Estes GBU-24 Paveway III

Estes - GBU-24 Paveway III {Kit} (2053) [2003-2005]

Contributed by Carl Tulanko

Construction Rating: starstarstarstarstar_border
Flight Rating: starstarstarstarstar
Overall Rating: starstarstarstarstar_border
Manufacturer: Estes

Estes GBU-24 Paveway Brief:
The Estes GBU-24 Paveway Model Rocket Kit is one of four new Estes "Military" kits recently released and is by far the most unique of the group. I purchased all four kits as soon as I saw them in the store and had it built and flown in no time. It's an 18mm kit with a fantastic look and great flight characteristics which made it a "must have" for my silo.

Construction:
You can purchase either the bagged or Launchable version of the kit from many retailers. In the package you will find die-cut fins, body tube, tailcone and transition, plastic nosecone, recovery items, and instructions. I was impressed with the quality of components and the instructions were very well written. Moreover, You really get your money's worth with this kit as it is both challenging and satisfying to build.

I decided to build it stock with only minor changes. I used dual Kevlar threads for shock cord and made one other minor change. The top of the transition was left on instead of being cut off. In the instructions, you are supposed to cut this "cap" off, then glue in the upper part of the shock cord using tri-fold and slip the cord through the center of the transition. The transition is then glued on to the lower part of the upper body tube.

I deviated from this because the nosecone is small and glued on the top of the BT with Plastic cement. More than once have I seen this method separate the nosecone from the BT on other models. For this reason, I left the transition capped so the charge would go no further than it, thus not pressurizing the nosecone chamber.

Estes GBU-24 Paveway Estes GBU-24 Paveway

Construction began with the motor mount assembly, which went together well. I must say that I am impressed wi

Other Reviews
  • Estes GBU-24 Paveway III By Dick Stafford

    ( Contributed - by Dick Stafford - 11/21/03) Brief: This is a semi-scale model of the GBU-24 Paveway III laser guided bomb. It flies on 18mm motors and recovers under a 12" chute. You can find more info on the actual bomb [here] . Construction: One BT-55, 10 7/8" long Plastic tail cone/adapter (separated during construction) Two BT-20 tubes, 5" long ...

Flights

comment Post a Comment