Lawn Dart Rocketry SLAT/S Background I found this kit listed on Ebay: I won't be bidding on this one, I can pretty much clone it from spare parts. The instructions and full size templates are available at oldrocketplans.com: CLICK HERE I searched some other websites and found a build by Nick Esselman on rocketreviews.com: CLICK HERE ...
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Lawn Dart Rocketry SLAT/S Build, Part 1, Parts The last page of the online instructions is a detailed parts list. The body tubes are "ST" or Centuri style tubing. I'll be using heavy walled BT-50H and my Odd'l Rockets heavy wall BT-20H for the engine mount. The OOP kit used a balsa nose cone with four washer weights to move the C/G forward. ...
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Lawn Dart Rocketry SLAT/S Build, Part 2, Fin Fairings Here's a cross section drawing of the model. The instructions call the assemblies "Fin Pods". The fin fairings are interesting, made up of a three piece laminate. There are three pieces on each side so cut out six in total. In the top picture is all six stacked up for uniform sanding. Two of the ...
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Lawn Dart Rocketry SLAT/S Build, Part 3, Fins
The original kit had 1/16" thick fins, the fairings was made of the three 3/32" pieces cut out earlier. I made my fins from 3/32" stock. The fin root edges fit into the slots in the fairings. I cut the notches after the fin was cut out using the end of a single edge razor blade. If your blade ...
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Lawn Dart Rocketry SLAT/S Build, Part 4, Conduit Tunnel Shaping
While the balsa fairings dry, I worked on the Conduit Tunnel. I don't have any half rounds, we'll carve one from a full dowel. Draw a center line down both (opposite) sides of the dowel. Carve off the back half of the dowel. Notice on the right, I didn't carve all the way to the half center ...
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Lawn Dart Rocketry SLAT/S Build, Part 5, Tunnel and Fairing End Shaping
The ends of the tunnel are rounded off. On the left the sides of the tunnel are rounded with a sanding block. Draw a pencil line around the end to show the shaping depth. Carve off some of the excess. Finish rounding above the pencil line with 220 grit, followed by 400.
The fairings are ...
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Lawn Dart Rocketry SLAT/S Build, Part 6, Fitting the Ramjet Pieces I didn't use the PDF pattern to cut the ramjet tube. I just guessed the angle, drew a line and cut off a wedge. The angle was smoothed with a sanding block. Down the length of the the tube, a 3/4" width strip was cut out using the aluminum angle. The inside edge was sanded smooth and flat. The ...
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Lawn Dart Rocketry SLAT/S Build, Part 7, Engine Mount I used an Odd'l Rockets heavy wall BT-20 tube for the engine mount. These tubes are thicker than a standard BT-20 and only available from JonRocket.com The inside diameter is the same as a standard BT-20. The outside diameter is a bit wider. To fit a standard 20/50 ring, the inside is slightly ...
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Lawn Dart Rocketry SLAT/S Build, Part 8, Parts Fitting The fin fairing pieces had the balsa grain filled with CWF and sanded smooth. I wanted to shoot the pieces with filler/primer before gluing the fins in the slots. A strip of masking tape was cut a little wider than the slot widths. This was pressed into place, the overhand kept the filler/primer ...
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Lawn Dart Rocketry SLAT/S Build, Part 9, Gluing It Together The intake half nose cone was set on the intake center line and traced. The filler/primer was scraped down to the body tube. The half nose was glued down. Notice in the left picture, the scraped line for the intake tube. I used very little glue to set the intake onto the body tube.. Here's where ...
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Lawn Dart Rocketry SLAT/S Build, Part 10, Paint and Chrome Trim The model did get a gloss white undercoat before the overall gloss orange. I wanted to add some chrome trim like on the Odd'l Fighter Fleet models. This isn't necessary, but paint on the hook will just bubble up after the first flight. On the finished model it just looks cleaner. TIP: First I ...
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Lawn Dart Rocketry SLAT/S Build, Finished I did add two more chrome stripes around the body. With only two decals on each side it needed more. I probably could have gave the Stars and Bars decal some white underneath it. The Seattle Rocket Works kit had 1/16" thick balsa vanes at the front end of the intake. I left them off, they'd be ...
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