Top Ten Blog COUNTDOWN for 2025, Part 2

5 - Estes AMRAAM Downscale

I've always like the Amraam with its forward fins.

This was a downscale from a BT-55 to a heavy wall BT-50. 

4 - Estes LTV SCOUT

Another classic I never got around to in the 1970s.

Small fins, blow molded transitions and some really crappy wood tunnels. 

Three feet tall!

3 - New Way BLADE RUNNER

A standout design, different from anything else!

A little tricky getting all the balsa filled.

2 - Centuri SKYLAB

A clone using 3d parts.

Challenging build, great results on the solar panel fins.

The best build of the year - 

Number 1 - 

Estes BLACK STAR VOYAGER!

This one sat in the bag for a few years. I had concerns about the multi piece fins. 

My hesitation was unfounded. A well engineered design with accurate laser cut parts.

Only 37 launches in 2025! I hope to do better next year.

If you'd like to see past TOP 10 lists, 

Type "Top 10" in the "Search This Blog" box in the right side margin. 

Top Ten Blog COUNTDOWN for 2025, Part 1

These are my favorite posts and builds from the past year. 

Some posts were great surprises or just good builds. 

Counting down from 10 to 1 - Click on the BLUE names to go to the build posts:

10 - Estes ADVANCED TARGET DRONE

Cardstock intakes and white decals added to a good challenge.

9 - QUEST INTRUDER KITBASH

The Quest sticker decals were ruined so I kit bashed it into a Estes Interceptor - sort of.

The two kits were already close in design anyway. The Quest Intruder is smaller. 

8 - STAR SEEKER UPSCALE 

The original Star Seeker was a small BT-5 model, part of the Estes Mini Tri-Pak. A great design deserves to be bigger!

7 - Estes MINI BOMARC

This is another one I had built in the 1970s.

Interesting how the same die-cut balsa ended up in the Estes Firefly parasite boost glider kit.

6 - Estes MONARCH KITBASH

Just finished on the blog, The Monarch design was too plain. I decided to change it out for a half sized 18mm Optima.

The countdown continues tomorrow!

Estes Monarch Build, #7214, Finished

The Optima is a great design, at any size.

I'll worry about printing a name decal next time I make decals.

That Rusto Metallic Black Night paint is a favorite.

I didn't worry about the break line between the two body tubes. Normally I'd fill it.

I didn't notice it until now -

The Monarch face card art has the same trim style as the Optima! Different colors but the same idea - vertical shiny fin stripes and a body wrap around above that. 

Estes Monarch Build, #7214, Part 14, Placing The Upper Tube Trim

The upper body was spray painted gloss black, followed by two coats of my favorite Rusto Metallic Black. The black extends down 8.5" from the nose cone tip.

The metallic black compliments the reflective specks in the purple vinyl trim.

A 1/4" wrap of chrome is space about 1/8" from the bottom of the black.

The 1/2" wide purple butts up against the chrome.

Another 1/4" wrap of chrome sets against the bottom of the purple.

Estes Monarch Build, #7214, Part 13, Placing The Purple Fin Trim

The wider purple trim is cut much the same way as the chrome strip. 

A light wipe of glue stick and press the template onto the trim material.

Cut out the purple trim, a little long for overhang of the trailing edge. 

The purple is rolled over the leading edge and evenly spaced from the chrome strip.

The picture was taken after the overhang was trimmed off.

The left side shows the rolled over purple and chrome on the rounded leading edge.

The inset picture shows the trimmed squared trailing edge.

Estes Monarch Build, #7214, Part 12, Placing The Chrome Fin Trim

With the right side of my ruler set into the root edge - The right side of the chrome strip is about 2 1/16". (The ruler has a little extra border on the left side.)

This measurement is consistent from the top to the bottom.

 Notice the masking tape set down as a right side vertical guide for the chrome strip.

Set the center of the chrome V strip on the rounded leading edge.

The tails on the sides aren't stuck down yet.

Set the right side edge down using the tape edge.

When all it lined up, burnish the chrome strip down.

Trim off the overhang from the trailing edge with a sharp knife using a short back and forth sawing motion. 

With the tape guide removed, 

the chrome strips are placed, parallel to the root edge line.

Estes Monarch Build, #7214, Part 11, Cutting The Chrome Fin Trim - TIP

TIP: The larger Estes Optima kit supplies you with holographic tape trim. It's a long strip that won't wrap over the rounded leading edge of the fin, leaving a gap. Here's how I made a continuous "roll-over" piece. 

   

A fin tracing and indications of the purple and chrome trim.

The tracing is mirrored so the pieces could smoothly cover and connect on the leading edge.

A little bit of planning could saves a lot of frustration when dealing with peel and stick trim.

Here's the two templates cut from cardstock. The wider purple piece is on the left, the thinner chrome strip is to the right.

Mark the center fold over line.

Note the top and bottom ends are extended beyond the trailing edges of the fins. This allows an overhang to be trimmed off later.

Apply a light wipe of glue stick to the backside of the thinner chrome template.

The glue coat holds the template in place as you cut the chrome underneath.

The top picture shows the template tacked to the chrome. Cut around the template using a straightedge and sharp knife.

The light wipe of the glue stick allows the template to be lifted after cutting and used again.

Merry Christmas from the Model Rocket Building Blog!

I heard him exclaim, 

as it flew out of sight—

"Maybe I should have reefed that chute."

Estes Monarch Build, #7214, Part 10, Planning Ahead For Paint & Trim

The instructions don't mention where the black paint starts on the upper end of the body. 

