Estes USS Enterprise #1275, Part 27, The Recovery Probe

When building my first Enterprise in the 1970s, I remember being disappointed by the recovery probe. It adds length for stability and area for packing the 18" parachute. It is a flight necessity but unsightly. 

I'm not going to fill the tube seams (it's 30" long!) but will fill the nose cone and plywood standoffs.

To make it less noticeable on the launcher, the recovery probe will be painted flat black.

The body tube marking guide matches up when wrapped around the tube.

A simple engine hook holds the probe to the Enterprise.

The upper probe tube is slotted to hold the upper bend of the hook.

The plywood hold-down piece had some chipping on both ends. These were glued down and sanded smooth.

The launch lug spirals and plywood grain was filled with CWF.

The plywood standoffs are glued onto the tube using pencil marks made earlier.

The launch lug was about 1/16" longer than its standoff. It was trimmed to fit.

Here's the completed low end.

The lug and hold down dowel were glued onto the standoffs.

Estes USS Enterprise #1275, Part 26, Ooops!

A comment by Naoto Kimura:

"Hrm... the probe end (i.e. the dowel) looks a tad long to me. 

I don't recall it projecting as far out when I built the model."

I thought the dowel seemed a bit long. Naoto is right!

I don't know why I cut the dowel long. I tend to follow dimensions in the instructions.

Measuring from the position of the plywood bulkhead - 

The dowel should have been 5 1/8" long. At the front the pencil mark shows that length.

The extra dowel length was cut off.

The front 1/2" was tapered but not to a needle point.

The first layer of the glue dot on the tip has been applied.

Estes USS Enterprise #1275, Part 25, The "Stand"

It's a nice gesture to include a cardstock display stand.

As is, it won't fit together. The cut slots (or slits) are too thin to slide together the thick cardstock.

With a sharp knife and straightedge, 

The slots were widened.

320 grit sandpaper was folded and the slot sanded until I got a better slip fit.

Here's the finished, assembled stand.

Plain, but functional.

Estes USS Enterprise #1275, Part 24, Forming & Gluing The Rectangles

The rectangles are flat, the tube is round.

On the left, notice the right and left sides don't contact the tube.

On the right is a much better fit.

Curve the rectangles by pressure forming them around a dowel or around the Sharpie barrel shown here. 

The picture on the right shows the slight curvature

The intercoolers and rectangles are glued on the engines.

All are centered on their pencil lines at 7/32" from the rear of the tube.

Estes USS Enterprise #1275, Part 23, Intercooler Assembly

The dowels were fitted to each individual cardstock piece.

Previously, the fitted pairs were marked 1, 2, 3 & 4.

When gluing, sight down the two pieces and adjust to center.

The filler/primer gluing areas were scraped for better adhesion.
 

Estes USS Enterprise #1275, Part 22, Rectangle Detail Prep

Here's the back of the die-cut cardstock piece.

Note the crimping. This side will be glued down.

A before and after sanding with 400 grit on a block.

Any raised edges are rolled over with a burnisher to flatten the top.

The edges get a smoothed bead of glue to seal them.

After the glue dries, sand the sides with 400 grit.

Estes USS Enterprise #1275, Part 21, Intercooler Prep

Note - The front side of the cardstock intercooler piece is shorter than the rear.

The die cutting process has buckled the the centers of the intercooler pieces.

I filled the depressions with CWF and sanding. Here the pieces are taped down for a shot of filler/primer.

After sanding the filler primer.

In this picture, the front is to the left side.

There are small die-cut inconsistencies in the length of the inside cuts. All four dowels were cut to fit each individual intercooler piece.

The pairs were pencil marked 1, 2 3 & 4.

The dowels also got a shot of filler/primer and sanding.

Note the tall overhang of the front end cardstock.

This was trimmed down to fit the diameter height of the dowel.