Tips & Info
Some Notes on Adhesives:
Several types of adhesives may be used during
the construction of most Aerospace Speciality Products model kits - in most
steps of the instructions the choice of adhesive is left to the modeler, a few
steps may make specific suggestions as to the type and application of adhesive. Read the entire article in this Word document.
A Note on the Hardening of
Unmixed EPOXO 88 Resin #1:
Under
certain conditions, tube #1 of EPOXO 88 may crystallize. Crystallization may
take the form of turbidity or the presence of crystals in the material.
Occasionally crystallization may continue to the point where solidification
occurs. The occurrence of crystallization is in no way an indication that the
epoxy is contaminated or out of specification, rather it is a condition which
can occasionally occur if the product has been shipped or stored at below
ambient temperatures.
Crystallization
is chiefly a result of the purity and uniformity of a liquid epoxy resin.
Epoxy
resin that has shown signs of crystallization can be returned to its original
state by heating to a temperature of about 120 degrees F until all of the resin
has liquefied.
If you find that Part 1 of
EPOXO 88 is, or becomes, solid, immerse the closed tube in a hot (120 degrees
F) water bath for 30 minutes or more until it softens to its normal state. The
product will now perform as good as new with no loss of strength or bonding
power and likely will not crystallize again unless stored at cold temperatures.
Some Notes on Tracing Paper
Streamers
When
folding streamers (Step 1 of instructions), be sure to make the folds smaller
than the diameter of the rocket you plan on using the streamer in - this will
allow the streamer to be packed without having to bend it into a "C"
shape to fit into the body - the streamer may not deploy if wrapped too
tightly!
If
you have difficulty in getting the packed streamer to fit, try a smaller size
streamer, or remove some of the length of the streamer (Note: for NAR competition,
the streamer must have at least a 5:1 length-to-width ratio, so you may remove
up to half the length if needed - this will, however, reduce the efficiency of
the streamer.).
The
paper can absorb moisture from the air, and as a result tracing paper streamers
may fail in very high humidity. If flying under such conditions, it would be a
good idea to add the optional Scotch tape as shown in Step 5 of the
instructions. On larger streamers (6" or 8"), you may want to add an
additional strip of tape between the two at the edges.
If you have any trouble
with the adhesive on the mylar tape, substitute Scotch tape - it will work
equally well.
Selecting Parachutes for
Egglofting
One
of the most commonly asked questions is what size or type of parachutes you
should use in egglofting competition. Unfortunately there is no easy answer;
it's probably more art than science. Read our entire article in this Word document.
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