Estes Phantom Blue gets a haircut...build thread

Most of you guys have much better painting and finishing skills than I, but I figured this was different and might be interesting to some. So, I went to the hobby store today for 30 minute epoxy, and this thing followed me out.



I thought it was a neat looking little low power kit, and it's been a LONG time since I put a kit together. I usually get the urge and build something from scratch. Anyway, the fit and finish left a little to be desired. Not sure if all of these small kits are this way, but it isn't very conducive to aerodynamics without a lot of extra work. That aside, it's cool that it has a screw cap closure on the motor mount. I looked at the fins closer, and it looks as if the mold for one of them didn't fill up all the way with resin:

Not a huge deal. I sanded them all down so they are even, but the quick-mount system for them made the process a little annoying. I went ahead and sanded everything and decided I'd go with my own paint job and fill in the spirals on the tube. If nothing else it'll give me some practice. Haven't done a paint job in a while, and while I don't intend this to be anything special, extra elbow grease never hurt anyone.

The big annoying feature for me was this:

The guide "tube" is already mounted to the air frame. Even my Alpha III put together when I was about 10 had me mount the guide lug, iirc. I don't know why they did this, but I don't like it. Mainly because I have a 1/4" launch rod and I'd rather not have 2 lugs. It looks cool, but I decided it had to go. Bad choice. I failed to remove it with a hobby knife and cut a slit down the airframe.
Give up? Me? heh.
I trimmed off the destroyed part of the tube, and I'll be adding epoxy to the nose to move the CG forward enough so she'll fly. It has a long ogive nose so that shouldn't be too much weight, I hope. I'm figuring to keep it under 100g. I purchased 3 A8-3 motors to fly her on so I have some wiggle room there, but not much if I want to keep it near 8:1 thrust or better. I know the rule of thumb is 5:1 apparently, but I want them going fast off the short rod. Otherwise I have to buy a longer rod that's whippy.
I'm replacing the stock lug with a plastic straw from the orange juice I picked up on the way home. Couldn't wait to get started so I got some primer on everything and we're moving forward, though there's zero chance of launch until the weekend, most likely, and then only if the wind will cooperate. I'm thinking of doing a green body with white on the fin tips and nose cone. I normally do green and black, but no black paint and I've spent enough money today. ... Unless I use the chalkboard paint...hmmm.
Anyway, here's where she's at so far. Nothing too fancy, but noticeably shorter than the picture on the box.


Rather attractive little thing, I think. I'm currently between white primer coats, which will serve as the white and the underlayer for the neon green. Oh, I sanded down the tip a bit as well so it wouldn't have that weird flashing depression. The body isn't perfect, but for the moment I'll leave well enough alone. She'll never win any beauty contests but she should be fine for flying I should have picked up some spray silicone, but I forgot, so no clear coat on this one, at least for now.

Looks great to me.

1/4” rod seems to me a bit of overkill for D and under motors. No question it works. I am liking the new mini and micro buttons, though. There was a thread a few months ago about a device you could build to put into a standard 1/8” lug that would convert it to buttons.

BABAR said:

Looks great to me.

1/4” rod seems to me a bit of overkill for D and under motors. No question it works. I am liking the new mini and micro buttons, though. There was a thread a few months ago about a device you could build to put into a standard 1/8” lug that would convert it to buttons.

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Overkill no doubt, but that's what I have. I had plans to jump up into F + G motors quickly so I built for the future when I made the launcher. I plan on grabbing a piece of 1010 rail before I finish my L1 so that I can do some test launches with it. In the meantime, all of my rockets get a 1/4" lug. Looks a little silly on a 1/4A, but hey, 1/4A's are silly anyways, amiright? lol

I use paper soda straws for lugs cuz they are cheap and I don't need epoxy, so I am guilty of overkill too!

BABAR said:

I use paper soda straws for lugs cuz they are cheap and I don't need epoxy, so I am guilty of overkill too!

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This...so much this.

Well. I lied earlier apparently. I have the paint "well enough," and I added 10g of epoxy to the nose. Once it set up (couldn't wait) went outside and did a quick "in person" stability check by tying the included elastic band around the CoG and giving her a spin. 100% stabilized, no doubts. Total rocket weight is 70g so that A8 will be pushing her at an average of 11Gs, which is nice. Chute doesn't come with a hole cut, but I'm already a little overweight, so I lopped about a 1in hole in the top to keep at least some of the trapped air from spilling out the sides on descent. There's a mark for about a 2 - 2-1/2in hole on there. Kinda playing that by ear for now. Still need to attach the tether and the chute (the elastic comes attached to that launch lug that I sliced out) and I've put the cone back upside down to finish curing overnight. The heat got it a little melty and marred the finish against the socks it was tucked against. Oh well. It wasn't going to stay pretty forever. I went ahead and left the engine cap in white primer as well. Thought it would be a nice touch. This is what she looks like:

Nice!

Needs a decal or something to personalize it.

