Estes Solar Sailer clone

Here is another long skinny rocket I have been working on. Found the plans in Ye Olde Rocket Shop. Left this one as designed except for adding an engine block and modifying the shock cord mount and shock cord. Obtained most of the parts from Hartle Engineering. Thanks Ed! Got the rest (dowels and balsa) from Hobby Lobby.
Have a set of decals coming from Excelsior Rocketry and plan on going with the original red nose/front end and white body, but nothing is getting painted until it warms up a little.

I'm looking to start the build on a Solar Sailer II clone here in the near future.

Great flyer. I built the original (not the II) a few years back from a clone kit offered by PDRocketry. PDRocketry is no longer in business but my review lives on the rocketreview site.

https://archive.rocketreviews.com/reviews/all/pdr_solar_sailor.shtml

The Sailer ended it's flying career in a tree. You better believe I tried everthing short of a chainsaw to get it back.

That review (and this build thread) should be very helpful when I start cutting balsa.

Instead of solid balsa gussets with decals pretending to be trusses, I had the wild idea of making actual trusses. I've been experimenting with stripwood and cardstock; looks like it'll not be too difficult.

samb said:

Great flyer. I built the original (not the II) a few years back from a clone kit offered by PDRocketry. PDRocketry is no longer in business but my review lives on the rocketreview site.

https://archive.rocketreviews.com/reviews/all/pdr_solar_sailor.shtml

The Sailer ended it's flying career in a tree. You better believe I tried everthing short of a chainsaw to get it back.

Click to expand...

Great looking rocket! Hopefully I will get some paint on mine this weekend. Once I get at least a coat of primer on it, I may take it down to the soccer field and give it a test flight.

Madison Alum said:

Great looking rocket! Hopefully I will get some paint on mine this weekend. Once I get at least a coat of primer on it, I may take it down to the soccer field and give it a test flight.

Click to expand...

Thanks, it was a good looker despite my horrendous photography. There's rocket science...and then there's photography ! And thanks for starting this thread which promted me to find that old linky. I hope your pictures come out better than mine. I didn't have any red paint on hand so I used fluorescent orange and omitted the red decals so as not to clash.

I have an orignal Solar Sailer II from my first return as a BAR in the early 90's. Always a great flier and one of my faves.

Someday I would like to clone the orignal......someday

Solar Sailer II is a great bird, I had thoughts of going Level I with an upscale but that was back in the days of having free time. She is one of my few retired rockets as she needs some internal repairs that I'm not sure I can pull off with out a major overhaul of the fin can. Jammed motor and a rough landing after a chute separation will do that to a ~15 year old rocket (at the time of last flight she's probably close to 20 now)

Well it looks like we have a little Solar Sailer fan club forming here. :grin:

Found a nice shot taken on the day I lost mine to a tree. This fine photo courtesy of Tim Sapp.

Cookie the Dog's Owner said:

...
Instead of solid balsa gussets with decals pretending to be trusses, I had the wild idea of making actual trusses. I've been experimenting with stripwood and cardstock; looks like it'll not be too difficult.

Click to expand...

Now that sounds like a great idea. You'll have a unique take on this model for your effort. Pictures, please when you get finished.

Daisy and Duke say "Go for it!"

Cookie the Dog's Owner said:

That review (and this build thread) should be very helpful when I start cutting balsa.

Instead of solid balsa gussets with decals pretending to be trusses, I had the wild idea of making actual trusses. I've been experimenting with stripwood and cardstock; looks like it'll not be too difficult.

Click to expand...

That sounds neat, definitly post pics. Styrene could work nicely as well. I always took the black areas to be solar panels, is that your plan or are you thinking open truss work?

mjennings said:

... Styrene could work nicely as well. I always took the black areas to be solar panels, is that your plan or are you thinking open truss work?

Click to expand...

I was thinking balsa and/or basswood. (I tend to like basswood for thinner sectioned fins because it's more sturdy.) I've always interpreted the black areas on the decal to be empty space, so it'll be an open truss.

Will definitely post about it if it comes out looking halfway decent.

I did some experimenting with stripwood and came up with something that looks pretty good. I posted the how-to in a separate thread.

The trusses should look really cool! I haven't developed the skill or patience for something that intricate. I did get some primer on my rocket yesterday, as well as my Newway 4 Square. Still haven't mastered the art of painting without getting runs, so a little sanding and reprimering is in order. Maybe a test flight next weekend.

Cookie the Dog's Owner said:

I did some experimenting with stripwood and came up with something that looks pretty good. I posted the how-to in a separate thread.

View attachment 121165

Click to expand...

Wow, nice experiment :surprised: ! Keep that up and I'll insist on a full blown build thread op: . Really nice detail.

off topic: picture of Cookie ?

samb said:

off topic: picture of Cookie ?

Click to expand...

Cookie must be the same breed as Butterscotch. Or at least a close cousin.

Nice puppy pics guys. Sorry for the hijack Madison Alum .

Got the gloss white on the Solar Sailer today. Next will be the red front end, decals clear and then fly!

Got the red on the front end and the decals from Excelsior Rocketry applied. Now just some clear coat, a chute and it'll time to fly in Muncie.

Nicely done, my friend. You've raised the bar for my own build.

Cookie the Dog's Owner said:

I did some experimenting with stripwood and came up with something that looks pretty good.

Click to expand...

Good enough to be a model RR bridge with a few nut/bolt/washer castings added

Cookie the Dog's Owner said:

Nicely done, my friend. You've raised the bar for my own build.

Click to expand...

Thanks! Just don't look too closely at the strut decals. Wasn't paying close enough attention when I put them on and got some upside down or something. I think the struts were supposed to be a continuous up and down, but they didn't turn out quite that way. Should still fly OK though!

Yours came out really nice MA. When's the first flight ?

Thanks! First flight will be April 20 at ROCI's first launch of the year in Muncie, at the AMA's field. Weather permitting. Now that it has gotten warm, it's getting windy.