#1
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Astron Sprite clone
This is a Semroc bird, although I tried cutting my own balsa before giving up and just buying the laser cut parts from Carl. I went with a paint scheme I saw on a vintage bird somewhere, and added the old Estes logo that I printed out from Kurt's scan. (It was a tough choice between the logo and the diamond check wrap.) Oh, and it's a 13mm bird. I thought it would be nice to get it back.
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Bill Eichelberger NAR 79563 http://wallyum.blogspot.com/ I miss being SAM 0058 Build floor: Estes - Low Boom SST Semroc - Marauder, Shrike, SST Shuttle In paint: Canaroc - Starfighter Scorpion Centuri - Mini Dactyl Estes - F-22 Air Superiority Fighter, Multi-Roc, Solar Sailer II, Xarconian Cruiser Semroc - Cyber III Ready to fly: Estes - Solar Sailer II Semroc - Earmark |
#2
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Nice retro look. And in Bengals colors.
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#3
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Uh oh. That means the first flight will be a loss. On a related note, I bet you Ohio folks love the Titans these days since we're fighting your teams to be the worst team in the NFL this year.
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I love sanding. |
#4
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Surely you jest The other Ohio team (unfortunately my team) is 0 and 5 and things don't look much brighter for tomorrow. Alright maybe a little brighter since Haden is finished serving his 4 game suspension. Bill, Nice job, Is it still a tumble recovery?
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Bernard J. Herman Ohio RLS Starport Sagitta Rockets email bherman@sagittarockets.com NAR # 97971 SR What's your idea on the best way to change Washington D.C.? Let us know at the Cantina Sagitta Cantina We're looking for a few good Catos, please tell us about any you may have had. Survey of Anecdotal Malfunctioning Engines or S.A.M.E. |
#5
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No, I went with a streamer. I had these tiny Mylar strips that cover the adhesive on some of the packages at work. Nice flashy silver, and I have an unlimited supply. Not looking too good for flying here tomorrow, but I have vacation later this week.
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Bill Eichelberger NAR 79563 http://wallyum.blogspot.com/ I miss being SAM 0058 Build floor: Estes - Low Boom SST Semroc - Marauder, Shrike, SST Shuttle In paint: Canaroc - Starfighter Scorpion Centuri - Mini Dactyl Estes - F-22 Air Superiority Fighter, Multi-Roc, Solar Sailer II, Xarconian Cruiser Semroc - Cyber III Ready to fly: Estes - Solar Sailer II Semroc - Earmark |
#6
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Titans vs Browns: Watch them battle for the #1 draft pick of 2013! (Yes, I know there are several one win teams, but I have faith in the Titans and Browns.) Why go with the streamer? Is the Sprite prone to lawndarting? Just wondering. I have one on my build table. It's just sitting there, along with a bunch more. Have I mentioned I love sanding?
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I love sanding. |
#7
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I've never seen one fly, so I can't say about the lawndarting tendency. The mini engine should cut the altitude down enough that losing it isn't likely. I guess I just felt like it.
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Bill Eichelberger NAR 79563 http://wallyum.blogspot.com/ I miss being SAM 0058 Build floor: Estes - Low Boom SST Semroc - Marauder, Shrike, SST Shuttle In paint: Canaroc - Starfighter Scorpion Centuri - Mini Dactyl Estes - F-22 Air Superiority Fighter, Multi-Roc, Solar Sailer II, Xarconian Cruiser Semroc - Cyber III Ready to fly: Estes - Solar Sailer II Semroc - Earmark |
#8
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At first, I was like how could you even try to compare, but then I saw the Titans were at -90 in the points for/against. I guess at least the Browns have been keeping it close.
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Bernard J. Herman Ohio RLS Starport Sagitta Rockets email bherman@sagittarockets.com NAR # 97971 SR What's your idea on the best way to change Washington D.C.? Let us know at the Cantina Sagitta Cantina We're looking for a few good Catos, please tell us about any you may have had. Survey of Anecdotal Malfunctioning Engines or S.A.M.E. |
#9
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Seriously, IMO, the combo of 13mm motor mount and streamer recovery is a good idea. Keep in mind, the Scout was very similar to the Sprite with shifting CG and tumble recovery, but the Scout III came with a 13mm motor mount and nose blow recovery. That said, depending on how much time and effort one is willing to invest, and how faithful one is to these original, classic kits, one might build them nearly stock with a willingness to tinker with them, trying to make them tumble home safely. In my case, I went stock when I cloned these childhood classics, but promptly retired them in near pristine condition after one obligatory flight each. But if I wanted to fly one on a regular basis, either I modify it for more reliable recovery, or get used to flying it with lots of scars and band-aids Doug .
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YORF member #11 |
#10
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In fact, I found that, even with laser cut fins, it's easy to get a gap. I only very lightly sanded the edges, yet the primer caused a tiny bit of shrinkage in the wood resulting in a small gap <Linus sigh goes here> Anyway, for the Sprite clone, if one wants to try it sans laser cut parts, here's what I did. The fin and fin cap templates were copied and then glued to the balsa and allowed to dry. (BTW, here are some tifs with multiple copies of the templates: FINS FIN-CAPS ) With the templates glued in place, I was able to rough cut the pieces, using a new blade. Then I sanded them to size. In the case of the fin caps, a sanding stick was very useful. I left the fins slightly over size (in span), then, with them glued in place on the air frame, I carefully sanded the outer edges until the ring fin fit just right. If anybody wants to try this without benefit of laser cutting, HTH Doug .
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YORF member #11 |
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