Figuring out where to write her designation. Starting with the last paper rocket, I'm numbering them now. She needs a name too, of course. Maybe I can get my brand logos printed as decals on a sheet. I don't care for the stickers that came with the kit.

Off Grid Gecko said:

Maybe I can get my brand logos printed as decals on a sheet.

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Order up some printable decal paper and have at it! Works fine.

Some folks put the nose cone in a cup of ice water during the epoxy cure time to keep the temp under control. Still a nice looking rocket! Nice color scheme. You could always add that missing tube length back as a clear payload section if you wanted, like for an altimeter.

GlenP said:

S You could always add that missing tube length back as a clear payload section if you wanted, like for an altimeter.

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...or a payload section with lights.

Here is my Phantom Blue with lights.

sl98 said:

...or a payload section with lights.

Here is my Phantom Blue with lights.

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Lights and lasers make everything more awesome. Sharp looking little rocket you got there. I think for now I'm going to leave it as is for length. I got a box from Apogee today, so there will be another project or two underway soon.

If the weather cooperates, I might be launching her this weekend for a maiden. When I get her back from the sky gods, I'll look into other fun things to do with the little rocket.

Nice custom phantoms gentleman they look sharp

Off Grid Gecko said:

This...so much this.

Well. I lied earlier apparently. I have the paint "well enough," and I added 10g of epoxy to the nose. Once it set up (couldn't wait) went outside and did a quick "in person" stability check by tying the included elastic band around the CoG and giving her a spin. 100% stabilized, no doubts. Total rocket weight is 70g so that A8 will be pushing her at an average of 11Gs, which is nice. Chute doesn't come with a hole cut, but I'm already a little overweight, so I lopped about a 1in hole in the top to keep at least some of the trapped air from spilling out the sides on descent. There's a mark for about a 2 - 2-1/2in hole on there. Kinda playing that by ear for now. Still need to attach the tether and the chute (the elastic comes attached to that launch lug that I sliced out) and I've put the cone back upside down to finish curing overnight. The heat got it a little melty and marred the finish against the socks it was tucked against. Oh well. It wasn't going to stay pretty forever. I went ahead and left the engine cap in white primer as well. Thought it would be a nice touch. This is what she looks like:

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What is the name of that paint color/brand?

Maiden flight today, and another, both on A8-3 motors. The launch profile was nice and slow, easy to follow, and low altitude, but the lingering issue was late deployment. Hoping that a B motor will loft her better for a more proper deployment. I have some B6-4 motors so I may give them a try. Going to look at the specs and do some calculations to be sure before I do, but I expect the B motor will carry the little rocket into a longer coast and give it more than enough time to deploy at a better time in the flight.

OC-Patrick said:

What is the name of that paint color/brand?

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It's all Rustoleum. The white is their 2x primer and the green is one of their florescent paints: bright neon green.

Off Grid Gecko said:

Maiden flight today, and another, both on A8-3 motors. The launch profile was nice and slow, easy to follow, and low altitude, but the lingering issue was late deployment. Hoping that a B motor will loft her better for a more proper deployment. I have some B6-4 motors so I may give them a try. Going to look at the specs and do some calculations to be sure before I do, but I expect the B motor will carry the little rocket into a longer coast and give it more than enough time to deploy at a better time in the flight.


It's all Rustoleum. The white is their 2x primer and the green is one of their florescent paints: bright neon green.

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My brother in-law and nephew have the phantom and when we launched on the A8-3 it was smooth but also not to high up so I can totally see how the deployment appears way to late. I bet the B motors will be a sweet spot for that rocket !! Keep us posted

Adam3836 said:

My brother in-law and nephew have the phantom and when we launched on the A8-3 it was smooth but also not to high up so I can totally see how the deployment appears way to late. I bet the B motors will be a sweet spot for that rocket !! Keep us posted

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If the weather is nice tomorrow then I'll let you know sooner than later. With the added nose weight, my rocket is likely a few grams heavier than the standard kit, so it should have a better coast once it gets going. Yeah, it was super low to the ground. Watched it arc, and there wasn't much room between it and the dirt to deploy the parachute, so it probably looked more severe than it was. Still made me pucker a bit. Glad I finally learned how to pack a chute.
Either way, I have plenty of room for a B motor and possibly a C. Haven't had an A drift more than about thirty feet from the launch pad, and I've been launching by my garden. I suppose it could hit my roof or my truck or *gasp* my solar panels, but it's not heading for the woods if the winds are calm.

Off Grid Gecko said:

If the weather is nice tomorrow then I'll let you know sooner than later. With the added nose weight, my rocket is likely a few grams heavier than the standard kit, so it should have a better coast once it gets going. Yeah, it was super low to the ground. Watched it arc, and there wasn't much room between it and the dirt to deploy the parachute, so it probably looked more severe than it was. Still made me pucker a bit. Glad I finally learned how to pack a chute.
Either way, I have plenty of room for a B motor and possibly a C. Haven't had an A drift more than about thirty feet from the launch pad, and I've been launching by my garden. I suppose it could hit my roof or my truck or *gasp* my solar panels, but it's not heading for the woods if the winds are calm.

