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  #1  
Old 06-06-2007, 12:17 AM
A Fish Named Wallyum A Fish Named Wallyum is offline
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Default Semroc VF-261 build thread

This idea hit me after talking to Carl one night before NSL last week. I thought I'd buy the new VF-261 kit when I arrived on Friday, build it one Friday and Saturday night, and paint and fly it on Sunday. I figured that I'd at least get it flown nekkid, but as things turned out, I got everything done but the final strip and decals.
I had two or three steps done before I remembered to start taking pictures.
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Bill Eichelberger
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http://wallyum.blogspot.com/

I miss being SAM 0058

Build floor: Centuri Design Contest F-150 Hurricane Estes - Low Boom SST Semroc - Gee'Hod, Shrike, SST Shuttle

In paint: Canaroc Starfighter Scorpion Estes F-22 Air Superiority Fighter, Solar Sailer II Semroc Cyber III

Ready to fly: Estes - Multi-Roc, Solar Sailer II Semroc - Earmark, Snake Jumper
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  #2  
Old 06-06-2007, 12:29 AM
A Fish Named Wallyum A Fish Named Wallyum is offline
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Overall it was an easy build, but there were two steps that caused me a bit of difficulty. One was making aerodynamic shapes out of balsa dust. That one just ended badly, and we'll leave it at that for now. I also had trouble drawing straight lines on the boat tail, but I managed.
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Bill Eichelberger
NAR 79563

http://wallyum.blogspot.com/

I miss being SAM 0058

Build floor: Centuri Design Contest F-150 Hurricane Estes - Low Boom SST Semroc - Gee'Hod, Shrike, SST Shuttle

In paint: Canaroc Starfighter Scorpion Estes F-22 Air Superiority Fighter, Solar Sailer II Semroc Cyber III

Ready to fly: Estes - Multi-Roc, Solar Sailer II Semroc - Earmark, Snake Jumper
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  #3  
Old 06-06-2007, 12:37 AM
A Fish Named Wallyum A Fish Named Wallyum is offline
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No pics of the finishing process. Oopsie. Suffice to say that my hotel room was quite the dump, to the point that I did all the finishing and priming in the room. (The bathroom made a pretty good paint booth.) I di the final painting on the field on Sunday, just before the flight. Never thought to get anyone to take a picture of me painting. Double oopsie. Silver all over with a black rudder. I'll get to the stripes and decals one night this week.
In the end, I managed one flight on a B6-4. MAN, did this thing scoot. Even though the field was big enough for the C6-7, I wasn't tempted in the least. I didn't see any of the B6-4 flight! I didn't even want to think about the C6-7.
Recovery occurred quite a ways downrange, and frighteningly close to the gravel path. The rudder was loosened by the impact with the ground, but it was a quick fix. I think I might try to get a flight in this weekend on an A8-3 at B6-4 Field.
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__________________
Bill Eichelberger
NAR 79563

http://wallyum.blogspot.com/

I miss being SAM 0058

Build floor: Centuri Design Contest F-150 Hurricane Estes - Low Boom SST Semroc - Gee'Hod, Shrike, SST Shuttle

In paint: Canaroc Starfighter Scorpion Estes F-22 Air Superiority Fighter, Solar Sailer II Semroc Cyber III

Ready to fly: Estes - Multi-Roc, Solar Sailer II Semroc - Earmark, Snake Jumper
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  #4  
Old 06-06-2007, 09:39 AM
PaulK PaulK is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by A Fish Named Wallyum
No pics of the finishing process. Oopsie. Suffice to say that my hotel room was quite the dump, to the point that I did all the finishing and priming in the room. (The bathroom made a pretty good paint booth.)
Hey, that is a great idea! With the humidity here in the summer, I need an air-conditioned paint booth with exhaust fan; maybe I'll save up a few models, rent a room for a day, and paint away. How did you keep paint dust from settling all over the room? Cool model by the way. I'm hoping mine will show up on the doorstep today. Could you elaborate on the part about making aerodynamic shapes out of balsa dust?
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  #5  
Old 06-06-2007, 10:25 AM
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ghrocketman ghrocketman is offline
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Spray painting in a motel room ????
That's a good one....I hope you paid via cash and not credit card so they can't try adding a "cleanup fee" onto your bill.
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  #6  
Old 06-06-2007, 04:23 PM
A Fish Named Wallyum A Fish Named Wallyum is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PaulK
Hey, that is a great idea! With the humidity here in the summer, I need an air-conditioned paint booth with exhaust fan; maybe I'll save up a few models, rent a room for a day, and paint away. How did you keep paint dust from settling all over the room? Cool model by the way. I'm hoping mine will show up on the doorstep today. Could you elaborate on the part about making aerodynamic shapes out of balsa dust?


