Upscale Starship Vega

For my next build, I decided to expand my Estes Upscale fleet. Next on the list - Estes Starship Vega...



This is one of those rockets I can vividly remember flying as a kid. It is a cool 'futuristic' design and should be a fun upscale project.

Here are the basic specs (approximately 317% upscale)…

• 3” LOC body tubes (will wrap 2 layers of 5.79 oz fiberglass)
• 1/8” Plywood fins (will apply 2 layers of 5.79 oz. fiberglass for strength). The large main fins will be ‘through the wall'. The smaller fins will not. I plan to reinforce the smaller fins with fillets and fiberglass strips.
• 54mm MMT. I don’t expect to push this rocket to extremes and will most likely adapt down to 38mm loads. However, it is nice to have options 
• 3” FG Conical nosecone from Rocketry Warehouse
• Estes BT60 body tubes to build Leg assemblies
• 3x BT-60 Balsa Nose Cones from Jon Rocket to secure leg assemblies to main fins
• Aeropack Motor retainer
• Dual Deploy with full redundancy (1x SL100s and 1x RRC3 Xtreme)

I already used a scroll saw to cut the fins. Here is a pic with most of the parts.



I’m not sure how quickly this will move along, but will post my progress throughout the build.

Chris

Awesome! The world needs more Starship Vega. I have a build thread on here somewhere from mine. Slightly different as it is SD and 38mm MMT, but it makes a great "this is how not to do it" reference.

here it is (if this works) https://www.rocketryforum.com/showt...e-Starship-Vega-build&highlight=starship+vega

That is one worthy build there Chris.

Cool. I always wanted to build the Starship Vega as a kid but never did. I have one question though. Why fiberglass? I have never fiberglassed any of my level 2 rockets. I see a lot of people fiberglass them though. I haven't really pushed mine too hard either. The biggest motor so far was a K700 in my 8# Laser-X 3X upscale. I guess I don't see fiberglassing until you are going to go super sonic. What is your opinion and reasons for it? Can't wait to see this rocket completed.

davdue said:

Cool. I always wanted to build the Starship Vega as a kid but never did. I have one question though. Why fiberglass? I have never fiberglassed any of my level 2 rockets. I see a lot of people fiberglass them though. I haven't really pushed mine too hard either. The biggest motor so far was a K700 in my 8# Laser-X 3X upscale. I guess I don't see fiberglassing until you are going to go super sonic. What is your opinion and reasons for it? Can't wait to see this rocket completed.

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Great question - - I really don't think FG is necessary on most builds. In fact, I have several rockets with no glass and have pushed them to the limits with no issues. In this case, it definitely is not necessary on the body tubes. LOC tubes are pretty durable and this rocket will not be breaking any speed records.

That being said, I glass almost all of my builds. I do it for all the following reasons...

• When done properly, it leaves a perfect finish. There is no need to fill spirals, etc.
• It removes most of the risk associated with zippers or transportation damage
• I actually enjoy building rockets that are solid as a rock (as opposed to 'built for performance').
• A little extra weight is not a bad thing. It allows for bigger loads with more dramatic lift-offs.

The fins are a different story... I didn't want to go with 1/4" ply. That adds a ton of extra weight & drag. I used 1/8" ply and the main fins are HUGE. If it came down on a funny angle (i.e. shock cord tangle), they would be susceptible to damage. Also, the forward fins have a lot of exposure and will be located near the AV bay. Again, lots of risk for cracking/damage.

Chris you left one out. Pulling them out of trees with great force and a vengeance a pond theeeee.:lol:

Getmore said:

Chris you left one out. Pulling them out of trees with great force and a vengeance a pond theeeee.:lol:

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Actually, that is a good point. Fiber-glassed rockets fare better with tree and/or swamp recovery.

One other I forgot to mention... using Fiberglass on thin plywood is a great way to ensure they are perfectly FLAT. Here is what I've done with the 6 of the 9 fins (so far)...

• Lay 1 sheet of Parchment paper on top of pane of glass
• Organize fins to maximize space and still leave room for Dremel work
• Apply two layers of Fiberglass 2 layers of 5.79 oz fiberglass (using West Epoxy)
• Apply 1 sheet of peel ply (for a nice smooth finish)
• Lay 1 sheet of Parchment paper on top of peel ply
• Place second pane of glass on top (with added weight to ensure fins lay flat)

• Let Dry
• Flip over and repeat for other side

Here they are... perfectly flat and tough as nails.



Next, I need to cut them out with a Dremel (diamond blade preferred). Then, apply a little filler for minor imperfections and sand them.

Looks like a lot of fun I will be watching. Nice DD with redundant back up, only way to go great security for just a few bucks.

Plenty of awesome AT 54mm 427 or one grain CTI loads, no need to adapt down anymore. Unless you want to go H loads I guess.

subscribed :headbang:


TA

awesome looking rocket to upcale i did 2 4"supervegas mid 90s and rebuilt 1 acouple years ago been working on a 7.5 " by 14+ feet 2 stage springs in landing gear one on and off for over 15 years my suggestion for motors is as slow as possible the fins are huge over 3.5 caliper of body tube

g zilla said:

awesome looking rocket to upcale i did 2 4"supervegas mid 90s and rebuilt 1 acouple years ago been working on a 7.5 " by 14+ feet 2 stage springs in landing gear one on and off for over 15 years my suggestion for motors is as slow as possible the fins are huge over 3.5 caliper of body tube

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Man, I'd love to see some pictures of your 7.5" x 14' build. That sounds amazing!

Thanks for the tip on the loads. I figured I'd start with something in the 6x-7x thrust to weight ratio.

Mostly been doing fin prep so far...

I cut the secondary fins out of the fiberglass and added a slight bevel...



