Estes Super Neon XL Build

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RCMagic

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Had a lot of fun building this rocket, thanks for some reading before I started it was easier than the Estes instructions. Note: the picture somehow ended in backward order

Super neon XL 8.jpgSuper neon XL 7.jpgSuper neon XL 6.jpgSuper neon XL 5.jpgSuper neon XL 4.jpgSuper neon XL 3.jpgSuper neon XL 2.jpgSuper neon XL 1.jpg
 
Looking good!

I bought two of these on sale, telling myself they were a cheap source of parts. After getting them, I liked the model a little more than expected.....:)

I am building one of the two, with a slight restyling. I cut the front of the six tube fins to a 45 degree angle to make it a little sleeker looking. I am still doodling some alternative stub fin shapes and I think it will be some sort of clipped delta shape that harmonizes somewhat with the raked back tube fins.

The second kit is donating all parts except for the tube fins and stub fins to create a booster for a pair of gliders.

Will post a picture when ready to prime.
 
That looks great! Excellent color choices. I did mine via the facecard and wasn't really happy with the color, so it's a forgone conclusion I'll build another with a new paint scheme. It make not appear to be stable, but flight 1 for it on a D12-5 was flawless and arrowstraight; I think you'll be quite happy with it.
 
While my 3" Wildman Darkstar is my favorite HPR flyer, the Super Neon XL turns out to be my favorite LPR/MPR kit. Mine was upgraded with a 29mm mount and stretched 8" with a full length BT-60 tube on front. It's probably got more flights on it than any other rocket I own! Plus, I have a new one in a bag to build, and a neary complete 3" x 38mm MMT version.
 
Looks great. Mine flies very straight and gets way up there on an E9. Only trouble is that the little fins frequently break off and have to be reglued.
 
I have been building a SNXL as well.
Are you planning on boosting it with this:
attachment.php


Also that is a cool as heck jig.
 
Yes, thats the booster stage that comes with the rocket. The fin alignment tool is Estes Fin Jig, great tool

Edgar,
 
I just finished building my Super Neon XL. I stuck with the same colors as the package. Haven't flown yet.

I had to look twice. You've mounted your fins much lower than I did. Was that a conscious choice to deviate from the plan?
And what's the booster that you're talking about? I didn't get one. I didn't use the fin jig at all.


I built it as per the instructions, assembled six fins onto six tubes, then two tubes combine to the assemblies, and then the three assemblies glue onto the body tube and each other, and the whole rocket gets colored one color.

Then, after masking off the fins, the sonic tubes get painted the accent color. At least that's how I did it. You seem to have gone after the spiral grooves with epoxy or something else. i just primed it, sanded it, primed it, sanded it, and then a couple of coats of the basic color.
 
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I have been building a SNXL as well.
Are you planning on boosting it with this:
attachment.php


Also that is a cool as heck jig.

That looks like the booster for an Air Commander. I don't know if you could safely stage a Super Neon XL with it because it only fits a D 12.
Thinking about it a staged SNXL would be cool....
 
I've noticed we have a thread on building a Super Neon XL in the LPR forum section....
and a thread on kit bashing a Mega Mosquito & Super Neon XL in the MPR forum section...

All use D or E motors to launch, which i thought were considered Mid-Power Range.

So, which is correct?
 
I've noticed we have a thread on building a Super Neon XL in the LPR forum section....
and a thread on kit bashing a Mega Mosquito & Super Neon XL in the MPR forum section...

All use D or E motors to launch, which i thought were considered Mid-Power Range.

So, which is correct?
D is low power, E (especially real composite E's) is mid power so both are technically right.
 
D motors are firmly in the model rocket catagory, with Es being mid power, but right on the border between the two, with F and G motors firmly in the mid power catagory.

I am thinking about starting a thread to showcase all the SNXL re-stylings, bashes and mods. Mine is still waiting on my final fin redesign.

Planning on chopping up and rearranging the supplied decal so that it reads "Super Xenon" on my modded model, just to spread a little confusion....;)
 
I just finished building my Super Neon XL. I stuck with the same colors as the package. Haven't flown yet.

I had to look twice. You've mounted your fins much lower than I did. Was that a conscious choice to deviate from the plan?
And what's the booster that you're talking about? I didn't get one. I didn't use the fin jig at all.


I built it as per the instructions, assembled six fins onto six tubes, then two tubes combine to the assemblies, and then the three assemblies glue onto the body tube and each other, and the whole rocket gets colored one color.

Then, after masking off the fins, the sonic tubes get painted the accent color. At least that's how I did it. You seem to have gone after the spiral grooves with epoxy or something else. i just primed it, sanded it, primed it, sanded it, and then a couple of coats of the basic color.

That's the booster section of a Air Commander (oops wrong picture for this thread)
 
Just ordered another Super Neon XL from the Estes website, they have it on sales $8.99. Plan to modify the multi-tubes as suggested here.
 
