Wednesday, August 9, 2017

Estes Starship Nova #1371 Build, Part 3, Engine Mount


I usually sand engine blocks and centering rings flat for a better look. On this model it's worth doing, the rear centering ring is flush with the end of the body tube.
GOTCHA! The instructions seem to show the engine hook notch at 1/8" from the top of the tube - The engine block is 1/4" long. The notch should be 1/4" from the top end of the tube.
That would leave the engine block hanging out the front end of the engine tube by 1/8". The low end of the engine hook would end up very close to the bottom of the engine tube.

Not a big deal, an experienced builder would notice and make the correct cut.

To allow more flex of the engine hook I moved the Mylar retaining ring forward by 1/8" There is very little space between the BT-20 and BT-50 tube. The extra flex allowance allows easier engine insertion and removal.
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7 comments:

  1. AnonymousAugust 9, 2017 at 1:15 AM

    Hopefully because it's a skill level 3 more people are driven to blogs. Still, I'm frankly surprised to see another GOTCHA! How many of these kits are sold to people who don't follow the blogs - just the instructions? I see a lot of people (most) flying rockets for "fun" where the fun is in the flying and not building the best rocket you have the skill set to build (and then of course then flying your "masterpiece" - Got to fly it or this would just be modeling not rocketry :-).

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    1. Chris MichielssenAugust 9, 2017 at 10:55 AM

      Hi Wildcat,
      At one time I called Estes and hinted: "If you ever need an instructions artist or consultant" let me know! They weren't interested.
      The instructions are probably drawn up off Estes property by a graphics guy who never built a rocket before.

      Delete
  2. UnknownAugust 9, 2017 at 1:23 AM

    I wonder if anyone actually built this rocket before it was released?

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    1. Chris MichielssenAugust 9, 2017 at 10:51 AM

      To Elsa,
      I wonder the same thing sometimes. When I produce an Odd'l Rockets kit, I build another prototype using the first run of the instructions. There are usually some small corrections made.
      When Estes came out with the "Classics" line of re-issued kits, they had thousands bagged up with the instructions telling you to glue in the thru-the-wall fins before gluing in the engine mount!

      Delete
  3. Moontana RocketsAugust 9, 2017 at 9:28 AM

    I interpreted the instructions for the slit to be 1/8" wide not from the top of the tube.

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    1. Chris MichielssenAugust 9, 2017 at 10:57 AM

      Hi Moontana,
      You're right! But the way I view the drawing it looks like they want you to slit the tube 1/8" from the top. It's really a bad angle drawing.

      Delete
    2. Naoto KimuraAugust 10, 2017 at 5:58 PM

      For reference purposes the older version of the instructions.
      http://www.spacemodeling.org/jimz/est1371.htm
      the drawing on older version is (probably) less likely confuse you about the position of the slit, but does have the following issues:
      - does not indicate size of slit
      - does not include metric measurements

      Delete

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