Estes Condor #0807 Build, Finished

Here's the front end of the booster tubing.

The wrap is from the original decal sheet and is slightly yellowed.

The glider is attached to the booster.

It's like the Estes Orbital Transport, the glider flops around in the wind when on the launcher.

Ken Caldwell figured out a great way to hold the back end of the glider in place during boost.

A short wire is glued on the bottom center of the glider. A small tube (off a WD-40 can) is glued to the booster tube. The short wire slips into the tube while sliding the front dowel into the upper lug. 

The booster canopy is a simple, rounded rectangle.

A good looking model!

Interesting how small the glider is - when an actual "condor" has one of the widest wingspans.

Estes Condor #0807 Build, Part 23, More Decals

Well, I did my best to draw the decals correctly, but the red border lines on the wing tips came up short.

I cut a small piece of one of the extras to extend the line to the edge.

The red bar over the body tube had to be trimmed so the width matched up with the red lines on the wings.

I don't usually use a clear coat but I did apply some clear acrylic Pledge with a Q-tip. I was concerned that the front edges could lift.

Earlier in the build, the instructions said to glue in the engine mount with the centering ring even with the end of the tube. I recessed the mount so I could apply a glue fillet around the low end.

Interesting that the decal placement picture shows the mount slightly recessed.

Estes Condor #0807 Build, Part 22, Home Print Decal Fix

I was stuck and had to draw and print new decals.

I will keep the larger wrap around decal on the model so I didn't draw that one.

I made double decals.

Here's why I made two of each.

Home print decals aren't opaque and when set over bright white, the red turns to dark pink. This piece will need a two-layer decal.

If the home print red decals are set against some sprayed red paint you can tell the difference. It requires a double layer decal to slightly darken and match the red paint next to it. 

Red decals an inch away from red paint aren't as noticeable.

The red stripe decals on the wing fins are difficult to get straight and evenly spaced.

Notice the decal strip is a little long. It bends and continues up the inside of the wing tip.

To cut the end even with the joint - 

Wait for the decal to dry.

With a new single edge razor blade, cut through the decal extension and peel off the excess.

Estes Condor #0807 Build, Part 21, Decal Problems

I was anticipating some decal problems. Judging by the face card art, the kit is probably over twenty years old. 

I went ahead and brushed on a coat of Microscale Liquid Decal Film - this usually helps.

I usually won't start with a large decal. 

The roll pattern decal went on without any problems and matched up perfectly.

It is a little yellowed, but I'll go with it.

My good luck didn't continue.

The wing tip decals on the glider broke up.

As the red trim decal dried it started to curl and lift.

I'm going to have to redraw many of the decals and home print a partial set. There will be duplicates. The decals are set over white paint and I may have to do two layers to get a bright red.

Estes Condor #0807 Build, Part 20, Red Paint Mask

The front end of the booster and front of the glider get red paint.

The mask line is 2" from the front end of the body tube. The glider mask is about 1/32" behind the canard.

Red was sprayed and the tape pulled.

The mask lines came out clean and sharp.

In the upper right body tube picture above you can see some red over spray.

Some quick wipes with a damp magic sponge took off the red blotch. You can remove small bits of paint like this - Just don't wait too long so the paint won't set up.

Estes Condor #0807 Build, Part 19, A Quick Re-Spray

I found this design difficult to get good coverage on all surfaces. When trying to spray one area you get a light misting on other areas. This can result in a duller finish.

On one wing plate I had to go back and re-shoot some white. The picture shows the mask so paint would only cover one flat outside surface. 

When spraying the same color, you can mask right at the root edge. It won't be seen after the tape is lifted.

In the left side picture above you can see a grayish dot on the wing plate.

This second spray of gloss white covered this marking.

Estes Condor #0807 Build, Part 18, Glued Up, Ready For Paint

The glider is ready for gloss white paint!

I'm hoping that it'll get a decent glide with the weight of a opaque gloss white.

Here's the glider hooked onto the booster.

This is one of those designs with lots of inside edges - tough to get an even spray coat over all the surfaces.

I pushed a dowel painting wand into the BT-5 motor mount. 

It was loose so a wrap of masking tape over the engine hook held the dowel without any spinning while painting. 

Estes Condor #0807 Build, Part 17, Fitting The Wing

On the left - 

The V tip of the two wing pieces leave a small gap at the fuselage notch.

