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 - 

I Wish Manufacturers Would Do This, Part 8 . . .

I Wish Manufacturers Would Do This -

I've been suggesting this one for years - 

This idea was inspired by the old Centuri engines. I wanted to make an additional improvement.

The Centuri engine power designation was printed eight times (horizontally) around the lower third of the engine.

At a glance you could pick the appropriate engine for your rocket.

But once installed in the motor mount, the printed engine power was out of sight, covered by the engine mount tube.

My idea:

Typically, the nozzle end of the engine extends 1/4" out the back of a rocket. I'd like to see the engine type designation at the bottom rear of the engine.

This way it can be seen after the engine is loaded into the motor mount.

There might be reasons why the print area can't get close to the base of the engine.

Even experienced fliers have been known to load the wrong engine power or delay.

With the engine name visible out the back of the mount, it could be identified all the way up to when the micro clips are connected.

Some of the advantages:

• Success for first timers, more return fliers.
• Fewer mistakes and less impacts before ejection.
• Safer for the consumer and manufacturer.

The engine power and delay band is printed in the appropriate color for it's intended use: GREEN = Single Stage, PURPLE = Upper Stage and RED = Booster engine.
In the picture you can see the engine name once, it's actually printed three times around the nozzle end of the engine.
What do you think?

I Wish Manufacturers Would Do This, Part 7 . . .

I Wish Manufacturers Would Do This - 

INCLUDE A FEW EXTRA "TEST" DECALS

If a kit decal sheet has some extra space, include a few extras or duplicates.

This allows the builder a first "test soak" and test the transfer without risking larger necessary decals on the model. Sometimes I use the Estes or Quest logo decals as a test.

 

This could come in handy if the decals are older. The test decal would let you know if you might need a clear coat or Microsol liquid decal film before soaking.

I Wish Manufacturers Wouldn't Do This, Part 6 . . .

Some kits include an engine hook that gets get bent out of shape after the first flight!  

Use SPRING STEEL, not pot metal. 

You can get spring steel engine hooks from BMS. (Balsa Machining Service)

I Wish Manufacturers Wouldn't Do This, Part 5 . . .

TRI-FOLD MOUNTS ON SMALL DIAMETER BODY TUBES -

Tri-fold shock cord mounts can block the ejection of a parachute.

On BT-5, BT-20 and BT-50 sized models, drop the tri-fold mounts and go with Kevlar tied to the engine mount.

BT-5 models with this type of mount are especially problematic. This was more common years back when mini-motor kits were introduced.

I Wish Manufacturers Wouldn't Do This, Part 4 . . .

PRINTING ON SHROUDS - 

Some kit shrouds have printing on the outside, finished model surface.

The printed words "Outer Shroud" could bleed through the paint. Position that wording outside the shroud!

You don't run into this very often. The original Estes Mars Snooper was another kit with printing on shrouds.

I Wish Manufacturers Wouldn't Do This, Part 3 . . .

PAPER REINFORCEMENT RINGS?

Paper tears and doesn't really offer any reinforcement to a hard shroud line pull at ejection.

Right out of the kit bag, the ring was already tearing from a rough punch tearing into the plastic chute.

I often replace the paper rings with Avery Plastic Reinforcement Rings, #5720.

I Wish Manufacturers Wouldn't Do This, Part 2 . . .

WEAK KIT SHROUD LINES!

They easily break when you give these strings a tug.

I often replace the kit supplied shroud lines with #10 cotton embroidery string. You can buy a large spool at a craft store. 

Try to break cotton embroidery string! Go ahead, I dare 'ya!

LAUNCH! R.O.A.R., Christmas, FL, October 25, 2025

I don't usually go to club launches in the Summer. The R.O.A.R. club skips meeting in the hot months.

First launch for me today was the new, New Way BLADE RUNNER with a B6-4.

Straight and stable to 250'. Not too high considering the drag of the blade fins. A good start to a windy day. Check out the launch rods angled to the East.  

Many experienced flyers have never seen a MicroMaxx model. 

This is the ASP SANDIA SANDHAWK using a 1/8A MMX motor.  Compare it's size, next to the girth of the Estes MAV.

While I cautioned how fast these are, this one was easy to follow through ejection and touchdown. The small chrome Mylar streamer made recovery easy. Estimated altitude was 75'.

My new dog - 

This was Dakota's first rocket launch - she did great!

A little startled by the first loud composite motor boost. After a few LPR launches the "whooosh" didn't phase her!

