Suggestions for models to upscale

Since I am nearing the end on my Devastator build (despite not yet getting it into the air details...) I am looking at what I want to do next. I like the modeling side of the hobby, and was thinking of taking an old Estes (or equally cool older model) and upscaling it.

I know a number of people have upscaled the QCC Explorer (which I totally dig), so I'd like to do something different.

I have sitting in my fleet an Estes Trident II that I really like. I am building an Estes Blackhawk which I think could be cool, but tricky. I also have a Sirius Re-fit U.S.S. Atlantis. Past rockets that have passed on to the great corn field and/or tree in the sky include an Estes Ramjet which would be a fairly straight forward upscale ( I say not having ever done such a thing ).

Do people have any recommendations for a cool kit from days gone past that could be turned up a notch? I am curious what else is out there that I missed in all my years away. Thanks!

A 5" scissor wing transport might be interesting...

I have been thinking that an upscale of the Estes Airborne Surveillance Missile would be very cool.

Go to stickershock23.com and browse the classic vinyl de als available. You will get many ideas there.

You can go to the Estes site and look at all the catalogs from years past.
That is where I get some idea's. Well, a LOT of ideas.
But one only has so much time...you know how that goes...
Check em out "HERE"

The Enterprise.

A BT60 upscale of the old Estes USS Andromeda would be cool.

this is where I go to get inspired https://plans.rocketshoppe.com/ more rocket kits then a tree can shake a branch at.

I just finished this one Nebulon worrier Estes 1969 model of the month

not from days past, but fliskits acme spitfire would be challenging and cool to upscale

I did an upscale of the Estes Ramjet a couple years ago; if you go up to a BT80 tube for the outer body, the core tube becomes a BT55. That works OK, but is tough to pack a chute in (the little Ramjet had the same issue). I built mine fairly light, so it performs well on a D12.



I've been contemplating a further upscale. A 4" outer diameter pairs well with a 54mm core tube. I'd design it a little different, structurally, at that point. But I've considered using MAC Performance phenolic canvas to build that one...

MALBAR 70 said:

A BT60 upscale of the old Estes USS Andromeda would be cool.

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+1 - Andromedas are very cool!

I think the Custom P.O.N.G. screams to be upscaled too!

The Centuri Buck Rodgers fighter ship, the good guys.. that twin pod thingie.. bonus points for making it a cluster!

https://jonrocket.com/images/starfighter.jpg

An Estes Star Speeder would be impressive, I think. I'm trying to work on one myself, but have stalled while I work on a couple other projects.

EXPjawa said:

I did an upscale of the Estes Ramjet a couple years ago; if you go up to a BT80 tube for the outer body, the core tube becomes a BT55. ...

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Mine was BT-60s inside and 3.25" Plotter Paper cores (I use a lot of those) for outside

Crossfire, Mosquito D.A.R.T., JRB- 013, Swift

I liked a HPR upscale of the Estes Pathfinder I seen fly at MDRA or URRF. Build is pretty straight forward, but was pretty cool to see fly on L2 motors. Not sure who the builder / flyer was.

I'm a big fan of upscales. Here is one I'm trying to finish for NSL 2017. It's a BT-60 based Orbital Transport, sitting next to my standard sized one (wearing green decals).



Here is one if you like to turn nose cones. The Trident. Nine ((!) balsa nose cones. The parts were just sort of placed together for the picture. The three ducting tubes are going to get lengthened to about 40". Also, I think I have the nose cones on the upper tube reversed. A few I had done by BMS when they did custom cones. The rest I am turning. This has been a very long term project.

Trident said:

I'm a big fan of upscales. Here is one I'm trying to finish for NSL 2017. It's a BT-60 based Orbital Transport, sitting next to my standard sized one (wearing green decals).

View attachment 318254

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Nice! I need to get onto building my Orbital Transport now that I have all the parts (of course its 17th on the current build list).

Thanks Rich,

The fun part is sealing all the balsa! Good thing NSL is at end of May!

