ptera

I would recommend this kit to anyone as it's very easy to put together and being 7.5 inch in diameter it's easy to get your hands inside the rocket for epoxy fillets etc. The instructions as provided by PML are sparse but it is quite obvious where all the bits go ! I used two boxes of 30 minute epoxy and a bit of 5 minute epoxy for tacking things into place. I wished I had rail buttons at the time of building and another thing to remember with this kit is that they don't supply any form of motor retention. You will have to make your own our buy over the counter. Remember to leave more motor tube exposed from the aft ring if you do !Thanks to STARCHASER for supplying this kit to use for various Club events. As to launching the pterodactyl, well, it definitely has the 'wow' factor , being both majestic and graceful and has been filmed on numerous occasions . Yvonne decorated it for the Folly Gate Midsummer Revels as the Cornucopea 'Horn of Plenty' and it is quite stunning!

jim epoxying nosecone
Putting some epoxy on the shackle nuts
as using 30 minute epoxy the nosecone is left upright until the epoxy goes off
Epoxying the nose bulkhead
Applying epoxy to the shock-cord eyebolt
Leaving the nose to set
dry fitting the motor mount centering rings and shock-cord attachement making sure the rings are square final alignment
Dry fitting some motor mount parts
Making sure the centering rings are square to the tube
Epoxying the shock cord to the motor mount
nosecone primed in our barn PML taped the fins together, was a pig to remove the adhesive left by the tape !!! Have also roughed-up the fins where the epoxy is due to go dry fitting the completed motor mount into the body tube
The nose primed with grey primer
Scoring the fin roots to provide a key for the epoxy
Dry fitting the motor mount into the main airframe
the strakes needed some final tweaking test fitting the strakes to the body tube making sure that all strakes fit between the centering rings
Final tweaks to the strake root edges
Making sure that the strakes fit
Making sure that the main fins fit
Roy popped in to see how things were going completed motor mount in body tube ejection piston dry fitted
Fins ready to be tacked
Final check on the motor mount
Eject piston being dry fitted
eject piston's bulkhead fitted and epoxied the aft centering dry fitted at this stage main fins dry fitted
Ejection piston epoxied
Dry fitting the aft motor mount centering ring
Fitting the main fins after roughing up the fin slots on the airframe
testing for fit and alignment nosecone painted white for Yvonne to paint on Roy helping with scoring up the fins to provide a good key for the epoxy
Tacking the fin in place with 5 minute epoxy
Final gloss white coat on the nose
Scoring the strakes to provide a good key for the epoxy
checking alignment of fins masking tape used the contain the 30 minute epoxy whilst in a runny state, pulling the tape off at the right time creates a perfect fillet Roy looking tired !!
Tacked fins now in place, good time to check fins for alignment
About to apply fin fillets with 30 minute epoxy
Roy looking tired !!
nosecone off to Yvonne's house pulling the tape off smoothing the tacky epoxy with a wet finger !
Nose off to Yvonne for painting
Fitting the strakes to the main fins
More epoxying
fins almost completed removing the rest of the tape checking the fin alignment by measuring from tip to tip
Leaving the epoxy to catch
Checking alignment before the epoxy gets to harden to much
All fins and strakes are now secure
launch lugs fitted using the launch rod as a guide for alignment alignment doubly checked before applying 30 minute epoxy to the lugs tacked into place with 5 minute epoxy
Positioning the brass launch lugs
Using the launch rod to keep the lugs aligned on the airframe
Tacking the lugs into position using 5 minute epoxy
motor retainer made up using stainless steel parts stainless 8mm studs will be shortened later fins completed
Home-made motor retainer
The aft centering ring is now epoxied into place
Ready for painting
launch lugs tested all seems in order body section painted gold, grooves left unfilled as ladies wanted the spiral effect for the 'Horn of Plenty'
Launch lugs being tested before fillets of 30 minute epoxy are applied
Airframe washed down and left to dry before priming with paint
Airframe completed

BACK TO ROCKET REVIEWS