All Rocketry Blogs

 Rocketry Product: FlisKits - Interloper {Kit}

Model Rocket Building: FlisKit's Interloper Detailing (2010-11-13)

Jim Flis' designs certainly don't need any tweaking. He's come up with some of the more innovative designs out there. I recently won four MMX kits on Ebay, the Interloper was one of them. This is a ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: FlisKits Interloper Build Part 1 Parts (2010-12-13)

Here's almost all the parts for the FlisKits Interloper . The toothpicks (for the fin points) aren't in the shot. I'll substitute two of my own. This is one of four MicroMaxx kits I recently won on ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: FlisKits Interloper Build Part 2 Color Plan (2010-12-14)

I took the original drawing and started dropping in possible color combinations. This model will have three main colors - silver, orange and white. Black trim will be on all the toothpicks and at ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: FlisKits Interloper Build Part 3 Tube Scallops (2010-12-14)

Note: I used a longer piece of scrap BT -20 I had from my spare parts box. It will be easier to shape a longer piece of body tube then cut it down afterwards. The fin marking guide from the ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Fliskits Interloper Build Part 4 Scallops (2010-12-15)

When I got close to the pencil line I put the paper wrap on again. It's easier to see the depth of the scallops with the higher contrast of the paper wrap. Right now I've sanded about as far down as ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: FlisKits Interloper Build Part 5 Fins (2010-12-16)

Both the long main tube and the shorter Bt-20 got thinned Carpenter's Wood Filler to eliminate the seams. This was sanded down with 400 grit sandpaper. If you look at the original drawing, I wanted ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: FlisKits Interloper Build Part 6 Vanes and Fins Prep (2010-12-17)

The instructions give you three different suggestions for the fin shaping- a double taper, rounded or square leading and trailing edges. The fins feel thick for a model this size. I felt the double ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: FlisKits Interloper Build Part 7 Toothpick Details (2010-12-17)

The toothpicks were sealed with two coats of sanding sealer, sanding between coats. I sealed six toothpicks to have extras, just in case. The six were cut in half and punched into cardboard for ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: FlisKits Interloper Build Part 8 Black Trim Paint (2010-12-18)

The scalloped BT-20 piece had the interior colored black with a Sharpie pen. This would be a hard mask at this size. The Sharpie was just an easier way to go. I wanted the long main tube to be black ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: FlisKits Interloper Part 9 Masking the Nose Cone (2010-12-19)

I had planned for the lower taper of the nose cone to be white. This would require a small mask. Normally the darker color would be second but the shape of the nose cone made me do the white after ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: FlisKits Interloper Build Part 10 Putting It Together (2010-12-20)

Here's all the parts set out ready for assembly. This was a different build for me. I don't remember ever pre -painting every part before gluing it together. First up are the vanes. The fin lines ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: FlisKits Interloper Build Part 11 Fins (2010-12-21)

The four orange fins came next. You can see where the paint was scraped off down the fin line for gluing. These main fins were glued on the same as before, white glue and then thin CA. This time the ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: FlisKits Interloper Build Part 12 Fin Tips (2010-12-21)

The toothpick points are glued to the outside edges of the orange fins. Both the outside edge of the fin and the toothpick had paint removed for better adhesion. A small drop of super glue was set ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: FlisKits Interloper Build FINISHED! (2010-12-22)

The INTERLOPER is finished! In the end, I decided to leave off the forward "guns'. They just looked too big and clumsy. I'm still deciding which decals (if any) I'll be using. I didn't do a blog ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: FlisKits Interloper Build More FINISHED! (2010-12-22)

Looking over the model, it needed some black on the nose to visually balance out the amount of black on the tail end. I decided to add just a bit of black to the blunt tip of the nose cone. It'd be ... [Read More]