For the main fins, I started with a fin template from my Open Rocket File. The key is to make sure your landing gear will be perfectly parallel to the mainframe. As you can see in this picture, I started with a simple cut in the template to act as a guide...



Cut all 3 fins on my scroll-saw (1/8" plywood) and started with a line to act as a guide for the landing gear.



Printed a template of the landing gear cone...



And created a cut-guide on each fin...

I used a scroll saw and a Dremel (w/ rotary sander bit) to cut out the cone 'notches'...



With all 3 done, I applied the fiberglass...



Used a Dremel Diamond Blade to cut each fin out of the glass. All the test fits look really good...

Chris you are getting a really nice start on it. Looking good.

Stripped the BTs in preparation for fiberglass and used a fin alignment guide to draw 6 evenly spaced lines on the mainframe.



Also cut the fin slots for the main fins...



Next Steps (hopefully over the weekend)...

• Glass BT's
• Re-cut fin slots
• Build motor mount

Awesome build!!! Awesome! Awesome! Awesome!

here are some pics of 7.5" mega vega will get more soon

7.5"?!?!?!?!? <drooling> Wish I could afford to feed one that big....

g zilla said:

here are some pics of 7.5" mega vega will get more soon

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Wow - that's awesome. I was thinking about a 4" upscale after this one. Maybe I need to think bigger :y:

Glassed the tubes last night...

I use a 2x2 stick to hold the tube in place and make for easy rotation throughout the process...



Cut the appropriate size of fiberglass cloth (wide enough for 2 wraps)...



Also have a sheet of peel ply cut and ready (wide enough for 1 wrap)...



Use West Marine Epoxy to apply FG & Peel ply...



Here's the mainframe and the payload section fully cured with peel ply removed...

Moving along (slowly)...

I built the Motor Mount using 4 center rings, 1/8" Kevlar shock cord, and an Aeropack retainer...

The bottom CR will be flush to the body tube and has a small block of wood for the lower rail button. The top center ring is prepped for the top rail button. The two middle CRs will 'wedge' the fin tabs from the main fins. I stripped the glassine layer to ensure better adhesion to the MMT.



I wanted a quick release for the drogue shock cord. So, I tied a loop at the end of 1/8' Kevlar that can be fed up the tube and attacked to a quick link. The cord has 1200lb test breaking strength and is attached directly to the MMT.

Motor Mount is now installed.

Also, I tried a new technique for filling minor imperfections in the body tubes. Usually, I identify visible blemishes and fill them with Bondo Spot Puddy or Elmer's Wood filler. However, I usually miss some of the very minor dimpling/pitting that comes along with hand laid Fiber-Glass.

This time, I coated the entire surface with Elmer's Light Wood Filler. Once dry, I used an electric sheet sander to remove most of the build up and eventually sanded by hand. I'm really pleased with the result. It appears that every little pit has been filled and is smooth. Of course, the real test will be during the priming and painting stage.

Its coming along nice Chris. Do you plan to fly anything this weekend at ttra launch. Looks like a perfect day saterday.

Getmore said:

Its coming along nice Chris. Do you plan to fly anything this weekend at ttra launch. Looks like a perfect day saterday.

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Yes - - Sent you a PM. See you there!

Great build so far. Very straightforward and effective glassing techniques!

Curious, what filler are you using for the fins and airframe? With the peel ply you obviously don't need to use a lot since it leaves a nice finish itself What type of epoxy are you using for construction (mmt, fin attchment, etc)? I see you're using West for glassing.

Last thing....where do you get your glass and peel ply? I haven't tried peel ply yet and usually source FG cloth locally. There's plenty online but I'm curious where other rocketeers are getting their stuff... I need to up my game in the glassing realm.

Keep up the good work, I'll be watching!

Marcus I have a local fabric shop that Cares lining material. Ask for 100% polyester none cling lining. I get it for 3.50 a yard. It comes in many colors but white is the best to see through for air bubbles. Hope that helps.

I LOVE this rocket.. and as an upscale I am SURE its going to be challenging! Best of luck to you. looks like you have it covered pretty well!

to both you and g zilla dont forget I make a really nice upscale set for those! I can even customize them if you like!

marcusSRG said:

Great build so far. Very straightforward and effective glassing techniques!

Curious, what filler are you using for the fins and airframe? With the peel ply you obviously don't need to use a lot since it leaves a nice finish itself What type of epoxy are you using for construction (mmt, fin attchment, etc)? I see you're using West for glassing.

Last thing....where do you get your glass and peel ply? I haven't tried peel ply yet and usually source FG cloth locally. There's plenty online but I'm curious where other rocketeers are getting their stuff... I need to up my game in the glassing realm.

Keep up the good work, I'll be watching!

Click to expand...

You are correct, the peel ply leaves a nice finish. However, you will always have little minor blemished that need to be filled. I like Elmer&#8217;s Light Wood Filler. It is really easy to use for minor touch-ups. Another good option is Bondo spot putty.

I order my Fiberglass materials on-line from Aircraft Spruce. They seem to be reasonably priced and have quick delivery&#8230;

https://www.aircraftspruce.com/categories/building_materials/bm/menus/cm/fiberglass.html

I will use Aeropoxy ES6209 A/B Liquid Structural Adhesive for most of the construction (attaching fins, etc.). West w/ filler will be used for the fillets.

stickershock23 said:

I LOVE this rocket.. and as an upscale I am SURE its going to be challenging! Best of luck to you. looks like you have it covered pretty well!

to both you and g zilla dont forget I make a really nice upscale set for those! I can even customize them if you like!

Click to expand...

Hey Mark,

I already checked them out on your site. An order will be coming your way shortly!

Chris