Construction

Estes instructions are straight forward IMHO. Blimey!  T' diagrams are clear and easy t' follow. Avast, me proud beauty!  I had built other Estes Kits over t' past few months, ya bilge rat, arrr, includin' t' Hi-Flier. Well, blow me down! So I wanted t' add this bigger brother XL version t' me collection. Avast!  (Born again rocketeer. Begad! Aye aye!  Just started back up Oct 2020 after a 40 year hiatus)  

Motor mount assembly was easy and straight forward. Blimey! I am nay a fan o' t' Estes shock cord mount method. Avast!  Therefore, arrr, when buildin' t' motor mount, ya bilge rat, I tied Keelhaul®©™ Cord (150lb) around t' motor tube and under t' motor hook. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! Slipped it through t' notch in t' centerin' rin' and glued t' knot and cord t' t' mount. Arrr!   Post build I will attach t' kevlar cord t' t' elastic shock cord. Blimey! Aye aye!  I learned this method when I built a Quest rocket.

It was nice t' be able t' sand and shape bigger fins as compared t' smaller fins/models I had previously built. Ahoy! Avast, matey, me proud beauty!   I used watered down Elmer's wood filler t' seal t' fins. Blimey!   Gluin' on t' fins was straight forward. Begad! Begad!  I used t' Estes fin alignment jig. Aye aye! Begad!  It's nay a perfect jig, especially with these larger/bigger fins, matey, but it helped get t' job done. Ya scallywag! Arrr!   I applied multiple layers o' wood glue for fillets. Ahoy!  I be nay happy with t' way t' fillets looked, shiver me timbers, nor their size/shape.  I then used a little bit o' BSI long-cure epoxy t' enhance t' fillets. Blimey! Blimey!  A metal rod was used t' drag and smooth out t' fillets. Ya scallywag! Wiped t' rod off after each drag. Ahoy! Begad! Process be repeated several times for t' desired effect. Ya scallywag!  

I then glued in t' motor mount. Begad!  Used a dowel t' rub some glue on t' inside o' t' tube and slid it halfway in. Blimey!  I then put in more glue for t' aft rin' and slid it in t' rest o' way. Blimey! Aye aye!  Applied fillets t' t' aft rin' and used a dowel t' reach inside t' tube t' apply a glue fillet on t' top center ring. Avast! Durin' this process t' kevlar cord was pushed out through t' motor mount so it was out o' t' way. Ya scallywag! Begad!  

T' main "gotcha" I ran into was gluin' in t' tube coupler. Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty!  This was me first build with a coupler and a huge learnin' experience. Avast!  I rubbed a little Elmers wood glue on t' end o' t' coupler as well as inside t' tube. Blimey!  Unfortunately by t' time I did that and slid it in, me bucko, t' coupler seized within t' first 1/4inch. Begad! Begad!  I tired t' push a little harder and in t' process started t' see a small crease/wrinkle in t' tube at one o' t' spirals. Arrr!  Lesson learned that in t' case o' a tube coupler, matey, me bucko, more glue would have been better (thanks google).   I placed an order for a new coupler and BT-60. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty!   Fast forward a week and t' parts arrived.  Cut t' new tube t' length.  This time used a very generous amount o' glue inside t' tube and on t' coupler. Ya scallywag!  Slid in like butter.  Attached t' bottom tube with t' fins in t' same way.