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  #1  
Old 06-13-2020, 02:17 PM
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5x7 5x7 is offline
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Default Estes Pro Series II E2X Trajector - I finished a Project!

I have many rockets built and not finished and one half finished. Last week a friend asked to go launch at a park so I thought I would slap together a Trajector to fly some hobby lobby E16-6s that I have. The parts are really nice except the prefinished tube color wrap layer is not great. With a subtle unsmooth finish and fairly wide spirals showing the brown underwrap, it just bothered me. The kit comes with stickers that have to be placed onthe tube. I use water with a drop of soap to do that, and water can ruin the prefinished tube. Rather than filling the spirals and painting, I decided to clearcoat the tube before applying decals. That was deviation number 1. Once the clearcoat dried, I made a paper wrap to make it easier to put on the lower wrap around decal, then paper aligned with the fin slots to place the main name decals. Some adhesive pulled away from the decal edge on the first wrap decal, so I cut the rest of them close to the print. Pic is the tube with decals done.
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Last edited by 5x7 : 06-13-2020 at 02:40 PM.
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  #2  
Old 06-13-2020, 02:36 PM
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The fins are plastic shells with alignment pins and tabs and were put together with Gorilla Thick CA. The fins have tabs that slot into the airframe and have fin tip pods so are held together securely on both ends, but the fin tabs should be clamped to make sure the fins can easily fit in the motor mount slots. The picture shows the centering ring slots being used to clamp the tab of one fin. I had CA squeeze out of a couple of the fins so I had to sand the edges smooth.
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  #3  
Old 06-13-2020, 02:47 PM
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Next step was to mark the tube for the launch lug locations which was done with a silver Shapie and a 1/4” rod. Once the locations were marked, an exacto blade was used to scrape off the clear coat and color layer. The instructions require the lugs be put on with epoxy. I found some very old 20 minute and used that, putting rubber bands around the tube over the lug.
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Old 06-13-2020, 02:54 PM
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The motor mount and threaded retainer was glued together the day before. I got some glue in a couple of fin slots and cleaned it out. On the mount the rings should be pushed backwards over the glue so it doesn’t get in the slots. The second deviation from the instructions was I drilled 1/8” holes through each ring and Threaded Kevler through the holes and tied it around the mount above the retainer. I had prefit the fins and trimmed and shaved the fin tabs so the fins would be a perfect fit to the motor mount and airframe. Once I confirmed the epoxy from the launch lugs was setting, I used the remainder to put some in the tube and also make a thin bead on only the fin tab root, installed the mount and popped each fin in. I made a rubberband chain and used it to keep pressure on the fins while they were curing.
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Last edited by 5x7 : 06-20-2020 at 08:40 AM.
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  #5  
Old 06-13-2020, 02:55 PM
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The Kevlar was slipped through a hole I made in the center of a six by six piece of nomex cut from a used fireproof suit I bought. The Kevlar was tied to the supplied elastic and the elastic tied to the nosecone. The Kevlar goes past the end of the tube so the Kevlar was wrapped in a bunch of tape where it crosses the tube end. The instructions would have you tie the chute to the nosecone loop, which can occasionally cause problems if the cone flips through the chute lines. I tied another length of Kevlar to the chute then tied that to the nosecone. Pic is of the nomex being test fit in the tube.
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Last edited by 5x7 : 06-20-2020 at 08:42 AM.
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  #6  
Old 06-13-2020, 02:56 PM
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At the field I set up a 25 year old mantis pad. I was on vacation in Nevada in 1996, and visited Aerotech while I was there, and bought a replacement swing arm for it. This was the first time I used it since the repair because I have been fortunate to have had plenty of opportunities to fly rockets like this at club launches until now. I loaded it with an an E16-6. I love the 29mm Estes BP motors, I always think of what my 11 year old self would have thought if presented with one of these in 1977.

The liftoff was nice, the burn was long and sputtery. It seemed to eject a bit past apogee, and the body was descending under chute horizontally, so it was clear the webbing was caught around a fin pod. The landing was fine with no damage. Pics and video below.

Launch Video

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Last edited by 5x7 : 06-20-2020 at 08:45 AM.
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  #7  
Old 06-13-2020, 04:21 PM
Scott_650 Scott_650 is offline
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Congratulations! Trajector is a fun rocket to build and fly - though, eventually, the “guns” or “probes” on the pods will break off - still flies great without them. I have an unbuilt kit that’s going to get an Accur8 wrap someday - probably the NASA version.
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  #8  
Old 06-13-2020, 04:34 PM
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When I was frustrated with the tube overwrap I looked at the skin kits. They look awesome but are twice what I got the kit for so I couldn’t justify. The cartoon steampunk pods are an odd fit to the sci-fy jet nc and graphics, the skins fix all that.
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Old 06-13-2020, 09:27 PM
snaquin snaquin is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 5x7
When I was frustrated with the tube overwrap I looked at the skin kits. They look awesome but are twice what I got the kit for so I couldn’t justify. The cartoon steampunk pods are an odd fit to the sci-fy jet nc and graphics, the skins fix all that.

Great build and flight video on your Trajector! Also a great idea using a clearcote. I wish I would have used a clearcote on my Majestic back when I built it. I messed up my tube in a couple of spots with CA and wiping a couple of spots instead of just letting it dry. The Estes E16’s and F15’s are great. I also love the 29mm Estes BP motors and bought a bunch with HL coupons.

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Steve Naquin
TRA# 677 L2
NAR# 85518 L2
SAM# 0052

🚀 In Construction: Der Blue Maxx/Minie-Magg 5.5” & Vander-Burn MDRM Clone w/Stickershock23 Custom Decals
🚀 In Paint & Detail: USR Banshee
🚀 In Build Queue: Estes Doorknob w/Vander-Burn Rocketry Upgrade Kit [Sport Decor], Semroc Centurion-F, Semroc Egg Crate
🚀 In Repair: SLS Lil’ Hustler, SLS Aero-Dart 1969 Trim
🚀 Stay Tuned For Fall 2021 Launch Dates

Last edited by snaquin : 06-13-2020 at 11:26 PM.
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  #10  
Old 06-13-2020, 09:52 PM
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I am close to finishing another project (shocking) and it was going well until the clearcoat messed up sandman’s decals. It looks ok but it was looking perfect before the clearcoat. I also picked up a bunch of Es and Fs at Hobby lobby and am glad this flies ok on them.

Last edited by 5x7 : 06-18-2020 at 12:02 PM.
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