Mini-Condor Kit #05008 Mini-Condor (Competition Boost Glider for 1/2A & A motors) P/N Description Qty 10058 AT-13/9.0 Body Tube 1 13020 CR 10-13 Green Engine Block 1 13051 1/8 Launch Lug 1 Long 1 15578 Tail Fins 1/32 X 3 X 6 Balsa 1 15579 Wing Panel 3/32 X 3 X 6 Balsa 2 15581 Fuselage Boom 3/32 Basswood 1 17061 Wing Dihedral Attachment (resin) 1 17062 Pop-Pod Attachment Hook (resin) 1 19100 PNC-13A Nose 1 19101 PNC-13A Shoulder 1 29514 100# Kevlar X 3 ft 1 29004 2 Mylar Streamer x 18 1 29600 Clay Nose Wt (5g) 1 31130 Mini-Condor Instruction Sheet A 1 31131 Mini-Condor Instruction Sheet B 1 47122 Clear Plastic Bag 6x14x2mil 1 Other Tools and Materials Needed Pencil Hobby knife Wood glue Super glue (thick viscosity) Plastic packaging tape Paint supplies (spray paint, brushes, etc.) Wood sealer Sandpaper (220 and 400 grit) Wood dowel for spreading glue inside tubes Skill Level 3: Average Skills Needed The Mini-Condor is an easy-to-build glider that first timers can use to get a successful glide. Seasoned competitors will love it because it performs like a champ. It boosts straight and transitions easily into a nice, thermal-hunting glide. The design has similar features to the larger Condor that makes it such a great boost-glider. The primary component is a pre-molded plastic wing dihedral attachment piece that assures that the wings are at the proper dihedral angle with respect to the fuselage, and that the wings are pitched up slightly. This forces the glider to right itself so that the top is towards the sky, and the glider pull out of a dive. This piece is what makes it easy to trim to get a nice, steady glide. The other unique feature is a molded pop-pod hook. This piece allows the pop-pod to be easily attached to the glider and to detach when the streamer deploys. All the complexity has been removed from the model, so it is a joy to build and it trims easily. The glider was designed for use as a competition model for using either mini-engines with 1/2A or A-size total power. p/n 31130 Shock Cord Anchor Pattern The Minii-Condor rocket is another fine product from: Colorado Springs, Colorado USA web site: www.apogeerockets.com Page 1
Assemble the Mini-Condor Boost Glider 1. Cut apart the two fuselage hook plates from the fuselage boom wood piece. Sand off the little nubs of wood that held them together using medium grit sandpaper. 1 2. Lightly sand the balsa wood laser-cut sheets using fine, 400 grit sandpaper before removing the parts. Carefully remove all the pieces from the sheet by freeing the edges with a sharp hobby knife. 2 3. For higher flights, round the forward and aft edges of the balsa wing sheets with sandpaper. Optionally, the wing pieces can be airfoiled if a better glide is desired. The tail pieces are very thin and can break easily, so you do not need to round the edges. 3 4. Attach the horizontal tail to the fuselage boom using wood glue. The short pylon is inserted into the slot in the balsa as shown. Make sure the piece is perpendicular to the fuselage boom and not tilted. 4 YES NO 5. Attach the vertical tail to the side of the fuselage boom using wood glue. The rear corner aligns with the corner of the fuselage boom as shown. Make sure the piece is perpendicular to the horizontal tail. 5 6. Coat both sides of the leading edge and tip edge of the vertical tail with a thin layer of CyA adhesive as shown. This will help stiffen it up and protect it from damage from scrapes when the glider lands after a flight. 6 7. Glue one of the side hook plates to the front of the fuselage boom using wood glue. The curved corner faces the tail and the front edge is flush with the front of the fuselage boom. Allow the glue to dry. Page 2 7 Rounded corner points toward the tail.
