Intruder
06-04-2008, 10:26 PM
I've been working on my Interceptor-E lately. Like my 1250 Interceptor, I glued on all of the sub fins and vertical stabs before filleting, filling, etc. Then I noticed that I had a problem: my vertical stabs and sub fins didn't line up. At first I thought that I just can't build a rocket and glued the fins on crooked. Then I looked closer and found that the root edges themselves didn't line up.
I slipped on the fin marking guide and saw that the lines on the tube didn't match the guide. I had forgotten to tape down the guide to draw the lines. So I carefully cut off the sub fins at the glue joint so that there was no damage to the tube or the fins. I erase the lines, slip on the guide, tape it down, and make my lines again. After which, I made some rivet holes since I (thankfully) forgot to do so the first time.
I look at my lines before gluing on the sub fins a second time and see that my lines STILL don't line up with the vertical stabilizers. Now I'm a little frustrated. I look at my 1250 Interceptor, my dad's vintage K-50 Interceptor, and his vintage instructions and all of them have the sub fins line up with the vert. stabs. Now I feel like I'm just plain stupid because I can't draw strait lines. I slip on the fin marking guide, again, and the lines on the tube match the ones on the guide perfectly. Now I'm loosing my mind because I have now idea what's wrong.
Then I vaguely remember this post:
As I was building my Interceptor E the other day I noticed that the fin marking guide is off by 1/16 of an inch. If anyone gets this kit then watch your tube markings. If you measure the distance from the launch lug line to the sub fin lines you'll see what I mean. I contacted Estes about it and they took my name and number. 6 minutes later I got a return call from the designer. I told him the problem, he measured it and in the background I heard him say "Da**it he's right!" So they offered to send me a corrected instruction book of all things. I don't know how many are out there with the mismarked fin guide as the rocket was just released a few weeks ago.
I then thought that it was possible, though highly unlikely, that the problem was with the guide and not my immense lack of ability.
I new that sense the fins are supposed to line up, the distance between the two vert. stabs and the two sub fins are equal. So I folded the guide in half (not including the tab) and slipped it onto the body tube, AGAIN! http://www.rocketryforum.com/images/smilies/hmpf.gif
I turn the guide upside down and match the crease with the launch lug line. The lines aren't even close to matching the inverted guide!
Now I'm interring "Hulk Mode" because now, not only are my lines not in the right spot, my guide is wrong, and I have holes in my body tube.
http://www.rocketryforum.com/images/smilies/14.gif http://www.rocketryforum.com/images/smilies/banghead.gif http://www.mysmiley.net/imgs/smile/mad/mad0251.gif http://www.mysmiley.net/imgs/smile/mad/mad0233.gif http://www.mysmiley.net/imgs/smile/characters/character0192.gif
OK. After my rampage of leveling buildings, knocking out helicopters by throwing cars, and crushing tanks with my bare hands, I sat down and thought of a simple fix.
I made two marks on a slip of paper that was wrapped around the body tube 180 degrees from each other. I lined one of the marks up with one on the body tube I previously made between the vert. stabs. I copied the vert. stabs' position onto the paper, twisted it around so the other mark on the paper lined up with the one on the body, and then copied the marks from the vert. stabs onto the underside.
Now I feel kinda stupid for wasting all my time trying to solve my problem when the solution was so easy, and for wasting all of your time by having you read this novel.
I slipped on the fin marking guide and saw that the lines on the tube didn't match the guide. I had forgotten to tape down the guide to draw the lines. So I carefully cut off the sub fins at the glue joint so that there was no damage to the tube or the fins. I erase the lines, slip on the guide, tape it down, and make my lines again. After which, I made some rivet holes since I (thankfully) forgot to do so the first time.
I look at my lines before gluing on the sub fins a second time and see that my lines STILL don't line up with the vertical stabilizers. Now I'm a little frustrated. I look at my 1250 Interceptor, my dad's vintage K-50 Interceptor, and his vintage instructions and all of them have the sub fins line up with the vert. stabs. Now I feel like I'm just plain stupid because I can't draw strait lines. I slip on the fin marking guide, again, and the lines on the tube match the ones on the guide perfectly. Now I'm loosing my mind because I have now idea what's wrong.
Then I vaguely remember this post:
As I was building my Interceptor E the other day I noticed that the fin marking guide is off by 1/16 of an inch. If anyone gets this kit then watch your tube markings. If you measure the distance from the launch lug line to the sub fin lines you'll see what I mean. I contacted Estes about it and they took my name and number. 6 minutes later I got a return call from the designer. I told him the problem, he measured it and in the background I heard him say "Da**it he's right!" So they offered to send me a corrected instruction book of all things. I don't know how many are out there with the mismarked fin guide as the rocket was just released a few weeks ago.
I then thought that it was possible, though highly unlikely, that the problem was with the guide and not my immense lack of ability.
I new that sense the fins are supposed to line up, the distance between the two vert. stabs and the two sub fins are equal. So I folded the guide in half (not including the tab) and slipped it onto the body tube, AGAIN! http://www.rocketryforum.com/images/smilies/hmpf.gif
I turn the guide upside down and match the crease with the launch lug line. The lines aren't even close to matching the inverted guide!
Now I'm interring "Hulk Mode" because now, not only are my lines not in the right spot, my guide is wrong, and I have holes in my body tube.
http://www.rocketryforum.com/images/smilies/14.gif http://www.rocketryforum.com/images/smilies/banghead.gif http://www.mysmiley.net/imgs/smile/mad/mad0251.gif http://www.mysmiley.net/imgs/smile/mad/mad0233.gif http://www.mysmiley.net/imgs/smile/characters/character0192.gif
OK. After my rampage of leveling buildings, knocking out helicopters by throwing cars, and crushing tanks with my bare hands, I sat down and thought of a simple fix.
I made two marks on a slip of paper that was wrapped around the body tube 180 degrees from each other. I lined one of the marks up with one on the body tube I previously made between the vert. stabs. I copied the vert. stabs' position onto the paper, twisted it around so the other mark on the paper lined up with the one on the body, and then copied the marks from the vert. stabs onto the underside.
Now I feel kinda stupid for wasting all my time trying to solve my problem when the solution was so easy, and for wasting all of your time by having you read this novel.