Estes Star Seeker BT-50 Upscale (Tri-Pack) Kit #0866, Part 6, Gluing On The Dowel "Guns"

Two of the (mirrored) fin pieces were marked for the vertical fins, shown below.

The BT-5 smaller version was marked at 1".

The upscale markings are at 1.80".

Lay a bead of glue down the outside edge of the vertical fins for the dowel "gun" placement.

On the left, I'm running the side of my finger down the fillet, smoothing the bead and removing excess.

On the right is the even glue bead. This makes a cleaner glue joint with less glue "squeeze out". 

The dowels are set into the glue line. 

The rear of the dowel is even with the trailing edge of the fins.

After previously evening out the blue bead,

there is very little (if any) glue to smooth or remove from the joint.

Estes Star Seeker BT-50 Upscale (Tri-Pack) Kit #0866, Part 5, Gluing In The Engine Mount

The mount was glued into the BT-50 tube with 1/4" of the mount tube exposed. 

Maybe I should have made the end of the tube flush with the end of the BT-50? Well, a little more room for the small chute.

The upper ring ends up in the glue ring. There isn't any glue on the lower ring - yet. 

The lower fillet was applied with small drops of glue on a Q-tip. A second Q-tip smoothed the fillet and removed excess glue.

Estes Star Seeker BT-50 Upscale (Tri-Pack) Kit #0866, Part 4, Prepping Lug Details

The 1/8" launch lug and 1/4" decorative "engine" tube lugs got a CWF seam fill and sanding.

While being held by Q-tip handles, 

they were sprayed with filler/primer.

All were sanded with 400 grit.

The ends got a wipe with CA glue applied with a Q-tip.

This hardens the loose fibers and allows you to sand them off clean.

After sanding, 

The edges were pressed and rolled round using a sharpened dowel.

Estes Star Seeker BT-50 Upscale (Tri-Pack) Kit #0866, Part 3, Engine Mount

The tube was slit for the upper bend of the engine hook. A  installed motor will extend 1/4" out the bottom end of the tube.

One of the laminated rings got rotary punched for movement of the engine hook. 

For a bit more strength, the upper ring was set right over the upper bend of the engine hook. 

The lower notched ring was placed 1/2" from the bottom of the motor mount tube.

Notice the ruler. The low (and top) end starts at the zero point. Usually rulers have a 1/8"extension before the 1" point  starts.  

A wrap of electrical tape holds the engine hook and allows flexibility.

TIP: Electrical tape won't deteriorate over time like paper masking tape will.

Estes Star Seeker BT-50 Upscale (Tri-Pack) Kit #0866, Part 2, Engine Mount

Parts of interest:

The four fins and correct dowel diameter for the BT-50 size upscale.

Four cardstock centering rings made in an earlier blogpost.

Four 1/4" diameter launch lugs.

The tube seams and balsa grain have already been filled.

The centering rings I cut seemed a little thin.

Four were initially cut, I decided to double them up.

To be sure they were perfectly aligned on top of each other, one was slid (dry, no glue yet) over the BT-5 motor mount tube.

A light coat of glue was spread evenly over the second ring.

I'm not gluing the rings to the tube yet, just joining the rings.

The glued ring was slid over the tube and pressed against the ring already in place.

The two rings were closed using the (flipped) clothes pin clamps.

A second laminated ring was also made.

Estes Star Seeker BT-50 Upscale (Tri-Pack) Kit #0866, Part 1, Parts

After building an interesting BT-5 clone,

this one begs for an upscale. 

There are enough differences to make a larger model interesting.

Mentioned in the previous build, this isn't a 2X build. 

All original kit piece sizes will by multiplied by a factor of 1.8 to get the BT-50 sizes.

I'll be using 13mm motors. I made some 5/50 cardstock centering rings a few weeks back. We'll use them on this build.

In the picture above, the 1/4" lug "jets" tubes and "gun" dowels were cut at the same time as the previous BT-5 based build. They were also cut short. I recut both at the longer, correct length.

The Big Fix!

I had broken a fin or two at the last launch.

To glue these back, I needed a small clamp that wouldn't dent the balsa.

Previously, I had adapted some small clamps from clothes pins. 

Notice the regular clothes pin on the left. The wooden halves have been flipped on the right.

For a better explanation: CLICK HERE

The glue line shows the unusual break.

Normally I'll clean off the glue before applying the clamps. I left the glue line for the picture.

Be sure the squeezed out glue is cleaned off where the clamps sit or you might glue the clamps to the fin!

After the glue dries and the clamps are removed - 

I hit any breaks with a Sharpie pen.

Ready for flight.

Estes Star Seeker (Tri-Pack) Kit #0866, Finished

Big graphic decals on a very small model!

Notice how close the door is to the base of the nose cone.

Not much to see on the underside.

For such a small rocket, it's an interesting design.

It begs for an upscale. That is coming . . .

Estes Star Seeker (Tri-Pack) Kit #0866, Part 9, Decals

After the door/windows decal has dried,

Cut through at the nose cone joint with a new razor blade.

I don't normally use Future clear coats. I find it unnecessary.

It will hold down an exposed edge that could be subject to peeling back.

On the left, a Q-tip was used as a brush to seal the decal on the leading edges.

On the right, another decal where the edge ends at the body tube.

The Kevlar was tied to the elastic shock cord using a simple overhand knot.

I'll trim off some of that excess.

In the comments I was warned about how easily the fins will break off on a hard landing. There's not much of a root edge to glue onto the body tube.

I decided to slow the descent with a streamer.

It'll probably still break off, but I gave it a try.

The body tube is short, but I could fit in the wadding, streamer and nose cone!

