Model Rocket Building Blog 
Model Rocket Building Posts
Rocketry Product: Dr. Zooch - Vanguard Eagle {Kit}
Dr. Zooch Vanguard Eagle Build Part 1 Parts (2011-01-09)
This is the newest, soon-to-be released kit from the Dr. Zooch line. The VANGUARD EAGLE The box suggests a skill level of "Advanced". A quick look at the instructions affirms this to be correct. I ... [Read More]
Dr. Zooch Vanguard Eagle Build Part 2 Parts (2011-01-10)The Zooch kits are never just 3 fins and nose cone. There's always something new in the box. This Alumilite cast nose cone shows some great detail. Below it is one of the two smaller balsa plugs. ... [Read More]
Dr. Zooch Vanguard Eagle Build Part 3 Prep (2011-01-10)After you finish with this Part 3 post, you'll have to go to January 30, 2011 to follow with Part 4 of the build. Part 4 dissapeared from my blog postings, so the next step is out of order. Sorry! ... [Read More]
Dr. Zooch Vanguard Eagle Build Part 5 Interstage Coupler (2011-01-11)The thin CR5560F centering ring is glued 1" from the end of the 1 7/8" length of T-55 you cut in the last step. I find it easier to lightly tack the ring in place with thin CYA . (Super Glue) After ... [Read More]
Dr. Zooch Vanguard Eagle Build Part 6 Booster Engine Mount (2011-01-12)TIP: When using the thin T-20 tubes (BT-20) I always reinforce the weak tube ends with thin CYA. Apply a thin bead around the edge and smooth with a finger in a plastic bag. Sand lightly with 400 ... [Read More]
Dr. Zooch Vanguard Eagle Build Part 7 Booster Engine Mount (2011-01-12)At this point you are directed to glue two centering rings to the forward end of the engine mount tube. I decided to make the vent holes before gluing on the rings. The instructions have you cut ... [Read More]
Dr. Zooch Vanguard Eagle Build Part 8 Booster Engine Mount (2011-01-13)To reinforce the upper part of the booster engine mount, a 3" long piece of T-20 tubing is glued around the mount tube. One slice is cut lengthwise down the tube. I used an aluminum angle to mark ... [Read More]
Dr. Zooch Vanguard Eagle Build Part 9 Interstage Can (2011-01-13)The inter stage can assembly is glued in place in Step 3. The instructions have you cut four square panels from the bottom side of this assembly. I decided to use my hole punch again. Here I'm ... [Read More]
Dr. Zooch Vanguard Eagle Build Part 10 Interstage Can (2011-01-14)I slid the interstage can partway down over the engine mount centering rings without using glue. A bead of white glue was added to the inside edge of the lower ring and the interstage can was set in ... [Read More]
Dr. Zooch Vanguard Eagle Build Part 11 Booster Mount (2011-01-14)In the upper T-60 tube, I made an estimate of where the staging gases would vent. I added a light coating of white glue to help protect the tube from the hot gasses. The booster engine mount is ... [Read More]
Dr. Zooch Vanguard Eagle Build Part 12 T-55 Coupler (2011-01-15)Here you cut a 1" length off the remaining T-55 tube to make a coupler. The tube is slit lengthwise and set in the remaining length of T-55 tube. Mark the overlap with pencil. With the tube slit ... [Read More]
Dr. Zooch Vanguard Eagle Build Part 13 Upper Engine Mount (2011-01-15)Once again I used my rotary punch to make the engine hook notch instead of cutting a square notch with my knife. The is the completed mount viewed from the top. TIP: You can see an empty casing was ... [Read More]
Dr. Zooch Vanguard Eagle Build Part 14 Upper Engine Mount (2011-01-16)In Step 4 Prime, the upper engine mount is glued into the second stage tube. A line 3/8" from the end is drawn around the inside of the tube. The rear centering ring will go in up to this line. A ... [Read More]
Dr. Zooch Vanguard Eagle Build Part 15 Nose Cone Fit (2011-01-16)When test fitting the nose cone, I found the pre-ballasted balsa coupler to be longer than the instruction illustration showed. I fired off an email to Wes (Dr. Zooch). He said the coupler was ... [Read More]
