Estes - Airborne Surveillance Missile

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BSNW

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Hey all-
This weekend was a no-go on any launching so I finished up my Estes Airborne Surveillance Missile.
I just wanted to post a photo of the finished product and let folks know I think this is a fine 13mm kit. It was fun to build. I also like I don't have to cram a chute in a tube the size of a magic marker! HA! Anyway here is what it looks like when all done. The white ring on the bottom was to come from a decal I promptly broke....so no white ring. I am sure I will work something out to make one though. Looking to take this little guy to NARAM! Have a good week all. The photo is posted below..
Andrew
 
Nicely done. If you have a sheet of blank white decal paper you can cut off a strip and use that for a replacement.
Or white vinyl tape.
Or old school mask and paint.
Cheers.
 
Kuririn-
Thanks for the tips. I will give it a try. THANKS!
Andrew
 
In the images I've seen online, it looks to me like that whole ring is supposed to be white. A white decal would seemingly only cover the outer surface, which would probably look fine but if you're really going to match the facecard I think it's going to require paint. In which case, masking and then hand-painting might be easiest. Masking is surprisingly easy(-er) when you don't have to worry about overspray. If you're using a nice fine brush, sometimes you can skip the mask in the very tricky places, and just be careful.

If it were my rocket, what I think I'd do is mask it and brush-paint that ring, including the vertical and horizontal surfaces. Then, if the outer surface didn't look good enough, cover it with a strip of decal paper or white vinyl or whatever you have handy.
 
In the images I've seen online, it looks to me like that whole ring is supposed to be white. A white decal would seemingly only cover the outer surface, which would probably look fine but if you're really going to match the facecard I think it's going to require paint. In which case, masking and then hand-painting might be easiest. Masking is surprisingly easy(-er) when you don't have to worry about overspray. If you're using a nice fine brush, sometimes you can skip the mask in the very tricky places, and just be careful.

If it were my rocket, what I think I'd do is mask it and brush-paint that ring, including the vertical and horizontal surfaces. Then, if the outer surface didn't look good enough, cover it with a strip of decal paper or white vinyl or whatever you have handy.

Wow! I tend to get to the point where I say "good enough for fun!". I hear what you are saying but man....that thing is tiny. At that level of detail and "tiny-ness" its no longer fun for me. I try to get it as close and as good as I can...but I also like to get it on the pad and let it rip.

I may put a decal/tape ring around the spacer thing. The card shows the whole thing painted....the kit contents gave me a decal...."Tomato - Tomah-toe". Either way, its a fun kit and it is very different than a 3FNC (which is cool too!). I even considered instead of white....going for my chrome/mirror tape and using that. I wonder how high it will go and if those huge black fins will pop off on the first flight....it has 12 fins after all....the odds are against me! If it survives the A10....I am thinking of adding some weight and CHAD staging it with a B or C to an A3. Good times.....
Andrew
 
Nah.......on second thought....no CHAD staging....whats the fun if you cant even see it? (IMO). I think I will stick with the A10's. I will also see what my local hobby shop has in terms of ultra fine and tiny brushes....I may have to get a magnifying glass!....you know....one of those huge ones!....great for splinters.
Andrew
 
Wow! I tend to get to the point where I say "good enough for fun!". I hear what you are saying but man....that thing is tiny. At that level of detail and "tiny-ness" its no longer fun for me. I try to get it as close and as good as I can...but I also like to get it on the pad and let it rip.
Honestly I have no feel for the size of it. However, I did some micro-painting on my IRIS-T IR dome and it was kind of fun. But it depends on what you enjoy. :)

Putting a white decal ring around just the outside surface would look fine and be extremely easy to do if you want to go that way. No one will notice the difference.
 
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