DarkStar Lite

WILDMAN Model #

Description

DarkStar Lite has a new lightweight spiral fiberglass tubing, lightweight 5-1 Von Karman fiberglass nosecone, 1/16″ fiberglass fins, birch plywood centring rings, Kevlar shock cord, 29mm fiberglass motor mount and 24″ Top Flight Nylon parachute.

Additional Information

Length: 43.5″
Width: 2.1″
Weight: 1.25 lbs.
Motors: E thru I

Instructions

Photo Gallery

Build History

03/06/2010 – Purchased Wildman Darkstar Lite from Wildman for $89.99. (Retail $89.99)
03/24/2010 – Took pictures, opened package and took measurements. Recorded on page 106 Book #3).
03/25/2010 – Scanned fins, centering ring, and bulkhead.
03/26/2010 – Scuffed up outside of motor mount tube with 50 grit sandpaper and wiped down tube to remove dust.
03/27/2010 – Used J-B Weld to weld engine retainer to end of motor mount tube. Using the upper and lower fins as a guide, sanded the fin slots with a metal file. Beveled the appropriate edges of the fiberglass facing with a file and sandpaper. Marked the motor mount tube centering ring positions between the end of the motor mount aft tube and lower fin areas. Dry fitted the stuff, adjusted with fins as spaces and secured the top positions of the lower centering ring with 20 minute epoxy. Filed a slot in the upper centering ring to accommodate the tubular Kevlar that will pass between the centering ring and motor mount body tube.
03/28/2010 – Aligned fin marks with fin slots and epoxied the upper and lower fins in place with 5 minute epoxy. Let cure several days.
04/05/2010 – Applied 5 minute epoxy on the fin joints as fillets.
04/08/2010 – Matt applied first coat of white primer to nose cone and sustainer and allowed to dry overnight.
04/09/2010 – Applied second coat of primer after sanding the first coat and cleaning the surfaces. Allowed to dry, sanded again and painted nose cone Krylon Gloss Black, after painting body Krylon Sun Yellow. Applied a second coat after the first coat dried and allowed to dry overnight.
04/10/2010 – Model construction completed. Launched first time on April 10, 2010 on a CTI H123-14 sparky motor with 9 other DarkStar Lites in competition. Lost the model and Darryl’s 29mm 4 grain CTI case which was replaced.

Flights

Date	Location	#	Motor	Comments