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

2025-10-21

I Wish Manufacturers Wouldn't Do This, Part 1 . . .

Blog
While the paint on the New Way Blade Runner dries - This isn't meant to come across as gripes! Some things I see in kits that could be corrected. From the Estes Little Joe II kit, but I've seen this in other kits: Decals images placed too close on the decal sheet. Notice how close the dashed "cut" lines are to the black squares. You want to cut off the dashed lines but not into ... [More]

2025-10-20

New Way Blade Runner, Part 13, Masking & Painting The Blade Fins

Blog
Masking tape was set underneath the blade fins, sticky side up making a "cone" cover shape. Why mask off the light gray (already sprayed) just to have more light gray spray? It's difficult to get an overall even coat. I want a consistent gloss finish, over and under the blade fins. I didn't use filler/primer on the outside blade fin faces. On the right picture, the blade fins ... [More]

2025-10-19

New Way Blade Runner, Part 12, Gluing On The Fins

Blog
The fins were painted before gluing on the blade fins. The paint increased the thickness slightly. For an easier fit, the tab edges were sanded. The blades were pressed in place. The fit was tight. CA glue was set on the outside to lock the blades in place. The tabs were sanded even with the faces of the blades. Use a sanding block of this. On the left - The tabs have ... [More]

2025-10-18

New Way Blade Runner, Part 11, Mask & Color Coats

Blog
The lower body is to be painted light gray. The mask line is 7 1/2" from the top of the body tube. Gotta' love a simple mask! You don't have to be overly concerned about a perfect mask line, it'll be covered by a black vinyl strip. The nose cone is painted gloss black. Note the tape mask is set about 1/16" below the shoulder ridge. The ring tube is painted light gray off the model. I set some ... [More]

2025-10-17

New Way Blade Runner, Part 10, Filling The Pinholes

Blog
I could see two small pinhole air bubbles in a glue fillet. Lightly drag you knife blade tip along the fillet and you might feel the dip. Instead of a applying a full length glue fillet, Use a toothpick to direct a small mount of glue into the pinhole. Press and drag the small glue dot into the fillet hole. Immediately smooth and remove excess glue using a Q-tip. [More]

2025-10-16

New Way Blade Runner, Part 9, White Undercoats & Parachute Assembly

Blog
The main body was sprayed with gloss white. A little more sanding will follow and then a final coat of white. The 12" New Way parachutes are interesting. The reinforcing rings are jewelry ring price tags made from no-tear Tyvek. The adhesive is only on the round ends allowing an easy tie of the shroud lines in the middle fold. The shroud line holder is meant to be easily unfurled. See the ... [More]

2025-10-15

New Way Blade Runner, Part 8, Gluing On The Fins

Blog
Five fins! The marking guide fit very well. Pencil marks were made and extended the full length of the tube. On the right - I used the marking guide as a height guide at the 1 1/4" mark. The long strakes glue down the fin lines, butted up against the top of the fins. For a better alignment, I used the reversed clothespins. Be careful not to glue the clamps to the fins. To see the ... [More]

2025-10-14

New Way Blade Runner, Part 7, Gluing In The Engine Mount

Blog
The Kevlar and shrink wrap are run down thru the mount so they won't get in the way. The instructions have you apply glue 1 3/4" from the bottom of the main airframe tube. I use a dowel to roll a line of glue inside the tube. Setting the dowel beside the engine mount shows me the glue line would be better at 1 7/8" to apply the glue just below the upper centering ring. Notice the two depth ... [More]

2025-10-13

New Way Blade Runner, Part 6, Tying Elastic Shock Cord To The Kevlar

Blog
As I normally do, some steps are out of order from the instructions. I like to mark the body tube seams with a fine point pencil for visibility when filling. The tip of my knife blade is dipped in thinned CWF. Wipe off the back of the blade leaving the filler on the top side of the knife. Set the knife in the recess seam and with a back and forth motion of the knife, leave filler in the seam. ... [More]

2025-10-12

New Way Blade Runner, Part 5, Fin Prep & Grain Fill

Blog
Like all laser cut fins, these aren't cut straight down but in a narrow wedge. It'd be like cutting out fins with a straightedge and the knife blade at a very slight angle. Just be aware of which edges are a glue joint, like the root edge. A root edge cut at an angle could glue onto the body tube at an angle. The flat blades are glued onto an outside edge. I used a flat diamond file to easily ... [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]