually roll over ...[Read More]
Thrustline Arapahoe C, Part 13, Mask Reveal and Decal TrimWhen removing a mask, pull the tape back over itself and away from the line. The tape is pulled and folded back over itself. For the red,I used the Rustoleum Red Metallic. I has very fine metallic specs that show well under sunlight. It sprays on thin but dries fast. This paint is best applied in ...[Read More]
Thrustline Arapahoe C, Part 14, Strake DecalsThe short bars center over the low end of the strakes at the red mask line. I should have looked ahead with the launch lug placement. It's right in the middle of a decal. The decal was cut to fit around the lug before it was soaked for transfer. The overlap was trimmed with a razor blade after the ...[Read More]
Thrustline Arapahoe C, FinishedThis is one of my favorite designs and paint scheme. Brian Coyle brought his to the Orlando ROCK launch a few years back and I've wanted to build one ever since. The original Thrustline kit was BT-60 based and D powered. Mine was a downscale BT-55 version for 18mm engines. I kept the Indian theme ...[Read More]
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