Dr. Zooch Vanguard Eagle Build Part 16 Camera Pod Blister (2011-01-17)In the instructions, you have the option to make a small camera pod blister. It's a tiny egg shaped bump glued to the upper part of the resin cast nose cone. The finished size is 1/8" w X 3/16" L. ... [Read More]
Dr. Zooch Vanguard Eagle Build Part 17 Camera Pod Blister (2011-01-17)Continue shaping the second contour with sandpaper while still attached to the dowel handle. When the egg is shaped on both sides, cut it free from the dowel handle. Here's the finished "egg" ... [Read More]
Dr. Zooch Vanguard Eagle Build Part 18 Camera Pod Blister (2011-01-18)With a pencil, draw a cruciform on the nose cone for positioning and gluing. See the next photo to see what I mean. A drop of CYA (thin super glue) was set on the back of a scrap piece of sandpaper. ... [Read More]
Dr. Zooch Vanguard Eagle Build Part 19 SRB Nose Cones (2011-01-18)The two balsa plugs are to be sanded to "bullet nose" shapes. The curvature starts 3/8" from the top of the plug. I wrapped some card stock around the plug 3/8" from the top and drew a line around ... [Read More]
Dr. Zooch Vanguard Eagle Build Part 20 SRB Nose Cones (2011-01-19)I went ahead and filled the SRB plugs with thinned Carpenter's Wood Filler. Notice I only filled the square back and rounded front. Only the round front and flat rear will be exposed on the finished ... [Read More]
Dr. Zooch Vanguard Eagle Build Part 21 SRB Nose Cones (2011-01-19)A straight razor blade was pressed into and around all the pencil line until the plug split in two. Here's the two plugs split into four halves. Now the half plugs are to be cut into four pieces. I ... [Read More]
Dr. Zooch Vanguard Eagle Build Part 22 Plug Cutting (2011-01-20)The half plugs were set in my mitre box. The blade was set down on the pencil marks. The sawing and cutting went quicker than I thought it would. After cutting, this is all the half bullet nose ... [Read More]
Dr. Zooch Vanguard Eagle Build Part 23 SRBs - Gluing Plugs (2011-01-20)The instructions have you trim the rear corners before gluing the stiffeners and nose in place. I chose to cut the rear corners after building the SRBs and sanding the contours. The lowest stiffener ... [Read More]
Dr. Zooch Vanguard Eagle Build Part 24 Fin Slots (2011-01-21)This is the first Dr. Zooch kit I have built with through the wall fins. The TTW fins are on the tumble recovery booster for strength. One fin on the marking guide is set 1/16" away from the engine ... [Read More]
Dr. Zooch Vanguard Eagle Build Part 25 Fin Slots (2011-01-21)Even though I cut the slots a little wider than the marking guide showed, I still had to open the slots up to allow for the fin to slide in. I used my flat diamond file to slightly widen the slots. ... [Read More]
Dr. Zooch Vanguard Eagle Part 26 SRB Trimming (2011-01-22)After assembly, I knew I'd have trouble painting the inside rear of the SRBs, so I went ahead and blackened the surfaces with a flexible ink brush. This pen is like a Sharpie but the ink flows ... [Read More]
Dr. Zooch Vanguard Eagle Build Part 27 Gluing SRBs (2011-01-22)Earlier I had glued the SRB nose cones in place using very little glue. This was for good reason. They were lightly glued to the SRB assemblies just for the contour sanding to the main body tube ... [Read More]
Dr. Zooch Vanguard Eagle Build Part 28 SRB Seam (2011-01-23)The SRBs were lightly pressed down so the edges made contact with the body tube. A drop of CYA on a toothpick tip was drawn down the seam maybe an inch at a time closing up any gaps. I dipped the ... [Read More]
Dr. Zooch Vanguard Eagle Build Part 29 Engine Bells (2011-01-23)It was raining too much today to do any painting, so I jumped ahead to the engine bells. TIP: Make your shrouds with the printing on the inside . Sometimes the printed words "Shroud Adapter" or cut ... [Read More]