How big are you looking to go? I used the dimensions from an old favorite, my Estes Patriot, and turned my PSII Scion kit into an upscale version of that. I also found the dimensions for the old Ninja and built a BT-60 version of that. I recently discovered I bought one more dual deploy altimeter than my current projects dictate, and have begun pricing out the parts to do a 4" upscale of a favorite recent Estes design........

I did a 3" Starship Vega & BT70 Goblin. Currently working on BT60 versions of a Wizard and Viking. Have parts for a BT70 Bandit (complete with original duct work baffle) and BT70 Blue Bird Zero.

What do you like and how big are you thinking?

Probably any of Estes' early '80s space plane rockets would qualify. Pegasus, NASA Pegasus, Attack Craft Orion, Orbital Interceptor, Scorpius, Starship Nova, Falcon Commander, even the Argosy are uncommon enough to qualify. Another one that isn't often upscaled is the EAC Firecat, since not that many people know about it. The only upscale of that I've actually seen was the only I built, but as long as you can come up with an Honest John cone in the size you pick it isn't too difficult.

EXPjawa said:

Probably any of Estes' early '80s space plane rockets would qualify. Pegasus, NASA Pegasus, Attack Craft Orion, Orbital Interceptor, Scorpius, Starship Nova, Falcon Commander, even the Argosy are uncommon enough to qualify. Another one that isn't often upscaled is the EAC Firecat, since not that many people know about it. The only upscale of that I've actually seen was the only I built, but as long as you can come up with an Honest John cone in the size you pick it isn't too difficult.

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I did a BT-70 size NASA Pegasus a couple years ago (that's it in my profile picture). I'm going to build a 4" version using my extra MDRM nose cone in the next year or so depending on how large my shop in the next house is...

chrisudy said:

I did a BT-70 size NASA Pegasus a couple years ago (that's it in my profile picture). I'm going to build a 4" version using my extra MDRM nose cone in the next year or so depending on how large my shop in the next house is...

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I did a BT60-sized version a couple years ago. It looks great but has a, um, squirrelly flight characteristic. Sort of a lazy aileron roll, so I must not have gotten it quite square. Another one that might be neat to an upscale of is the Advanced Target Drone. I did this one in BT70 2 years ago; its a 3x24mm cluster, using D11-P motors in the pods.



Below is the EAC Firecat I referred to before:

I'm working on an upscale Vector Force with a bluetube body that -- if I can make the transitions work and not break - should be a bit of a screamer. I love the way the LPR version flies....

EXPjawa said:

cool stuff

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Your upscales are awesome. I especially love the Firecat, which is just a beautiful design including the paint scheme.

I was thinking the Starship Nova would be a good subject, since it's likely to become popular again with its rerelease.

Awesome work on display here!

I'm planning to upscale the Estes Magnum, just because it was my favorite two-stager as a kid. After that, I've been kicking around the idea of an upscale Estes Strikefighter.

neil_w said:

Your upscales are awesome. I especially love the Firecat, which is just a beautiful design including the paint scheme.

I was thinking the Starship Nova would be a good subject, since it's likely to become popular again with its rerelease.

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Thank you, sir. The toughest part about that Firecat is the paint - specifically, masking a straight line across the curvature of the nose cone (big or little size). It would be a cool one to do in a 4" size, if someone felt motivated...

I'd thought about the Starship Nova; now that patterns will be readily available, it becomes somewhat practical. I believe that Sandman can make that nose cone, though I can't imagine it being cheap. The Strikefighter is another neat candidate. One of the guys in our local club built one in, maybe, 2.6" I think. Neat rocket, it was a shame to watch crash after a failure to deploy.



Fortunately, Tom was able to rebuild it - it was mostly replacing the tube forward of the wings. Last I saw it, he'd made it flyable again, though not cosmetically restored.

EXPjawa said:

I'd thought about the Starship Nova; now that patterns will be readily available, it becomes somewhat practical. I believe that Sandman can make that nose cone, though I can't imagine it being cheap.

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Duh. I spaced out and forgot about that crazy nose cone. That's a toughie.

Just ordered stuff to start a 4" Solar Warrior. Should be a real fun build.