I assume the black paint separation mask is at the low end of the payload tube. The payload tube (catalog #031380) length doesn't come up on the Estes website.

To estimate the length - On my computer screen, I enlarged the instruction picture close to the diameter of the downscale BT-55.

The black paint area measured out at 8 1/2" from the tip of the nose cone down.

The instructions show colors and dimensions of the holographic tape trim. I'll simply half the height.

At Hobby Lobby I found some self adhesive metallic purple vinyl.

The self adhesive chrome is left over from the Estes Doorknob build. I didn't use the chrome trim on the blue "sport" version. I sometimes hang onto unused parts and trim for moments like this.

While not an exact match to the full size Pro 2 holographic trim, it's close enough for my downscale.

Estes Monarch Build, #7214, Part 9, Gluing On The Fins

Here's the build with the rear and forward fins in place. 

On this downscale, the smaller fins are 4 5/16" from the rear of the tube.

The rear lug is glued 1/4" from the end of the body tube.

The forward launch lug is glued 7 5/8" from the rear.

TIP: You can fill bubbles that form in dried lug fillets. It takes three applications of wood glue.

Apply and smooth the first fillet, let dry.

Apply second fillet, smooth and let dry.

Apply a third fillet, smooth and let dry.

Those bubbles should be gone -

Launch! R.O.A.R., Christmas, FL, December 20, 2025

Low 70s in December? That's warm for central Florida this time of year.

Winds around 5 mph.

Not a big group today, some first timers who bought C6-5s for their Estes Crossfire builds. I gave them some B6-4s for the first launch.

First up for me was the 2/3rds size Centuri UFO with a C5-3. Perfect boost to about 150 feet. Just as advertised, at apogee it turned over and "floated" down landing on the wire legs.

Here's the upside down landing.

My best flight of the day goes to the Quest STRIKER AGM sporting the original Enertech design paint.

A C6-5 pushed it to 425 feet. 

I reefed the chute for a faster descent which led to two fins broken off. The lower 2/3 of the fins didn't adhere well to the plastic tail cone. The smaller fairing fins were still securely glued to the body tube. 

I like to fly at least one MicroMaxx rocket for variety and laughs.

This is the FlisKit MACME SHREW, a downscale of the large Acme Spitfire.

The body looks like stacked, crooked tin cans.

It is stable - to about 40 feet. The short MMX ejection fired before apogee.

The narrow streamer slowed descent.

The New Way FIRECAT 4 finished the day with an Estes B6-4 to 325'.

On dislodged fin at touch down.

I felt the need to stop at four launches, my new dog Dakota should head home. She spent most of the morning under my car seeking some cooler shade.

Four up, four recovered with a few broken fins.

Estes Monarch Build, #7214, Part 8, Downsizing The Optima To A BT-55

Downsizing is often a compromise.

I don't have a Optima shaped nose cone. For now, I'll be using the nose cone from the Monarch kit.

The Estes online specs say the Pro Series II Optima has a 2.5" (outside diameter) body tube.

This might be a BT-80 tube with the diameter rounded down to 2.5". The BT-80 diameter is actually 2.6".

This downscale is built around a BT-55 at 1.325" diameter, very close to a half size downscale.

For my build, I used the 2.5" tube measurement, downscaled to the BT-55 size of 1.325".

Multiply all dimensions by .53 to get your downsize dimensions.

The full size Optima is 48.5" tall.

Multiply the 48.5" X .53 = 25.70" downsize height.

The nose cone length is 5" exposed. 

That leaves 20.70" of body tube. The fins are even with the bottom of the lower tube.

Using just the original two tubes from the Monarch kit, the downscaled Optima looked short.

The lower tube (with the engine mount) from the Monarch kit is 9" long.

I cut a scrap BT-55 tube to the remaining 11.70" for the upper tube.

Estes Monarch Build, #7214, Part 7, Nose Cone Seam

This kit had a definite stepped seam on both sides of the nose cone.

Before filling the low side, sand the high sides down a bit using a sanding block.

To fill in the remaining recess, some medium CA glue was run as a long bead down the seam. 

The wet glue can run so only do one side and let dry. The CA glue bead on the surface can take some time to dry.

Sand to surface with 400 grit on a block.

The small, thin shock cord tie ring in the nose cone shoulder are prone to breaking. 

The tie down ring was cut off. A hole was drilled for the shock cord attachment.

No Posts? I'm Camping!

I'll be camping with Dakota the Sheltie from Tuesday, December 16 through Thursday the 18th. No posts as I won't have internet access!

Build posts should resume on Friday the 19th.

Estes Monarch Build, #7214, Part 6, Rounding The Leading Edges

From the new Optima kit instructions:

The leading edges and outside edges are rounded.

The trailing edges remain square.

The short leading edge of the forward, smaller fins was tricky.

I used my sanding block to knock off the edges then a piece of 400 grit around my fingers to get the final round.

Here's the three forward fins,

note the squared trailing edges.

 

Here's the larger rear fins showing the rounded forward and outside edges.

Estes Monarch Build, #7214, Part 5, Cutting Out The Fins

There is enough "free" balsa on one side of the Monarch fin sheet to cut out one of the larger, lower Optima fins. 

The other two larger fins will be cut from two glued together  Monarch fin pieces.

Before gluing together the fin pieces, sand the laser cut burnt edges square with a block. Glue the two pieces flat with weight on top.

 

The third fin only needed a small fin tip extension glued on the trailing edge.

From the remaining balsa the smaller forward fins are cut.

All the fins are cut and gang sanded.