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ollieoop34

X-16 Instructions

Updated: Apr 22, 2023





...Disclaimer...

Model Rocketry is a fun and safe family activity.

model rocketry is a science your results may vary depending on how you build the rocket. please read the National Association of Rocketry model rocketry safety code and the model rocket handbook.

My Instructions are meant as a guide and are not a guarantee of stability or function of the product.

This rocket has been tested and proven but your results may be different.

Launching rockets can be dangerous and requires adult supervision. you use our products at your own risk. OLLIE-OOP Model Rocketry is not responsible for any damages or injuries incurred from use or misuse of our products. you are responsible for the Contruction and stability of your rocket. please follow all safety codes and launch procedures as stated by the NAR handbook.

our kits are not intended to be modified. Please use the recommended engines.

Always follow the NAR safety code at www.nar.com

Read all steps before beginning. Always dry fit the parts on every step that requires glue. And always add a reinforcing bead of glue to all joints the required glue and wipe off excess glue with your finger.

Always wear safety glasses and mask when cutting or sanding or using powder.




Personal note

Thank you for buying my kit. If you don't have a printer and need a copy of the instructions, please contact me and I will include a set with the purchase of the kit.

If you have any questions concerns or complaints or if you have any suggestions, please contact me anytime.

Special thanks to my friend Rob Caswell for all his help with kit. Especially the beautiful work on his build and pictures used on the face card and in these instructions. All the pictures of the painted X16 in these instructions and on the kits are his work and photographed by him.

Thank you, Rob.

Toby C.



NOTE: The NASA decals seen on the model in the pictures are not included.

The cockpit decal needs to be trimmed a little shorter on the ends to fit the modern nose cone. Test fit it before you trim it.












Length 17"

Dia. .976 BT-50

weight 1.45 oz.

12" Chute

Recommended motors:

First Flight A8-3

B4-4

B8-5

C6-4

C6-5

Flys up to 1000'





PARTS LIST.

BT-50 Body Tube - 11"

BT-20 Motor Tube - 2.75"

Engine Hook

Centering Rings- 2

Balsa Fin Sheet - 1

Precut Cardstock fairings - 2

Waterslide Decals - 1 sheet

Nose Cone

Shock Cord - 1/8 x 18" Rubber

Parachute, shroud line, Tape Discs

Fin Alignment guide, Fin Marking Guide, Shock Cord Mount Sheet

Launch Lug

Clay Nose Weight






*Yellow wood glue and CA (super glue) are recommended.


STEP 1:

READ ALL INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE BEINNING AND MAKE SURE ALL PARTS ARE COMPLETE.

THIS IS A SKILL LEVEL 3 KIT

IF YOU GET A PART THATS BROKEN OR INCORRECT, PLEASE CONTACT ME.


STEP 2:

Make two marks on the engine tube: one at 1” from the tail/aft end, the other at ¼” back from the forward end. Cut an 1/8” slot for the engine clip at the forward end mark. Gather the two centering rings. With one of them, cut a 1/8” wide and 1/16” deep notch out of the center (see photo below). This will allow the aft centering ring to slide over the engine clip.


Push one end of the engine clip in the 1/8’ slot previously cut. Then dry fit the centering rings as test. The notched on should slide over the engine clip and its trailing edge should align with the mark 1” from the tail. The other centering ring should go on the forward end, with its edge flush with the top of the tube.


Once you’re sure everything fit perfectly, remove the centering rings. Apply a bead of glue where the forward centering ring is to go, then slide the ring in place. Smooth out any excess glue. Now do the same for the aft centering right, making sure that the cut notch still aligns with the engine clip. Once both centering rings are in place, apply a bead of glue where they meet the motor tubes and smooth it with you finger to provide a filleted joint of extra strength.

(Special thanks to Rob C. for help with the wording on this step.)







STEP 3:

CUT OUT THE TUBE MARKING GUIDE AND WRAP IT AROUND THE BODY TUBE AND TAPE IT IN PLACE.

MAKE MARKS AT EACH LINE AND EXTEND EACH LINE WITH A DOOR FRAME OR T-TOOL.

MARK EACH LINE WITH THE CORRESPONDING PART.

TIP: MAKE MARKS AT THE VERY END OF THE TUBE SO THEY CAN BE SEEN FROM THE REAR. (Thank Danny Almond for that tip.)








STEP 4:


LOCATE THE FIN SHEET AND SAND BOTH SIDES THEN REMOVE THE FINS.

HOLD THEM ALL AT THE SAME TIME AND SAND THE EDGES FLUSH.

MAKE SURE TO SAND THEM ALL EVENLY, DONT SAND ONE MORE THAN ANOTHER. TRY TO SAND AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE.

balsa wood is very soft I recommend 600-800 grit sandpaper.


(I use Elemer's wood filler mixed with a little water also sanding sealer is another product I have used with good results. If you choose to fill the fins)

There are tons of videos on you tube on this, painting and decals that will help you learn it vastly better than i can explain it.

You can also come over to the model rocket groups on Facebook. There's 1000s of us willing to help.



STEP 5:

IF THE ENGINE MOUNT IS DRY

TEST FIT IT IN BODY TUBE. IF IT DOES NOT FIT EASY, SAND THE RINGS A LITTLE UNTIL IT SLIDES IN EASY.


USING A STICK OR GLUE APPLICATOR APPLY A GOOD AMOUNT OF GLUE 1 3/4 INCHES IN THE END OF THE BODY TUBE. GO ALL THE WAY AROUND THE INSIDE OF THE TUBE. USE MORE GLUE THAN PICTURED.

