Micro-Maxx Estes Fat Boy, Part 1, Parts

The picture above is close to the full size MMX build!

This is a spare parts drawer build.

The only parts missing are the centering rings.

Those will be hand cut out of the white framing mat material. 

The nose cone is a leftover from a retired rocket, already painted silver.

Decals have been drawn up, I doubled the F, A and T letters for both sides of the fins. The original kit only included decals for one side of the three fins.

Kevlar line and tablecloth streamer.

Fins will be cut from 1/16" scrap balsa.

The launch lug is a BIC pen ink tube, cut from the end where there was no ink.

The yellow motor tube and engine block are original Quest MMX parts.

Estes Mini Arcas, #2441, Part 1, Parts

Here's a newer one from Estes.

A larger BT-55 Arcas kit was produced by Estes from 1972-1973.

This "mini" motor version is BT-20 based with streamer recovery.

Parts are of good quality.

The streamer is 2" x 24" chrome Mylar.

To see the instructions: CLICK HERE

The balsa sheet is 1/16" thick.

The small laser cut pieces are the fin supports. They are tiny!

Only one cardstock shroud is supplied. 

More on that later - 

Estes Shark #1111, Build, Part 2, Parts

The parts: This will be a spare parts build.

I re-drew the water slide decals. The original #1111 kit had stickers.

3/32" thick balsa

12" parachute, shroud lines will be replaced with #10 embroidery thread

I used heavy walled BT-50s, a 9.5" and 4" lengths

The original nose block (coupler) was 1" long. I'll make it a bit longer at 1.25"

Elastic shock cord, heat shrink tubing to protect the Kevlar line

A standard 20/50 engine mount, engine hook not shown

The nose cone is a "place holder" until I can get the proper BNC-50AR balsa cone.

Laminated kraft sticks (tongue depressors) were to be used for the tunnel and guidance thrusters. I ended up cutting those from 3/32" basswood.

Estes Time Warp Build, #7321, Part 1, Parts

A new mini-motor cluster rocket!

I recently picked up a bunch 13mm motors. This model would be a good way to burn through some black powder.

The Estes Time Warp has three BT-5s motor mount tubes (left side, in yellow) joined to a BT-55 (gray tube). A 55/50 adapter joins to a heavy walled BT-50 (unusual) and finally the gray nose cone.

The parts of interest:

Mentioned earlier, a heavy wall BT-50

The new self-adhesive Estes shock cord mount

A laser cut 3/32" thick balsa sheet

The four centering rings - 

The pairs are laminated to make two thicker rings.

That small center triangle is very close with not much to hold it onto the assembly.

Estes Semi-Scale Saturn V, Kit #K-39, Part 1, Parts

All the parts:

The tubes are tight and strong, almost no seams! The longer, lower body is a BT-60, the upper tube is a BT-52.

The 1/12" diameter dowels are used to make the tunnels and ullage motors.

The printed wraps remind me of the old Estes Mercury Redstone capsule wrap.

The cardstock shrouds, fairings and tube marking guide.

The self adhesive "fins" are faded, almost gone!

These will have to be redrawn and printed.

Apparently, Estes didn't get an order of clear couplers that could slide into the BT-60 for fin attachment. The enclosed coupler is the same diameter as the BT-60.

The addendum instructions have you cut a strip out of the coupler and rejoin with clear tape!

Estes Monarch Build, #7214, Part 2, Questions?

It looks like I already sanded the coupler. 

Sometimes these red couplers are too tight and can get locked up in the wrong position when gluing.

Why are two joined tubes used in this design? Was it a SPEV?

The parts list says it's balsa, but a blow molded nose cone is included. No screw eye is provided, it's not needed.

The instructions don't mention using glue on the screw eye threads.

The plastic nose cone has one of the small, breakable eyelets for shock cord and parachute attachment. I'll fix that in a later post.

GOTCHA - In order for the rocket to sit flat on the fin tips, 

The fin sanding instructions are wrong!

The leading edge (shown here) is actually the root edge.

The root edge is the leading edge.

I'm not going to use the Monarch fins. 

The next post will show something more interesting.

Estes Monarch Build, #7214, Part 1, Background & Parts

I'm taking a break on the Enterprise build. I remember pausing the Klingon build a few years back. Sometimes you just have to ease up and build something simpler.

A few years back, I picked up some Monarch kits in an Estes clearance sale. 

