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:
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2025-06-26

Estes AMRAAM AIM-120 Downscale, Build, Part 10, Fillets & White Undercoats

Blog
I know, I'm bouncing between builds! I'm sure you have two or three rockets in progress at one time. Even though I had a fairly tight fit, there were still bubbles in the conduit glue fillets! There isn't much space between the fins and conduit for a glue fillet. I applied a line of wood glue to a Q-tip and spread the fillet drop by drop. White undercoats have been sprayed. After the ... [More]

2025-06-25

Aerotech Mega Initiator #89541, Part 17, Setting The Name Sticker

Blog
Take it from an old typesetter - "Os" are typically taller and extend beyond the baselines of the other letters. Be careful when trimming close so you don't cut off the top and bottom of the O. You have to decide if the vertical orange line or the name INITIATOR will be centered between two fins. The INITIATOR name is bolder so I decided to center that vertically. Don't peel the backing ... [More]

2025-06-24

Aerotech Mega Initiator #89541, Part 16, Pulling The Mask - Sucess!

Blog
The nose cone was slipped in and the upper end was sprayed with Rusto 2X Apple red. I would normally prefer using Ace Hardware Premium Enamel, but their "Banner Red" is darker and I wanted to get close to the red color on the model stickers. In the end, if the top roll sticker and bottom fin red colors are a close match. You can't tell a difference with the visual distance between them. ... [More]

2025-06-23

Aerotech Mega Initiator #89541, Part 15, Matching The Nose Cone Color

Blog
The question has come up on the forums: "Which Red spray paint color will match the red sticker on the Initiator? Some considerations: 1. The nose cone is molded in black plastic so it would require a good white undercoat. Otherwise, you'll get a darker red on the sprayed nose cone. 2. The Aerotech printed stickers are translucent. The white paint under the sticker makes the red in ... [More]

2025-06-22

Aerotech Mega Initiator #89541, Part 14, Applying The Upper Roll Stickers

Blog
A great thing about this design, the separate upper section allows you to center the vertical name and red stripes after the large roll sticker is in place. Simply rotate the upper section and center the remaining vertical name stickers between two fins. To start, don't peel off the entire backing, Peel back an inch and fold back the backing paper. This gives you control as you line up the left ... [More]

2025-06-21

Aerotech Mega Initiator #89541, Part 13, Prepping More Stickers

Blog
Here's the upper body wrap. The curves were cut with scissors. Notice I cut a little away from the orange arcs, just playing it safe on the clear border. Cut the straight lines with a knife and straightedge. In addition to lining up the top edge with the tube end, you'll need to line up the wrap left side down the tube. Use your aluminum angle to draw a light pencil line down the ... [More]

2025-06-20

Aerotech Mega Initiator #89541, Part 12, Applying The Stickers

Blog
I know - I postponed some posts on this build. There are good reasons why. I'm not very experienced making epoxy fillets. Sure I've done them, but I'm not enough to show you a best method. Another reason - It's difficult to get an even, gloss paint finish on large rockets using store bought spray cans. If you've ever tried to get a good gloss on a 4" diameter model you know what ... [More]

2025-06-19

Estes AMRAAM AIM-120 Downscale, Build, Part 9, Launch Lug & Conduit Gluing

Blog
It'll be hard to reach the root edges once the wide conduit/tunnel is glued on. There isn't much room for glue fillets. I decided to lightly smooth the dried glue fillets with 400 grit wrapped around a Q-tip for cushioned sanding. Go easy, it is possible to sand a shallow groove in the balsa. You are just knocking down any roughness. I applied two fine lines of wood glue so there wouldn't be ... [More]

2025-06-18

Estes AMRAAM AIM-120 Downscale, Build, Part 8, Gluing On The Eight Fins

Blog
The lower fins are glued on with the trailing edges even with the end of the body tube. Standard, 90 degree spacing with the engine hook centered between two fins. Sight across the bottom to be sure the opposing fins are in line. The upper fins are 8.20" from the bottom of the model. A wrap of masking tape was rolled around the tube to line up the trailing edge corners. Be careful not ... [More]

2025-06-17

Estes AMRAAM AIM-120 Downscale, Build, Part 7, Fin Grain Filling & Reuse Sandpaper TIP

Blog
STEP 1 On the left, a lower fin with a brushed on coat of thinned CWF. On the right, another fin after sanding smooth with 400 grit. 90% of the grain is now filled. STEP 2 Here's the front and rear fins after sanding down the Duplicolor filler/primer that followed the CWF. The grain is 100% filled. Balsa grain filling can be a simple two-step process. After spraying with color coats there ... [More]

2025-01-04

Estes Mini Bertha Clone

Flight
- Estes A3-4t - Orlando R.O.C.K. [More]

Estes Blue Origin, New Shepard

Flight
Stable with a B6-4, not so much with a C6-5. Flew a bit south over the trees. Recovered by other club members with the pole. No damage! - B6-4 - Orlando R.O.C.K. [More]

Semroc Snake Jumper

Flight
Launch wasn't vertical and veered off to the south. Landed in trees, given up for lost. - B6-4 - Orlando R.O.C.K. [More]

2024-12-07

Centuri Vector V

Flight
My Centuri VECTOR V clone was first in the air with an Estes A8-3. On the left is an Estes Viking, the kit used to make my clone. Altitude was estimated to be around 225 feet. Reefed 12" chute recovery. - A8-3 - Orlando R.O.C.K. [More]

Odd'l Rockets Stealth

Flight
Stable and true. Broke off one of the smaller winglet fins, not recovered. - B6-4 - Orlando R.O.C.K. [More]

Odd'l X-15 Goony

Flight
A favorite is my Goony X-15 . Part are from a Quest X-15 parts pack but built around a shorter BT-60. Great stable flight using an older Chinese made Quest B6-4 motor. Estimated altitude was 325'. - German Made Quest B6-4 - ROCK Monthly [More]

ASP Micro Wac Corporal

Flight
This is the ASP MMX CORPORAL , a well performing MMX bird. It was easy to follow the Mylar streamer as it descended. - 1/8A-1 - Orlando R.O.C.K. [More]

Semroc Centurion

Flight
Very stable, slow lift off. Ejection blistered the paint right above the baffle inside. - B6-4 - Orlando R.O.C.K. [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

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]

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]