8. WITHOUT GLUING IT, temporarily place the plastic pylon onto the fuselage boom so the hook on the pylon engages the hook on the side of the fuselage boom. 8 NO Glue! 9. Flip the glider over and glue the other hook into position on the fuselage boom. Make sure the hooks engage each other. Hold the piece in this position until the glue sets up, then remove the plastic pylon piece and allow the glue to dry. 9 10. Note the proper orientation of the wing panels with the plastic dihedral support as shown in the illustration. The rear end of the plastic dihedral support is swept rearward as shown. Glue the wing panels onto the dihedral support using CyA adhesive (super glue). Rear Edge Swept Rearward 10 Trim the Glider for Flight The general process of trimming the glider is to slide the wing back-and-forth along the fuselage boom until it settles into a gentle glide. DO NOT GLUE THE WING ON THE FUSELAGE BOOM UNTIL IN- STRUCTED! 11 NO GLUE Mark edge 11. WITHOUT GLUING IT, temporarily place the wing assembly onto the fuselage boom in the approximate middle of the fuselage. Using a pencil, mark the fuselage boom at the rear edge of the plastic dihedral support. 12. Go outdoors to a grassy area and hand toss the glider (take the pencil and the clay weight with you). Face the breeze to test glide. Raise the glider to eye level so you can check the angle at which you release it. Point the nose down slightly, push the glider forward gently and let it go. Note: The wing will usually pop off the fuselage boom when the glider touches down on the Stall Good Glide Dive 12 p/n 31131 Page 3
ground. This is expected. The glider will do one of three things during the flight. It will either stall and make an up-and-down porpoise flight, it will make a nice steady glide, or it will dive into the ground. Pitch Trimming 13. If the glider stalls, the wing needs to be slid further rearward on the fuselage boom. Reattach the wing to the fuselage boom, but this time behind the pencil mark you made previously. Apply a new pencil mark to note the new starting location for the wing. If the glider dives into the ground, you ll need to move the wing further forward on the fuselage boom. Reattach the wing to the fuselage boom, but in front of the pencil mark you made previously. Apply a new pencil mark to note the new starting location for the wing. 13 Roll Left Pencil Mark Put clay weight under here Small clay weight underside of high wing Roll Right Continue hand-tossing to find the right location for the wing so that the glider makes a gentle glide and lands about 20 to 25 feet in front of you. 14 Roll Trimming Roll Trimming 14. It is normal for the glider to roll to either the left or right when you toss it. This occurs because one wing is slightly heavier than the other, or the wings were not sanded evenly. When test gliding, note the direction that it rolls and press a small lump of clay under the tip of the wing on the high-sidewing as shown in the illustration. Add or remove clay until the glider flies level and does not turn. 15 15. After you have tossed the glider and know the proper position for the wing on the fuselage boom, you can glue it into place by putting CyA adhesive along the edge of the fuselage. Wipe off any excess with a paper towel, and let the glue harden. 16 16. Using a door jamb or an aluminum angle, draw a line down the length of the body tube with a pencil. 17 3/8 (10mm) 17. Attach the plastic pylon piece to the body tube with CyA adhesive so the rear edge is 3/8-inch (10mm) from the rear of the tube as shown. Make sure the piece is aligned straight along the pencil line. Allow the adhesive time to harden. Page 4
18. Attach the launch lug to the side of the tube using CyA adhesive in the approximate middle of the length of the pylon as shown. 18 19. OPTIONAL: Glue the green engine block into the tube using wood glue, 1-1/4 inch (3.2cm) from the end as shown. To save weight, you can leave out this piece. 1-1/4 (3.2 cm) 19 20. Using CyA adhesive, attach the shoulder piece into the nose cone. Give it a twist when inserted to even out the glue. Wipe off any excess glue that oozes out with a paper towel, and allow the adhesive time to harden. 20 21. Cut out the shock cord anchor from the front of instruction sheet. Spread wood glue on one side. Take one end of the yellow shock cord and lay it diagonally across the paper. Fold it twice on the marked lines, and then curl it slightly so it will fit into the tube. Allow the glue time to set up so it doesn t unfold. 21 22. Glue the shock cord mount into the front of the tube using wood glue. Make sure it is deep enough to allow the shoulder of the nose cone to be inserted into the tube. 22 Approximately 1-1/4 (3.2 cm) 23. Tie the free end of the yellow shock cord to the loop on the base of the nose cone. Put a drop of wood glue on the knot to keep the cord from coming untied. 23 Page 5
