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

2019-04-20

Semroc Sam 3 Background

Blog
All the copy below is from the Semroc website. "The Centuri Russian SAM-3 was first advertised in the Centuri 1878 catalog with an availability date of May 15, 1978. It was one of the four models in the new Strike Force line. It was loosely based on the actual Russian SA-3 surface-to-air missile of the Cold War era. Photos of early prototypes were closer to scale than the final released version. ... [More]

2019-04-19

Quest AS-1 Escort Finished and Comparisons

Blog
I mentioned at the start of the build this was a replacement for my older AS-1 Escort rocket built over five years ago. I really like this design, it's perfect with A engines at the schoolyard launch. I do see why the kit was discontinued. It's rated a Skill level 2 but should have been higher. Tube and lug cutting with difficult decals made a tough build. There are mistakes in the instructions ... [More]

2019-04-18

Quest AS-1 Escort Build, Part 14, Decal Problems

Blog
GOTCHA: This was one of those kits that didn't supply enough decals to match the face card or catalog illustrations. Many of the decals weren't drawn to fit the indicated areas. On the back the decal wraps weren't wide enough to fill the areas between the fin root edges. One of the decals had to be cut in two and pieced to cover the open span. The end overlapped the rudder fin end. A small cut ... [More]

2019-04-17

Quest AS-1 Escort Build, Part 10, Wing and Fin Gluing

Blog
Whoops! I didn't post Part #10. I'll go back in a day or so and place it in the correct order. The wing angle shown in the instructions is hard to achieve. GOTCHA: When I set the glue tacked wings on a straight edge you can see the angle is flatter than the illustration. I ended up sanding the root edge to allow a flatter placement but not as extreme an angle. The twin rudder fins are flush with ... [More]

2019-04-16

Quest AS-1 Escort Build, Part 13, Masking The Black

Blog
The instructions have you paint the black first, mask and then spray the silver. This time around I sprayed the silver first. It's a little riskier this way, sometimes silver paint gets marred by the adhesive side of masking tape. This was a tough mask, it's a smaller model with a lot of pieces in the way. Here's the low rudder fin mask. Scotch tape goes down first, then masking tape and finally ... [More]

2019-04-15

Quest AS-1 Escort Build, Part 12, Prep and Undercoats

Blog
The nose cone is too loose in the body tube. TIP: You can do masking tape wraps or you can build up some "ribs" for a better fit. I applied a drop of medium CA glue to the nose cone shoulder. The wet glue was dragged in a straight line down the shoulder with an X-acto blade. Apply a small drop and form the line with the knife tip. Thicker CA takes a while to dry. Set the nose cone horizontally ... [More]

2019-04-14

Quest AS-1 Escort Build, Part 11, Wing Tip Tubes

Blog
The wing tip tube (launch lugs) ends are cut at a 45 degree angle. TIP: I drew the angle on my cutting board so the angle would be consistent on both cuts. Use a new, sharp razor blade to cut launch lugs. After the cut, sand and even up the edge. Sanding launch lugs are like filing fingernails, there is usually a thin Mylar skin that folds over and into the lug. Pick the skin out with a ... [More]

Saturn V Parachutes

Blog
I've noticed some vendors selling printed Saturn V style parachutes. Three parachutes, two for the main body, one for the upper body. I can understand why some purists want everything close to "scale". Younger builders may not realize, these were the only three parachutes used, for the command module splashdown. An email from Brian Coyle: "There were 8 chutes on the Apollo capsules- 2 drogue, 3 ... [More]

2019-04-13

Quest AS-1 Escort Build, Part 9, Tube Joining

Blog
After sanding the gap cap, the tubes are dry fitted. The two 45 degree cut tubes should fit together. Here's what I don't understand. GOTCHA: The center tube has an angle cut - that ends up inside the upper tube. There's no reason for this interior angle. If it is trimmed back you'll have more room for the parachute. I did a tape wrap for a cutting edge guide and took the tip off about 1/8" ... [More]

2019-04-12

Quest AS-1 Escort Build, Part 8, Fin Fill and Tube Gluing

Blog
The front edge of the two piece fins have a visible break. Some CWF is set on the seam. The inset picture shows sandpaper wrapped around a Q-tip stick. This was used to round off the filler corner. On the left is after the filler/primer was sanded down. GOTCHA: The instructions say to mark the center tube at 1/4" and 4" from the rear for applying the glue line. The glue area should really be at ... [More]

2019-04-06

Custom SLV

Flight
Stable, textbook flight. - Estes A8-3 - Orlando R.O.C.K. [More]

Odd'l Rockets Stealth

Flight
Second stable test flight of the day! Small dent in wing after snap back of nose cone at ejection. - Estes A8-3 - Orlando R.O.C.K. [More]

Odd'l Rockets Stealth

Flight
Stable! Great first launch, no damage, tip fins still in place. - Estes A8-3 - Orlando R.O.C.K. [More]

Estes Vanguard Eagle

Flight
Textbook launch and recovery. - Estes B6-4 - Orlando R.O.C.K. [More]

FlisKits M.A.C.M.E. Shrew MMX

Flight
April 2019 marks my 50th year in Model Rocketry! I picked a BIG model to mark the occasion. - Quest MicroMaxx - Orlando R.O.C.K. [More]

RRR Starliner

Flight
After 10 good flights it went unstable and is now retired. The thin BT-50 tube is showing heat buckling. - Quest German made B6-4 - Orlando R.O.C.K. [More]

2019-02-02

Semroc MMX Blue Bird Zero

Flight
Landed very close to small pool of water. - Quest MicroMaxx - Orlando R.O.C.K. [More]

Quest Striker AGM 2

Flight
One cracked fin root edge at touchdown. - Estes B6-4 - Orlando R.O.C.K. [More]

Estes Curvlinear

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

Estes Super Alpha

Flight
Textbook flight and recovery. - Estes 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]