We all have kits that sit in opened bags, pieces being cannibalized in other builds. 

That might explain some parts questions.

 

Here's the Monarch, it reminds me of a three fin Big Bertha.

It also looks like the Quest Big Betty with a sleeker nose cone.

BT-55 based, 18mm engine mount. 

There was no parachute in the kit bag, I probably used it in another build. I have plenty extras.

The balsa is tight and stiff.

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 - 

New Way Blade Runner, Part 1, Parts

What a great new design from New Way! I've never seen anything like it.

18.75 inches tall,

BT-50 based with five multipiece fins. The flat face fins drag stabilize the model, almost like a conical rocket.

Simple colors and an easy mask.

Decals are effective and clean.

All the parts are well produced. A sandpaper and Q-tip package is included.

The parts of interest:

Heat shrink tubing to protect the Kevlar line at the engine mount.

Larger diameter heat shrink tubing to go over the Kevlar/shock cord tie.

Plywood centering rings.

Engine lock retaining ring

Black vinyl stripe to go over white and light gray color separation line.

Estes LTV Scout, Build, Part 1, Parts

Votes in the "Pick My Next Build" were tied!

I drew a name out of a hat. The winner was the LTV Scout.

Here's the parts - 

The 1st stage tube (far right) is an Estes BT0-60.

The three tubes to the left are SBT-127CG, above that a SBT-123BR and finally a SBT-129BJ. Those three tubes are not standard diameters.

The long engine mount tube is a BT-20D.

The small red tube of contact cement and nose weight clay should  not be in the picture. They must have slipped in from the Enterprise kit.

The shock cord will be replaced. The parachute is 18" diameter.

The white adapters and nose cone are blow molded.

I hope the decal sheet is okay for transfer - it looks to be  in good shape.

The fins and lower ring are injection molded plastic.

Instructions. 

Marking guides and tri-fold mount are printed on the back of the face card. 

This is the part that has me concerned -

The conduits are cut from some sort of wood I can't identify. They are rough, meant to be separated with a knife and ruler.

These will take quite a bit of work to clean up and form.

 

While the Mini Bomarc Paint Dries -

I used the only brown I had on the Mini Bomarc nose cone - Rusto Custom Spray Enamel. One of those new cans with that crappy "5 in 1 custom spray nozzle". The paint is still tacky after two days!

While I'm watching paint dry, a new project is in the works:

    

I got the Centuri Skylab 3D parts back from a commercial printer I found on Etsy.

These are resin printed, much smoother than the older 3D printers.

Almost all the original kit plastic parts were vacu-formed. 

At $80.00 (including shipping), it was more expensive than I would have liked. I don't have a 3D printer.

In the lower right is a "docking collar". Two are needed for the build, I was only sent one!

I've messaged the printer and a second collar is being sent out.

The Centuri Skylab Thingverse page: CLICK HERE

Thanks to Scott Dee for drawing up the 3D parts and  to Kevin Hedspeth for inspiration and answering all my questions about his build experience.

You aren't told on the Thingverse page - but - 

The two pod nose cones and nozzles fit a BT-20, not the original Centuri ST-7 tubes.

The engine mount tube is also a BT-20. A Centuri ST-7 won't slide through the large nozzle.

I don't have any ST-10 Centuri tubes, I found some Estes BT-52 tubes from an old Thor Agena B build.

Hang onto those spare parts! The nose cone shoulder slides smoothly in the BT-52 tube. 

Estes Mini Bomarc Clone, Kit #TK-5, Part 2, Fins & Decals

The balsa scan was copied, dropped into Corel Draw and traced. There was some resizing to lock into the ruler reference underneath.

The kit used 1/16" balsa. The sheet is 3" x 9".

The decals were redrawn.

These will require some white decal material under the Canadian circle logo and flags.

Estes Mini Bomarc Clone, Kit #TK-5, Part 1, Parts

 

All the parts for the clone build are shown above.

The BT-20 main body tube is a BT-20B at 8.65" long.

The two BT-5 nacelle tubes, BT-5J are 3" long.

The BT-5 engine mount tube is 2" long. 

Tube lengths were found at:

Aeromoe.com/estes_body_tube_list.pdf 

A Odd'l Rockets parachute will be sized to 10" diameter.

The nose cone is a BNC-20AZ from Balsa Machining Service.

I'll have to figure out how to add .25 oz. of nose weight.

