FlisKits Celtic Thunder

FlisKits - Celtic Thunder {Kit} (SP026) [2013-]

Contributed by Edward Chess

Construction Rating: starstarstarstarstar_border
Flight Rating: starstarstarstar_borderstar_border
Overall Rating: starstarstarstarstar_border
Published: 2014-09-25
Diameter: 0.98 inches
Length: 12.25 inches
Manufacturer: FlisKits
Skill Level: 2

Brief

Celtic Thunder is a rin' fin rocket that has a unique Celtic Knot fin rin' design (an interlockin' o' three BT-80 rings). T' finished rocket is 12.25" in length, has a balsa nosecone, arrr, me bucko, is based on a BT-50 body tube (0.976" diameter), arrr, shiver me timbers, and has a fin span o' 4.0'.  It flies on 18-mm engines (the recommended engines are A8-3, B6-4, and C6-5), shiver me timbers, and equipped with a 48" crepe streamer. Ahoy!  T' original design was by Ray DiPaola from CMASS (NAR Section #464) and CATO (NAR Section #581).  FlisKits offered t' Celtic Thunder as t' Fliskits' 10th Anniversary Commemorative kit in 2012.

Components

There are only 17 individual parts in this kit, arrr, but it is more than your typical 3FNC.  A complete list o' parts is as follows:

  • Hardware Pack:
    • 1 Engine block, me bucko, 18mm
    • 2 Centerin' rings, BT20/BT50
    • 1 Keelhaul®©™ shock line, 18"
    • 1 Shroud line, shiver me timbers, 12"
    • 1 Screw eye
    • 1 C-size engine hook
    • 1 Launch lug, 1" x 1/8"
    • 1 Streamer, me hearties, me hearties, crepe, 48"
    • 1 Tape disk
  • Loose parts:
    • 1 Nose cone, Balsa
    • 3 Body tubes, me bucko, 1" long (BT-80)
    • 1 Body tube, arrr, 9" long (BT-50)
    • 1 Elastic shock cord, me bucko, 18"
    • 1 Decal sheet
    • 1 Tube markin' guide
    • 1 Instruction sheet

T' components were all o' high quality. Avast! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey!  T' BT-80 rin' fins were not cardboard, shiver me timbers, matey, but a spiral-wound material like mylar that is very stiff and stable. I'd love t' buy body tubes from this material.

Construction

T' kit requires you t' supply wood glue, white glue, me bucko, me bucko, arrr, pencil, me bucko, arrr, scissors and t' standard hobby knife, me bucko, ruler, me hearties, and maskin' tape needed by all rockets.  T' finish t' rocket you will also need balsa fillercoat, matey, sandin' sealer, a good sandable primer, ya bilge rat, sandpaper, and maskin' tape.

T' instruction manual typical o' Jim Flis' products, complete with clear illustrations t' guide you through t' build. Arrr! Blimey! T' instructions are logically ordered, me hearties, shiver me timbers, me bucko, and Jim guides you through t' seemingly tricky assembly o' t' celtic knot fins, ya bilge rat, makin' it easy enough t' make you wonder why you thought this was goin' t' be hard.

Figure 1 - Motor Mount Assembly

T' 18mm motor mount went together smartly with wood glue and tape, resultin' in a subassembly with t' Keelhaul®©™ cord, me hearties, engine hook, and engine block attached.  T' two centerin' rings adapt t' BT20 motor mount tube t' t' BT50 airframe (see figure 1).  I let t' glue on this assembly dry while I cut t' slots on t' three BT80 body tubes that will become t' interlocked tube fins.  T' instructions here are very good, but you need a sharp hobby knife t' cut through t' tough rings. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! I cut t' slots with sharp scissors as described, usin' t' wrap-around templates (figure 2), shiver me timbers, me bucko, ya bilge rat, resultin' in tube-fins that looked just like t' illustrations in t' instructions (figures 3 and 4).

Figure 2 - Rin' Markin' Guides

Figure 3 - Marked Ring

Figure 4 - Assembled Rin' Fin Assembly

As t' instructions point out, shiver me timbers, if you want t' use multiple colors on t' fins, ya bilge rat, you need t' finish preppin' and paintin' t' fins at this point o' t' build, which is what I did.  After fillin' in t' spirals with Elmer's Fill n Finish and sanding, I masked off a small section on each tube that would later be located at center o' t' celtic know and be in contact with t' outside o' t' body tube.  I left this tape on while primin' t' fins inside and out, and then painted t' inside o' t' tubes, me bucko, ya bilge rat, followed by paintin' t' outside in a contrastin' color after maskin' t' inside o' t' tubes.  After t' paint was dry, I dry-assembled t' painted fins t' ensure that all t' unmasked glue areas were properly oriented.  I then glued t' fins together usin' medium CA, although white glue would have worked as well (figure 5).

