An Earlier Vostok Build Part 2 -

 
This is the "Build To Fly, Build To Display" MPC Vostok.

To see the bog build: CLICK HERE

The finished model weight with no engine is 4.27 oz.! 4 oz. is the maximum weight for a C6 engine. I should have waited for the C5-3 with an 8 oz. max. weight. 

The box advertised a C9-3 engine, I don't think MPC ever produced it. The picture to the left shows what happened!

(Picture by Roger Smith.)

An Earlier Soyuz Build Part 1 -

With the debut of the new Estes Soyuz kit - 

I remembered an earlier Dr. Zooch Soyuz build. There was no plastic parts, just balsa, body tubes and rolled cardstock. The cardstock "witches hats" at the top of the strap on boosters took a few tries to get right. You even had to build the interstage trusses with dowels! 

The model is BT-50 based and uses 18mm motors.

 

Before I started this build blog, I posted builds on The Rocketry Forum.

This one goes back to 2009. 

Dr. Zooch Soyuz

CLICK HERE

http://www.rocketryforum.com/showthread.php?t=5213

New Estes Kit -

https://estesrockets.com/pages/soyuz

Estes USS Enterprise #1275, Part 11, Pylon Brace Fit

The pylon brace fit was very loose. 

No amount of glue fillets will fix this.

On the left: A strip of 110 lb. cardstock was slipped into the slot, folded over and glued to the face of the brace. 

On the right: Look close to see the white cardstock shims in place. The fit is much tighter. 

Another dry fit of the pylons. 

The braces are inside locking the pylons in position.

Estes USS Enterprise #1275, Part 10, Pylon Supports & Dowels

Set the pylon in the cardstock base (the fit is too loose) and mark the tube height for a filler/primer mask.

Set the notched end in the bulkhead and mark for a mask on the other side.

The pylon ends were masked for a shot of filler/primer.

After the filler/primer dried, sand to surface with 400 grit.

Here's the outline for the pylon cut.

The straight sides and bottom were cut using my aluminum angle and a sharp knife.

The rounded back was made using a small rat tail diamond file.

I got a good fit of the pylon.

I'll usually cut a fin slot a bit narrow and widen it to fit. 

Estes USS Enterprise #1275, Part 9, Pylon Supports & Dowels

I fitted the pylon into the pylon brace, then set it next to the body tube. The pencil line is the masking area to keep the filler/primer off the gluing areas. 

On the right - the notched end of the pylon is dry fitted in the bulkhead and marked, again for a mask. 

Here's the pylon masked for a shot of filler/primer.

After the filler primer was sanded -

The cut out is revised to fit the pylon, rounded dowel on the back side.

Estes USS Enterprise #1275, Part 8, Pylon Supports & Dowels

I'll usually fill the tube seams before gluing things together.

On the left - Thinned CWF filler in the seams,

On the right - The filler sanded to surface.

A shot of filler/primer and sanding followed.

The pylon supports got some CWF and sanding.

The dowel/plywood joint got a second brushing of CWF and more sanding.

The propulsion unit marking guides were cut out and pre-rolled.

Press a dowel into the heel of your hand as you roll over the cardstock to put a curve into it.

On the right - the marking guide retains the cylinder shape after forming. 

The pylon slot is printed as a long rectangle.

The pylon is square on one side and rounded in the back.

I'm going to cut the slots to fit the actual pylon shape.

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.

Estes USS Enterprise #1275, Part 1, Parts

This is going to be an interesting build.

My kit version was an original from 1975. The model was later reissued as a 25th anniversary edition, sold in a box with paint.

My first Enterprise build was in 1976. I remember being disappointed with the fit of some parts. To be stable, a long "recovery probe" is connected to the model. The starship is dragged behind during boost. 

It was launched twice, both flights had damage. The vacu-form parts are delicate.

You can review the instructions at Jim Zs: CLICK HERE

No overall parts picture - there was just too many parts to capture.

Take a look - 

I Wish Manufacturers Would Do This, Part 8 . . .

I Wish Manufacturers Would Do This -

I've been suggesting this one for years - 

This idea was inspired by the old Centuri engines. I wanted to make an additional improvement.

The Centuri engine power designation was printed eight times (horizontally) around the lower third of the engine.

At a glance you could pick the appropriate engine for your rocket.

But once installed in the motor mount, the printed engine power was out of sight, covered by the engine mount tube.

My idea:

Typically, the nozzle end of the engine extends 1/4" out the back of a rocket. I'd like to see the engine type designation at the bottom rear of the engine.

This way it can be seen after the engine is loaded into the motor mount.

There might be reasons why the print area can't get close to the base of the engine.

Even experienced fliers have been known to load the wrong engine power or delay.

With the engine name visible out the back of the mount, it could be identified all the way up to when the micro clips are connected.

Some of the advantages:

• Success for first timers, more return fliers.
• Fewer mistakes and less impacts before ejection.
• Safer for the consumer and manufacturer.

The engine power and delay band is printed in the appropriate color for it's intended use: GREEN = Single Stage, PURPLE = Upper Stage and RED = Booster engine.
In the picture you can see the engine name once, it's actually printed three times around the nozzle end of the engine.
What do you think?

I Wish Manufacturers Would Do This, Part 7 . . .

I Wish Manufacturers Would Do This - 

INCLUDE A FEW EXTRA "TEST" DECALS

If a kit decal sheet has some extra space, include a few extras or duplicates.

This allows the builder a first "test soak" and test the transfer without risking larger necessary decals on the model. Sometimes I use the Estes or Quest logo decals as a test.

 

This could come in handy if the decals are older. The test decal would let you know if you might need a clear coat or Microsol liquid decal film before soaking.

I Wish Manufacturers Wouldn't Do This, Part 6 . . .

Some kits include an engine hook that gets get bent out of shape after the first flight!  

Use SPRING STEEL, not pot metal. 

You can get spring steel engine hooks from BMS. (Balsa Machining Service)

I Wish Manufacturers Wouldn't Do This, Part 5 . . .

TRI-FOLD MOUNTS ON SMALL DIAMETER BODY TUBES -

Tri-fold shock cord mounts can block the ejection of a parachute.

On BT-5, BT-20 and BT-50 sized models, drop the tri-fold mounts and go with Kevlar tied to the engine mount.

BT-5 models with this type of mount are especially problematic. This was more common years back when mini-motor kits were introduced.

I Wish Manufacturers Wouldn't Do This, Part 4 . . .

PRINTING ON SHROUDS - 

Some kit shrouds have printing on the outside, finished model surface.

The printed words "Outer Shroud" could bleed through the paint. Position that wording outside the shroud!

You don't run into this very often. The original Estes Mars Snooper was another kit with printing on shrouds.

I Wish Manufacturers Wouldn't Do This, Part 3 . . .

PAPER REINFORCEMENT RINGS?

Paper tears and doesn't really offer any reinforcement to a hard shroud line pull at ejection.

Right out of the kit bag, the ring was already tearing from a rough punch tearing into the plastic chute.

I often replace the paper rings with Avery Plastic Reinforcement Rings, #5720.