Estes Star Trooper

I used a pencil to trace the fin positions so I can prepare them accordingly without cutting any unnecessary areas which I will mask off with tape for guidance.
Attachment will be conducted with JB Quick. One fin at a time.
No further reinforcement or fillets will be necessary, and they will have the right working time to get perfect. I will also create a mechanical adhesive point by using a #58 wire gauge drill to make two holes on the body tube root surface.

I got my holes drilled, and I'll stuff a Teflon tape covered spent motor in there to keep the epoxy from mucking up the works inside.
I expect a little to get in, but the Teflon tape won't adhere to it, so I can pull it free when I'm done mounting the fins, and then just sand out any over flow with the sandpaper dowel I use to get into tiny spots like this.
JB Weld and JB Quick are the best epoxies to sand.

Looks like it will be warm enough today to get the fins on. I only like to use epoxies with the front door wide open and a fan drawing the air outward, while wearing my respirator.


Got 1 fin on, but then had other stuff to do, so maybe I'll get the other 2 on their tomorrow.

All done. Just needs primer and paint.

TopRamen said:

All done. Just needs primer and paint.


View attachment 287673

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Looking good Top, will be interested to hear how her maiden voyage goes. Are you going to paint the same blue scheme it was before the overhaul or you have other plans?

Thanks.

I updated my OR sim to match the weight and CG up, and it sims to over 800 on an A3, so I'm going to paint it red and yellow for maximum visibility.

She's all heavy with primer right now.

The red and yellow should look good together.

bradycros said:

The red and yellow should look good together.

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I hope so. I got the yellow on first, and it shows all the little imperfections here and there, so I'm sanding those out and then another coat of yellow. I'll then mask the BT and do the fins, cone and button riser in the Krylon Banner Red.
The finishing touch will be a short band of Aluminum Tape at the base, since it's s friction fit bird. I've found that to be good so that you don't peel the paint off when you untape your motor to remove it. My first 24mm Crossfire is set up like that and the Aluminum tape still looks like new, almost.

Screaminhelo said:

Just imagine this as an upscale! It could be great fun as an 18mm MD rocket.

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Just started this today. 1 wrap of .75oz. glass with a .25" seam. Some of the 18mm composites really put this little birdy way up there according to OR.
Given my style of build, and the extra altitude, I added 3 centimeters to the BT for a little more room to stow the streamer, which will have to be as substantial as possible for visibility. Helps stability only slightly, but these things leave the pad at a good clip, so it is not an issue really. Aside from that it will mostly be a direct upscale.

Did someone say D21? 18mm Minimum Diameter Updog???

I got what I hope is the final coat of Yellow on there yesterday.
I did get a little overbuild run on one of the fins, but those need a light sanding before the red goes on them anyway, so it's ok.
I'll get it masked off, sanded and hopefully get the red on the fins, button riser and nose cone today.
It looks pale in the pics, but it really pops in direct light, even though I put the yellow on top of the primer with no white in between. The red will pop on top of the yellow.
The paint is Krylon Colormaster Covermax, and I've always had great results with it.
I masked off my buttons with heat shrink tubing, but masking the body tube is going to be a challenge for me, as masking properly is one of the areas I need more skill development in.
I just got a new pack of A10-3 Motors so I'm kinda' anxious to get out there and fly this thing!

She'll get a clear coat yet, but she finally reveals the fire in her soul!
Took me long enough to mask everything, but I'm very happy about how she looks!

Nice work!

WOW! Great craftsmanship. Love the paint choice for that retro look.
You sure know how to make the simplest rocket look complicated.
Now I need to build one since you didn't make it look to easy.

Looks clean and solid!

Thanks guys!!!


I got the little bit of aluminum tape on there and clear coated her today, and I hope to fly her tomorrow and get a video.

Found the failure point of my Star Trooper. I used my binoculars to find it in the field, so I was not wandering around like a fool forever.
It had over 20 flights before I rebuilt it, so it was maybe high time for a failure of the kevlar seeing as how it is so close to the ejection charge everytime. Velocity at deployment may have yanked it free, as glassing it and making the fins airodynamic made it fly higher and faster than it ever has before. It obviously likes the rail too.
I can fix it now anyway.

[video=youtube;L-9O2SfrPMA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-9O2SfrPMA[/video]

Another private video...

I think I fixed it. Try it now.

I'm illiterate when it comes to the internet and computers, but I'll ask youtube for help as too why it publishes my videos as private until I go change it.

Jeez, that thing got off the pad in a hurry...

It needs one of these:

Charles_McG said:

It needs one of these:
View attachment 290728

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That or an Apogee Composite 13mm C6.

It's a shame they don't make any truly badass motors for rockets this size anymore.
I still do the simulations for them anyhow when I do my Openrocket stuff, so atleast I can dream of one day finding some at a garage sale or thrift store.
Someday I'll get the Green Monkey 13mm Experimental kit, and a really large field to play in.

What I do have is an 18mm Star Trooper in the works, and they still make SU Composites for that size.

TopRamen said:

That or an Apogee Composite 13mm C6.

It's a shame they don't make any truly badass motors for rockets this size anymore.
I still do the simulations for them anyhow when I do my Openrocket stuff, so atleast I can dream of one day finding some at a garage sale or thrift store.
Someday I'll get the Green Monkey 13mm Experimental kit, and a really large field to play in.

What I do have is an 18mm Star Trooper in the works, and they still make SU Composites for that size.

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The D12 teleported my DRM! An 18mm Star Trooper might just make it to the moon if it holds up!

Gotta love how your rebuild zips off the pad!

Screaminhelo said:

The D12 teleported my DRM! An 18mm Star Trooper might just make it to the moon if it holds up!

Gotta love how your rebuild zips off the pad!

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I just made a slow motion version of the moment of ignition for that video, and it is processing.
I took a picture of my screen while watching the original on my computer, and the flame that came out was like ten feet long!

My internet broke, but it is fixed, so here's the link to the slo-mo version of the launch.


[video=youtube;TD6WkVX3sUs]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TD6WkVX3sUs[/video]

All repaired and ready to fly.
I made the shock cord from 70# Kevlar, 30" long, and replaced the bulky nylon streamer with a nearly weightless space blanket 1"x12" Streamer, reinforced with a backing of a very thin light weight clear packing tape.
Weight with 1 shredded square of wadding, 15g.:

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