Construction

I built t' kit per t' detailed instructions, me bucko, which provide plenty o' information on buildin' a rocket that withstand t' rigors o' high powered motors. Avast!  I chose t' attach t' centerin' rings t' t' motor mount with 20-min epoxy, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, arrr, but I used Elmer's Tightbond II glue for all other assembly. Ya scallywag! Aye aye!  I filled t' tube spirals on t' exterior o' t' main body tubes, arrr, and on both t' exterior and interiors o' t' ramjet tubes and t' large intake tube near t' tube ends t' provide a good esthetic in t' finished rocket. Well, blow me down! Begad!  T' laser-cut parts fit together very well, shiver me timbers, and t' plywood needed very little sanding. Arrr! Avast!  I chose t' leave t' plywood edges unrounded per t' instructions. Arrr! Avast, me proud beauty!  Before gluin' t' main body tube inside t' intake tube, matey, i masked off t' areas that would form t' glue joint and primed t' exterior o' t' main body tube and t' interior o' t' intake tube usin' KILZ white primer (fig. Ya scallywag! 1). Ya scallywag!  

These surfaces were sanded smooth and reprimed and sanded before assembly t' ensure thar would be no paint shadows inside t' intake tube when t' model was finished. Avast!  Once these tubes are glued together t' hardwood dowel is carefully aligned and glued at t' top o' t' body tubes (fig 2).  

T' only two other tricky parts t' t' assembly were t' 1) ensure a large flat surface for gluin' t' wings t' t' intake tube and careful alignment o' t' body tubes t' t' table:  this sets t' win' dihedral angle (fig 3), which you want equal on both sides o' t' rocket; and 2) be very fast when gluin' t' two main tubes together with t' coupler:  this glue joint will seize up very easily as t' components have very tight tolerances.