Model Rocket Building Blog
Estes Gemini Titan #1978 Build, Part 1, PartsI'm building this Gemini Titan for Rob, a client. I've never seen this kit before and was looking forward to the build. Years back, Estes offered a larger, BT-70 based Gemini Titan with a two engine cluster. I built and flew one in the early 1970s. The first launch with two B6-4s was fine. In the ...[Read More]
Estes Gemini Titan #1978 Build, Part 2, Engine MountThe engine mount tube is shorter than normal at 2 1/2" long. This is to fit the locking fin unit. The instructions have you use the yellow spacing tube to set the engine block. The engine block is even with the end of the tube. It's easier to simply press the tube over the block on a smooth ...[Read More]
Estes Gemini Titan #1978 Build, Part 3, Engine Mount GluingYou use the plastic fin can to set the depth of the engine mount. I did a dry fit. After pulling off the fin can I noticed the brown engine tube was even with the low end of the BT-60 tube. A dowel was used to apply glue at 1 1/2" in. The engine mount was slid in. I used the flat side of my ...[Read More]
Estes Gemini Titan #1978 Build, Part 4, Plastic TunnelsThe tunnels are glued on 1 1/4" from the launch lug line. This centers the tunnels between the two fins to the right of the launch lug. The tunnels are a little warped. Light finger bending got them back to a straighter line. The tunnels are already contoured to fit the body tube. The tunnels ...[Read More]
Estes Gemini Titan #1978 Build, Part 5, Nozzles 1I used Plastruct Plastic Weld to join the nozzle halves together. Take a moment to line up the two halves before applying glue to the inside of the nozzle bells. On the left is a first fit, the inset shows a better match after moving the nozzle halves the slightest amount. Gluing the halves ...[Read More]
Estes Gemini Titan #1978 Build, Part 6, Nozzles 2Well, how can you mask something like this? There is no way to get masking tape around the nozzles being so close and the nozzle bands are in the way! I took the easy way out and used a permanent Sharpie marker. The marker tip fits into the groove between the nozzle bands. The nozzle on the right ...[Read More]
Estes Gemini Titan #1978 Build, Part 7, Capsule MaskFlorida is VERY humid in the Summer. While the body tube dried in two days the white on the capsule stayed sticky for a week! I had to wait before doing any masking. The sticky back of the masking tape could go right into the paint if not fully dried. There are raised details on the blow molded ...[Read More]
Estes Gemini Titan #1978 Build, Part 8, Lower Capsule Tan RingOn the shoulder end of the capsule is a tan band. The closest color I had is Rusto 2X Gloss Almond. This was sprayed on some white backed decal scrap. This will be cut into a strip and transferred onto the model as a water slide decal - No Masking![Read More]
Estes Gemini Titan #1978 Build, Part 9, Wrap Around Roll Pattern Decals, Part AI had real trouble with the decals, they were over 30 years old! Even after a coat of Micro-Sol, the decals would not release from the backing paper no matter how long they soaked. I had to make up my own roll patterns by spraying black paint onto blank, clear decal paper and cutting the bands to ...[Read More]
Estes Gemini Titan #1978 Build, Part 10, Wrap Around Roll Pattern Decals Part BThe bulk of the black fill was done with a wider permanent marker. I blackened the area wider than the tunnel so even if the cut open decal was too wide I would still have black coverage. Here's how the decal band was cut to fit over the tunnel. First it was marked and triple checked before a hole ...[Read More]
Estes Gemini Titan #1978 Build, Part 11, Decal Wrap & FinishedA spray paint decal was made to wrap around the capsule base. This was sealed with a coat of Future. This was an interesting build. Anybody that built the original big Estes Gemini Titan (OOP two engine cluster model) might be disappointed by this smaller, BT-60 based model. The kit decals would ...[Read More]
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