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

2025-11-12

Estes USS Enterprise #1275, Part 9, Pylon Supports & Dowels

Blog
I fitted the pylon into the pylon brace, then set it next to the body tube. The pencil line is the masking area to keep the filler/primer off the gluing areas. On the right - the notched end of the pylon is dry fitted in the bulkhead and marked, again for a mask. Here's the pylon masked for a shot of filler/primer. After the filler primer was sanded - The cut out is revised to fit ... [More]

2025-11-11

Estes USS Enterprise #1275, Part 8, Pylon Supports & Dowels

Blog
I'll usually fill the tube seams before gluing things together. On the left - Thinned CWF filler in the seams, On the right - The filler sanded to surface. A shot of filler/primer and sanding followed. The pylon supports got some CWF and sanding. The dowel/plywood joint got a second brushing of CWF and more sanding. The propulsion unit marking guides were cut out and pre-rolled. Press a dowel ... [More]

2025-11-10

Estes USS Enterprise #1275, Part 7, Pylon Supports & Dowels

Blog
Removed from the die-cut ply sheet - The picture shows how rough the pylon support pieces are. Set on a flat surface, one was die-cut a hair wider. The wider piece was sanded down to the height of the shorter piece. A dowel is glued to the back edge of the pylon. Cut the dowel a little longer than the pylon. Center the dowel and glue down the pylon edge. After he glue dries, ... [More]

2025-11-09

R.O.C.K. Launch Nov. 8, 2025

Blog
This was a "make-up" launch, the field was too muddy last Saturday from all the rain. Few participants today, three regular club members and and few first timers launching their RTF Estes Pumas. The ASP D REGION TOMAHAWK had an impressive boost with the A3-4t motor. Altitude was an estimated 500'! Touch down was on the opposite side of the field under the long yellow streamer. I'm always ... [More]

2025-11-08

Estes USS Enterprise #1275, Part 6, Internal Support Ring

Blog
The internal support ring (RT-99D, 3.7" diameter) has to fit over the "hump" in the primary hull bottom disk. Cut the template using a straightedge on the straight lines an scissors on the curves. The template doesn't go all the way around the support ring. Mark the cutaway crescents with pencil. Cut the crescents out with a sharp knife. Here's how the cuts are placed on ... [More]

2025-11-07

Estes USS Enterprise #1275, Part 5, Cutting Out The Vacu-form Parts

Blog
I saved the large hull disks for last. As before, trace around the edges with a ball point pen. Score along the pen lines. Free up the edges for easier bending and cracking by cutting relief segment lines. Sand the disk edges with a block. The right side picture shows the upper and lower primary hull halves dry fitted. Note the overlap of the top half. [More]

2025-11-06

Estes USS Enterprise #1275, Part 4, Cutting Out The Vacu-form Parts

Blog
Here's what I mean about the high pieces being thin at the baseline. There was a crack in the thin area of the secondary hull. This happened before I sanded the base edges. A strip of the scrap plastic was cut and folded to a "V" shape. This was glued in place over the crack using liquid cement. Another area of concern - The front of the secondary hull halves were also thin. Sand the edges ... [More]

2025-11-05

Estes USS Enterprise #1275, Part 3, Cutting Out The Vacu-form Parts

Blog
Cutting out vacu-form parts can be a delicate operation. Take your time! The oldest method is probably the best - Draw around the bottom recess with a ball point pen. This gives you a defined line to cut on. Score (no need to cut all the way through) along the ink line with a sharp knife. Bend back and forth along the scored line until the flat excess cracks off. You can break off the ... [More]

2025-11-04

Estes USS Enterprise #1275, Part 2, Parts Of Interest

Blog
The large vacu-form sheet. At the top you can see the horizontal tunnel recess to fit the engine mount tube. While the forms are sharp, the secondary "hull" pieces (center) are high. The plastic is thin around the base edges. The plywood was poorly cut. Granted, die cutting plywood would be difficult to do! The plywood wasn't great quality. The backside of the plywood - ... [More]

2025-11-03

Estes USS Enterprise #1275, Part 1, Parts

Blog
This is going to be an interesting build. My kit version was an original from 1975. The model was later reissued as a 25th anniversary edition, sold in a box with paint. My first Enterprise build was in 1976. I remember being disappointed with the fit of some parts. To be stable, a long "recovery probe" is connected to the model. The starship is dragged behind during boost. It was launched ... [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]