Stock Estes Leviathan build thread!

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Last night I primed the NC.

One coat of gray, which seems to be a heavy filler, sand, one coat of white, sand, another coat of white, very light sand.


Then today I glued forward BT to aft BT


I won't be filling spirals, as they don't bother me. But I will be filling the BT joint, because I don't like it lol.
 
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TheAviator said:
As far as CA goes, I use the Bob Smith stuff. It's usually branded for wherever you pick it up. (This stuff: https://www.bsi-inc.com/Pages/hobby/ca.html) Most hobby shops carry it and it can be had online too. The trick to using the thin stuff (great for paper edges) is to use the extra fine tips. (Here: https://www.bsi-inc.com/Pages/hobby/access.html)
Click to expand...

Thanks for the input!

As far as building goes, been slow last couple of days.
New buttons came in. Eye screwed the aft centering ring.

Had to drill tiny holes in it.
 
Threw two coats of Krylon Purple Gloss onto the NC.


BT is wrapped!
No pictures until the final unveiling.

Fins sealed and primed.

Just gotta paint and decal the fins, put on the rail buttons, put on the fins and aft ring, put on the retainer and BAM done :)

Should get a lot done tonight!
 
Rail buttons installed!

Not knowing where to put them, I just put them where the instructions said to put the lugs.

.75" and 12"

Started with a small drill bit and worked my way up to one that was just tight and loose enough to thread them in.

Coated the threads in glue and in they went!

Put a dab of glue on the aft button inside the BT.

Couldn't reach the forward button ID.
 
Forgot to take pictures of internal fillets :(

Fins are attached, aft ring set

Just need to attach the shock cord and chute!

And a little finishing touch
 
AfterBurners said:
How do you guys like the ESTES Retainers?
Click to expand...

Have a Ventris, a Leviathan, a Mega Der Red Max, a 2.56 upscale Nova Payloader (Partizon kit was parts donor) and a 29mm composite mount for my Semroc SLS Aero Dart. All have the Estes retainer and all of them have been fine in service with SU Estes/Aerotech motors as well as CTI reloadables from one to three grains. They get a little surface wear on the retainer ring from blowback off the blast deflector, but otherwise they look brand new even after a number of flights.

I'd say I like them just fine.

HUSLSCAC: you are you bringing your Leviathan to the sport range at NARAM, right? After all, it's your local flying field....
 
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Nice job on the nose cone...turned out sweet!

What was the primer (Brand) that you used on the rocket. I know Krylon can be difficult at times to paint and can react funny if you use the wrong primer etc.
 
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BEC said:
Have a Ventris, a Leviathan, a Mega Der Red Max, a 2.56 upscale Nova Payloader (Partizon kit was parts donor) and a 29mm composite mount for my Semroc SLS Aero Dart. All have the Estes retainer and all of them have been fine in service with SU Estes/Aerotech motors as well as CTI reloadables from one to three grains. They get a little surface wear on the retainer ring from blowback off the blast deflector, but otherwise they look brand new even after a number of flights.

I'd say I like them just fine.

HUSLSCAC: you are you bringing your Leviathan to the sport range at NARAM, right? After all, it's your local flying field....
Click to expand...
I'm not bringing it
It's for my sons birthday, which is unfortunately a mere few days after NARAM :( (August 5th)

We will be there on the 27th and 1st though!

AfterBurners said:
Nice job on the nose cone...turned out sweet!

What was the primer (Brand) that you used on the rocket. I know Krylon can be difficult at times to paint and can react funny if you use the wrong primer etc.
Click to expand...

Krylon Gray then Krylon White.
I have problems with the white from time to time, but the gray is awesome.

I won't touch anything rustoleum... Always have problems with it
 
AfterBurners said:
so just stick with the Krylon line of primers and paint. I was hoping I could use the paint and spray over Duplicolor primers. I love the way that primer sands.
Click to expand...

I've never used dupli before.
The options at Walmart by me are just Krylon or rusto.

With lots of bad luck with rusto, I avoid it like the plague.

I do like and use their reds though, that's absolutely it.

Spray over Krylon primer and it's AOK.
 
