Estes Sasha Build #7271, Part 4, Sustainer Engine Mount

Before we get to the upper stage engine mount -
Here's Part F, the staging cone that directs and focuses the booster flame into the second stage engine nozzle.

Continuing the last post - This is glued onto the top of the booster engine mount assembly.
I glued it in place using the Beacon Fabri-Tac glue, the best glue I've found for this type of tube to plastic bond.

The sustainer (2nd Stage) centering rings were a little tight. Some 400 grit was wrapped around a finger and rotated on the inside of the rings to open them up.

The engine block was placed like the booster block was, from the top. Slide it down onto the yellow tube top. A glue fillet was applied inside, from the top.

The low ring is glued 1" from the bottom of the tube. The upper ring is set back from the front of the tube to allow fillets on both sides.

Sorry -

Sorry about no blog posts over the past few days.
I was helping my daughter move everything to Gainesville, Florida
for her next year at college. She didn't have WiFi set up yet!
I have to remind myself: "Don't tackle anything this big by yourself.
You are not 25 years old anymore!"

Estes Sasha Build #7271, Part 3, Booster Engine Mount

Don't just punch out the rings, the hold down "tics" should be cut with a hobby knife. The small vent holes are also cut and removed.

It's just me - I like to use a sharpened pencil or dowel to clean up the holes.
Leave the sharpened dowel rough, set it in a hole and turn. This rounds out the hole and cleans up some of the charring.

TIP: Instead of sliding the engine block into a ring of glue from the bottom -
The yellow spacer tube is marked at 1/2" and taped in place at the bottom.
Slide the engine block in from the top and down onto the top edge of the yellow tube.
Apply a glue fillet using a Q-tip from the top along the inside edge of the engine block and tube. On a short engine tube like this, it's easier and cleaner to glue the block in from the top. Set it in place, add the fillet from the top.

The engine mount construction is standard - 
The rear notched centering ring is glued 1" from the low end.
The black retainer ring is slid down from the top and glued against the lower ring.
The inset picture is the front view - 
TIP: That black retainer ring is against the upper ring to help install it perpendicular to the tube. Apply a glue fillet to the ring/tube top joint, then slide and glue the ring against the lower ring. Apply a fillet on the lower side of the ring/tube joint.
In the instructions The upper vented ring is glued 3 1/4" from the low end. I set it a little lower, over the forward end of the engine hook bend.

New Kit Comparison

The two new kits from Estes seem similar, it's a good example of how paint color choice and decals can really change up a finished model.

The Sasha and ESAM-58 are both BT-60 based models. The lower small fins on both models are positioned between the four larger upper fins. The dowel antennas on the root edge of the fins of the Sasha are not part of the ESAM-58.

The ESAM-58 is 18mm single stage, the Sasha is meant for 24mm two stage flying. The Sasha on the left is shown without the booster stage. Both have the same nose/tail cone.

Personally I like the looks of the Esam-58, it would be a great rocket for schoolyard launches with a B6-4.

This style of fins reminds me of many missiles with the short rear and larger forward fins. This picture is from the-launch-pad.com.
  Any model of this style usually requires some nose weight The Sasha kit includes two pats of clay.

Estes Sasha Build #7271, Part 2, Prepping the Nose Cone and Tail Cone

The end of the tail cone has to be cut off. I always keep a fine razor saw handy for these type of cuts.
TIP: When cutting, let the saw do all the work. It doesn't take much pressure, just a light back and forth motion.

TIP: To scrape any raised molding seam line, use the back of your knife blade. Why dull the sharp side of the blade? The edges of the blade back work like a wood scraper.





After scraping the nose cone seam there were some recesses.
I did my standard fill using a bead of medium CA glue. Let it dry thoroughly before sanding to surface with 200 grit on a block, followed by 400 grit smoothing.





The two pats of clay are pressed into the nose cone.
TIP: Hold the nose cone up to a bright light to make sure the clay is all the way forward. I used a bamboo skewer to get the clay in and push through the air trapped near the tip.

Estes Sasha Build #7271, Part 1, Parts

The Sasha was one of the first models built for Estes. I waited until the kit was released before starting a blog build. It's a two stage, BT-60 based model with a Soviet Military decor.

Parts are of good quality. The tumble recovery booster has through the wall fin slots. 

Recovery is by 18" parachute.

The long plastic nose cone / tail cone has been seen in a few other kits. 

The parts of interest:
The booster centering rings are punched for venting and more reliable staging.
The kit includes a 24mm engine retainer.
On the lower right is a "staging cone" that helps direct the booster flame into the upper stage engine nozzle.

There's a pretty good sized water slide decal sheet printed in red, black and white.

Semroc USS Andromeda KV-97, Part 13, Black Paint Prep

 The engine tubes were masked off for the fluorescent paint and the entire model was sprayed gloss black. After the decals are applied the rocket will end up a coat of flat acrylic. Paint it gloss for now so the decals will transfer and stick onto the model.

The surface of the card stock pieces seemed rough. After the first black coat they were sanded smooth with 400 grit.


Around the rings it's tough to sand and smooth the fillets. While sanding I must have nicked the balsa with a folded corner of the sandpaper.

I did a very shallow fill with some CWF. The picture on the right is after sanding.

I used a Sharpie to blacken the sanded CWF filler. You can get away with this on an overall black surface.
The Sharpie ink was lightly sanded with 400 grit.






The interior of the hollow engine tubes should be painted with white. With a white undercoat the upcoming fluorescent paint will glow.
Some white enamel was brushed on the inside tube walls.

The engine tubes will get a fluorescent orange acrylic paint applied with a brush. Then mask off the orange and spray the model a final gloss black.

NOTE: I will have to take a break on this one! Semroc is sending me two sets of decals and metallic trim. When those arrive we'll finish up the build.