Manufacturer: | Estes ![]() | |
Diameter: | 0.9760 inches | |
Skill Level: | 3 | |
Style: | Futuristic/Exotic |
Stealth airplane concept introduced in 1984. Got the cover of the 1984 Estes Catalog.
"Radar invisible fighter from the future closes in on its opponents from seemingly nowhere. Outfitted with lazer weaponry it seeks and destroys in ultimate silence. Our model can reach altitudes up to 900 feet. Length: 16.25" Dia. 1.125" Wtl 2.3 oz.
ENGINES: A8-3,B4-4 (1st Flt). B6-4, C5-3 C6-3, C6-5.
No 1929
$5.95"
Kit features: 12" chute, quick release engine mount, kit decals, plastic nose cone, die cut balsa fins.
Well, it's hard to believe that I've had this kit for almost 30 years and still haven't finished it. I attempted painting it black back in the day, but didn't like the results, and put it aside for a while longer than I planned on. Recently, I rediscovered this kit in my build que, and since I had the sandpaper, I figured it was time to finish this thing.
One of the major problems about this kit is the seam lines from the blow molded fuselage and cockpit. To solve this, I used 320 grit sandpaper to sand them out. The nosecone/cockpit has a major problem with its alignment with the fuselage, as it is being pressed up leaving a rather large and ugly joint. To solve the alignment problem I used a few drops of gap filling CA glue and some INSTA-SET to create a shim. It took 3 attempts, but now the nosecone fits nicely. Had I overdone it, I could have sanded the excess glue out of the fuselage. This process saves a lot of time and effort from trying to sand down the bottom edge of the nosecone, which I read can be surprisingly thin and prone to sanding through.
Besides the seams, my rocket had raised (or recessed) streaks from when the fuselage was blow molded. To solve this, the entire fuselage and nosecone received a sanding with 320 grit until all 'shine' was gone. This has taken a long time due to the severity of the problem, and has left me with a rather sore index finger on my right hand (it hurts a little typing this now). I'm planning on resanding the rocket with 400 grit, then 600 grit before it gets paint.
I've found most (if not all of the fins), but will need to reproduce the fin guides to allow me to finish the kit. I've been having some luck with papering fins lately, so I'm planning on doing that as well to this kit.
I still have the decals. I don't know how well they've held up over the years. Most of the guts of the kit (except for the original body tube) have been scavaged for parts, so I'll need to scrounge up some before I can finish this. I plan on making an 'afterburner' can that is from an old part left over from a Quest parts assortment I picked up years ago.
I'd like to make the kit in the factory original paint scheme, but I remember seeing someone's Monogram F-19 Stealth Fighter (concept plane) painted as a mallard duck. If this kit doesn't beg for that kind of treatment, I don't know what does.
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