I've noticed we have a thread on building a Super Neon XL in the LPR forum section....
and a thread on kit bashing a Mega Mosquito & Super Neon XL in the MPR forum section...

All use D or E motors to launch, which i thought were considered Mid-Power Range.

So, which is correct?

I'll actually be flying my Mega Mosquito / Super Neon bash on an F, which is why I posted in MPR
 
I am currently putting together a Super Neon XL and do not plan on using the balsa fins, because I don't like the looks of the extra fins. Should I be concerned about stability problems without those extra fins? Or have any of you built and flown this rocket without the balsa fins? If so how did it fly? Thanks for any information you can provide here.
 
I noted that at least one builder above placed the extra/excess balsa wood mini fins a good deal lower down the six tubes along the outside. I think that looks a little better, but it definitely alters the look of the design. Have you considered doing that?
 
D motors are firmly in the model rocket catagory, with Es being mid power, but right on the border between the two, with F and G motors firmly in the mid power catagory.

I am thinking about starting a thread to showcase all the SNXL re-stylings, bashes and mods. Mine is still waiting on my final fin redesign.

Planning on chopping up and rearranging the supplied decal so that it reads "Super Xenon" on my modded model, just to spread a little confusion....;)

All the Rockets discussed here are firmly in the "Model Rocket Catagory", unless they are going to Space or carrying Warheads.
 
a super neon XL flies nicely w/o the balsa fins. E18-4 works well, F24-5 will put it up quite a ways, never got a chance to try an F39(mine landed in a large pond and was not recoverable).
Rex
 
a super neon XL flies nicely w/o the balsa fins. E18-4 works well, F24-5 will put it up quite a ways, never got a chance to try an F39(mine landed in a large pond and was not recoverable).
Rex

Thanks for confirming what I suspected to be true, I'm looking forward to flying it in a couple weeks at our next club launch.
 
I got a chance to fly the Super Neon XL yesterday and it really flies well without the balsa fins, it was very stable on the 2 launches I flew it yesterday, one D12-5 and one D15-7 reloadable composite. It definitely doesn't need the balsa fins for stability, and I think it has a cleaner look without the fins, well worth the $8.99 sale price.
 
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I too have a SNXL and have flown it many times. The number one problem I have with it is having one or two fins snapping off on every landing. I keep re-gluing them but the problem persists. Seeing how this is the Estes version of the old Groove Tube that had no balsa fins (and flew great back in the day), I would suggest skipping those to save weight for higher flights and less recurring damage. I've never flown mine without the question "How many motors does that thing hold?" ;) Staging or Clustering is in my future for an upscale.
 
I am looking forward to flying the Super Neon XL that I built late last year...and has been gathering dust... along with my Estes "Scrambler" and the "Saki" and a few others that I completed, but have not launched yet.... March 21st had better be a good weather day, with warm skies and firm frozen ground....
 
I have been building a SNXL as well.
Are you planning on boosting it with this:
attachment.php


Also that is a cool as heck jig.

So THAT's how you're supposed to be using those jig thing parts..... Ahhhh sooooo.....
 
I too have a SNXL and have flown it many times. The number one problem I have with it is having one or two fins snapping off on every landing. I keep re-gluing them but the problem persists. Seeing how this is the Estes version of the old Groove Tube that had no balsa fins (and flew great back in the day), I would suggest skipping those to save weight for higher flights and less recurring damage. I've never flown mine without the question "How many motors does that thing hold?" ;) Staging or Clustering is in my future for an upscale.

I was thinking about a cluster setup as well. I wonder if you put motor mounts in 3 of the 6 tubes if it would still be stable without more fins? Open Rocket doesn't have a tube fin option to simulate it first, but maybe someone has tried it in another simulator?
 
While my 3" Wildman Darkstar is my favorite HPR flyer, the Super Neon XL turns out to be my favorite LPR/MPR kit. Mine was upgraded with a 29mm mount and stretched 8" with a full length BT-60 tube on front. It's probably got more flights on it than any other rocket I own! Plus, I have a new one in a bag to build, and a neary complete 3" x 38mm MMT version.
I am curious about how you stretched the SNXL 8 inches and what size motor can you fly with the 29mm motor mount?
 
I am curious about how you stretched the SNXL 8 inches and what size motor can you fly with the 29mm motor mount?

I don't think the original poster is going to answer as he hasn't posted since 2014.

The Super Neon XL comes with two tubes. The lower tube is a full length of 18 inches and the top tube I believe is cut to 10 inches. My guess is that the original poster simply replaced the shorter, upper tube with another full length 18 inch tube.

As for motors. My guess is that rocket completed even with the larger motor mount and extended tube will still come in pretty light. You should be able to easily use the Estes E16 and F15 black powder motors.
 
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