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Yea I bet the B motor will be a nice fit . Will
Get it up high but not crazy high, enough to get the parachute deployed with plenty of
Time.
Calm winds is a must lol

good-luck. I will stay tune .

I'm ten years old again, watching as awe as this tiny cardboard tube shoots up into the heavens.
For the last couple of years, all I've flown is 1/2A motors on little paper rockets that I made in my spare time. The B6-4 flight put me right back to humility at what model rockets are capable of. To answer your suggestion briefly, @Adam3836 , the B6-4 was a perfect companion for this rocket. She popped the chute right at apogee as I was starting to think I might lose sight of her. Much higher, much smoother flight profile. I see no reason to bump this little bird to a C motor, especially since I spent about 20 minutes walking in the woods to find her at the top of a sapling.
It's all good though, I never mind a walk in the woods. If I did, then I wouldn't live in the middle of nowhere and off the grid. I took note while I was out of some other trees that would make good firewood. I'm kinda picky about which trees I harvest (unless it's eastern red cedar, those are all marked to come down). I'm chopping today as well, this was a little break to go fly my rocket.
Anyway, I'm not sure of the altitude and don't want to guess. I wasn't using any kind of sighting instrumentation, but it was easily 3x the height of the A8. She fell 50 yards from the launch site, just drifted in a direction I didn't expect. One little gust of wind after the parachute popped and she changed course on the way down. I'm starting to wonder if I should open the spill hole a bit and perhaps attach a piece of flagging tape to the recovery system.

Off Grid Gecko said:

I'm ten years old again, watching as awe as this tiny cardboard tube shoots up into the heavens.
For the last couple of years, all I've flown is 1/2A motors on little paper rockets that I made in my spare time. The B6-4 flight put me right back to humility at what model rockets are capable of. To answer your suggestion briefly, @Adam3836 , the B6-4 was a perfect companion for this rocket. She popped the chute right at apogee as I was starting to think I might lose sight of her. Much higher, much smoother flight profile. I see no reason to bump this little bird to a C motor, especially since I spent about 20 minutes walking in the woods to find her at the top of a sapling.
It's all good though, I never mind a walk in the woods. If I did, then I wouldn't live in the middle of nowhere and off the grid. I took note while I was out of some other trees that would make good firewood. I'm kinda picky about which trees I harvest (unless it's eastern red cedar, those are all marked to come down). I'm chopping today as well, this was a little break to go fly my rocket.
Anyway, I'm not sure of the altitude and don't want to guess. I wasn't using any kind of sighting instrumentation, but it was easily 3x the height of the A8. She fell 50 yards from the launch site, just drifted in a direction I didn't expect. One little gust of wind after the parachute popped and she changed course on the way down. I'm starting to wonder if I should open the spill hole a bit and perhaps attach a piece of flagging tape to the recovery system.

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yessss that’s awesome I had a feeling the B motor would be just what you needed. That’s great it was a successful flight. Sense of pride we all get when we build and have a great flight!!!

As far as the flagging tape are you thinking to help see it better coming down and landing ? Not a bad idea at all

I've been pretty happy with the Phantom Blue in stock form, really. I don't know if I've ever tried to fly one on an A8-3. But they turn in nice flights on Bs and Cs.

These Estes ARFS are relatively heavy with all the plastic parts. But all of them are decent flyers, especially the BT-50-sized ones (Solaris, Phantom Blue, Galaxy Glow, etc...). I also like the fin attach method as you can just as easily remove the fins again, which makes the models pack very compactly for travel.

In case you ever want to mod another and remove the stock launch lug/shock cord attachment: Use a modeler's heat gun, or even a hair dryer on high - pointed at the launch lug and then gently pull it off. The glue they use in the Guangdong factory for this joint softens easily with heat.

BEC said:

I've been pretty happy with the Phantom Blue in stock form, really. I don't know if I've ever tried to fly one on an A8-3. But they turn in nice flights on Bs and Cs.

These Estes ARFS are relatively heavy with all the plastic parts. But all of them are decent flyers, especially the BT-50-sized ones (Solaris, Phantom Blue, Galaxy Glow, etc...). I also like the fin attach method as you can just as easily remove the fins again, which makes the models pack very compactly for travel.

In case you ever want to mod another and remove the stock launch lug/shock cord attachment: Use a modeler's heat gun, or even a hair dryer on high - pointed at the launch lug and then gently pull it off. The glue they use in the Guangdong factory for this joint softens easily with heat.

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Awesome, thank you. I suspected it was hot glue of some sort, but I have no hair drier and my heat gun is in storage in another state. Will look into it. I glued the fins on mine but I suspected that between the tight fit and motor closure that the glue was unnecessary. Don't know if I'll try another. I'm doing one more LPR right now and a twin MPR of the same rocket is planned for running E's and maybe F's to high altitude and after that will be focusing on my L1/L2 projects and finding a club nearby with a good launch site.