Semroc Cherokee D Build Part 1, Parts This was a favorite, I'd built the Estes original in the early 1970s. The BT-55 tube is strong. It's a clean design with plenty of decals. I don't think it was ever launched with a D engine though. Mainly B6 and C6 engines. This build will be a little different. It's standard construction - I'll ...
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Semroc Cherokee D Build Part 2, Fin Edge Rounding
TIP: Don't sand off the brown laser burnt edges yet. Use the dark burn as a gauge to tell if your rounded edges are even when sanding. The top fin is before, the bottom fin shows the rounded edge. This part of the sanding was done with 220 grit on a block.
Here's the fin after ...
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Semroc Cherokee D Build Part 3, 24mm Engine Mount Look at the left side of the picture. You can see the engine hook compressing the BT-50 motor mount tube.
The instructions don't mention notching the centering ring for a better fit of the engine hook.
TIP:
Anytime a part deforms a tube like this, you should notch the ring. It won't take ...
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Semroc Cherokee D Build Part 4, 18mm Engine Mount
The split 2050 ring is flush with the rear of the 18mm motor mount tube. TIP: The cut ends of centering rings are rarely square, usually "wedge" cut at an angle. For a better look and flush fit, sand the low (exposed) side flat before gluing on the engine mount tube.
The top centering ...
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Semroc Cherokee D Build, Part 5 Nose Cone Shape and Balsa Fill
The BNC-55AC nose cone is bit different. It's the same nose cone used in the Estes Arcas kit. You can check it out on the Semroc website or in the Jim Z instructions. Instead of being a standard ogive shape - Right above the shoulder is a slight dip in the diameter. Be careful not to sand ...
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Semroc Cherokee D Build, Part 6, Primer Coat, Sand And White Color Coat A few small standard steps won't been covered with pictures this time. This build was going to concentrate on build time and tips. BUILD TIME - CA Tube Ends and 24mm Engine Mount Gluing = 5 minutes BUILD TIME - Mark Tube for Fins, Glue Fins = 15 minutes BUILD TIME ...
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Semroc Cherokee D Build, Part 7, Wet Sanding Tips
BUILD TIME - First White Coat Shot = 5 minutes - dry time not added. The Cherokee D got an first shot of gloss white. I can't sand until the white coat dries, at least 24 hours in the Florida humidity. Now that the color coat has been added wet sanding can follow. When ...
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Semroc Cherokee D Build, Part 8, Wet Sanding Tips
Here's something I learned when wet sanding clear finishes on some homemade banjos. The Cherokee D is a BT-55 based rocket standing almost 22" long. The entire model was wet sanded using that one small piece of 400 grit sandpaper. TIPS: Keep your sandpaper wet but not dripping wet . Let the ...
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Semroc Cherokee D Build, Part 9, Paint
Before the last (heavier) white paint coat you'll want to remove any dust or pieces of lint. Some use a tack cloth but they can sometimes leave a sticky residue. I'll usually just dust off the model with a 1" utility brush.
This model has an easy paint job. White body and a red nose cone. ...
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Semroc Cherokee D Build, Part 10, Decals
Decal placement took a LOT of time! There are almost too many decals on the half sheet. Take your time cutting them out, it's easy to cut into a nearby image. TIP: Notice the NASA logo - it's meant to be cut out with the red "V" decal as one piece. Trust me, it'll save a lot of time positioning ...
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Semroc Cherokee D Build, Part 11, Decal Detail
This was harder than I thought it would be. I was hoping to just drop in the old Estes logo in place of the Semroc name. Looking at the old pictures, the Estes logo seemed to have been slightly changed to fit the space in the Cherokee D roll pattern. The words "Model Rocketry" and "Scientific ...
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Semroc Cherokee D Finished
This was a fun build! I'd built one in the early 1970s and flew it with C engines. Back then I didn't have the guts to try it on a D. The Estes instructions say you can leave the narrower star roll decal attached to the large roll pattern or separate them. I decided to go ...
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