Dr. Zooch Vanguard Eagle Build Part 30 Primer and Masking (2011-01-24)TIP: Be sure you wash and brush off the nose cone before finishing! For better paint adhesion, lightly rough up the surface and use a primer before spray painting the final white coat. Otherwise, ... [Read More]
Dr. Zooch Vanguard Eagle Build Part 31 Paint (2011-01-24)In Step 7, the instructions have you glue on the launch lugs after painting the two stages white. I would have rather filled and glued the lugs before the body was painted. I followed the i ... [Read More]
Dr. Zooch Vanguard Eagle Build Part 32 Adapter Shroud (2011-01-25)The Dr. Zooch shrouds always fit well. Using my sharpie pen, I extended the printed black area slightly to insure black coverage at the seam. According to the box illustration and the Vanguard Eagle ... [Read More]
Dr. Zooch Vanguard Eagle Build Part 33 Blue Trim Bands (2011-01-25)If you've followed the blog, you know I won't mask if I don't have to. The website illustrations show blue bands at every body joint. I took a guess as to the width and cut Trim MonoKote Royal Blue ... [Read More]
Dr. Zooch Vanguard Eagle Build Part 34 Nose Cone Paint (2011-01-26)The trim colors on the nose cone would involve a change in method. A blue MonoKote trim band would not fit well around the tapered base of the nose cone. This lowest band on the nose would have to ... [Read More]
Dr. Zooch Vanguard Eagle Build Part 35 Fin Painting (2011-01-27)The fins were set up on their root edges for primer painting. Notice the booster fins are masked away from the root edge. I didn't want a lot of paint thickness to hamper the fit of the fins in the ... [Read More]
Dr. Zooch Vanguard Eagle Build Part 36 SRB Nose Paint (2011-01-28)The SRB half nose cones were taped down to a scrap piece of cardboard for painting. These will be painted with gray primer. Gray is the finished color. I sanded a little off the shoulder that will ... [Read More]
Dr. Zooch Vanguard Eagle Build Part 37 Engine Bells (2011-01-29)The engine bells are glued in place, centered behind the SRBs. Drilling the centering ring for the rear vent holes took a little bit of work. I first used a sharp awl to mark the center and to make ... [Read More]
Dr. Zooch Vanguard Eagle Build Part 38 SRB Engine Bells (2011-01-29)Here's the four smaller SRB engine bells. The glued in dowel gives support and helps position the bells at the correct angle. This shows the drill in place and a toothpick used to widen the hole ... [Read More]
Dr. Zooch Vanguard Eagle Build Part 39 launch Lug (2011-01-30)You'd think the launch lugs would have been glued on earlier. But, positioning of the lugs is important , the lower lug goes to one side of a SRB. Here's the upper lug being lined up with a 1/8" ... [Read More]
Dr. Zooch Vanguard Eagle Build Part 40 Sustainer Fins (2011-01-30)The upper fins are glued in place to matching the cruciform spacing of the booster fins. TIP: Here's how to make a four fin marking guide with a scrap piece of paper. Cut a strip of rectagular paper ... [Read More]
Dr. Zooch Vanguard Eagle Build Part 4 (2011-01-30)I know, this one is out of order! This Part 4 Blog Post disappeared and I had to write it up again. Continue with the build going back to the Part 5 post from January 11, 2011. In Step 2, you cut ... [Read More]
Dr. Zooch Vanguard Eagle Build Part 41 Nacelle Motors (2011-01-31)The nacelle Motors are cut from the finger grips on fancy toothpicks. They work very well for small nozzles. These are tiny! When cutting, be sure to hold down both ends of the cut or they can fly ... [Read More]
Dr. Zooch Vanguard Eagle Build Part 42 FINISHED! (2011-02-01)I used a wrap of masking tape to help line up the stickers on opposite sides of the booster and sustainer tubes. I won't do a blog entry about the parachute and shock cord attachments. It's all ... [Read More]
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