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

2025-03-25

Aerotech Mega Initiator #89541, Part 10, Final Fin Fill & Dry Fits

Blog
The fins on the flight version were left square. That inside leading edge angle still wouldn't match up. I added some CWF for a better flow. Here's the same fill after sanding. Some 400 grit was wrapped around a pencil to sand the angle. Another dry fit of the fins showed the ring slots were too tight. The sides were shaved down, widening the slots. Here's how far the engine mount is recessed, ... [More]

2025-03-24

Aerotech Mega Initiator #89541, Part 9, Assembling The Engine Mount Adapters

Blog
In the last post, I did some dry fits until the rings were tight on the tube, but still moveable. Here I'm using the flat face of my sanding block to get the lower ring flush and square with the end of the motor mount tube. Here's the engine mount ready with the upper ring 1" from the top of the tube. A dry fit ready for the epoxy fillets. Epoxy fillets were applied with a gloved finger and ... [More]

2025-03-23

Aerotech Mega Initiator #89541, Part 8, Ring Diameter Sizing

Blog
Both the inside and the outside edges of most rings need to be sized to slide into or over the tubes. I used a combination of a sharp knife and a half round diamond file to slightly increase or decrease the diameters. I found that removing the laser ash brought them to almost the correct size. The additional motor mounts need some sizing. That smaller (inside) ring should slide into and almost ... [More]

2025-03-22

Aerotech Mega Initiator #89541, Part 7, Prepping More Parts!

Blog
I know there is a LOT of parts prepping - Ask any wood worker. The secret to a great finish is good surface preparation. Here's that inside corner on the leading edge of the fins. On the top picture - With the primer shot, you can see the mismatch of the rounded leading edge at the center of the angle. Some corrective sanding was done. Here's the same corner after a ... [More]

2025-03-21

Aerotech Mega Initiator #89541, Part 6, Fin Filling

Blog
One of the fins had a knot hole fill. It won't be noticeable with an easy CWF fill and sanding. This fin will go on the flying build. Here's that inside angle trouble spot I mentioned earlier. When sprayed with filler/primer you can better see what needs to be cleaned up with better rounding. The root edge and fillet areas were taped off for the filler/primer spraying The fin in back is before ... [More]

2025-03-20

Aerotech Mega Initiator #89541, Part 5, Fin Shaping

Blog
The fins are 1/4" thick, five ply plywood. The plywood is very high quality. The instructions don't mention it, but I'm going to round the edges on the presentation model. I drew a pencil line for reference all the way around the exposed outside edges. I started by knocking down the edge at a 45 degree angle with some 220 grit on a block. Sanding with the block helps keep the width consistent. ... [More]

2025-03-19

Aerotech Mega Initiator #89541, Part 4, Tube Fill And Prep

Blog
The presentation model main airframe tube got the seams filled. The picture shows the thinned CWF applied. The tubes will still get a good shot of filler/primer and sanding to complete the two-step fill. Even with the heavy walled tubes, you can still get some extra support by sliding in the coupler. This prevents any distortion of the tube when sanding at the weaker fin slot areas. The ... [More]

2025-03-18

Aerotech Mega Initiator #89541, Part 3, Ring Fitting

Blog
There are a lot of centering rings with all the motor mount adapters. I usually sand off the laser cut burn marks from the flat faces of the centering rings. The ring diameters are just slightly big and will require some sanding for a friction fit over and inside the tubes. Note the tubes have the words "AFT" and MID" burned into them. Test fit all the rings on the tubes ... [More]

2025-03-17

Aerotech Mega Initiator #89541, Part 2, Parts Prepping

Blog
The laser burns should be sanded off the exposed edges. Charred edges won't accept paint well, the burnt edges can show through lighter colors. The rear fin shows the charred sides, the forward fin is after sanding with 320 grit on a block. I'm building two rockets, one for display, the other for flight. The display rocket will have rounded fin edges, the flight model will have squared off ... [More]

2025-03-16

Aerotech Mega Initiator #89541, Part 1, Parts

Blog
All the parts, going left to right: The 54mm Motor Mount Tube 38mm motor mount tube 29mm Adapter tube Quick Link and hardware Red elastic shock cord 36" parachute Four packs centering rings, adapter rings and bulkhead The main airframe tubes: 28" x 4" diameter body tube with three fin slots cut 12" payload tube 4" diameter black nose cone. Three fins laser cut from 1/4" thick ... [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]