The two Nacelle nose cones are BNC-5BA also from BMS.

Two LL-2AM launch lugs will be cut to .37" long.

I'm adding 1/16" diameter hear shrink to the Kevlar line tied to the engine mount.

The fin patterns were copied from Jim Z's and sized to a 3" x 9" piece of 1/16" thick balsa in Corel Draw.

Estes AMRAAM AIM-120 Downscale, Build, Part 2, Semi-Scale "Cheat"

 

After a few searches, I found a clean copy of the Peter Alway drawing.

To view it: CLICK HERE

Note there is a boat tail on the real missile.

I did run the numbers to get the tube lengths. See the first "background" post. 

But, to get the fin patterns - 

I dropped the Alway drawings into Corel Draw and enlarged it until the body was 1" diameter. The BT-50H tubes I'll be using are .990" in diameter.

With the drawing enlarged I simply traced the fins.

Because the rocket body is tall, I had to draw the fins on two different pages.

Estes AMRAAM AIM-120 Downscale, Build, Part 1, Parts

I decided to go with one long tube, 16.40" long

Heat shrink tubing is now added to most all my new builds. Slide over the Kevlar line down to the engine mount and hit with a hear gun.

Odd'l Rockets 12" parachute

Forward fins can make a rocket unstable - .50 oz. of clay weight will be pressed into the nose cone.

The 1/8" diameter launch lug will be cut in half.

Apogee plastic nose cone is PNC-24D at 2.75" long. It's a close match to the AMRAAM scale length and shape.

3/32" thick balsa for the fins.

The water slide decals have been redrawn, the original kit had stickers.

I thought about a boat tail but decided against it. The boat tail wouldn't allow for an engine hook and would require friction fitting. The original Estes kit didn't have a boat tail.

BMS School Rocket, Build, Part 1, Parts

Parts are clean and ready for assembly without too much prep.

To the right is the nose cone with a hardwood dowel insert.

With the dowel glued in the pre-drilled hole, the screw eye will not easily pull out. 

The main airframe tube (shown above) has laser cut fin slots.

On the left is the 3/16" diameter launch lug. The 3/16" lug was used to make it easier for a younger flyer to slide the rocket down a 1/8" launch rod. 

The engine mount tube has light laser cut lines for the centering ring positions. The square cutout is for the Kevlar tie.

Quest Intruder Kit Bash, Part 1, Parts

Above - 

All the parts that were still in the bag.

Seems I had thrown away the Quest engine hook. The Quest hooks aren't spring steel so I switched it our for a BMS engine hook with no finger tab.

The 3/32" thick balsa sheet is die-cut.

The yellow engine mount tube seems thin walled and is starting to peel.

The nose cone is an older MPC style with a very short shoulder.

The shiny strip on the right is all I could salvage from the stick on decals that peeled off the backing sheet. I'll have to re-draw and print some home made decals.

For whatever reason, I assembled the parachute.

This is an older, "crispy" Quest chute with the shroud lines tied to the Quest "gripper tabs". The tabs are very thick and make it difficult to pack the chute.

New Way Letter - Go Build, Part 1, Parts

Rick from New Way sent me a prototype for a upcoming kit.

The LETTER - GO is a robust BT-60 design, but with a custom fin design.

The fins spell out your name from left to right going around the tube!

The fins are laser cut plywood and thru the wall.

. 

The kit should be available after this summer's NARAM. The kit doesn't include the shorter fin attachment tube and letter fins. You send back the coupon with your name request and your custom letter fins are returned to you. Your name could have three, up to six letters. The number of fin slots will be custom cut to fit the length of your name.

This could be a great personalized Christmas or Birthday gift for a rocket flying family member.

Here's the specs. 

It's almost the size of a Big Bertha. It might be upgraded to a 24mm mount As the fin root edges don't reach the motor mount tube. 

All the parts:

A multi-sized (12, 18 and 24") parachute.

Kevlar (with a blue shrink wrap tube for ejection charge durability)

The engine mount as a cardstock lower centering ring and a plywood upper ring. This gives extra strength for the Kevlar line looped beneath the upper plywood ring. 

Parts of interest:

Water slide name decal with vinyl trim strips

Small metal chute ring for chute attachment

Engine hook retainer ring

That blue shrink wrap tube that goes over the Kevlar line

Two of the letter fins spelling out my name

The New Way sanding and Q-tip build bag.