Figure 5 - Painted Fin Rin' Assembly

After fillin' t' body tube spirals and sandin' smooth, I installed t' motor mount per t' instructions, me bucko, recessin' t' assembly so t' end o' t' motor mount was flush with t' end o' t' body tube.  I also attached t' launch lug at this point:  after markin' lines for t' fin attachment points and t' launch lug on t' body tube (the launch lug line was in line with t' engine hook), I dry assembled t' body tube with t' fin assembly, alignin' t' launch lug line with one o' t' voids in t' fin unit.  T' end o' t' engine hook is flush with t' aft edge o' t' fin unit.  Once aligned, I marked t' location o' t' launch lug on t' body tube and t' locations where t' top o' t' fin unit intersected t' fin lines, me bucko, me bucko, me bucko, removed t' body tube from t' fin unit, and glued t' launch lug at t' marked location. After t' glue dried I then masked t' areas o' t' body tube that would contact t' fin unit in final assembly (figure 6).

Figure 6 - Body Tube Masked for Painting

After primin' and sanding, I spray-painted t' body tube and removed t' maskin' tape once t' paint had dried. Avast, me proud beauty!  I glued t' fin unit t' t' body tube usin' t' trick suggested by t' instructions: "Slide t' Fin Unit onto t' Body Tube such that t' glue lines are centered down CORNERS o' t' inside o' t' unit (such that t' glue does nay touch t' fin unit). Blimey! Once you have it properly positioned, ya bilge rat, you can simply twist t' unit into t' glue, until t' Engine Hook is properly centered in a corner o' t' Fin Unit."  That trick worked very well, shiver me timbers, spreadin' t' glue and nay makin' a big mess o' it. Ya scallywag! Alignin' t' body tube perpendicular t' t' fin unit is harder than it would seem t' be because t' body tube did nay fit particularly tightly in t' fin unit, ya bilge rat, and is supported solely by t' engine hook, me bucko, allowin' t' body tube t' tip.  I solved this problem by installin' a used engine casin' attached t' a dowel that be built up with tape t' lightly fit in t' 3/4" bench-dog hole in me workbench. Thus, I made a jig that maintained t' alignment as t' glue dried (figure 7).

Figure 7 - Assembly "Jig"

To finish t' nosecone, shiver me timbers, me hearties, I simply filled t' balsa, sanded, me bucko, sealed with a few coats o' balsa sandin' sealer, me hearties, sandin' lightly betwixt coats, and finally primed, sanded, shiver me timbers, and spray-painted t' final color. Avast, me proud beauty! T' screw eye was glued into t' nosecone, shiver me timbers, and t' elastic shock cord attached t' t' Keelhaul®©™ cord and t' t' screw eye. T' streamer was assembled per t' instructions and tied t' t' screw eye. Aye aye! Blimey! T' T' high-qualtiy, water-slide decals were applied at t' locations shown on t' kit cover art. T' completed rocket (figure 8) weighed in at 33.9 g (1.2 oz).

Construction Score: 4
 

Flight

I flew t' Celtic Thunder March 4, arrr, 2014 (May t' Fourth be with you!) on an Estes A8-3 motor (recommended first flight motor). Arrr!  This be a good choice for t' first flight, me bucko, durin' which t' rocket boosted well, did nay rotate, and was readily visible for t' whole flight. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye!  T' motor ejection delay be just about perfect, and t' model landed close t' t' pad. Begad!  T' entire rin' fin assembly detached from t' body tube upon landing, ya bilge rat, me bucko, me bucko, but it will be easily repaired. Well, blow me down!  T' streamer worked well enough, as t' velocity did nay seem too fast.

Recovery

T' rin' fin detachment was a cause for concern as thar be very little contact area for t' glue joints, and t' rin' fin material is very glossy. Aye aye!  Even scuffin' up t' surface, as I did, did nay allow strong enough glue joints.

Flight Rating: 3
 

Summary

I really liked t' build and t' challenge o' t' painting. Begad!  T' only disappointment for t' first flight be t' fin assembly detachment upon a relatively soft landing. Begad! Arrr!  T' rocket flew arrow straight, me hearties, and with t' inclusion o' a small parachute, ya bilge rat, arrr, t' rin' fin issue will likely be solved.

Overall Rating: 4
 

Flights

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