Looking at the back, the wing overhangs the rear of the fuselage.

By slightly sanding the "V" tip, 

it closes the small gap at the front and moves the wing forward. The back of the wing is now even with the tail end of the fuselage.

I drew a pencil line down the center of the canard for gluing alignment.

The dowel is glued into the notch at the front end of the fuselage.

Check the instruction drawing below - 

On the left is how the tip plates will glue onto the outside edge of the wing.

On the right - I sanded the outside wing edge to get the tip plate to the correct angle.

Here's what I was going for - 

This illustration is from the instructions in the countdown checklist. It probably should have been brought up in Step 20.

Estes Condor #0807 Build, Part 16, Gluing Up The Wing Dihedral

I taped the dihedral guide pieces to my work surface. Otherwise the thin cardboard pieces will flop and fall under the wing halves.

After the glue dried there was a small gap where the two sides meet. This is on the bottom seam of the "V" shaped wing.

Some CWF filler was ran down the seam and sanded.

Filler/primer was shot down the center filled seam only.

The bottom of the "V" was carefully sanded.

The wing is ready for fitting under the fuselage.

Estes Condor #0807 Build, Part 15, Gluing Up The Glider

The stabilizer is glued onto the fuselage.

Do your best to center the thinner piece on the thicker stock fuselage.

The wing panel root edges should be sanded to an angle for a stronger glue bond.

I mark the edge with a soft pencil so I can tell what has been sanded.

On the right side, I'm about half done sanding the angle, you can still see some pencil marking left.

Sand until the pencil mark is gone. 

I used the instruction illustration to get an idea of the wing edge and sanding block angle.

The wing half is on the left, the sanding block is on the right side.

The dihedral guides are on the back of the face card. I didn't want to cut up the face card.

I extended pencil lines and transferred those onto some thick cardstock. The cardboard was cut out for the next steps.

Estes Condor #0807 Build, Part 14, Vertical Stabilizers & Wing Tips

I found myself referring to the face card picture a few times. These are not a standard fin layout.

This was probably a prototype model, not a production kit.

All wing and wing tips are rounded. The instructions only say to round the wings and wing tips. Even the edges of the glider balsa remain square.

I sanded away a little more of the gluing line. 

There is some 400 grit rolled around a Q-Tip.

Here's the vertical stabilizers in position. 

I haven't sanded the glue line on the outside surfaces yet.

The wing tips are glued in place.

On the right - 

Notice the leading edge of the wing tips are a continuation of the large wing leading edge.

Estes Condor #0807 Build, Part 13, Launch Lugs & Standoff

Two of the three launch lugs are glued onto the top of the body tube at 2 1/2" and 6" from the rear end of the tube.

I went "old school" and placed the lugs by sighting down the tube.

The glider requires a balsa standoff to hook onto the booster.

Cut the balsa standoff a hair long. Center and glue it on the lug. Sand the overhanging balsa to the length of the lug.

Here's the lug and standoff after CWF and filler/primer.

It's glued on the top side of the tube 4 3/4" from the rear.

Estes Condor #0807 Build, Part 12, Engine Mount Gluing & Wing Fins

The instructions have you glue on the wings before gluing in the engine mount. Ideally you want the engine mount on the same side of the launch lugs, perpendicular to the larger wings.

I glued the engine mount in first then set the marking guide with the engine mount in line with the launch lugs on the underside.

The engine mount was set beside the body tube to fins out the distance for the inside glue. I like to place set the glue ring a little below the top ring final position.

A dowel was marked. Glue was set in a ring around the top of the dowel.

Use the lower pencil mark on the dowel as a depth gauge for the inside glue. Roll the bead of glue around the inner wall of the tube.

The instructions have the lower ring even with the low end of the body tube.

I set the mount a bit farther in with the lower ring just inside the tube. This allowed a fillet on the recessed ring edge.

The fin marking guide was printed on the back side of the face card. I made one out of paper.

The two launch lugs are in line with the engine hook. 

The large wing fins are glued on.

Check their alignment visually by looking over and across the trailing edges.

Estes Condor #0807 Build, Part 11, Canard Fit & Masks

I squared up the notches for the canard. 

I wanted a good friction fit.

Filing continued until the center front and rear of the canard could slip in.

The gluing edges were masked off with tape strips before shooting the filler/primer.

After spraying the filler/primer -

Here's the glider body after the tape strips were removed.