A
SSEMBLE the entire launcher and your
Phoenix. Set the Phoenix in the launcher,
and center it carefully. Glue the L-7 parts in
place on top of the launcher as shown on the
plans. Allow about a
1
⁄
16
" space between the
L-7’s and the tailboom. Make sure the radius
on the edges of the L-7’s is smooth so they
do not scratch the finish on the model. These
parts help guide Phoenix when launching in
gusty weather.
Remove the launcher from the Mantis base.
Give the entire launcher a good coat of finish-
ing resin to seal the wood. If you want, you
can apply extra resin, sand and paint. Just
remember, you are building a rocket launch-
er, and it
will
get very dirty with use, so don’t go overboard!
At least you don’t have to worry about adding too much
weight!
Finally, glue the ceramic tiles in place with epoxy. Note the
scrap
3
⁄
16
" balsa shim under the lower tile. You might have to
remove a paper or cloth backing from the tiles before you
glue them in place.
I
F you are going to use a Mantis™ base for
the launcher, you need to drill holes for the
elevation screw. First, note the location of
the holes on the plans. Install the launcher
adapter into the Mantis launcher by flexing
the side supports apart and inserting the
3
⁄
8
"
dowel in the molded holes. Using the holes in
the Mantis as a guide, drill the 2 sets of
3
⁄
16
"
holes. Unless you have an extra long drill bit,
you will have to drill the hole in one side, flip
the launcher over and then drill in from the
other side. Insert a screw or dowel through
the first holes to keep the parts aligned while
you drill the hole on the other side.
The exact location of the holes is not critical,
as long as the screw will fit and it is not too sloppy. The loca-
tions shown on the plans give launch elevations of about 45°
and 60° respectively. The 60° setting is used for initial flights,
while the 45° setting is better for “zoom” style launches once
your Phoenix is trimmed out.
If you want to build your own launcher base, instead of using
the Mantis base, a set of plans is provided in Appendix E.
Insert launcher in Mantis™
Drill holes as shown
Phoenix
Page 30
Launcher Assembly
Drill elevation holes
Glue on the L-7’s
Coat with resin
Install
3
⁄
16
" shim
Epoxy tiles in place
Final assembly
❏
❏
❏
❏
❏
❏
