A finished Centuri Payloader II is up for auction on Ebay! This was built from the Estes Classics series re-issue kit with many upgrad...

Less than  one day left  for the finished  PAYLOADER II  on EBAY -  CLICK HERE This build got a longer nose cone, closer to the orig...

I have a finished PAYLOADER II on EBAY - CLICK HERE This build got a longer nose cone, closer to the original Centuri kit. The Ce...

The finished Estes (Centuri) Payloader II is up for Auction on Ebay. This is the same model built here on the blog.  I'm proud...

A great, classic Centuri design. These pictures were taken before the "Centuri PAYLOADER " decal was added....

I was actually excited to find the Rustoleum Metallic Red at a nearby Ace Hardware Store. This was the same brand of paint that gave me su...

The instructions say to use plastic cement to glue the nose block in the payload section tube. I'll be using thin CA. If glue were appl...

I had already redrew the decals for the slightly larger body tube I used. I ended up using the kit decals. The black strips are centered...

The red was sprayed. I used the Rustoleum Metallic Apple Red. The only place I've found this red is at Ace hardware. This is great spra...

The top of the body tube gets a band of red, 1/4" down from the top lip. Again I used a strip of marked Scotch tape. The cen...

I don't use regular brown masking tape and won't pay a premium for the "boutique" hobby masking tapes. Scotch tape can ...

Occasionally you see clear payload models at club launches. Chances are, the nose cone is painted off the model and the shoulder is also spr...

I wasn't very happy with the kit decals. The black stripes that go between the fins had some rough edges. The Estes logo wasn't ...

Once again the Tung wood grain is showing up. Grain holes showed up on the right side of each forward fin strakes. More filler and sandi...

Mentioned earlier, the engine mount was recessed a bit more than directed in the instructions. This was so the model would rest on the t...

The nose cone fit is loose in the clear payload section. I'll build up the diameter the same way as the nose block with a coat of CW...

The shoulder edge on the replacement nose cone wasn't very sharp. I painted filler just over the edge. The clear payload tube was ...

The laser cutting didn't quite go through the back of the wood! Not a big deal, a sharp blade and straightedge freed up the fins. ...

The leading edge of the smaller dorsal fin is already rounded. With a sanding block I'm sanding in a 45 degree "corner" int...

The newer Estes kits have nose blocks that are 2" long. The old 50 tube nose blocks were 1" long. Even back then it felt a bi...