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

2025-12-10

Estes Monarch Build, #7214, Part 1, Background & Parts

Blog
I'm taking a break on the Enterprise build. I remember pausing the Klingon build a few years back. Sometimes you just have to ease up and build something simpler. A few years back, I picked up some Monarch kits in an Estes clearance sale. We all have kits that sit in opened bags, pieces being cannibalized in other builds. That might explain some parts questions. Here's the ... [More]

2025-12-09

Estes USS Enterprise #1275, Part 30, Intercooler Dowels

Blog
Four short 7/32" lengths of the remaining 1/12" diameter are cut. I usually cut a few extras and pick the best ones for the build. I like to keep small pieces in zip lock bags until needed. The dowels were held using tweezers. A line of glue was applied. The dowels are placed using the tweezers. The low end of the dowels butt up against the front of the intercoolers. [More]

2025-12-08

Estes USS Enterprise #1275, Part 29, The Tail Caps

Blog
GOTHCA! The tail cap liners (slip-in shoulder base) won't fit into the tail caps! The diameter of the liner is the same diameter of the tail cap. Notice the sides of the liner taper towards the right side. The instructions say to "sand the liners until they fit 1/4" into the tail caps. I sanded using 220 grit. The picture to the right show how much of the edge was sanded off that first shoulder. ... [More]

2025-12-07

Estes USS Enterprise #1275, Part 28, The Recovery Probe

Blog
When the face of a centering ring is exposed - I like to sand, seal, then re-sand the face. This rear ring face was sanded with 220 on a block, then got a wood glue coat rubbed in, Then more sanding with 220 and 400 grit. The long 1/8" dowel is there to reinforce the thin walled BT-20. The upper picture shows the glue line before the dowel was set down. My dowel had a slight ... [More]

2025-12-06

Estes USS Enterprise #1275, Part 27, The Recovery Probe

Blog
When building my first Enterprise in the 1970s, I remember being disappointed by the recovery probe. It adds length for stability and area for packing the 18" parachute. It is a flight necessity but unsightly. I'm not going to fill the tube seams (it's 30" long!) but will fill the nose cone and plywood standoffs. To make it less noticeable on the launcher, the recovery probe will be painted ... [More]

2025-12-05

Estes USS Enterprise #1275, Part 26, Ooops!

Blog
A comment by Naoto Kimura: "Hrm... the probe end (i.e. the dowel) looks a tad long to me. I don't recall it projecting as far out when I built the model. " I thought the dowel seemed a bit long. Naoto is right! I don't know why I cut the dowel long. I tend to follow dimensions in the instructions. Measuring from the position of the plywood bulkhead - The dowel should have been 5 1/8" ... [More]

2025-12-04

Estes USS Enterprise #1275, Part 25, The "Stand"

Blog
It's a nice gesture to include a cardstock display stand. As is, it won't fit together. The cut slots (or slits) are too thin to slide together the thick cardstock. With a sharp knife and straightedge, The slots were widened. 320 grit sandpaper was folded and the slot sanded until I got a better slip fit. Here's the finished, assembled stand. Plain, but functional. [More]

2025-12-03

Estes USS Enterprise #1275, Part 24, Forming & Gluing The Rectangles

Blog
The rectangles are flat, the tube is round. On the left, notice the right and left sides don't contact the tube. On the right is a much better fit. Curve the rectangles by pressure forming them around a dowel or around the Sharpie barrel shown here. The picture on the right shows the slight curvature The intercoolers and rectangles are glued on the engines. All are centered on their ... [More]

2025-12-02

Estes USS Enterprise #1275, Part 23, Intercooler Assembly

Blog
The dowels were fitted to each individual cardstock piece. Previously, the fitted pairs were marked 1, 2, 3 & 4. When gluing, sight down the two pieces and adjust to center. The filler/primer gluing areas were scraped for better adhesion. [More]

2025-12-01

Estes USS Enterprise #1275, Part 22, Rectangle Detail Prep

Blog
Here's the back of the die-cut cardstock piece. Note the crimping. This side will be glued down. A before and after sanding with 400 grit on a block. Any raised edges are rolled over with a burnisher to flatten the top. The edges get a smoothed bead of glue to seal them. After the glue dries, sand the sides with 400 grit. [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]