Kitbashed Upgrade Kits

[techrat]

Hey everyone.... I know there's a Citation Patriot upgrade kit where you buy a Der Big Red Max, and then the upgrade changes it into a large Citation Patriot. There's *also* a kit that takes a Big Daddy and makes it a Leviathan... I'm thinking that a 3" tube is a 3" tube. Anyone ever take a Big Daddy and kit bash it with the Citation Patriot upgrade kit and build a mish-mash monster? I'm willing to bet that would be unique, and weird. Long Tube, BD nosecone and CP fins. Not sure what we'd call it yet, but might be worth investigating..

 

[techrat]

And yeah, I'd have to fabricate a fourth fin. I know....

 

[novahobbies]

Citation Daddy? Big Patriot? Patriot Daddy?
Oh! American Dad, and use color schemes and/or art from the show as vinyl appliques!

 

[techrat]

"American Daddy" is a winner for sure. I feel i *have* to build that now, just for the name and color scheme.

 

[novahobbies]

I have to admit, I'm not a fan of the Der Big Red Max, but I'm very curious to see where you go with this kitbash. Post pics if you do!
I actually DID build the conversion from the Big Daddy to the Leviathan. I'm in painting mode on that model at the moment. The original paint scheme is nice, but a little boring. I'm doing a color fade from light blue (top of the rocket) to almost black (bottom of the rocket) and I'm ordering some octopus tentacle black vinyl appliques to have the arms reaching up from the black into the "shallower" colors. I'm only just a little worried about launching a mostly blue rocket into blue skies. ;-)

 

[techrat]

Well, my plan is to order parts as soon as I get home tonight. I'll buy a Big Daddy on Amazon ($24), and I'll try and find a cheap Patriot upgrade kit (I think I saw it for $32 somewhere), and then I'll wait for bits to arrive and then I will post a Build Thread....

 

[novahobbies]

Well, my plan is to order parts as soon as I get home tonight. I'll buy a Big Daddy on Amazon ($24), and I'll try and find a cheap Patriot upgrade kit (I think I saw it for $32 somewhere), and then I'll wait for bits to arrive and then I will post a Build Thread....

I think I saw that on ebay a couple weeks ago. I was looking for possible clone kits for the Estes Patriot Pro version and ran into the Citation Patriot (still wishing there was a cheapo clone for the Pro Patriot with the four 24mm motor cluster)

 

[user 35280]

https://galacticmanufacturing.com/p...ter-citation-patriot-upgrade-deluxe-parts-kit

 

[techrat]

Thanks for the link @TigerHawk -- now I know where to get all my parts tonight!!

 

[user 35280]

Bad Boy Rocketry (Jim Bassham) has a upgrade kit for it as well.

 

[techrat]

Ok, pieces ordered. 3 Days to wait... (Actually 4 perhaps, as my order won't be processed until tomorrow, but we will see).

 

[novahobbies]

Worst part of a build is waiting for parts. I've got an order out at Rocketarium for some motor mount items, and Apogee for some booster clips. Apogee already processed my order but rocketarium might take a hot minute or three. Hope your stuff gets here quickly!

 

[techrat]

The wait isn't so bad. I've got many things in the build queue. Finishing up a semi-stock Citation Patriot (24mm Motor Mount and super beefed-up fins). Still have a Quad Runner, Lil Squat, and a whole bunch of un-opened kits hanging from hooks in my wall. I'm stocking up for Winter. Also have a scratch build I'm working on from a mailing-tube, a custom nose-cone made (so far) from expanding foam, and I'll make use of those Big Daddy fins that are coming my way.

 

[lakeroadster]

Worst part of a build is waiting for parts. I've got an order out at Rocketarium for some motor mount items, and Apogee for some booster clips. Apogee already processed my order but rocketarium might take a hot minute or three. Hope your stuff gets here quickly!

Why wait? Make your own parts.

It's really not difficult. You can even make your own lite plywood from Balsa or Basswood you can buy at the local hobby shop / hardware store.

 

[techrat]

I don't have a machine shop in my basement yet. Working on aquiring the tools needed to make creations that are even 0.0001% as cool as yours.

 

[techrat]

Which reminds me..... Have you started on the flying hat-rack yet? That should be fairly straightforward, but I'm going to challenge you by saying that the airframe should be rectangular and not a tube.

 

[novahobbies]

Why wait? Make your own parts.

It's really not difficult. You can even make your own lite plywood from Balsa or Basswood you can buy at the local hobby shop / hardware store.

I DID make my own parts. But I'm still waiting on the motor tubes, some blocks, and I'm using motor retaining clips for these, so that's what I'm waiting on. The centering rings I had to do make myself, because it's hard to find rings for odd tubes and plywood is cheap.

 

[techrat]

The mailing tube one is going to have to be pretty much al scratch built since it's slightly wider than a 3" tube, so no existing centering rings will fit, and I'm having to make my own nosecone as well. Started with the nosecone, started with an X/Y cut out of foamcore, wrapped it in some typing paper, and then filled the inside with expanding foam from a can, now I have the shave and sand it until it takes a shape that's more nose-cone-ish than it is now. Then I guess I will try several coats of epoxy to make it hard. And then paint it.