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
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2019-06-26

Estes Saturn V #1969 Build, Part 46, Silver Reveal and OOPS!

Blog
The silver was sprayed. Look at the root edge of the fin. You can see where I lightly sanded the liquid glue "fillet". The coats that followed covered it well. Here's the reveal after the tape was lifted. I had clean color separations, Whew! The finish is much cleaner than the picture shows . Then this! While handling the model, I hit one of the fins on the back of a wooden chair. I didn't think ... [More]

2019-06-25

Estes Saturn V #1969 Build, Part 45, Parachutes

Blog
You have three parachutes to assemble. The design is from the old Centuri kit and simulates the gore pattern from the Apollo mission splashdowns. TIP: Turn over your straightedge so there is no chance of the plastic sheet flexing when cutting out the parachute sides. You can get a ragged edge if the sheet moves. Don't bother with scissors, use your knife with a new, sharp blade. I found it ... [More]

Two Of My Estes Builds At Show

Blog
Randy Boadway posted some pictures on Facebook - Two models I built for Estes are already making the rounds, here displayed at The Hobbytyme Show. Randy and Blaine show off the upcoming BOOSTED BERTHA . And to the right is the large BT-60 based SASHA . Both models should be good sellers for Estes. [More]

2019-06-24

Estes Saturn V #1969 Build, Part 44, Spraying The Silver

Blog
Before spraying the silver, I didn't want to spray the silver with a dull coat after the decals. A dull coat could turn the silver to a gray. The low end of the model got a dull coat before the silver mask. Try to push the tape into the corrugations as best you can. TIP: To seal the tape edge, use a Q-tip instead of a fingernail. The Q-tip is softer and won't scar or dent the vacu-form plastic. ... [More]

A Email Question About Filling BT Seams

Blog
Chris- You frequently explain how to fill the spiral seam on a rocket tube. There is a detail, however, which is not clear; I thought it might be something of general interest to your blog - reading community. There are typically two spirals on a body tube. There is a "primary" spiral, where the gap is open to the air, and a harder-to-see "secondary" spiral, which seems to be under the outer ... [More]

2019-06-23

Estes Saturn V #1969 Build, Part 43, Masking For The Silver

Blog
This might be a tougher mask than the insterstage wrap! I used some frosted Scotch tape to mask the curve around the fairing. I cut the 1/4" wide strips in as smooth an arc as I could. These were cut on my sliding patio glass. Two of the arcs have been removed here so you could see the arc and width of the piece. It may take a few tries to get the arc curve right. Look to the right side fairing ... [More]

Ed Mitton Snap Swivel Connection TIP

Blog
For the longest time I've been tying the parachute shroud lines to the small loop on a snap swivel. It's not the easiest way to attach them. You've got to tie the line ends onto the small loop with a separate string. The large hook end is opened and is attached to a single overhand knot on the shock cord. I saw this on Ed Mitton's blog - Blast From The Past. This may be a better solution. The ... [More]

2019-06-22

Estes Saturn V #1969 Build, Part 42, Interstage Mask

Blog
Here's the start of the interstage wrap mask. First, use smaller pieces of tape over the tunnels and raised details. Be sure the inside corners are tucked in and the edges sealed. After the tunnel masks, block off all the vertical white area bands. Notice the masking tape overlaps about 1/16" of the Sharpie outlines. Here's the mask reveal before touch-ups. On the right (viewed from below) you ... [More]

2019-06-21

Estes Saturn V #1969 Build, Part 41, Masking For The Black

Blog
TIP: I wouldn't recommend masking and spraying the model in one sitting. It's simply too much work, you could find it overwhelming. 1. Mask and spray the reduction and third stage body as one operation. 2. Then mask and spray the bottom and fins. 3. Third, mask and spray the interstage wrap. The interstage wrap is probably the most difficult. By this point you've had some practice dealing with ... [More]

2019-06-20

Estes Contest

Blog
Estes is doing something they haven't done in years - An actual contest! It's a Photo Contest to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 flight. To check out the prizes and enter - CLICK HERE Winners are chosen at random? Of course I entered - I didn't really follow the rules: "Snap a photo of yourself (or someone else) launching a rocket ." Of all the pictures I've taken a club ... [More]

2019-05-04

Semroc SAM-3

Flight
Very stable, small ding in upper fin from snap-back of nose cone. - Estes A8-3 - Orlando R.O.C.K. [More]

Quest RTF No Mercy MMX

Flight
High and fast! Accordion pleated the mylar streamer so it would eject. - Quest MMX - Orlando R.O.C.K. [More]

Quest Pipsqueak

Flight
No room for the wadding and streamer! Launched with big engine, almost hoping to lose it! Very straight boost, streamer broke loose at ejection, Jim found in adjacent field. - Old Centuri B6-6 - Orlando R.O.C.K. [More]

Odd'l Rockets Stealth

Flight
The streamer melted and was stuck in the top of the body tube. The nose cone did eject and the model fell without any damage. - Estes B6-4 - Orlando R.O.C.K. [More]

Estes Nike Apache

Flight
Textbook launch and recovery with no damage. - Estes B6-2 - Orlando R.O.C.K. [More]

Semroc Squire

Flight
With A8-3 motors before and it flew fine. With the heavier engine it nosed in and dug itself deep into the wet ground. The nose cone was shoved 1/2" into the body tube. I mentioned it was going in the recycle bin. - Estes C6-5 - Orlando R.O.C.K. [More]

2019-04-06

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]

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]