Launch! R.O.A.R. Monthly, February 23, 2025

For a change, I went to the R.O.A.R. launch in Christmas, FL. ROAR has one of the most sophisticated pre-launch procedures I have ever seen. 

There is a four pad low power rack and a mid power rail launcher.

Many Blue Origin families and first timers today. It took a while for the pads to clear so the "old timers" could launch.   

I had the first rocket in the air today.

A favorite, the Quest FLV with an Estes C6-5. Estimated altitude was 500 feet.

Stable, clean with touchdown close to the pad.

Next up was the New Way ALIEN INVADER with a B6-4.

This is one of the square tube models from New Way.

Estimated altitude was 350'.

One broken and separated fin on landing.

Flight of the day goes to Gary Dahlke.

An Honest John with a G79-4. The loud motor surprised the first timers.

A chute release was set for 300'. 

The Florida Tech Design Group brought their Doordash D.A.R.T.

Dart stands for Demonstrator for Autonomous Rapid Transport.

Today was a "boost" test using a G25 motor. In future flights, they hope to land it much like a Space X booster. The landing legs are retracted here.

Next up was the Estes EAC FIRE CAT clone with a B6-4

Altitude was estimated at 300'.

I usually expect to break a fin on this one, but it touched down without damage.

Here's the Odd'l Rockets F-18 in the Blue Angels decal livery.

I should have used a B6-4, but had an anemic A8-3 loaded.

The rocket launch was a "loft", maxing out at 200 feet.

No damage on recovery.

The Estes STAR SEEKER clone (now being built on this blog) had a first launch with a 1/2A3-2t motor.

Fast and high for a 1/2A engine, probably reaching 225 feet.

Good thing I added a streamer! You'll need one to find it as it falls.

I was warned - a fin did break off when it hit the ground.

To finish the day, I did launch a MMX Fliskits CRAYON. It was a big hit with the kids.

I would guess it got to 100'. It needed lots of eyes on it and a few helped find it in the low weeds.

Six up, six recovered, two with broken and fixable fins.

Estes Star Seeker (Tri-Pack) Kit #0866, Part 8, Decals

I'm making the decals available to Patreon subscribers.

Both the BT-5 and BT-50 sizes will be on a home print PDF.

To get a canopy decal to fit around a nose cone, 

Cut with a rounded relief in the center for a some flexibility. 

Note: Rounded. Sharp corners can lead to tears of the decal film.

After the canopy was in place - 

The door and window decals were transferred. 

The nose cone body tube joint will be cut after the decals dry.

Enlarge the picture to see the wing reflection centered down the windows. 

This can happen with home print decals - 

The blue in the wing decal started to break up. This is usually caused by too many tries at repositioning. 

The decal sheet has two sets for the BT-5 size model.

There is some overhang on the outside edge.

After the decals dry, you can slit and remove the excess using a sharp razor blade.

Estes Star Seeker (Tri-Pack) Kit #0866, Part 7, Paint & More Sanding

Here's the launch lug that will slide over the launch rod.

The rear of the lug is 5/8" from the rear.

After spraying the the model with gloss white,

some fillet bubbles showed. These were filled with more glue.

After the paint dried, the launch lugs showed how rough they were. 

This required some 400 grit sanding before another coat of spray.

No masking!

Just a clean, glossy white finish, ready for decals.

Estes Star Seeker (Tri-Pack) Kit #0866, Part 6, Fin Assemblies

Keep your glue lines short - 

Set the lugs in place and make the fin edges with pencil. 

Apply some glue up to the pencil lines and place the lugs.

Here's how the lugs set when set against the fin joint.  

The wing fin assemblies are glued to a standard 120 degree three fin spacing, using just two of the pencil lines. This makes a wide "W" shape.

The "flight" launch lug is glued onto the third pencil line.

Estes Star Seeker (Tri-Pack) Kit #0866, Part 5, Fin & Launch Lug Assemblies

The dowels are glued to the top of the upper (unmarked) fins.

Two launch lugs are glued side by side.

Make two sets. I found it easier to make glue fillets now.

On the left, I've lightly sanded the glue line for better glue adhesion. 

On the right, the dowel fins are glued with that spacing overhang on the outside.

Be sure to make two "mirrored" fins.  

Estes Star Seeker (Tri-Pack) Kit #0866, Part 4, Engine Block & Kevlar ShockCord

The original kit had two engine blocks,

one for the engine stop, the second to tie a rubber shock cord. No parachute or streamer, just nose-blow recovery.

Enlarge the picture on the left.

I can't imagine trying to slide in that upper block ring into a ring of glue with a binding rubber shock cord tied around it.

I'll be installing a single lower engine block with a tied on Kevlar line.

The engine block got a notch for a better fit of the Kevlar line tie.

The inside 1/8" (or so) of the tube got a wipe of CA glue. This was followed by sanding just the edge with 400 grit on a block.

I used a spent "T" motor to position the engine block and Kevlar line.

Occasionally your find a raised cut-off burr on the end of the casing. Roll that off with some 400 grit.

This makes for an easier slide into the engine mount tube.

TIP: When installing an engine block, have ALL your parts close at hand. You don't want to be looking for the engine block as the glue in the tube is starting to set.

The glue applying dowel is marked with a pencil ring about 1 1/2" from the top. 

A ring of glue is set around the top of the dowel.

Set the dowel in the tube up to the pencil line trying not to touch the inside walls of the tube. 

Roll the dowel and transfer a line of glue around the inside of the tube.

Quickly set in the engine block and push into position, with 1/4" of the engine casing extended out the bottom of the tube. Remove the casing.