THIS NEXT STEP MUST BE DONE FAST AND ACCURATE OR THE MOUNT WILL GET STUCK.

PUSH THE MOUNT IN UNTIL THE MOUNT TUBE IS FLUSH WITH THE BODY TUBE. DO NOT STOP DURING THIS STEP UNTIL THE TUBES ARE FLUSH.

PUT A FILET OF GLUE AROUND THE MOUNT RING.

SET ASIDE AND LET DRY.








STEP 6:

LOCATE THE RUDDER. GLUE IT TO THE BODY TUBE ON THE LINE MARKED RUDDER. GLUE IT FLUSH WITH THE END OF THE TUBE.

LET DRY.

WHEN GLUING ON FINS ALWAYS KEEP THEM CENTERED OVER THE LINE AND STRIGHT. IT HELPS TO VIEW IT FRON THE TAIL END OR YOU CAN BUY A FIN ALINGMENT TOOL.






STEP 7:

FROM THE REAR END OF TUBE MAKE A MARK ON BOTH WING LINES AT 1 3/4 INCH


LOCATE THE TWO WINGS, GLUE 1 TO THE BODY TUBE PAST THE 1 3/4" MARK BUT STAY ON THE MARK.

THE FRONT LEADING EDGE OF THE WING SHOULD BE ON THE WING LINE ABOUT 1 1/2 " PAST THE 1 3/4 INCH MARK


MAKE SURE TO ALWAYS KEEP THE FINS STRIGHT AND CENTERED OVER THE LINE. UNTIL GLUE IS DRY.


DO THE SAME WITH THE OTHER WING ON OTHER SIDE OF THE TUBE MAKE SURE TO USE THE CORRECT LINE.

LET DRY.





STEP 8:

LOCATE CARDSTOCK SIDE PANELS. SLOWLY CUT THEM OUT. FOLD THEM IN HALF AS SEEN IN PICTURE.

GLUE ONE OF THE TRIANGLE PARTS FLUSH WITH THE END OF PANEL. (SEE PICTURE)

GLUE ANOTHER TRIANGLE PART IN THE AREA SEEN IN PICTURE WITH DOTED LINE. WERE THE PANEL STARTS TO SPLIT.

THEN GLUE THE VERY EDGE OF EACH SLIT AND HOLD UNTIL DRY. I USED CA SO IT WOULD DRY FAST.

(Ignore the tape, pen marks on mine in the pictures. I work with scraps to save suupplies for you.)














STEP 8-B

CUT OUT FIN ALIGNMENT GUIDE.

USE THE GUIDE TO ALIGN THE FIN ANGLE OF THE LAST 2 FINS. SEE PICTURE



STEP 9:

MAKE A MARK 3 INCHES FROM ENGINE END OF THE TUBE ON THE LUG LINE AND GLUE ON THE LAUNCH LUG. It helps to sand the lug a little before gluing.

NOW IS ANOTHER GOOD TIME TO ADD WOOD FILER OR SANDING SEALER TO THE MODEL.


STEP 10:


NOTE:

THE INCLUDED CLAY IS ABOUT TWICE AS BIG AS NEEDED, START BY USING ONLY HALF OF IT AND TEST YOUR ROCKETS BALANCE.


LOCATE CLAY AND ROLL IT INTO A 1/4" SNAKE LIKE FORM.

PUSH THE CLAY IN THE SMALL HOLE OF THE NOSE CONE THEN USE A DOWEL ROD TO PUSH THE CLAY DOWN TO THE TIP OF THE NOSE CONE AND PACK IT TIGHTLY.

THIS IS A GOOD TIME TO FILL, TRIM OR SAND ANY IMPERFECTIONS ON THE NOSE CONE. AND WASH IT WITH SOAP AND WATER.






STEP 11:

GLUE THE FAIRING PANELS TO THE BODY PLACING WINGS THROUGH HOLES.

GLUE THE EDGES TO THE BODY AND AROUND THE WINGS. THINK OF THEM AS FINS THEY NEED TO BE STRIGHT AND EVEN.




STEP12:

CUT OUT THE SHOCK CORD MOUNT.













FORM IT WITH YOUR FINGERS TO GET THE ROUND SHAPE OF THE TUBE.

PUT GLUE ABOUT 1" OR 2" DOWN THE END OF BODY TUBE AND GLUE IN THE CORD MOUNT. MAKE SURE TO LEAVE ROOM FOR THE NOSE CONE.



LOCATE THE PARACHUTE AND TAPE DISCS, PLACE THE TAPE DISCS AT EACH CORNER OF THE CHUTE AND RUB THEM DOWN HARD. CAREFULLY CUT A SMALL X IN THE RING OF THE DISC JUST ENOUGH TO FEED THE CHUTE LINE THROUGH AND THEN TIE THEM TIGHTLY.

Now tie the shock cord to the lines near the swivel



TIP: NO MATTER WHAT POWDER YOU USE ONE YOUR PARACHUTE REMEMBER TO WEAR A MASK.



NOTE:

THE CHUTE THAT COMES WITH THE KIT DOES NOT HAVE KEVLAR LINE.








PLEASE REMEMBER TO ALWAYS FOLLOW THE NAR SAFTY CODE WHEN LAUNCHING ROCKETS.

YOU CAN READ THE CODES AND LOTS MORE INFORMATION AT



NOTE: The NASA decals seen on the model in the pictures are not included.

The cockpit decal needs to be trimmed a little shorter on the ends to fit the modern nose cone. Test fit it before you trim it.





NOTE: The silver decal on the belly is more of Robs beautiful handy work and is not included.


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