All Rocketry Blogs

Model Rocket Building: Red River Rocketry Starliner DST, Part 1 Parts (2014-02-09)

I bought this one on sale from Uncle Mike's rocket shack. An interesting design with conical stability. Parts were of high quality. The model is BT-50 based. This is another of the better ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Red River Rocketry Starliner DST, Part 2 Parts (2014-02-10)

The nose cone seems to be made by BMS. It has the dowel already glued in place with yellow wood glue. The nose cone was made from dense balsa and a little rough. Sanding with 220 then 400 will ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Red River Rocketry Starliner DST, Part 3 Engine Mount (2014-02-10)

The 20/50 rings needed some inside notches to fit over the engine hook. A Kevlar line was knotted and the loop slipped under the top bend of the engine hook, Semroc style. I didn't go with ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Red River Rocketry Starliner DST, Part 4, Shroud Cutting and Forming (2014-02-11)

The engine mount is glued into the BT-50 tube. It is slid in until the 20/55 centering ring butts up against the tube end. The instructions say to apply glue inside the tube and around the lower ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Red River Rocketry Starliner DST, Part 5, Shroud Forming and Gluing (2014-02-12)

Before cutting off the overhanging edge of the interior shroud, give the edge a coat of medium CA. This hardens up the card stock and makes it easier to trim off. Use the edge of the upper shroud ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Red River Rocketry Starliner DST, Part 6, Shroud Glue and Fillets (2014-02-13)

Before the shroud glue dries slide the lug in place and make sure it lays straight. Remove the lug. A small amount of glue was slid under the sides of the open slot where it touches the ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Red River Rocketry Starliner DST, Part 7, Fin Shaping and Gluing (2014-02-14)

The instruction say to sand the fins to an airfoil shape. I couldn't see any reason for this, a high drag model with an efficient shaped fin. The fins are small and it would be hard to shape an ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Red River Rocketry Starliner DST, Part 8, Sanding The First White Coat (2014-02-15)

After the gray primer was sanded down a first light coat of white followed. After the white has dried you'll be able to see any glue fillet irregularities. The glue bumps usually show up where ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Red River Rocketry Starliner DST, Part 9, Decals (2014-02-16)

Here's the tail cone and fin end after the "wet" final coat. Around the lug hole the only fill material was Titebond M&TG and sanded primer filler. You'll have to go by the face card ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Red River Rocketry Starliner DST Part 10 General Decal Tips (2014-02-17)

On the Starliner you've got to center the window decals on opposite sides of the body tube. But on the back end there are three fins, not four. You can't line them up looking down the edge of the ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Red River Rocketry Starliner DST, Finished (2014-02-18)

  This was an easy build and a change from the ordinary. A long piece of round elastic was substituted for the shorter flat elastic from the kit. The elastic was tied on making sure ... [Read More]