Model Rocket Building Blog

Downscaling The Centuri Hornet to a Card Stock Model Part 1
    Down Scaling a model to a card stock version takes some time. You pick out a model then do some web searches for the instructions. This time I went to the JimZ website and loaded the Centuri Instructions #5341  http://www.spacemodeling.org/JimZ/cen5341.htm ...
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Downscaling The Centuri Hornet to a Card Stock Model Part 2
Downscale models are sometimes a compromise. You work with all the information you have available and hope you capture the feel of the original and as close to scale as possible. The original Centuri kit was 19.8" tall as listed in the catalog. Current Estes specs say the Hornet re-issue is 19.25" ...
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Downscaling The Centuri Hornet to a Card Stock Model Part 3
  After studying old Centuri instructions and taking measurements from online resources a side view drawing was assembled. The Semroc nose cone profile was traced and added. My first calculations for the downscale BT-20 model gave me an overall height of 10.72 with the nose cone in place ...
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Downscaling The Centuri Hornet to a Card Stock Model Part 4
The available scanned decals were fuzzy. Not terrible, but the edges weren't sharp. Enlarge the picture and you can see the top online decal scan. I usually redraw the decals using Corel Draw. Granted on a BT-20 body these will be reduced and most of those soft edges would disappear. Who would ...
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5 Downscaling The Centuri Hornet to a Card Stock Model Part 5
1982 Catalog page 1983 Catalog Page   When you do research in old catalogs you sometimes find inconsistencies. Right now I'm trying to scale the large decal and find it's correct positioning. The "Magnum" Hornet was introduced in the 1981 Centuri Catalog. See it HERE It had a ...
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Downscaling The Centuri Hornet to a Card Stock Model Part 6
  Here's a finished image of the PDF plan. Don't print out and try to build from the image to the right! You'll need the actual full-size PDFs. At the top of the page look for: FREE PDF PLANS Go to the listed link or send me a request for the HORNET PDF. Email: oddlrockets@bellsouth.net ...
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Building The Card Stock Downscale Centuri Hornet Part 1, Parts
If you haven't built a card stock model before, why not give it a try? These require no filling or painting unless you choose to add a balsa nose cone. The laminated card stock fins are stronger than balsa and actually feel more like a plywood fin. These are cheap! Mess up a part? Simply print off ...
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Building The Card Stock Downscale Centuri Hornet Part 2
Before cutting out the fins, score the fold lines. Carefully line up your straightedge before scoring. I use the back end of a single edge razor blade. The metal rolled over blade top (Not the cut side, flip it over!) is a good scoring tool. Tape over the sharp side with a few layers of masking ...
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Building The Card Stock Downscale Centuri Hornet Part 3, Fins
Glue sticks work great for these models. Apply a even coat over the inside of the fin skin. Be sure glue gets into the opened fold line. Set the fin over the cut straight edge of the cereal box cardboard. Press the leading edge evenly down the edge of the cardboard. Set a clean ...
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Building The Card Stock Downscale Centuri Hornet Part 4, Body Covering
Draw a pencil line down the BT-20 tube using an aluminum angle. Use this line to set down the edge of the body tube wrap Set the 24 lb. print of the body tube wrap down on a clean piece of paper. Apply an even coat of the glue stick over the entire wrap piece. Be sure you have glue along ...
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Building The Card Stock Downscale Centuri Hornet Part 5, Cutting Fins
Cut the fins out on the root edge marked side. The thin black line is your cut line. You only have to cut the root, outside and trailing edges. The leading edge is the folded round side. Here's all four cut out fins. The fin on the left shows the open three layer laminate. The cut ...
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12 Building The Card Stock Downscale Centuri Hornet Part 6, Fin Gluing
The edges of the black fin can be blackened with a quick pass of a permanent marker. Be careful and quick. The marker ink will probably be darker than the ink from your printer. Run a thin line of white glue down the cut fin edges. This seals the edges. After it dries, lightly sand just ...
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Building The Card Stock Downscale Centuri Hornet Part 7, Lug cover
This model uses a 1.25" long LL-2A launch lug. Cut out the yellow square from the 24 lb. printed page. Again use the glue stick. Try for an even coverage all the way to the edges. On the lug wrap start from the center and roll on to the outside edges. The inset picture shows the ...
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14 Card Stock Downscale Centuri Hornet Finished
Install a 5/20 engine mount and streamer. The finished model looks great and flys very well. A clean down scaled classic. If you haven't tried a carded model yet you are missing out on a great side of rocketry. Covering a standard body tube makes for a very strong model. The laminate fins are ...
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