Model Rocket Building Blog 
Model Rocket Building Posts
Rocketry Product: Estes - Orbital Transport {Kit} (1242, 1259, K-42) [1969-1985]
Estes Orbital Transport, Kit #K-42 Background (2018-12-19)
This was the first real catalog I received from Estes. This 1970 catalog cover had a great impression on me. I had to have that cover rocket! By the time I requested one, Estes had ran out of their ... [Read More]
Estes Orbital Transport, Kit #K-42, Part 2, Engine Mount (2018-12-20)The engine mount is a standard 20/50 style. I'll be doing some minor upgrades. The upper centering ring is glued above the upper bend of the engine nook so no notch is needed. I did cut a "V" shaped ... [Read More]
Estes Orbital Transport, Kit #K-42, Part 1, Parts (2018-12-21)I forgot the parts post - #1!!! This will be a spare parts build. When you see it like this it doesn't look like there was much in the bag! Some changes - A heavy wall BT-50H tube is ... [Read More]
Estes Orbital Transport, Kit #K-42, Part 3, Cutting Out The Balsa (2018-12-22)Look at all the fin templates! In the kit these were printed on light card stock. NO die cutting, No laser cut fins in 1969. You would cut out the template, trace with pencil on the balsa (follow ... [Read More]
Estes Orbital Transport, Kit #K-42, Part 4, Cutting Out The Balsa (2018-12-23)I double checked the squareness of some parts with my engineer's square. Hold the balsa and square up to the light to check it. The two large wing pieces are glued together. Here they are under my ... [Read More]
Estes Orbital Transport, Kit #K-42, Part 5, Wing Assembly (2018-12-24)I had already filled the large rear wing pieces and then realized I didn't include the long forward strake! I filled the strakes with CWF. After they are glued on the assembly will get a shot of ... [Read More]
Estes Orbital Transport, Kit #K-42, Part 6, Scramjet Assembly (2018-12-25)The open inside ends of the tubes got a wipe of CA glue. Sometimes I'll fill the inside seams if they are visible on the finished model. These scramjet tubes are BT-5 and small and not easy to fill. ... [Read More]
Estes Orbital Transport, Kit #K-42, Part 7, Scramjet Assembly (2018-12-26)I checked the filled scramjet housing top piece from the laser cut sheet from BMS. I thought maybe I had sanded the piece smaller. The part may have been cut too small. The new center piece was ... [Read More]
Estes Orbital Transport, Kit #K-42, Part 8, Launch Lugs & Standoffs (2018-12-27)Two launch lugs are cut to 5/8" long. I usually sands the ends flat and square with 400 grit on a block. The Mylar skin usually rolls over on the inside. Pick it out with the tip of your knife and ... [Read More]
Estes Orbital Transport, Kit #K-42, Part 10, Decal Correction (2018-12-28)Working a bit ahead - I wanted the decals to read "ASTRON" like the original Estes kit. The decals I bought from Semroc read: "Semroc Astronautics Lines". This is not a big deal, I just wanted it ... [Read More]
Estes Orbital Transport, Kit #K-42, Part 9, Launch Lugs Alignment (2018-12-28)The printed PDF tube marking guide probably wouldn't fit the BT-50H heavy wall tube. I went to payloadbay.com and entered the 50H diameter and an eight fin count. This fit the tube perfectly. The ... [Read More]
Estes Orbital Transport, Kit #K-42, Part 11, Glider Surface Fill & End Disk (2018-12-29)The glider wing and rudder parts are cut from 1/16" thick balsa. I hand picked out some balsa with very little grain. I rarely use the Hobby Lite filler. It's not really good for general rocket ... [Read More]
Estes Orbital Transport, Kit #K-42, Part 12, Wing Filling & Gluing (2019-01-01)There's a LOT of balsa pieces! Everything was filled with sanded CWF and sanded primer/filler. Both sides of the wing were glued on using my Odd'l Rockets Fin Tool. These fins are far forward so I ... [Read More]
Estes Orbital Transport, Kit #K-42, Part 13, Glider Wing Fit & Fill (2019-01-02)Notice the break at the butt joint of the two wing sides. Using a sanding block, a slight angle was sanded into both wing root edges. The sanded angle makes a better fit and a tighter glue joint. ... [Read More]
Estes Orbital Transport, Kit #K-42, Part 14, Glider Assembly (2019-01-03)The wing is glued onto the glider BT-20 tube. TIP: Don't even try to make a glue fillet in the tight wing joint. It would take too many bubbled glue fills adding weight to the glider. I did add a ... [Read More]
Estes Orbital Transport, Kit #K-42, Part 15, Ventral Fins & Glider Support (2019-01-04)Mentioned earlier, my eight fin evenly spaced marking guide doesn't work for the ventral and glider support fins. On the left you can see how those marks line up with the original kit marking guide. ... [Read More]
Estes Orbital Transport, Kit #K-42, Part 16, Small Fin Placement (2019-01-05)Here's a view from the top showing the glider support piece positions. The instructions say to glue them 2 7/8" from the rear. I glued them 3" from the rear so they didn't overhang the glider wing. ... [Read More]
Estes Orbital Transport, Kit #K-42, Part 17, More Fins & Pre-Paint (2019-01-07)I used the old kit marking template for the wing fin positions. Pencil marks were made in three different locations by sliding the template down the main tube. There's not much filler/primer after ... [Read More]
Estes Orbital Transport, Kit #K-42, Part 18, Scramjet Assembly Gluing (2019-01-08)Yep - I should have glued these scramjets on earlier, but I wanted to get enough white paint into the inside edges. There are a lot of inside areas on the model. Some paint had to be removed for ... [Read More]
Estes Orbital Transport, Kit #K-42, Part 19, Orbital Glider Decals (2019-01-09)The gloss white finish coat on the glider was dry before the larger booster assembly. The Semroc Orbital Transport decals (and maybe the original Estes kit decals) are tightly arranged on the sheet. ... [Read More]
Estes Orbital Transport, Kit #K-42, Part 20, Orbital Glider Decals (2019-01-10)Looking down from the top, the second "Astron Aerospace Lines" decal was placed. Normally I can coax a decal around a nose cone. Here I'm rolling a wet Q-tip over the decal to work out the wrinkles. ... [Read More]
Estes Orbital Transport, Kit #K-42, Part 21, Booster Decals (2019-01-11)Double check the scramjet decal positioning before the transferring onto the model. You would think the small end of the trapezoid shapes would face forward, but the wide end faces forward. The ... [Read More]
Estes Orbital Transport, Kit #K-42, Part 22, Booster Decals (2019-01-12)Again, the decals are arranged tight on the backing sheet. Cut slow and carefully so you don't go into another decal. The side stripe decal is narrow and long! You'll have to trim so it fits tight ... [Read More]
Estes Orbital Transport, Kit #K-42, Finished (2019-01-13)Another crossed off the list! I've been wanting to build the Orbital Transport for a few years. If an O.T. is at a club launch, I always watch the flight. A classic kit, well designed. The only ... [Read More]
Quest Aurora Finished (2014-06-27)The fin unit was slipped on and CA glued from the back. The instructions say to use a tape wrap but the fit of my fin can was tight without it. This was an interesting build, ... [Read More]
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