7.5" Estes Fat Boy Upscale Build

[UPscaler]

Hey Everyone!

Recently I picked up this 7.5" Fat Boy Upscale from a seller here on TRF. It's a Performance Hobbies kit and the price was awesome so I jumped on the chance to get one instantly. (Thanks @wadavidson )


Being a Mosquito fanatic, this might be my favorite big rocket nosecone I've ever owned. I immediately bumped it to the top of the build pile. Had some issues with the fin tabs reaching the motor tube, but some time with a die grinder bit on a dremel and a belt sander make pretty quick work of that!


After gluing the fins in place with BSI thick CA, I rushed it over to the rocket workshop that is my parents' garage and started doing some fillets. They're pretty tame on the externals with relatively beefy internals, all of which are West Systems epoxy with 406 Colloidal Silica to thicken things up.



I love Estes upscale and this is undoubtedly one of my new favorites in the collection. I've got a couple of motors kicking around that would make a great first flight. I'm thinking an I600 or J800 will be the play!

I plan on flying it mostly on motor deploy. However, I left the top ring out for the time being so I can situate an electronics bay to sit atop it that will allow my to fly motors without motor eject, should I decide to go that route.



I'm also considering grabbing some 3/8" brass tube and slapping a big imitation launch lug on there for proper scale purposes

Braden

 

[mrwalsh85]

I'm also considering grabbing some 3/8" brass tube and slapping a big imitation launch lug on there for proper scale purposes

Braden

Don't forget the oversize engine hook... Sheesh, I should do that on mine too... I have a 7.5" Nose cone kicking around too

 

[DAllen]

I'm also considering grabbing some 3/8" brass tube and slapping a big imitation launch lug on there for proper scale purposes

Braden

That sounds funny buuuuuutttt...I don't think 3/8 would be to scale. Also...why brass? If it's just for looks I'd slap some paper tube that's reasonably close to scale to save weight and cost. But whatever you decide this looks like a cool project.

 

[jmasterj]

That sounds funny buuuuuutttt...I don't think 3/8 would be to scale. Also...why brass? If it's just for looks I'd slap some paper tube that's reasonably close to scale to save weight and cost. But whatever you decide this looks like a cool project.

BT-80 Fat Boy used a 1/8 lug, this is about a 3x upscale so 3/8 makes sense to me.

 

[DAllen]

BT-80 Fat Boy used a 1/8 lug, this is about a 3x upscale so 3/8 makes sense to me.

Ooooohhh yeah that does sound right now...Apparently I can't math this early in the morning

 

[Adam3836]

This is awesome !!

 

[dr wogz]

I was about to snap one up too!!!

 

[K'Tesh]

And here I was thinking that the conversation about the nuclear bomb, Fat Man, over on FB that I had just responded to was making it's way here.

 

[UPscaler]

That sounds funny buuuuuutttt...I don't think 3/8 would be to scale. Also...why brass? If it's just for looks I'd slap some paper tube that's reasonably close to scale to save weight and cost. But whatever you decide this looks like a cool project.

Brass was my thinking just for availability. I have a 6" Red Max too that I wanted to put fake launch lugs on and BT-5 is almost perfect for that so I may go that route for that one.

Otherwise my thinking is that brass has a better chance of surviving and avoiding being crushed in unwanted recovery incidents.


Braden

 

[DAllen]

That makes sense. Plus the tiny bit of extra weight on a rocket like this isn't going to matter much. It's not like you're trying to set altitude records with a rocket like that.

 

[rharshberger]

Brass was my thinking just for availability. I have a 6" Red Max too that I wanted to put fake launch lugs on and BT-5 is almost perfect for that so I may go that route for that one.

Otherwise my thinking is that brass has a better chance of surviving and avoiding being crushed in unwanted recovery incidents.


Braden

Brass tubing seems to have been what I see a lot of on the old larger launch lugs, I have a couple of old Loc/Yank era rockets that have 1/2" and larger lugs on them, all brass iirc.

 

[crossfire]

Brass tubing seems to have been what I see a lot of on the old larger launch lugs, I have a couple of old Loc/Yank era rockets that have 1/2" and larger lugs on them, all brass iirc.

Didn't PML use brass?

 

[rharshberger]

Didn't PML use brass?

Yes iirc.

