Old Shock Cord Mounts - Before Kevlar

A while back I got an email from a Mr. Hamblin asking how to install a shock cord in a smaller diameter body tube.
Here's the response I sent him:

Old School: You could always cut two slits in the body tube (about 3/4" from the top, or under where the base of the nose cone shoulder will be) and lace the shock cord through the two slits.

Check Step 4 of the old Wac Corporal instructions: HERE
When I first saw this back in 1969, I didn't like this method. It was unsightly and thought it might tear from a hard ejection. Notice the end of the shock cord (facing up) has no knot. Estes went back and forth - knotted, not knotted.

The old Estes Tri-Fold "Tea Bag" mount will work in small tubes, but you have to make it real flat: HERE
When this was first introduced, the shock cord was glued down on the first, top section then folded and glued in all of the three sections. Now in the Estes instructions have you start the cord in the second section. The (empty) top section is folded over the cord on the second, then both sections one and two are glued onto section three.

This Centuri design had great promise, but they never stayed stuck inside the body tube! You always had to go back inside and press it back down before a launch!

It was a pressure sensitive, metallic card stock with gauze threads for reinforcement.

The old MPC style of mount (Harry Stine design) is flatter than the Estes style: HERE
It resembles the Centuri style, except except the MPC mount was light card stock. You glued this one in the body tube.

I've also gone back under the engine block with a sharp awl (looks like an ice pick) from the rear and raised one side of a glued in block to tie on Kevlar. The Kevlar was knotted, then laced under the block.
Glue was placed under the raised area of the block, then the raised area was pressed back in place into the glue, locking the new Kevlar in place.

Here's some ideas from the Apogee Peak Of Flight: HERE Check page 6.

So Mr. Hamblin, you've got some homework!
Something here should help out.

Estes 2012 Catalog - Laser Cut Wood?

Does anyone else find it interesting that the LPR kits in the new 2012 Estes catalog list "Laser cut wood?"

Some forum posts have commented on how heavy the balsa nose cones were in the earliest releases of the Classic Series kits. (The balsa nose cones are now substituted with plastic nose cones.)
Lately, the Estes laser cut fin stock seems stiffer and slightly heavier.
I don't mind the stiffer fin stock, it seems to fill and finish pretty well.
The harder stock is stronger, more resistant to damage.

In the picture new laser cut Baby Bertha fins are on the left.
On the right is the wing from a Sky Condor Boost Glider. The Chinese made Sky kit includes Tung wood. The glider wood is older and discolored from handling and flights. When I put together the Condor kit, I remember thinking the Tung wood looked and felt like hard balsa.

I'm probably wrong, and I won't make points for bringing this up -
The balsa stock in some newer Estes kits sure looks and feels like Tung wood.
You would think the 2012 kit listings should say "Laser Cut Balsa".

Model Profile - DOM Top Secret

This design was a real game changer.
Designed by Bret Simpkins it won the Estes Design of the Month competition. The plans were featured in the Model Rocket News (1973?) Volume 13, #2.
You can see the plans HERE

I remember the wing/fin arrangement was different than anything I'd ever seen in the catalogs. I also liked the model name "Top Secret" set in a big stencil font on the top of the wing.

The model shown above is a full size carded version drawn up by Eric Truax.
You can see the carded plans HERE
This one hasn't flown yet, the nose cone still needs paint.
If you build one, be sure to add nose weight. The MRN plan shows two of the old lead weights.


I'd just re-finished the Red Max.
In a previous blog entry I mentioned not knowing where to place the TOP SECRET decal, knowing I had seen it somewhere before.

There it was, on the back of the Top Secret design.
If you look at the rear tubes, the nozzle decals from the Orbital Transport are used again.


Cygnus Rocketry produced a near clone version of the Top Secret called the N.E.A.V. or Near Earth Attack Vehicle. You can see it HERE

Refinishing the Red Max Finished

The old "Orange Max on the left -
The same model refinished on the right.













I used the Red Max decals from a new Estes kit.
You've got to guess a bit on the decal placement. The instructions don't give exact locations. The white decals go on the black nose cone.
I never found a good place for the "Top Secret" decal. I also left off the Estes logo.

This rebuild came out much better than the clone it once was.
I wouldn't normally refinish a model unless it was in very good shape.
BT-55 and BT-60 models seem to hold up best after many launches.

Refinishing the Red Max Part 5 Truing Up the Decals

After all the primer was sanded, the model got an overall white undercoat.
The Red Max isn't a hard model to paint, the body is an overall red, the nose cone is black.
Nothing much to write about here.

What really sets off the Red Max is the decals.
TIP: Some small boxes were stacked to give a baseline to be sure the decals were parallel with the table top. Set the decal in place visually first, then stack CD or DVD cases until their height is near the decal baseline.

The angled cut of the fins can really throw off your visual alignment.
By using a raised baseline I was sure the lettering was in line.



My engineers ruler was stood on end to get a vertical alignment of the iron cross decal.

I centered the decals on the fins then lining up with the ruler edge I knew it was straight.

Refinishing the Red Max Part 4 Primer Sanding

Shooting the directed primer without masking wasn't a great success.
I ended up with just more to sand off.
The body tube was still sealed from the first time I painted it. The primer was sprayed pretty thick just to fill the seams and not to seal and smooth the body tube.




After sanding to surface with some 220 grit sandpaper, the body is ready for the first undercoats of Duplicolor Gloss white.

Launch! Schoolyard Soccer Field 2/29/2012

The fog had just burnt off and the winds were calm!
Most models landed very close and I caught three out of the five flown.

The Centuri NOMAD clone was flown with a A10-3t in a mini motor adapter.
Straight flight with full parachute. No damage at recovery.





Open Rocket software said the Semroc ASTRON reached 367 feet with an Estes A8-3.

Check the inset picture to see the "Yin-Yang" smiley dents in the nose cone. The second dent was added this morning. No marks on the upper tube, the Series 8 tubing used for the mainframe is very strong.




The Semroc CENTURION was caught the split second after ignition with a B4-4 engine.
Open Rocket software said it reached 264 feet. B engines in this sized model are a good match for this field.

Also Flown:
Fliskits HEMV-4 with a MicroMaxx engine. For the first time, it had a wide corkscrew during boost. Streamer recovery.
Carded SATELLITE INTERCEPTOR downscale with a 1/2A3-2t engine. Even with the streamer, this one hit hard on the basketball court breaking off one of the toothpick wing tips.