It worked pretty well, and the fact that the hotel room had apparently seen action as a Port-O-Let in a previous life made me not care where the dust settled. I mean, it's not like they CLEANED or anything.
Did I mention that my hotel was a carpeted septic tank?
As for the balsa dust, I tried it as Carl wrote it, but in the end it looked like I wiped a booger on the fin. I don't think it suffers without the aerodynamic shapes.
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Bill Eichelberger
NAR 79563

http://wallyum.blogspot.com/

I miss being SAM 0058

Build floor: Centuri Design Contest F-150 Hurricane Estes - Low Boom SST Semroc - Gee'Hod, Shrike, SST Shuttle

In paint: Canaroc Starfighter Scorpion Estes F-22 Air Superiority Fighter, Solar Sailer II Semroc Cyber III

Ready to fly: Estes - Multi-Roc, Solar Sailer II Semroc - Earmark, Snake Jumper
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  #7  
Old 06-06-2007, 04:24 PM
A Fish Named Wallyum A Fish Named Wallyum is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ghrocketman
Spray painting in a motel room ????
That's a good one....I hope you paid via cash and not credit card so they can't try adding a "cleanup fee" onto your bill.


Clean was obviously not a priority in this place.
__________________
Bill Eichelberger
NAR 79563

http://wallyum.blogspot.com/

I miss being SAM 0058

Build floor: Centuri Design Contest F-150 Hurricane Estes - Low Boom SST Semroc - Gee'Hod, Shrike, SST Shuttle

In paint: Canaroc Starfighter Scorpion Estes F-22 Air Superiority Fighter, Solar Sailer II Semroc Cyber III

Ready to fly: Estes - Multi-Roc, Solar Sailer II Semroc - Earmark, Snake Jumper
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  #8  
Old 06-07-2007, 12:00 AM
stefanj stefanj is offline
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The Semroc site has a PDF of the VF-261 instructions. You can see details of the "aerodynamic shape" there. Essentially, you use tissue or balsa dust plus glue to make a putty to make a little nosecone-shaped dingus for the front of the fin-tip launch lugs.

Several layers of Fill n' Finish, with CA or Minwax wood hardener wicked on for durability, would make the part more sandable.
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  #9  
Old 06-07-2007, 12:27 AM
A Fish Named Wallyum A Fish Named Wallyum is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by stefanj
The Semroc site has a PDF of the VF-261 instructions. You can see details of the "aerodynamic shape" there. Essentially, you use tissue or balsa dust plus glue to make a putty to make a little nosecone-shaped dingus for the front of the fin-tip launch lugs.

Several layers of Fill n' Finish, with CA or Minwax wood hardener wicked on for durability, would make the part more sandable.


That's what I tried to use, but my dingus didn't look like any dingus ever seen in this galaxy. I mentioned my difficulties to Carl and Sheryl at NSL on Saturday and Sheryl seemed to agree with me that it was a bit of a stretch.
Geez, if you'd have seen the screw up I almost had on Friday night, you'd agree that my VF-261 was best left dingusless. Good thing my yellow glue hadn't "grabbed" yet.
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Bill Eichelberger
NAR 79563

http://wallyum.blogspot.com/

I miss being SAM 0058

Build floor: Centuri Design Contest F-150 Hurricane Estes - Low Boom SST Semroc - Gee'Hod, Shrike, SST Shuttle

In paint: Canaroc Starfighter Scorpion Estes F-22 Air Superiority Fighter, Solar Sailer II Semroc Cyber III

Ready to fly: Estes - Multi-Roc, Solar Sailer II Semroc - Earmark, Snake Jumper
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  #10  
Old 06-07-2007, 07:59 AM
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conleyt conleyt is offline
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I picked up this kit at NSL. I haven't had a chance to build it yet, but I'm planning to try epoxy putty for the "fin tips". It may look like crap when I'm finished, but I'm gonna give it a shot!

Tom C.
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