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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:
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2025-01-18

Estes Black Star Voyager Build, Part 18, Fitting The Fins

Blog
The leading edge width of the lower fin assembly was wider than the upper fins. On the right I sanded the lower edge width to match the uppers. On the left, you can see where I sanded into the balsa to adjust the width. This will have to get a recoat of CWF and smooth sanding. Before the vanes are glued on, The root edges are sanded to fit around the BT-60 tube body. Wrap some 220 grit around ... [More]

2025-01-17

Estes Black Star Voyager Build, Part 17, Marking The Tubes

Blog
From the instructions - You are directed to wrap the fin marking guide around the lower tube. This wrap fit very well. GOTCHA: Not mentioned in the instructions - I'd recommend centering the engine hook between two of the "S" lines. You don't want the engine area vanes to hit the engine hook. To go one step further, center the engine hook between two of the "SF" fin lines. As ... [More]

2025-01-16

Estes Black Star Voyager Build, Part 16, Prepping The Vanes

Blog
Using 400 grit, sand off the laser cut ash. You'll end up with a better finish on the outside edges and a stronger glue bond on the root edge. I like to "seal" the exposed edges with wood glue. Apply a very narrow glue line down the outside edge you'll be seeing on the finished model. Smooth the bead using the side of a finger. After the glue dries, Sand the glued edge with 400 ... [More]

2025-01-15

Estes Black Star Voyager Build, Part 15, The Upper Fins, Steps B

Blog
The T pieces are glued onto the leading edge. Run your fingertips down the leading edge to make sure there is an even overhang on both sides. Sand the sides so the T pieces are flat and even with the R piece sides. The instructions say to "trim the ends even". Trim a little long, then use a sanding block to match the angle ends of the R pieces. The single 3/16" diameter launch lug is cut ... [More]

2025-01-14

Estes Black Star Voyager Build, Part 14, The Upper Fins, Steps A

Blog
The upper fin steps are a simpler repeat of the lower fin half. Fewer pieces, less to align. The upper fin halves are easier to assemble compared to the lower fin sets. Taper the S triangle piece and set into the R piece notches dry, no glue yet. Line up the leading edges and tape the side by side leading edges. To tack the sides together, apply small drops of medium CA glue every ... [More]

2025-01-13

Estes Black Star Voyager Build, Part 13, The Lower Fins, Steps F

Blog
I had to sand a steeper angle on the inside of the Q pieces so they would fit together . Notice the sanded bevel is wide enough and ends at the tip of the Y piece. This shows a good fit of the center Q pieces. Here's the interior of the assembly. I tried for a overall better fit, but there is a slight gap inside towards the top of the Q pieces joint. This won't be seen on the finished model. [More]

2025-01-12

Estes Black Star Voyager Build, Part 12, The Lower Fins, Steps E

Blog
GOTCHA: In the instructions, the before illustration is very thin compared to the after drawing on the right. There is a slight taper sanded into the outside edges to better fit the "Q" side pieces coming up. After sanding in the angle, Here's the "Y" piece, lightly glued into the slot in the "X" piece. Glue lightly, you may want to have it held like a glue "hinge" so it can be moved ... [More]

2025-01-11

Estes Black Star Voyager Build, Part 11, The Lower Fins, Steps D

Blog
The "W" strip is centered and glued onto the leading edge of the fin. Check for an even overhang on both sides. I used tape to hold it in place. Double check before you set it aside. Make adjustments before the glue sets up. Here's how the W strip slightly overhangs the sides of the fin. Here's the same fin after sanding down the overhang. The ends of the W strip are sanded to match the ... [More]

Giving Model Rocketry A Bad Name . . .

Blog
To witness the stupidity - CLICK HERE [More]

2025-01-10

Estes Black Star Voyager Build, Part 10, The Lower Fins, Steps C

Blog
I didn't use much glue along the edges of the triangular X piece. Tape was used to hold it in place as the glue dried. With the X piece glued in place, small dots of medium CA glue were set between the two Y taped pieces, every 1 1/2" or so. Use very little CA glue. Here the dot of CA has been smoothed and spread with a Q-tip. Check the alignment of the two sides evening them up before ... [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

Centuri ARGUS clone

Flight
I only used one parachute, the original kit had two, one for the low end, another for the long upper section. The parachute was taped closed in a "hillbilly hat" for faster descent. - C6-5 - Orlando R.O.C.K. [More]

Estes Mini Bertha Clone

Flight
First launch today. After all these years I shouldn't be surprised by how well mini engine models perform. Very stable, the 1/2A3-2t motor. I would guess the altitude capped out at 275'. The two second delay seemed short. - Estes 1/2A3-2t - Orlando R.O.C.K. [More]

Semroc MMX Blue Bird Zero

Flight
I actually captured a MicroMaxx launch! Estimated altitude was 75', no damage after the streamer recovery. - 1/8A-1 - Orlando R.O.C.K. [More]

Warped! (Scratch Design)

Flight
A weird one. It started as a regular bagged Custom kit that sat in the direct sun a little too long. The nose cone was melted and bent. I bought the kit. The body tube was cut into angled wedges and glued together like the Fliskits ACME Spitfire. I renamed it WARPED. A B6-4 pushed it to at ... [More]

Custom Solar Explorer

Flight
I wasn't worried about losing this one - the BT-50 tube was crimped above the engine mount from an earlier hard landing. After reaching an altitude around 600', the winds blew it into the trees just South of the flight line. Lost! I really need to thin the heard anyway. - C6-5 - Orlando R.O.C.K. [More]

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]

2024-03-02

Estes Skytracer Clone

Flight
- A8-3 - Orlando R.O.C.K. [More]

Rocketship Games R5 Hawkeye

Flight
Boost is always fast on these little models, good thing I had some young eyes to point me to the landing area. - 1/8A-1 - Orlando R.O.C.K. [More]

Nike X Goon

Flight
A B6-4 got an altitude of 350'. Full chute, textbook flight. - B6-4 - 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]