Dakota can be skittish around people she doesn't know. She warmed up to some (patient) new friends.

A Summer blog build,

The Estes MINI BOMARC first flight with an A10-3t. 

Some "coning" during boost, but overall as stable as a winged rocket gets. I would estimate the altitude to be 175'. Full 8" chute and no damage.

Another Summer build - 

The downscale (BT-50 based) AMRAMM was based on the Estes kit and information from the Alway book.

A B6-4 got it to 350' with a straight boost. If I remember correctly, a half ounce of clay weight compensated for the forward fins.

Winds were up to 15 mph - lots of open chutes drifted to the West.

I don't think any models were lost, the AMRAAM landed too close to the small pond on the property. It's closer to the marsh than the picture shows.

Four up, four recovered with no damage.

I had hoped to launch the LTV Scout and Centuri Skylab - it was too windy to risk those rare birds.

New Way Blade Runner, Finished

I was looking forward to building this!

It should turn heads at the next club launch.

The blade fins make for a very clever design. 

The ring covers the fin/strake glue joint.

It took a little extra effort to fill and paint, but the finished look is worth it.

Big, Clean graphics.

Three colors and an easy mask.

My favorite new design this year!

New Way Blade Runner, Part 16, Vinyl Trim

A strip of black, self-adhesive vinyl is supplied to go over the color separation line.

TIP: The masking line paint ridge could show under the vinyl so I lightly sanded the paint ridge with some 400 grit wrapped around a Q-tip. Don't sand too wide, just knock down the paint ridge. 

On the left,

Fold back the backing to position just the start of the wrap.

On the right,

The wrap in place. Start and finish the wrap on the launch lug side.

New Way Blade Runner, Part 15, Decals

The short ring tube wrap decal could be cut in two for easier application.

More bars between the white and gray paint.

Dry fit - Notice the faint pencil line extending from the fins. Every other vertical black line lines up with the five fins.

Wet the body where the decal will be positioned.

The same wrap decal from the side - after soaking -

Slide just the first black bar off the backing paper and position it down the pencil line.

Continue sliding the paper off the decal as you wrap the decal around the tube. With any luck the decal will meet and line up on the other side.

New Way Blade Runner, Part 14, Decals

The ring was slid down the strakes from the top. I didn't use any wood glue.

After the ring was in place, I set a small drop of CA glue at the top of the joint. A Q-tip was close by to pick up any excess glue.

These decals were printed using a laser printer on laser/clear waterslide decal paper.

These took 25 seconds of soaking before they slid off the backing paper.

Double check the decals against the face card picture before cutting them out.  

These horizontal blade fin bars are set down and centered on the fins.

I Wish Manufacturers Wouldn't Do This, Part 1 . . .

While the paint on the New Way Blade Runner dries - 

This isn't meant to come across as gripes! 

Some things I see in kits that could be corrected.

From the Estes Little Joe II kit, but I've seen this in other kits:
Decals images placed too close on the decal sheet. 

Notice how close the dashed "cut" lines are to the black squares. You want to cut off the dashed lines but not into the square black area.

New Way Blade Runner, Part 13, Masking & Painting The Blade Fins

Masking tape was set underneath the blade fins, sticky side up making a "cone" cover shape. 

Why mask off the light gray (already sprayed) just to have more light gray spray? It's difficult to get an overall even coat. I want a consistent gloss finish, over and under the blade fins. 

I didn't use filler/primer on the outside blade fin faces. 

On the right picture, the blade fins were sprayed with gloss light gray. 

The blade fins were sanded with 400 grit. The reflected light shows the gloss paint sanded dull.

After two days drying time the blade fins will get a final coat of light gray and the masking tape will be removed.

New Way Blade Runner, Part 12, Gluing On The Fins

The fins were painted before gluing on the blade fins.

The paint increased the thickness slightly. 

For an easier fit, the tab edges were sanded.

The blades were pressed in place. The fit was tight.

CA glue was set on the outside to lock the blades in  place.   

The tabs were sanded even with the faces of the blades.

Use a sanding block of this.

On the left - The tabs have been sanded even. The blades are flat.

On the right - Some CWF was brushed on, only on the outside flat face. This will fill any gaps and grain on the tabs and slots.

New Way Blade Runner, Part 11, Mask & Color Coats

The lower body is to be painted light gray.

The mask line is 7 1/2" from the top of the body tube.

Gotta' love a simple mask! You don't have to be overly concerned about a perfect mask line, it'll be covered by a black vinyl strip.

The nose cone is painted gloss black.

