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

2024-07-26

Enerjet by Aerotech Strong Arm Build, Part 4, Strakes

Blog
On the left is the front of the strake, on the right is the rear. The final tip cuts are marked with pencil. Cut them a little wide outside the pencil lines. Then sand to shape with a block. TIP: It's easier to visualize the shape by turning over the strake and checking the bottom. I drew a centerline to better see the wedge shape. [More]

2024-07-25

Enerjet by Aerotech Strong Arm Build, Part 3, Strakes

Blog
Here I'm cutting the back of the strake. Notice I'm cutting a little outside the pencil line. The top picture shows the rough cut using a knife. Here's the same cut after sanding with 220 grit on a block, followed by 400 grit on a sanding block. Another before and after picture - 220 to take down the rough cuts then 400 grit to smooth. This inside angle is tough to smooth out. Mark the ... [More]

2024-07-24

Enerjet by Aerotech Strong Arm Build, Part 2, Strakes

Blog
The strake material is white plastic, 12" long. Be sure to check the lengths of the four strakes. Set back to back, one strake was about 1/16" longer than the other three. Even them up before trimming the strake shape. Use a pencil to mark the side of the strake cuts. The top picture shows the rear of the strake. The bottom picture shows the front half of the strake. At first I tried a razor saw ... [More]

2024-07-23

Enerjet by Aerotech Strong Arm Build, Part 1, Parts

Blog
Out of the box, all the parts are of high quality. There is a second body tube, same length as the tube on the left, without fin and launch lug slots. The tube in the upper center is a coupler to joint the two 2.6" diameter tubes. The instructions mention "Aero-Fibre" centering rings. The kit now includes plywood rings. The black ring in the lower left is an screw on aluminum motor retainer. ... [More]

2024-07-22

Enerjet by Aerotech Strong Arm Build, Background

Blog
Here's my latest build for Aerotech. The Aerotech mid-power kits now carry the Enerjet name. It's a big model for me at 44" tall. It resembles the General Dynamics AGM-78 Standard ARM. All the Specs: The build starts tomorrow! [More]

2024-07-19

Enerjet by Aerotech Initiator Build, Part 13A, Launch Lugs

Blog
A little backtracking to show the launch lug attachments in the body tube slots. The kit includes (squared) plastic launch lugs and conformal rail guides. The client asked for the squared launch lugs. Like the fins, there are pre-cut slots for the rectangular tab underneath the base of the lug. The top of the plastic lug overhangs the top end of the body tube slot. The back end is ... [More]

2024-07-17

Back To School Rocket Items

Blog
Back to school sales often include supplies that can be used in model rocket construction. That glue nozzle came off a 50 cent Elmer's School Glue bottle. I don't use school glue in rocket construction, but the round small tip nozzle fits a wood glue bottle, both the Elmer's and Titebond types. It replaces the flat wide nozzle found on wood glue. The modeling clay was found at a Dollar ... [More]

2024-07-16

Rocket Limericks, Part 2

Blog
ROCKET LIMERICKS Newbies ask with some caution, What glue is best for construction, There’s CA, white and wood glues, So many that I could choose, How ‘bout following instructions! On the rocket he spent much cash, The finish had sheen and flash, The chute did open up On gravel it ended up, His shiny work now has road rash. The forecasts say low winds are like-ly, But at launches the ... [More]

2024-07-15

Rocket Limericks, Part 1

Blog
I'm in the middle of multiple builds, Duplicates take more time than a single build. I might be falling behind in daily posts. Before anyone knocks my bad poetry - Limericks are supposed to be a bit tacky. ROCKET LIMERICKS That new Rocketeer was quite green, To a club launch he’d never been, His family all goaded, Biggest motor loaded After launch no ... [More]

2024-07-14

Large Nose Cone Painting - Quick Tip

Blog
How do you hold onto a large, 2.6" diameter nose cone for spray painting? Here's one way. If you don't have any scrap 2.6" diameter tubing - 110 lb. cardstock was taped and rolled around to cover the shoulder. This gives you a stiff "tube" to hold onto the nose cone for horizontal spray painting. How to stand up the nose cone while the paint dries? A spray can will slide into the bottom ... [More]

2024-06-29

Odd'l Rockets Little Green Man

Flight
A little wobble on the way up. Not much altitude but recovered safely. - B4-4 - Muncie AMA Field [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

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]