Estes Klingon Battle Cruiser, #1274, Step 15, Warp Drives & Wings

The sides of the Warp Drive pieces don't want to stay together. When you glue down one side, the other side opens up.

Earlier posts had the interior support tubes sanded down so the edges could touch.

More liquid plastic cement with finger pressure on both sides while the glue set up.

The large wing assembly is are confusing. Darn Klingons!

Here's how they actually look. The root edges are facing each other.

The front hull piece joint needed some CWF fill, the filler/primer and sanding.

On the right the front hull piece fits well over the BT-50 main tube. Do plenty of dry fits before gluing the wing in place.

GOTCHA: Those tips above the round center area do not have to touch! If they touch you might not get the angled "down" dihedral. Most of the gap between the tips will be covered by the Access Boom Detail vacu-form piece. 

Check the decal drawings in the instructions. The outside edge of the wing should be below the centerline joint (pencil line) at the body tube. 

Estes 65th Anniversary Rocket Kit?

Seen in todays emails - 

"This year Estes is celebrating 65 years! To celebrate we have something special just on the horizon. It will be limited edition so stay tuned."

Estes Klingon Battle Cruiser, #1274, Picking Up Where I Left Off!

In December 2015, I attempted to build the Estes Klingon Battle Cruiser. Note I said "attempted".

If you have ever tackled this kit, you know how frustrating it is. Too many ill-fitting vacu-form parts that require open seam filling. Too many balsa pieces that had to be filled before gluing onto the model.

I rarely give up on a build - this one qualified for a long rest.

I'm back in the saddle, so to speak. I'll be finishing up two of the kits.

To read the previous build steps 1-14: CLICK HERE

To see the catalog page: CLICK HERE

To follow along with the online instructions: CLICK HERE

To refresh your memory, here's the parts with vacu-form sheets and die-crushed balsa -

I have to wonder how many of these kits ended up unfinished in a dark corner of a teens closet.

Wish me luck!

Annual Patreon Support Post

I watch quite a few YouTube videos. And the end of every video, they ask for support on Patreon. I sometimes feel that's overkill.

I do a membership drive post once a year.

If the blog has helped your rocket builds, please consider supporting through Patreon. Simply click on the orange logo on the upper left of this page.

You can donate what you would like, the minimum is $1.00 a month.

Once you are a member, you'll have access to all the home print decal PDFs and some fun carded models. 

To see some member benefits, check the "Patreon Members Plans and PDFs" at the top of the page. 

Members can request plans and PDFs by emailing me at oddlrockets@bellsouth.net

I can also answer questions if I have experience with your current build.

To all the current Patreon Members - 

Thanks for your continued support!

Humidity & Polish

Humidity levels in Florida were high this Winter. Humidity can fog and make a gloss finish hazy.

On the left is the Blue Origin/New Shepard fin after a final, heavier spray coat.

The body tube is glossy, the fins - not so much.

On the right is the same fin, only polished.

You can use automotive Polishing Compound to buff out some of the haze and raise the gloss. It might not end up as shiny as the body tube, but you will see a difference.

I'm using a microfiber cloth.

Polishing by hand is a little like polishing your dress shoes.

Polish one direction, then the other. Or, polish circles clockwise then counterclockwise.

Estes EAC VIPER #0820, BT-55 Upscale, Finished

Drawing up the decal revisions took more time than the build itself!

I wanted to make the home print decals to match currently available spray paints. The pink/purple stripe decals are a good work around instead of some difficult paint masks.

The decal PDFs are available to Patreon supporters in both the upscale BT-55 and original BT-50 size.

Email me at: oddlrockets@bellsouth.net and request the EAC Viper decal PDF. 

All the other decals fit well.

The very thin outline on the flipped "E" on the left side logo works well and sets off the yellow ink.

The hard to mask small upper fins -

And the nose cone to finish it off.

The Ace Tropical Pink spray paint matches the purple decal wrap perfectly.

I'll get the more accurate nose cone in the future. This temporary nose cone works for now.

A long 1/8" wide elastic shock cord and 12" Odd'l Rockets parachute finish out the build.

Estes EAC VIPER #0820, BT-55 Upscale, Part 15, Decal PDFs Available

After too many adjustments, 

The Estes EAC VIPER Decal PDF is finished - 

and available to Patreon subscribers.

On the right is the BT-55 upscale PDF. 

The BT-50 (original size) is also included on the second page of the PDF file.

There are plenty of extra decals, like the fin stripes. They are tricky to apply and you might need a spare or two.

The fin patterns and a parts list are included on the sheet.

If you are a Patreon member, email me at:

oddlrockets@bellsouth.net

and request the EAC VIPER decal.

After the build was complete - 

I noticed the ESTES AEROSPACE CLUB decal (sticker) is longer on the model pictured on the kit box. 

This longer decal extends from just above the lower fins to about the midpoint of the upper smaller fins.

This decal on the PDF decal sheet is the shorter version shown (above right) in the kit instructions.

Visually it's a better length and makes the model appear larger.