Note the tape mask is set about 1/16" below the shoulder ridge.

The ring tube is painted light gray off the model. I set some tape sticky side out on a painting wand to hold the ring.

I'm only concentrating the paint spray on the outside of the ring for a better glue bond inside where it contacts the five fins.

New Way Blade Runner, Part 10, Filling The Pinholes

I could see two small pinhole air bubbles in a glue fillet.

Lightly drag you knife blade tip along the fillet and you might feel the dip.

Instead of a applying a full length glue fillet, 

Use a toothpick to direct a small mount of glue into the pinhole.

Press and drag the small glue dot into the fillet hole.

Immediately smooth and remove excess glue using a Q-tip.

New Way Blade Runner, Part 9, White Undercoats & Parachute Assembly

The main body was sprayed with gloss white.

A little more sanding will follow and then a final coat of white.

The 12" New Way parachutes are  interesting.

The reinforcing rings are jewelry ring price tags made from no-tear Tyvek.

The adhesive is only on the round ends allowing an easy tie of the shroud lines in the middle fold.

The shroud line holder is meant to be easily unfurled.

See the hole on the left side of the black spool?

Hold the "spool" with just your thumb and index fingertips over that hole. This allows the spool to rock back and forth as you pull the string free. No tangles!

Here's how the shroud lines tie into the reinforcements.

As always, I recommend tying the lines on using long tweezers.

New Way Blade Runner, Part 8, Gluing On The Fins

Five fins!

The marking guide fit very well. Pencil marks were made and extended the full length of the tube.

On the right -

I used the marking guide as a height guide at the 1 1/4" mark.

The long strakes glue down the fin lines, butted up against the  top of the fins. 

For a better alignment, I used the reversed clothespins. Be careful not to glue the clamps to the fins.

To see the original post and make your own flat clamps: CLICK HERE

After the glue dried on the forward strakes,

I tried the fit of the ring tube. A perfect slip fit!

The ring tube will be glued on after the fins and strakes are painted. Otherwise, it would be very difficult to get good paint coverage with the ring glued in place.

New Way Blade Runner, Part 7, Gluing In The Engine Mount

The Kevlar and shrink wrap are run down thru the mount so they won't get in the way.

The instructions have you apply glue 1 3/4" from the bottom of the main airframe tube.

I use a dowel to roll a line of glue inside the tube. Setting the dowel beside the engine mount shows me the glue line would be better at 1 7/8" to apply the glue just below the upper centering ring.

Notice the two depth pencil lines on the dowel. The lower pencil line is the 1 7/8" mark.

A ring of glue is set around the top edge of the dowel.

Set the dowel in the tube up to the 1 7/8" pencil mark and roll the glue into a ring line inside the tube. You will have to apply more glue on the dowel to get a ring all the way around inside the tube.

Slide the engine mount in, turning the mount when in contact with the glue to even out and make a smooth interior fillet.

With the mount glue dried, 

TIP: Note the straightened coat hanger hook in the right side picture. The hook will help get the shock cord back through the top of the tube.

 

There isn't much room to get a fillet at the lower centering ring/body tube joint. 

I applied a small glue drop to one side of my long tweezers. Set the drop in on the joint to smooth as best your can. Keep some Q-tips handy to pick up any glue boogers.

New Way Blade Runner, Part 6, Tying Elastic Shock Cord To The Kevlar

As I normally do, some steps are out of order from the instructions.

I like to mark the body tube seams with a fine point pencil for visibility when filling.

The tip of my knife blade is dipped in thinned CWF. Wipe off the back of the blade leaving the filler on the top side of the knife. Set the knife in the recess seam and with a back and forth motion of the knife, leave filler in the seam.

You should be able to leave filler for a length of about 1 1/2". If not, your filler needs more thinning with water.

The instructions spell out how to tie the elastic shock cord to the Kevlar before gluing the engine mount in. You don't want the Kevlar line to extend beyond the top end of the body tube. This can lead to a "zipper" at an early or too late ejection, the Kevlar tearing through the body tube. 

Set the mount along the side of the body tube with the 1/4" pencil mark on the mount even with the end of the tube.

Straighten the Kevlar line out down the tube to the top. Mark the Kevlar 2" down from the top of the tube.

At the 2" mark, tie the Kevlar to the elastic shock cord using a simple, overhand knot.

The short, larger diameter heat shrink tube is slid over the knot. 

Hit with a heat gun or hair dryer at the low setting. On the left is the before, on the right is after using heat.

You can cut off the excess.