All Rocketry Blogs

Model Rocket Building: Enerjet News, Mercury Little Joe I Background (2016-08-01)

This Enerjet Newsletter goes back to 1973. There was some news on Enerjet products but most of the issue dealt with semi-scale models. A Thor Delta and Mercury Little Joe models were featured. To ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Enerjet News, Mercury Little Joe I, Part 1, Parts (2016-08-02)

If this looks familiar, it's the parts from the Estes Mercury Redstone kit! Everything on the left side will be used, the decals and fins are saved for another build. The only thing not shown above ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Enerjet News, Mercury Little Joe I, Part 2, Capsule Gluing (2016-08-04)

As mentioned in the Estes Liberty Bell build, don't build the capsule and tower as shown in the current Estes instructions. Here's how the older Centuri instructions got it done. It's easier and ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Enerjet News, Mercury Little Joe I, Part 3, Capsule Gluing (2016-08-05)

Look close at the capsule base shoulder. That raised ring at the bottom of the three piece capsule sides should be the same width all the way around. The sides will be glued from the inside after it ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Enerjet News, Mercury Little Joe I, Part 4, Tower (2016-08-07)

I'm not going into to much detail on the tower assembly. this has been covered before in the Estes Mercury Redstone Liberty Bell build and in the Centuri instructions posted a few days ago. Glue two ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Enerjet News, Mercury Little Joe I, Part 5, Tube Cutting (2016-08-09)

The lower end of the tube is cut away in trapazoid scallops. The wrap around body template fit well, the lower cuts were traced. I made a coupler out of some leftover tube. This will support the ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Enerjet News, Mercury Little Joe I, Part 6, Nozzle Angle Fix (2016-08-10)

I had to make a new cover plate for the rear centering ring. Two layers of 110 lb. card stock were glued together with a glue stick. The ring was traced and cut just the center hole cut out. New ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Enerjet News, Mercury Little Joe I, Part 7, Wraps (2016-08-11)

Two card stock wraps are added to simulate sheet metal wraps. That's what the instructions say anyway. Strips were cut and rolled around the body tube. The start and finish of the wraps were started ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Enerjet News, Mercury Little Joe I, Part 8, Primer Fins and Launch Lug (2016-08-11)

I won't be covering how to shape the wedged fins in this build. I've written about that many times before. Sanding a wedge shape isn't hard to do with time and a good sanding block. Both the body ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Enerjet News Mercury Little Joe Build, Part 9A, Black Fin? (2016-08-12)

Apparently one fin on the Little Joe I is orange on one side and black on the other! Here's a conversation from TRF: Originally Posted by  Peter Alway   "Funny how once you've seen that ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Enerjet News, Mercury Little Joe I, Part 9, Mask and Paint (2016-08-12)

Normally you'd paint the base color (silver) then mask and paint the secondary colors. TIP: Setting masking tape set over metallic paints can mar the silver. I'll have to do the reverse on this one, ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Enerjet News, Mercury Little Joe I, Part 10, Engine Mount Paint and Black Details (2016-08-15)

The centering ring edges were masked off. The back end of the engine mount was sprayed with the Rusto 2X silver Aluminum. The nozzles were painted black off the model. These were finally glued in ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Enerjet News, Mercury Little Joe I, Part 11, Decal Trim TIP (2016-08-16)

This is not my idea. I saw it on a forum a few years back. I would give name credit if I knew who came up with it.  It is a  great,  simple technique for some trim colors. There are ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Enerjet News, Mercury Little Joe I, Part 12, Decal Trim and Shock Cord (2016-08-17)

The trailing ends of the decal strip didn't adhere as well as I would have liked. A little Pledge with Future Shine was brushed under the edges and pressed down. The dried Pledge acrylic also ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Enerjet News, Mercury Little Joe I, Part 13, Body Decal & Trim (2016-08-18)

Running down the main body is the strangest looking stencil work I've ever seen. This stencil lines aren't shown in the Enerjet News plan. You'll find it in internet searches or the James Duffy ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Enerjet News, Mercury Little Joe I, Part 14, Scale Colors (2016-08-19)

The inset drawing is from the Centuri Enerjet News plan. It shows their Little Joe I with the Red-Orange vertical bars on either side of the UNITED STATES. Their semi-scale model uses the black ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Enerjet News, Mercury Little Joe I, Finished (2016-08-20)

Look above the orange stripe and you'll see a raised bubble on the card stock wrap. When setting the orange decal some water got under the edge of the card stock wrap. You'd think the paint would ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Decal PDFs For Patreon Support Members (2020-08-13)

Here's a list of the Print at Home PDF decals  available to  Patreon Supporters: PATREON DECAL PDFs ESTES Estes Green Eggs Scrambler K-37, #1237 Decal .pdf Makes the Estes Green Eggs kit ... [Read More]