Estes Time Warp Build, #7321, Part 2, Paint Plan & Engine Tubes Fill

Planning ahead!

If you want to paint the rocket in the face card colors, paint the build in sections before gluing it all together.

The BT-5 cluster tubes are yellow and would be difficult to paint is glued into the gray BT-55 tube.

That yellow adapter could be painted before gluing into the white BT-50. Same goes for the gray nose cone. Paint them before gluing together and get instant "masks" or color separations. 

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The lower centering ring is glued 2" down from the tops of the BT-5 motor tubes. I filled the tube seams below that.

The seams were shallow, here you can see the pencil lines where they could be felt.

CWF was used to fill the bulk of the seams and sanded smooth.

The upper 2" (glue area) was masked off and the low end sprayed with filler/primer. Sanding this down filled any remaining seams.

Estes Time Warp Build, #7321, Part 1, Parts

A new mini-motor cluster rocket!

I recently picked up a bunch 13mm motors. This model would be a good way to burn through some black powder.

The Estes Time Warp has three BT-5s motor mount tubes (left side, in yellow) joined to a BT-55 (gray tube). A 55/50 adapter joins to a heavy walled BT-50 (unusual) and finally the gray nose cone.

The parts of interest:

Mentioned earlier, a heavy wall BT-50

The new self-adhesive Estes shock cord mount

A laser cut 3/32" thick balsa sheet

The four centering rings - 

The pairs are laminated to make two thicker rings.

That small center triangle is very close with not much to hold it onto the assembly.

No Posts? I'm Camping!

Sorry, no posts for the next three days.

I'm going camping with Dakota the Blue Merle Sheltie.

A new build will start on Friday, February 13.

New Hole Punch

I just got a new hole punch. 

The punches get dull after a few years of use and it's hard to find replacement parts that fit. This is heavier duty and replacement hole punch tubes are included!

Also in the box: A wrench to tighten or change the cutting tubes and a 6" long metal ruler. 

To see it, CLICK HERE

For $13.99 it's probably the best available.

Centering Rings: I use hole punches for engine hook relief notches in centering rings and launch lug holes.

Launch Lugs: Rotated to the largest punch (4.5 mm), it's a perfect friction fit for sliding in a 1/8" diameter launch lug.

Parachutes: Instead of tearing holes with a pencil tip, the smallest diameter punch works perfectly for shroud line holes in a plastic parachute. 

TIP: Be sure to use thin cardstock under the thin chute material for a clean punch. 

Rotary punches are handy for belt holes and many other household uses.

Comparing The Estes Semi-Scale Saturn V with the Dr. Zooch Saturn V, Part 2

The tail end -

Those clear fins on the Estes Saturn have a tendency to pop off on a hard landing.

The balsa fins on the Zooch Saturn V are much larger. No clear fins needed. 

The back end of the Estes Saturn V, empty fairings and those clear fins.

The tail of the Dr. Zooch Saturn V.

The fairing wraps are much stronger, glued onto conical wedges cut from a BT-20.

The F-1 engines are formed from cardstock. The hat band rings are thread. The turbine exhausts are formed out of "Funky Glue Putty". F.G.P. is wood glue rolled and formed between your fingers as the glue dries. 

Notice the engine hook extending far out the back. This keeps the engine bells clear of the motor flame. 

The Dr. Zooch kit is an improved, more detailed version of the Estes Saturn V.

The Zooch Saturn V is one of my favorite builds.

Comparing The Estes Semi-Scale Saturn V with the Dr. Zooch Saturn V, Part 1

In all these pictures - 

The Estes Semi-scale Saturn V is on the left, the Dr. Zooch Saturn V is on the right.

The Estes model weighs 2 ozs.

The Dr. Zooch Saturn weights 2.4 ozs., there is 1/2 oz. preinstalled n the nose section.

Both are about the same height,

The Estes Saturn has the clear fins that extend below the body.

The Dr. Zooch Saturn has cardstock engine bells that extend below the body. The Dr. Zooch model launches with the engine bells in place.

The upper sections - Zooch Saturn on the left, Estes Saturn on the right. The Dr. Zooch nose section has 1/2 oz. of nose weight inside.

The adapter section.

All the Zooch wraps are more detailed and printed in a darker black.

The mid section wraps:

The Estes Saturn V has eight ullage motors,

The Zooch Saturn has four. The later Saturn Vs had half the number of ullage motors.

The Estes kit really needs the UNITED STATES, USA and flag decals.

More in the next post . . .

Estes Semi-Scale Saturn V, Kit #K-39, Finished

The low points:

I screwed up the black mask on the long tunnels. 

The clear fins didn't fit the fairings. 

The #1 wrap was short!

Lifting a mask tore a small area of a wrap. 

The high points:

It's a challenge to build an older kit.

I was happy with the finished look of all the tunnels.

The nose cone came out well - the folded tower and skirt fit!

Mentioned earlier - This was probably the first time Thru-the-wall fins were used in a kit!

The tunnels and ullage motors - 

The adapter and wraps.

The upper body/nose cone.

Strange Estes didn't include a service module wrap.

What else was missing?

DECALS!!!