24. Cut the streamer in half so you have two pieces approximately 9 inches (23cm) long. Save one part for later in case your streamer become frayed on the end from overuse. Cut a piece of tape (clear packing tape works great), and lay it under the shock cord close to the nose cone. Place the end of the streamer on half of it, and fold the remainder of the tape over the top. Press on the tape to make sure it doesn t come up. Trim off any excess tape with scissors. 25. Test fit the pop-pod tube on the fuselage boom. Adjust the friction of the fuselage boom by either sanding the sides of the boom if it is tight, or applying a thin coat of CyA adhesive to the sides if it is loose. The fit should be on the loose side, but the pod should just barely stay attached if you tilt the model upward (if you re holding it by the tail end). Be careful to make sure any glue you ve applied to the sides of the fuselage boom is completely dried prior to attaching the pylon. You don t want to accidentally glue the pylon onto the glider. Congratulations. Your Mini-Condor Boost Glider is now complete. If flying this rocket in a contest, you can add color to the wood using colorful permanent markers. The poppod can be painted a bright fluorescent color to allow it to be found easier after the flight. Launch Supplies Needed To launch your rocket you will need the following supplies: A model rocket launching system Flame resistant recovery wadding Recommended Rocket Engines: See the motor matrix to the right. 24 25 A & B If needed, apply a layer of CyA adhesive to increase thickness of fuselage boom. Mini-Condor Boost Glider Recommended Motors Engine Manufacturer Altitude (ft) Altitude (m) 1/2A3-2T Estes 182 55 A3-4T Estes 394 116 A10-3T Estes 383 120 Wadding Streamer Rocket Preflight A. Crumple and insert half a sheet of recovery wadding into the body tube. B. Roll the streamer and insert it into the tube with the shock cord. Then, install the nose cone. C. Insert the rocket motor so it extends out the back 3/8 (1 cm). It is held in place by wrapping tape around the perimeter of the motor and the tube. D. Insert and secure the engine igniter as directed on the package the engines came with. C Rocket motor Tape Page 6
D. Wrap tape around the launch rod, approximately 10 inches (25 cm) from the blast deflector, so the glider does not touch the blast deflector when slid onto the rod. D Countdown and Launch Procedure Fly your rocket on a large field that isn t near any power lines, trees, or low flying aircraft. The larger the field, the greater your chances of recovering your rocket. The launch area around the pad must be free of dry weeds and brown grass. Launch only during calm weather with very little or no wind and good visibility. Tape Stand-off 10 inches (25cm) 10. Remove the safety key from the launch controller. 9. Attach the pop-pod to the glider. Slide the pop-pod s launch lug over the launch rod to place the glider on the pad. The rocket should slide freely over the rod. The tape applied to the rod should hold the glider s tail fins off the blast deflector. 8. Attach the micro-clips to the igniter. The clips must not touch each other and be free from catching on the wings or tail fins. It is recommended that you use an umbilical mast as shown (a wood dowel or spare launch rod inserted into the ground) to keep the wires and micro-clips from catching on the fins of the rocket. 7. Stand back from your rocket as far as the launch wire allows (at least 5 meters - 15 feet). 6. Insert the safety key to arm the launch system. The light (or buzzer) on the controller should come on. Give a loud countdown 5... 4... 3... 2... 1... LAUNCH! Push and hold the the button until the engine ignites. Then remove the safety key and place the safety cap on the launch rod. Umbilical mast Occasionally the igniter will burn, but the motor will fail to ignite. If this happens, the cause is that the pyrogen on the igniter was not in contact with the engines propellant. When an ignition failure occurs, remove the safety key from the launch controller and wait 60 seconds before approaching the rocket. Remove the old igniter from the engine and install a new one. Make sure that the igniter is insert fully into the engine and touches the propellant. Secure the igniter as directed on the engine package and repeat the countdown and launch procedure. Always follow the NAR* Model Rocket Safety Code when launching model rockets. *National Association of Rocketry Page 7
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