 

[Scrapmaster87]

If I did my math right, I believe a 38mm motor tube could serve as a launch lug for a 1010 rail!

 

[bobbyg23]

Hey Everyone!

Recently I picked up this 7.5" Fat Boy Upscale from a seller here on TRF. It's a Performance Hobbies kit and the price was awesome so I jumped on the chance to get one instantly. (Thanks @wadavidson )
View attachment 505176

Being a Mosquito fanatic, this might be my favorite big rocket nosecone I've ever owned. I immediately bumped it to the top of the build pile. Had some issues with the fin tabs reaching the motor tube, but some time with a die grinder bit on a dremel and a belt sander make pretty quick work of that!
View attachment 505178View attachment 505177

After gluing the fins in place with BSI thick CA, I rushed it over to the rocket workshop that is my parents' garage and started doing some fillets. They're pretty tame on the externals with relatively beefy internals, all of which are West Systems epoxy with 406 Colloidal Silica to thicken things up.
View attachment 505180View attachment 505181


I love Estes upscale and this is undoubtedly one of my new favorites in the collection. I've got a couple of motors kicking around that would make a great first flight. I'm thinking an I600 or J800 will be the play!

I plan on flying it mostly on motor deploy. However, I left the top ring out for the time being so I can situate an electronics bay to sit atop it that will allow my to fly motors without motor eject, should I decide to go that route.

View attachment 505182

I'm also considering grabbing some 3/8" brass tube and slapping a big imitation launch lug on there for proper scale purposes

Braden

Dang you. You were faster than I was when it went up for sale.

 

[UPscaler]

If I did my math right, I believe a 38mm motor tube could serve as a launch lug for a 1010 rail!

I actually thought about this one time for a 38mm tube fin rocket. One upper rail button and slide the rail through the corresponding fin.

These lugs are just s goofy thing for looks, though. I'm putting rail buttons on it, too.

Braden

 

[jmasterj]

Dang you. You were faster than I was when it went up for sale.

Me too!

 

[bschultz32]

Braden, don't forget, stubby 7.5" diameter rockets look nice when you stretch 'em:



Bob Schultz

 

[cwbullet]

You just made a sale for Ken.

 

[UPscaler]

You just made a sale for Ken.

Are they still on the site? I saw them listed in the search results but it wouldn't let me add one to my cart.

If he brings that Mosquito back I may have to get one of those, though.

Braden

 

[UPscaler]

Alright, rear ring is in place after all three fillet sets and the goofy fake launch lug is in place. It looks ridiculous and I love it.


Went with aluminum because it was close by!

Braden

 

[cwbullet]

Are they still on the site? I saw them listed in the search results but it wouldn't let me add one to my cart.

If he brings that Mosquito back I may have to get one of those, though.

Braden

Contact him by email.

 

[DMehalko]

Alright, rear ring is in place after all three fillet sets and the goofy fake launch lug is in place. It looks ridiculous and I love it.
View attachment 505418View attachment 505419View attachment 505420

Went with aluminum because it was close by!

Braden

Badass! And yes omg I’d order a mosquito in a millisecond

 

[UPscaler]

For those interested in a more in-depth look at this build, here's my newest Youtube video! It required quite a bit of grinding and sanding.



Braden

 

[bobbyg23]

For those interested in a more in-depth look at this build, here's my newest Youtube video! It required quite a bit of grinding and sanding.



Braden

Great video.

 

[cwbullet]

I will do a build thread when it comes.

 

[DMehalko]

For those interested in a more in-depth look at this build, here's my newest Youtube video! It required quite a bit of grinding and sanding.



Braden

I think you should donate this to me

 

[Dave Frost]

Acquiring parts for a 3x fatboy upscale. Found a nice plastic Easter egg that should be able to be glassed for a nosecone. Looking for information about the length of the 7.5" bodytube and if there is a fin template available. Thanks, Dave

 

[rharshberger]

Acquiring parts for a 3x fatboy upscale. Found a nice plastic Easter egg that should be able to be glassed for a nosecone. Looking for information about the length of the 7.5" bodytube and if there is a fin template available. Thanks, Dave

Get the Estes Fat Boy .rkt or .ork for Open Rocket and use the scaling function with just a couple of clicks you will have every dimension needed for the upscale and the ability to print templates for centering rings and fins.

 

[Dave Frost]

Thanks. No computer, only a phone that is way smater than me lol.