Epoxy retainer - check
Epoxy fin external fillets - check
Attach shock chord to tri fold - check
Rig up swivels for chute - check
Attach chute - check
Attach shock cord to NC - check
Attach tri fold 3" into BT - check
 
K'Tesh said:
I'm reading that as: "I used Aerogloss, and didn't paper the fins."

Or am I wrong?

Thanks!
Jim
Click to expand...

Hey Jim,
I don't even know what aerogloss is lol

I sealed it using Elmer's wood filler... "Sealed" may not be the right term.

Sanded that down, then primed, sanded, primed, sanded and shot one coat of Krylon black just around the edges since the vinyls were miscut a smidgen.
 
Well, it's finally reveal time!

Only thing I have left to do is paint over the fillets and do a little painting on the trim on the bottom!

Since my son was three, he's been fascinated with Goosebumps.
Read his first complete Goosebumps book in Kindergarten, and still loves them this day.

So, I built this for him for his birthday!

I had him pick out 8 of his favorite book covers, and with help from Mark at sticker shock, he made them into fin vinyls!


I sent Mark the Goosebumps logo, and just asked if we could do it vertical.

He said yes BUT...
He could make an amazing wrap... I agreed and within a couple days I had the most awesome wrap art proof I've ever seen!* He really knocked this out of the park for us!



You can't really see it in this picture, but there's even tombstones on the ground!

Here it is all put together -

The Estes Leviathan - "GOOSEBUMPS"




Thanks everyone for following, and for the ideas!
Mitch
 
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HUSLSCAC said:
Hey Jim,
I don't even know what aerogloss is lol
Click to expand...

I think I can fix that... Aerogloss is the sanding sealer/dope that stick and paper modelers and olde tyme rocketeers use/used for sealing balsa/rice paper for flying model airplanes and rockets.

It's much harder to find these days as we hobbyists were probably getting the leftover for doped aircraft, but fewer fabric aircraft are being restored/built with canvas these days, so less is being made I'm guessing.

IMHO Papering would have been much easier than fill/sand/fill/sand/prime/paint. Glue/trim/seal/prime/paint. To each, their own...

NICE job on the final product!

Keep it Up!
Jim
 
K'Tesh said:
I think I can fix that... Aerogloss is the sanding sealer/dope that stick and paper modelers and olde tyme rocketeers use/used for sealing balsa/rice paper for flying model airplanes and rockets.

It's much harder to find these days as we hobbyists were probably getting the leftover for doped aircraft, but fewer fabric aircraft are being restored/built with canvas these days, so less is being made I'm guessing.

IMHO Papering would have been much easier than fill/sand/fill/sand/prime/paint. Glue/trim/seal/prime/paint. To each, their own...

NICE job on the final product!

Keep it Up!
Jim
Click to expand...

Thanks!

Don't get me wrong, imma papering enthusiast, but these thick plywood slats, I didn't really think papering offered the awesomeness that it usually does with balsa.

I'll paper balsa until I'm blue on the face, and now I'll squeegee CA the edges, but on this specific one, didn't really feel right!
 
I just think this is awesome! That is a fantastic design too!!

HUSLSCAC said:
Well, it's finally reveal time!

Only thing I have left to do is paint over the fillets and do a little painting on the trim on the bottom!

Since my son was three, he's been fascinated with Goosebumps.
Read his first complete Goosebumps book in Kindergarten, and still loves them this day.

So, I built this for him for his birthday!

I had him pick out 8 of his favorite book covers, and with help from Mark at sticker shock, he made them into fin vinyls!


I sent Mark the Goosebumps logo, and just asked if we could do it vertical.

He said yes BUT...
He could make an amazing wrap... I agreed and within a couple days I had the most awesome wrap art proof I've ever seen!* He really knocked this out of the park for us!



You can't really see it in this picture, but there's even tombstones on the ground!

Here it is all put together -

The Estes Leviathan - "GOOSEBUMPS"




Thanks everyone for following, and for the ideas!
Mitch
Click to expand...
 
Awesome design! I bet your son is going to love flying that.

What are you guys planning motor-wise for first flight?
 
Gotta love a good thread resusitation. We need a flight report on this honey HUSLSCAC !?!?!
 
No flight reports yet!

Saturday, she will go airborne for the first time!

We are literally on the road heading home after picking up a G78-7G from Apogee for this Saturdays SCORE launch!
 

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