Estes USS Enterprise #1275, Part 7, Pylon Supports & Dowels

Removed from the die-cut ply sheet - 

The picture shows how rough the pylon support pieces are. 

Set on a flat surface, one was die-cut a hair wider.

The wider piece was sanded down to the height of the shorter piece. 

A dowel is glued to the back edge of the pylon.

Cut the dowel a little longer than the pylon.

Center the dowel and glue down the pylon edge.

After he glue dries,

Sand the dowel ends even with the pylon length.

R.O.C.K. Launch Nov. 8, 2025

This was a "make-up" launch, the field was too muddy last Saturday from all the rain. Few participants today, three regular club members and and few first timers launching their RTF Estes Pumas.

The ASP D REGION TOMAHAWK had an impressive boost with the A3-4t motor. Altitude was an estimated 500'!

Touch down was on the opposite side of the field under the long yellow streamer.

I'm always surprised how well the 13mm engines perform in a minimum diameter BT-5 tube.

This is my Estes EAC VIPER upscale housed in a BT-55 tube.

The B6-4 was just about right with an altitude of 375'. 

My new dog Dakota didn't bark or bat an eye during the launches. 

She did appreciate her new shaded play pen. 

The next dog "test" will be a camping trip later this month.

The Semroc MMX MARS LANDER was disappointing.

After clearing the launch rod, it looped and landed dislodging one of the lander leg fins. 10' high!

Even though the weather has been cooler lately, today was HOT!

Few flyers sent us home early.

My last rocket up was my GOONY X-15 with an Estes B6-4. Textbook flight with an easy recovery.

I only had four launches and wanted to get my dog cooled off! All recovered, no damages.

 

Estes USS Enterprise #1275, Part 6, Internal Support Ring

The internal support ring  (RT-99D, 3.7" diameter)

has to fit over the "hump" in the primary hull bottom disk. 

Cut the template using a straightedge on the straight lines an scissors on the curves. 

The template doesn't go all the way around the support ring. 

Mark the cutaway crescents with pencil.

Cut the crescents out with a sharp knife.

Here's how the cuts are placed on the ring, directly on opposite sides.

A dry fit in the lower hull disk. Note they do not contact the hump when centered on the disk.

I'm not gluing the ring in place yet.

Estes USS Enterprise #1275, Part 5, Cutting Out The Vacu-form Parts

I saved the large hull disks for last. 

As before, trace around the edges with a ball point pen.

Score along the pen lines.

Free up the edges for easier bending and cracking by cutting relief segment lines.

Sand the disk edges with a block.

The right side picture shows the upper and lower primary hull halves dry fitted. Note the overlap of the top half.

Estes USS Enterprise #1275, Part 4, Cutting Out The Vacu-form Parts

Here's what I mean about the high pieces being thin at the baseline.

There was a crack in the thin area of the secondary hull.

This happened before I sanded the base edges.

A strip of the scrap plastic was cut and folded to a "V" shape.

This was glued in place over the crack using liquid cement.

Another area of concern - 

The front of the secondary hull halves were also thin.

Sand the edges on a block using 220 then 400 grit sandpaper.

Estes USS Enterprise #1275, Part 3, Cutting Out The Vacu-form Parts

Cutting out vacu-form parts can be a delicate operation. 

Take your time!

The oldest method is probably the best -

Draw around the bottom recess with a ball point pen. This gives you a defined line to cut on.

Score (no need to cut all the way through) along the ink line with a sharp knife.

Bend back and forth along the scored line until the flat excess cracks off.

You can break off the scrap plastic in short segments. Cut lines (like pieces of a pie) away from the scored line for easier bend and separation.

Sand the bottom edges smooth with 220 grit on a block.

You are reaching the finished edge when you notice small strings of thin plastic rolling off the bottom.

For comparison,

On the left is the dome after cutting off the sheet.

On the right, 

The dome after sanding the base. Sand off all the turned lip so the sides are flat.

Estes USS Enterprise #1275, Part 2, Parts Of Interest

The large vacu-form sheet.

At the top you can see the horizontal tunnel recess to fit the engine mount tube. 

While the forms are sharp, the secondary "hull" pieces (center) are high. The plastic is thin around the base edges.

The plywood was poorly cut. 

Granted, die cutting plywood would be difficult to do!

The plywood wasn't great quality.

The backside of the plywood -  

Many of the die-cuts didn't go through to the other side. I had to free up some lines with my knife.

A clay weight came in the bag but lead washer weights were supplied.

I'll be using the lead weights, held in place by the screw eye. The "recovery probe" nose cone was the same one used in the Estes two-stage Midget and Andromeda.