Hans "Chris" Michielssen's Page

AKA: hcmbanjo
Location: Orlando, FL
Club Memberships: NAR
Favorite Rockets: Estes Goblin
Personal Home Page: www.oddlrockets.com
Club Home Page: www.R-O-C-K.org
RocketReviews.com Pages:
Rocket Gallery
Flight Log
Flight Statistics

2024-04-29

Estes Condor #0807 Build, Part 3, Freeing The Balsa Pieces

Blog
These parts were not die-cut with a new blade. The cuts only made it about half way through the balsa. To be sure I'll draw my knife through the shallow die-cut lines, I ran a sharp pencil over the cut lines. Here's how the 3/16" thick sheet looked after tracing over the cuts with the pencil. Save the extra balsa ends! You never know if you might need them later on in the build. [More]

2024-04-28

Estes Condor #0807 Build, Part 2, Some Extra Parts

Blog
I don't know why - The build requires three short launch lugs. The kit included seven lugs. You only need two centering rings, The kit included four in total. It's interesting to look back on the older kits. In the ring at the upper left, the center circle isn't perfectly centered. The engine hook notch is a bit crooked. The back side of the face card has a printed ... [More]

2024-04-27

Estes Condor #0807 Build, Part 1, Parts

Blog
Here's the kit in the original bag. The picture on the face card is dark. Estes might have bumped up the contrast. The model is painted white after all. All the parts - The body tube is very tight with almost no seam. Paramount made better tubes back then. The die-cut balsa was pressed with older, dull blades. The pieces will have to be cut and separated by hand. [More]

2024-04-26

Estes Condor #0807 Build Background

Blog
The Estes Condor was introduced in the 1977 catalog. I never noticed then, but in this catalog Mini Brutes were now renamed "SUPER" Mini Brutes. This model was almost a smaller, less detailed Orbital Transport using 13mm mini motors. A parasite glider that detaches at ejection, glides down while the main body recovers under parachute. This kit was available from 1977 through 1980. The ... [More]

2024-04-25

New Estes Arcas Kit Fin Shaping?

Blog
On TRF, Solar Yellow posted something directed to me: " I'm expecting a build. Likely with diamond-profiled fins because that is the cooler way to do it if you have the skillz." My response: I'll do a blog build if Estes sends me some kits. If I'm working for a vendor, I build them as directed by the instructions. In some extra blog build posts, I would cut out some additional fins and show how ... [More]

2024-04-24

Old Estes Parts, Part 2

Blog
Here's that same BT-30 (from a post a few day's back) with a nose cone a fin unit. The plastic fin unit was re-purposed from those used in fireworks. The fit over the end of the BT-30 tube is very good. The fin unit and nose cone are listed in the 1960 Estes catalog. The fins used in the Sky Bird and Dirty Bird designs. An illustration for both parts is in the second 1961 ... [More]

2024-04-22

Old Estes Parts, Part 1

Blog
Lonnie Buchanon let me borrow some old Estes parts he found in a Craig's List buy. Below is a BT-30 tube. Mark II wrote in YORF: https://www.rocketshoppe.com/info/Estes_Body_Tube_List_3.1.pdf "BT-30 is a recreation of the very first body tubes that the fledgling Estes Industries sold in 1960. Yes, these were the legendary tubes that Gleda Estes hand-rolled from mimeograph stencil backing using a ... [More]

Estes ARCAS Now Available

Blog
The new Estes ARCAS kit is available! BT-20 based, 14.5" tall with streamer recovery. Mini engine powered, friction fit retention. The model is small so the instructions suggest simply rounding the leading edge of the fins. A scale diamond taper is not shown. The instructions include a mask pattern for the difficult red and white separations. The instructions have just been posted on ... [More]

2024-04-21

Old Letter

Blog
I'm cleaning out the garage, getting rid of old things I haven't looked at in years. In a file cabinet, I found this letter from Bob Bruce. I met and hung out with Bob at the 1975 NARAM 17 in Orlando, FL. Bob always seemed to place in the Estes design contests, some of his ideas were groundbreaking. He started his own rocketry company called California Model Rockets. Back when a model rocket had ... [More]

2024-04-18

The Mystery Fin

Blog
Last November, my Sister finally brought my comic books from California. When I was going through the books, I came across this fin. It looks to be 1/32" plywood. It is airfoiled. I think it came off a Streamer Duration model I flew at NARAM 17. If you are curious, the comics were from the mid to late 1960s. The box of comics sold for $700! [More]

2024-04-06

Centuri ARGUS clone

Flight
I only used one parachute, the original kit had two, one for the low end, another for the long upper section. The parachute was taped closed in a "hillbilly hat" for faster descent. - C6-5 - Orlando R.O.C.K. [More]

Estes Mini Bertha Clone

Flight
First launch today. After all these years I shouldn't be surprised by how well mini engine models perform. Very stable, the 1/2A3-2t motor. I would guess the altitude capped out at 275'. The two second delay seemed short. - Estes 1/2A3-2t - Orlando R.O.C.K. [More]

Semroc MMX Blue Bird Zero

Flight
I actually captured a MicroMaxx launch! Estimated altitude was 75', no damage after the streamer recovery. - 1/8A-1 - Orlando R.O.C.K. [More]

Warped! (Scratch Design)

Flight
A weird one. It started as a regular bagged Custom kit that sat in the direct sun a little too long. The nose cone was melted and bent. I bought the kit. The body tube was cut into angled wedges and glued together like the Fliskits ACME Spitfire. I renamed it WARPED. A B6-4 pushed it to at ... [More]

Custom Solar Explorer

Flight
I wasn't worried about losing this one - the BT-50 tube was crimped above the engine mount from an earlier hard landing. After reaching an altitude around 600', the winds blew it into the trees just South of the flight line. Lost! I really need to thin the heard anyway. - C6-5 - Orlando R.O.C.K. [More]

Quest MMX Saturn V

Flight
The larger fins really didn't help much, it was unstable after it cleared the short launch rod. - 1/8A-1 - Orlando R.O.C.K. [More]

2024-03-02

Odd'l Cyclone 18mm

Flight
- B6-4 - Orlando R.O.C.K. [More]

Estes Skytracer Clone

Flight
- A8-3 - Orlando R.O.C.K. [More]

Rocketship Games R5 Hawkeye

Flight
Boost is always fast on these little models, good thing I had some young eyes to point me to the landing area. - 1/8A-1 - Orlando R.O.C.K. [More]

Nike X Goon

Flight
A B6-4 got an altitude of 350'. Full chute, textbook flight. - B6-4 - Orlando R.O.C.K. [More]

2015-04-19

Rockets By Style / Kit-Bash/Modified

Photograph

Hans "Chris" Michielssen's Orange (Q Cobalt Kitbash)

2014-11-09

Rockets By Style / Kit-Bash/Modified

Photograph

MX-774 Kitbash on an Estes A8-3. Bunnell Blast, November 8, 2014

2012-09-22

Saturn Press Saturn V - Step 17

Build Entry
The outside curved lines of the Engine Fairing Shrouds were cut from the cardstock with scissors. The interior Fin Slots were cut with a knife and straight-edge. [More]

Saturn Press Saturn V - Step 16

Build Entry
The A Frames and Fins were pressed together. The C Frames are pressed into the A Frames and Fins. Be careful handling the Fin paint while assembling. Silver or metallic paints are easy to dull with fingerprints. After all were assembled dry (no glue) I applied white glue to all the joints with ... [More]