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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
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Construction

1. Estes Saturn V tip number 2: When building your new Saturn V,
take the time to reinforce the stuffer tube which comes with the
kit. After having flown MY Saturn only 20 times, the stuffer tube
developed a large hole in it's wall just in front of the engine mount.
Although the last ejection charge was strong enough to eject the
nose cone safely, the two main parachutes did NOT eject, and the
model suffered a major prang. To avoid this problem in your model,
either coat the inside of the kit stuffer tube with epoxy, or use
a stronger 24mm tube. (I would recommend LOC/Precision's motor mount
tubing, part number MMT-0.95.) After each flight, you should also
use a long dowel to remove any build-up of residue in the tube.
Oxidized particles can accumulate just ahead of the motor mount, and
can clog the stuffer tube. (B.H.)

2. When drawing your fin patterns on a sheet of balsa, use a
felt-tipped pen. If you trace a pattern using a ball-point pen
or a pencil, you run the risk of ruining a good piece of building
material. Pens and pencils are hard-tipped, and will cut into the
wood. (Bob Kaplow, NIRA)

Supplies

1. Need inexpensive body tubes, stage couplers, centering rings,
etc.? Try purchasing a kit, rather than the individual components
to save money. The Estes "Mini Mean Machine", for example, contains
two BT-20 body tubes, a JT-20C coupler, two centering rings for
mounting a BT-5 in a BT-20, a mini-engine hook, a plastic BT-20
nose cone, a length of shroud line, a 12-inch chute, and balsa
fins. The kit costs $7.19 in the new catalog, but the individual
parts would cost you about $10.00 even WITHOUT the balsa fins. Take
another look at the catalog, and this time look at each kit as a
collection of parts. You'll be surprised how much money you can save
this way. Other good buys include the "Mini Tri Pak", the "Mean Machine",
and of course, the "Designer's Special." (Bill Curtin, CSAR)

2. Save those used motor casings! A wide variety of model rocket parts
and tools can be made from these throw-away items. You can make your
own centering rings by cutting sections from used 18mm and 24mm motors.
You can also make your own engine blocks to fit BT-5, BT-20, and BT-50
body tubes, and all you need is a saw and the right-sized motor casing.
You can also make your own model rocket display stands by gluing used
casings to wooden mounts. (Bill Curtin, CSAR)

Flying Techniques

1. After using your piston launcher to loft a model, spray the electrical
contacts at the top of the launcher with Archer's Cleaner/Degreaser. This
stuff is available in 8-ounce aerosol cans at Radio Shack for $1.99, and
will remove dirt and oxidation from the contacts. Archer's is better than
cleaning fluid, since it leaves no residue, and it is also much cheaper.
The spray can comes with a plastic nozzle extension, and you can direct
the spray where you want it to go. (Jim Breckenridge, CSAR)

(All tips from Volume 2, Issue 3)