I would call it in the made to order category. The nose cone vendor could not do either of two scenarios so the user will have to manually shape the cone end. Same with Orion 3.

http://v-serv.com/usr/retro.htm

Jerry

Hmmm post the net length you cut the motor tube to. The 21.375" tube could be 2 BT-22-12 tubes to get alot closer to scale with stock parts. I will likely put some of your mod notes in the Beta instructions.

Jerry

Nice thread.

Thanks - The motor tube is now 10" long

Sealed the cones. Why? Because we love to sand!

And got the last of the rings onto the motor tube.

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Jerry-
On that Athena-3 it shows on your website the mass is 12lb. I find that very hard to believe.
What is the actual weight ?

__________________
When in doubt, WHACK the GAS and DITCH the brake !!!

Yes, there is such a thing as NORMAL, if you have to ask what is "NORMAL" , you probably aren't !
Failure may not be an OPTION, but it is ALWAYS a POSSIBILITY.
ALL systems are GO for MAYHEM, CHAOS, and HAVOC !

GH and Jerry, please create a new thread to discuss the Athena-3. This is a build thread for the USR Trident.

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Glued the pod tubes together. I did find some of the couplers were a bit lose and had to be built up with tape. I did sneak into the kitchen to use our nice flat counter to roll the tubes to ensure they were straight. Also, I soaked the ends where the pods are meant to disconnect with thin CA. When dry, I sanded a chamfer onto the end to make the installation easier.

BTW - anyone else so OCD that they align the spirals when gluing 2 tubes together? Never mind. Then a bit of FnF for the joints.

The cone for the motor section got a coating of epoxy to protect it from the ejection charge.

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I made up some alignment templates that I glued to foam board and cut out

And then I just had to see it all together. Dry fit for the picture. Quickly slid it together. The slots are not cut yet and the positions for the pix are wrong. But starting to look good!.

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Definitely NOT OCD when it comes to tube spirals at all.
I never fill them with anything more than sprayed primer.
Tried filling them ONCE with Elmer's CWF and found it to be a royal Waaaaste of TIIIIME.

__________________
When in doubt, WHACK the GAS and DITCH the brake !!!

Yes, there is such a thing as NORMAL, if you have to ask what is "NORMAL" , you probably aren't !
Failure may not be an OPTION, but it is ALWAYS a POSSIBILITY.
ALL systems are GO for MAYHEM, CHAOS, and HAVOC !

Yes... and I align the notches in disk blades when I install them on the arbor bolts on disk harrow gang assemblies as well...

Later! OL J R

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I do not fill spirals, and I always align them when connecting tubes.

But then, I often work on Findlay sprinkler heads with a Langstrom 7" gangly wrench.

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Just completed: Estes Cherokee-E, Estes Multi-Roc.

Current project: Painting the roll pattern on my new Ventris build, gifted me by the estimable Dr. Houchin.