***************************************************************
The Right Stuff - Hints and Tips from APOGEE, the official
newsletter of the Miami Valley Rocket Society.

Questions or comments? Send E-Mail to Bob Hegwood, CIS: 76276,2552

Or write to: Bob Hegwood
             31 Pagett Drive
             Germantown, Ohio 45327
             (513) 855-7105
***************************************************************

Construction

1. How many different ways have YOU tried to fill balsa fins?
Sanding sealer just doesn't get it, even if you use four or five
coats of the stuff, and Balsa Fillercoat is no better. Instead,
try using "Hobby-Poxy Stuff", (H50), thinned with Pactra Thinner
in a 3-to-1 ratio. In other words, mix 3 parts Stuff to one part
thinner. As was demonstrated during the September workshop, all
it takes to obtain a glass smooth finish is one coat of this
mixture, followed by one light sanding using 220-grit sanpaper,
and another light sanding with 720-grit emery cloth. The results
are hard to beat, and the work is easy when compared to all the
trouble you have to go to with sanding sealer. You can also use
"Stuff" straight from the can to fill in body tube seams. (Jim
Breckenridge, CSAR)

2. Can't find the right decals for that scale model? Make your
own; it's easier than you might think. Using a pencil, simply
draw the designs you need on plain white paper. Next, use Magic
Markers, or similar felt-tip pens, to fill in the appropriate
colors. If you need clearly defined borders, a black felt-tip
pen can be used to clean up the areas in which colors overlap.
When finished, cut out the decals using scissors or a hobby
knife, and attach them to the finished rocket as follows: First,
paint the model in the appropriate color or colors, and allow
the paint to dry completely. Use a Glue Stic (Available at your
nearest K-Mart in the school supplies area for about 67 cents)
to coat the back of each decal with adhesive, and then simply
stick each decal on the model in the proper place. Allow the
adhesive to dry overnight, and then apply a coat of either clear
DullCote or clear GlossCote to provide a protective finish. (B.H.)

3. Save the yellow spacer tubes from your Estes model rocket kits.
These can be put to good use in joining body tubes, and they come
as part of many of the current Estes kits. The yellow tubes are
especially useful when building a SuperRoc, and you don't have to
buy those short, expensive stage couplers. (Jim Breckenridge, CSAR)

Flight Techniques

1. For models using a core motor and two or more outboard motors,
consider using epoxy on the ejection ends of the outboard motors.
As with the NCR Viking II, (See review elsewhere in this issue),
only the core motor supplies an ejection charge to deploy the
parachute. The outboard motors are boosters, and the instructions
require the modeler to cut vent holes in the outboard engine tubes
to keep these motors from ejecting during flight. Rather than cutting
holes in the tubes, and allowing the exhaust gases to ruin the model's
finish near the vent holes, it is much cleaner to leave the engine
tubes alone. Before each flight, simply fill the ejection end of each
outboard motor with epoxy, and allow to dry thoroughly. In flight, the
motors remain in the tubes, and no harm comes to the outboard engine
tubes. THIS TECHNIQUE SHOULD BE USED ONLY WITH MOTORS DESIGNATED AS
HAVING A -0 DELAY NUMBER, AND ONLY FOR MOTORS WHICH PLAY NO PART IN
THE DEPLOYMENT OF A RECOVERY DEVICE. (Steve Lubecki/B.H.)