Yeah.... Uh... I meant to do that... Estes Vigilante (1278) Mods.

Ok, I was working on a clone of the Centuri Magnum D Hornet (redshifted to an E motor), and I messed up. I didn't catch that the back of the motor tube protrudes 1/4" below the back of the body tube. NUTS!!!!

Well, I have the parts... I guess I'll start over. Now what... Well, the Vigilante uses the same nosecone as the Estes Hornet (the foundation for the Centuri clone).... Hmmm... But the body tube is 4" short... Oh, I have a scrap of body tube... Hey! It's 4" long! I couldn't possibly have a 2.75" long scrap of BT-55... No, I do have one... Hmmm.




I'm now working on a 24mm powered (E sustainer, D booster) of the Vigilante.



But what about that other nosecone, the BT-60AH, that I have... Hmmm I wonder... Yup! I've got enough BT-60 to do the job... I'm now working on an upscale of the Vigilante too.



Both will be 24mm powered, and both will have a payload section. Now all I need to do is get those fins printed out, then verify the measurements, before I start cutting balsa.

If you haven't guessed it by now... I LOVE building rockets!

I'm working on a BT70/29mm version

Nice looking Vigilante you've got there Charles.

I managed to print out the fins and then run the numbers... I'm glad I did. RocketReviews's .rkt file was off quite a bit. The image on the left was from RR., the one on the right I created from the downloaded scan from JimZ's site.





Now, I'm uploading my revised .ork files, these are not 100% to the actual kit, I've redshifted the rocket from A-C motors to D/E motors, I've added a payload section, and split the launch lug into two smaller pieces (and increased them from 1/8" to 3/16" LL's). Other than that, I've tried to maintain the correct outer appearance of the rocket.




Estes Vigilante (1278)(BT-60 Upscale, 24mm Powered Mod)(Accurate Fins)


Estes Vigilante (1278)(24mm Powered Mod)(Accurate Fins)





And I've uploaded a stock version of the Vigilante as well:

Estes Vigilante (1278)(Stock)

I suspect I based mine on the RocketReviews rocksim file. Oh, well. I also used (iirc) a BNC-70X from Semroc. It's a little shorter than a straight scale. I haven't decided if I'm going to see if Sandman can turn me a proper upscaled one. And maybe the decals, if my boy can't get them cut at school.

I did through the wall fins and papered them. I did mess up a little on the motor mount placement. I put an estes 29mm retainer on the booster, and it ended up shifting the positioning of the upper motor mount. At least the way I set it. It's about a quarter inch further into the sustainer than I'd like. I can still get tape around it, though.

I also built a little avbay from a coupler for my boy's EggFinder TRS. I want to try doing a hot wire cable cutter, rather than pyro dual deploy.

Now I'm just waiting for painting season.

Nice. I still have my Vigilante I built when I was a kid back then. I don't know which is worse, making it through flights or making it through moves all around. But it made it. I ended up painting it black after one crash I think. Thought about painting it back to original or making a new one.
Michael

Charles_McG said:

I suspect I based mine on the RocketReviews rocksim file. Oh, well. I also used (iirc) a BNC-70X from Semroc. It's a little shorter than a straight scale. I haven't decided if I'm going to see if Sandman can turn me a proper upscaled one. And maybe the decals, if my boy can't get them cut at school.

Click to expand...

Accurate or not, yours still looks good. Can't wait to see it finished!

I've uploaded my .ork file and the corrected fins image (from post #3) to RocketReviews... Now I need to do a review (or homework).

I'm hoping that Semroc's custom nosecone system will come online again soon.

@Michael: I vote making a new one... When Estes does another one of their sales, *IF* they have the combo specials, you can pick up the Hornet, Monarch, and Cosmic Explorer for a few bucks (~$10 IIRC) and use one of them for your foundation.

My Estes Hornet was being converted into a Centuri Hornet (it only needs the PNC-55AC nosecone (which I have)). However, when I messed it up, the messed up version became the foundation for the Vigilante. I've started another Hornet using parts I have on hand. The Cosmic Explorer will remain so (with a D/E redshift), and the Monarch *may* become an Omega (downscale), or one of any number of PNC-55AO using rockets.

Pointy Side Up!
Jim

Finally got the cut vinyl decals from my Boyo's school. I put a Leviathan in the picture for scale.

Nearly ready to fly - working out options for an Eggtimer TRS and maybe a hot wire cutter tended descent.

First and last flight. Upper stage failed to ignite.

Ouch! Sorry to hear about that. Any guesses on why?

Might not be a complete loss. It looks like there's enough left of it that you could cut it down and splice in a new body tube/nosecone.

oohhhh not good sorry about the lawn dart, its was a good looking rocket.


TA

The booster is fine. And the sustainer fin can and motor mount section is fine. I even have a spare cut vinyl decal.

But I think I'll try to get a better matching nose cone next time.

Same thing happened on the first flight of my first Vigi 30 odd years ago. Back then, I just got another and started over.

I loved that thing and your upscale definitely has gotten my wheels turning.

I lost my Warp II and a Magnum Payloader to 2nd stage failures/lawndart incidents. That said, I'm not quitting on 2 stage rockets.

I got some good tips over on YORF, ( https://www.oldrocketforum.com/showthread.php?t=15070 ) and a new nosecone on the way from sandman/excelsior rocketry. A better match to the original, to boot.

I already had extra BT70 from a Titan IIIe project, so I think I'll be back in the air soon.

That is a terrible shame. I hate to see crashed rockets. However, I must admit it's awesome to see them crash. But only for like 0.03 seconds, then I feel the pain hit.

Rebuilt and successfully flown.

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