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

2019-10-18

Estes Boosted Bertha #001946 Build, Part 9, Masking The White Fins

Blog
There is one white fin on the booster and one white fin on the second stage. I used my standard (marked) Scotch tape. Masking over the rounded leading edge can be tricky. A strip of tape is rolled over the top and down the other side. The rounded top "fold" is lightly pinched and stuck together but still retains the round shape. When you pinch the rounded over top, be sure you don't lift the ... [More]

2019-10-17

Estes Boosted Bertha #001946 Build, Part 8, Fillets, Fill & Undercoats

Blog
When you get good at applying fillet glue you won't have much to smooth out with a finger. The upper picture is the glue line applied, the bottom picture is the smoothed fillet. I'll usually do one fillet of wood glue, then another fillet of Titebond Molding and Trim Glue. This isn't necessary but I went ahead and filled the joint between the booster centering ring and body tube. CWF filler was ... [More]

Estes New Kit Poster

Blog
From TRF, CoModelBuilder showed a poster featuring the upcoming Estes kits: The Orange Bullet is small with tumble/featherweight recovery. Enlarge the picture and you can see the weights on the fin tips, just like the 1960 original. I didn't know it was "Vern Estes first design". The Orange Bullet is mentioned: CLICK HERE This 1960 catalog says to use rubber bands around an engine for a friction ... [More]

2019-10-16

Estes Boosted Bertha #001946 Build, Part 7, Booster Fin Gluing

Blog
TIP: Mark the back end corner of the fins so you can easily see it when set up even with the end of the body tube. The booster fin slots were a little tight. This might be because I fill the fins before gluing, that will increase the thickness slightly. The slots were widened using a flat diamond file. The instructions might show glue on the sides of the fins where the fin will contact the body ... [More]

2019-10-15

Estes Boosted Bertha #001946 Build, Part 6, Fin Marking & Booster Mount Gluing

Blog
Join the booster and sustainer segments with the coupler . . . No glue yet. TIP: Instead of using the wrap-around marking guides, use the booster fin slots to mark the upper stage fin locations. Slide both tubes together with the coupler. Set your aluminum angle on the booster fin slots and extend pencil lines onto the upper body tube. The face of the booster centering ring is even with the tube ... [More]

2019-10-14

Estes Boosted Bertha #001946 Build, Part 5, Filling Balsa & Tube Seams

Blog
I was building two of the Boosted Berthas so I had a lot of balsa to fill. Notice I don't apply filler to the booster fin TTW tabs. The inset picture shows no filler on the root edge. The body tube seams also got a fill with CWF. This was sanded to surface using 220 then smoothed with 400 grit. This is the booster tube ready for it's one (moderately heavy) shot of Duplicolor Filler/Primer. I ... [More]

2019-10-13

Estes Boosted Bertha #001946 Build, Part 4, Upper Stage Engine Mount

Blog
Sometimes you can clean up the burn marks from the laser cut process. TIP: Try a white eraser first, not a pink eraser. A pink eraser leaves behind a pink color. If that doesn't work, try an old piece of 400 grit or finer grit and gently sand. The inset picture shows the same ring, cleaned up. The upper engine mount construction is standard. The upper motor tube is 2 3/4" long. The lower ... [More]

New Estes Kits & Release Dates

Blog
On Facebook, Jesse Ulibarra posted pictures from the Estes booth at the Rocky Mountain Hobby Expo - On the upper left - The Low Boom SST, to be released February 2020 On the right - the LEO Space Train - on sale January 2020. (That's my build!) Low center is a new one I haven't seen - Lunar Scout, selling in February 2020. Those might be some of the new molded fins. These three have had pictures ... [More]

2019-10-12

Estes Boosted Bertha #001946 Build, Part 3, Booster Engine Mount

Blog
Two engine blocks go in the booster stage - One at the top of the engine as usual, the second is glued even with the top tube edge to help direct the flame into the sustainer engine nozzle. The second higher engine block will protect the end of the longer than normal BT-20 tube. After the second engine block was glued in even with the top of the tube it was sanded flat and even with the edge. To ... [More]

Booster Bertha 2nd Stage Retainer Ring

Blog
In a comment from Boosted Bertha build Post #2, Openroad asked: "I’m curious about how the engine retainer holds up on the sustainer - how many flights will it take for the booster motor’s ignition charge to “cook” the screw on retainer ring?" Bernard Cawley answered and sent a picture via email: "I have five flights on my Boosted Bertha. The sustainer's motor retainer ring is still ... [More]

2019-10-05

Estes Solo

Flight
At ejection the ring glider separated and went into a flat glide! I love strange models that work as advertised. The glide duration was probably about 20 seconds. - Estes B6-2 - Orlando R.O.C.K. [More]

Odd'l Bones

Flight
A better 2nd flight with an A10-3t and a small 8" parachute. - Estes A10-3t - Orlando R.O.C.K. [More]

Custom SLV

Flight
Textbook launch and recovery. - Estes A8-3 - Orlando R.O.C.K. [More]

Semroc Snake Jumper

Flight
Loud and smoky to 350'. The 12" chute brought it home without damage. - Quest German made B6-4 - Orlando R.O.C.K. [More]

Quest Tomahawk SLCM

Flight
There was some coning, probably due to the open intake hood on the bottom. A spill-holed 12" Odd'l parachute brought it in close. - Estes B6-4 - Orlando R.O.C.K. [More]

2019-09-29

Odd'l Bones

Flight
Stable! The thin plastic streamer was melted at ejection, still brought it down slow enough. One fin popped off at touch down. Had to go back and cut a "trench" for TTW gluing. - Estes A10-3t - Schoolyard Soccer field [More]

Nike X Goon

Flight
No damage on recovery. This model is how I like them, BT-60 diameter and sturdy. - Estes A8-3 - Schoolyard Soccer field [More]

MPC Red Giant

Flight
Big and stable, a good demo rocket for a small field. The spill hole in the 15" Odd'l parachute brought it in close. - Estes B6-4 - Schoolyard Soccer field [More]

Estes Gyroc Clone

Flight
Boost was quick, I finally saw it in the air at ejection. There was drift, landing 400 feet away from the launcher on the hard baseball field. - Quest A6-4 - Schoolyard Soccer field [More]

Quest Striker AGM

Flight
This one is a favorite, it looks great in the air. On the left is the model descending under a 15" parachute. - Estes B6-4 - Schoolyard Soccer field [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]