Bubba's Baby Bertha

[Bubba02STi]

This my Estes Baby Bertha journal. In here you will find my build, flights and repairs. Ill try to keep the first post uptodate as possible.

Most Recent Pic

Rocket Status
Destroyed. Awaiting rebuild

Flight reports

September 22 2012
B6-4 Successful
B6-4 Minor Damage

October 7, 2012
B6-4
C6-3 Chute eject failure. Lawndart. Destroyed

Table of Contents
I encourage reading the entire thread but here are important parts of the thread


Build
posts 4-24

Flights


Repairs

 

[paul.nortness]

Great rocket. Easy to build, fun to fly

Like the Big Bertha but shorter!

 

[Bubba02STi]

Good cause I bought it... Lol ive noticed how easy she really is coming tohether... Lol

I think im going to paint this one like a cow... Lol

 

[chadrog]

You're in the right frame of mind - the Bertha's make great animals. Here's my "Pig (Big) Bertha".

 

[BEAR]

I have built a couple of them, some for my grand kids and some for club contest birds. They are great flyers and fun to play with. I am going to build another one and I may even upscale one for high power. I did make my last one with 3 fins instead of four. You can see what that still looks like after about 40 flights. BEAR

 

[chadrog]

Forgot all about this Baby Bertha, probably because I never saw it again after it's first flight...

 

[gpoehlein]

I built a Tube Bertha - six BT-60 tube fins (about 1-1/2" long if I remember correctly) instead of the four balsa fins. It is tough as a tank and flies really straight! Fun alternate build! (Easiest way, though is to get a Big Bertha, cut the body tube to the length of the Baby Bertha tube and use the rest for the tube fins.)

 

[Bubba02STi]

You're in the right frame of mind - the Bertha's make great animals. Here's my "Pig (Big) Bertha".

That is awesome... Someone posted in my Riptide evolution thread about painting it like a cow... i figured this one made a prime candidate

I have built a couple of them, some for my grand kids and some for club contest birds. They are great flyers and fun to play with. I am going to build another one and I may even upscale one for high power. I did make my last one with 3 fins instead of four. You can see what that still looks like after about 40 flights. BEAR

I like the way yours looks with the three fins... so you are saying it is a reliable flyer??? That is good... I went in looking for a "low N slow" and figured this one would be good... Ive already completed construction of it minus touch up sanding and paint... I really wish i would have seen this as three fins first...

 

[Bubba02STi]

here she is before i clean it up and paint it

My wife said i should paint it traffic cone orange or hot pink...

 

[chadrog]

here she is before i clean it up and paint it

My wife said i should paint it traffic cone orange or hot pink...

Looks good! They do look good in bright colors too, but I'm partial to livestock.

 

[Bubba02STi]

I really want to paint it like a cow... I think i may just do it and if i like this rocket enough ill go get another one and paint it bright

 

[chadrog]

I really want to paint it like a cow... I think i may just do it and if i like this rocket enough ill go get another one and paint it bright

That's the spirit!

 

[Bubba02STi]

I am really surprised how fast this one went together... I am rather depressed about it... my riptide rocket is painted and ready to be launched tomorrow but after that I have no clue on what I am going to do... :/ I was actually hoping that this one would take longer to build then an hour... hobby lobby is closed tomorrow and micheals is super expensive... so i have to wait to go get another kit

 

[Bubba02STi]

Went with pink lol... I was in walmart and couldnt pass up on the floressiant

 

[Rex R]

well that should help you find 'buba bertha' .
rex

 

[BEAR]

I like it. Nice paint booth. I can tell it has been used before, judging by the over-spray. (LOL)

 

[SteveF]

here is a scratch bertha inspired 13mm cluster - and painted flourescent pink too

 

[Sparkytfl]

Is the lighting in your build area really as dark as it looks?

 

[Bubba02STi]

I like it. Nice paint booth. I can tell it has been used before, judging by the over-spray. (LOL)

Yeah it has... Its just a microwave box that I saw laying around...

well that should help you find 'buba bertha' .
rex

Knowing me as of late I will still lose it :/

here is a scratch bertha inspired 13mm cluster - and painted flourescent pink tooView attachment 95627View attachment 95628

Nice...

Is the lighting in your build area really as dark as it looks?

Well I paint outside... Abd yes the lighting in the garage is not all the great... Hence use of a snake light

 

[BEAR]

here is a scratch bertha inspired 13mm cluster - and painted flourescent pink tooView attachment 95627View attachment 95628

You know, if those were 18mm motor tubes, that would not be a Big Bertha with a cluster, that would be the Estes Astron Ranger. The only other difference was that about half the body length was turned into a payload bay. Each section came down on it's own chute. You are bringing back a lot of memories. Never really could get a cluster to ignite reliably using the Estes ignitors. (Mind you, I said reliably). BEAR

 

[Bubba02STi]

Well she flew straight and true for 5 flights.... Went to launch another rocket and burned a hole a launch pad lol... I really like the b4 motor with this one as opposed to the c5... The b motor gave it the slow take off I was looking for...

 

[SteveF]

You are bringing back a lot of memories. Never really could get a cluster to ignite reliably using the Estes ignitors. (Mind you, I said reliably). BEAR

recently finished it and only flown it twice but all three fired both times but then I am using an aerotech interlock launcher and a 12V auto jump pack so have lots of amps available - used estes ignitors both times.

 

[JPVegh]

Well she flew straight and true for 5 flights.... Went to launch another rocket and burned a hole a launch pad lol... I really like the b4 motor with this one as opposed to the c5... The b motor gave it the slow take off I was looking for...

Slow take offs are the coolest in my opinion. There is nothing like being able to follow a rocket through it's entire flight. The Berthas are among the best for this type of flight. Good job on the build!

 

[Bubba02STi]

here she is all finished... Ill have to go get some video of her flying since her maiden voyages my gopro had died on

 

[SacEsq]

Been really considering this kit ... problem is I tend to like 24mm and 29mm and was considering a mod to a 24mm ... hmmmm

 

[GDJ]

Been really considering this kit ... problem is I tend to like 24mm and 29mm and was considering a mod to a 24mm ... hmmmm

I'm sure that the Baby Bertha would just fly fine with a D12. E9....dunno. You may have to add nose weight unless you fly E composites.
Either way, it would RIP!

 

[Reddwarf]

Looks good! I did one recently and painted like the package design, no imagination on my part.

 

[Bubba02STi]

i tend to custom paint all my rockets... however the ones that are scaled versions of something ill paint them like they are supposed to be

 

[Mojo_wire]

I just finished one of these. I painted it all black (using an airbrush), but primed the body with gesso. This gave the rocket a really cool tissue paper texture look, but when clearcoated with Testors lacquer finished it smooth and glossy. It's a crazy effect. Doesn't feel anything like it should judging from how crinkly it looks. Haven't flown it yet, just clearcoated it today.

Can't stand those self-stick decals, though.

 

[Bubba02STi]

Im not a fan of the decals that come with the kits either... They feel sooooo cheap... I prefer vinyl (i cant airbrush)