Building the Estes "Cosmic Interceptor"

[Huxter]

Umm, Mr chadrog? Are you alive and well? If so, tell us the ending to the story!!

What colors did you decide on? Are there more pics!?? Did you fly it??? What engines!!????

I just got mine from hobbylinc.com today! Gonna implement many suggestions here - baffle... Thank you for the good build and documentation.

Pat

Edit: It IS the coolest nosecone I have ever owned!!!

 

[chadrog]

Holy moly, it has been a while - forgot all about this thread! I have been working on this, I'd say an average of about twenty minutes/month... It's funny, I was planning on working on it tomorrow, it's really close to finished. I'll get some pics up in the morning.

 

[chadrog]

I've been picking away at it little by little, I'm finally done with the paint. It's been so long, I don't even remember what the decals look like. I wont get to that this weekend, going to the Badger game tomorrow. Anyway, here's what I came up with, with little bits of inspiration here and there. Got a little overspray on the underside when doing the red. Not having the ambition to fix it, I added some more. I say it passed a little too close to Mars.

 

[chadrog]

Oh, I also found that second launch lug yesterday...



Here's one more just for funs.

 

[Madison Alum]

Paint job looks nice!. What are you going to fly it on?

 

[AfterBurners]

The typically mundane motor mount is not so mundane in this kit, I count fifteen pieces. The motor tube holds some of the bottom end detail, as well as structure for the rocket itself.

At the start of motor mount assembly, I find something that Estes could have done better. The motor tube has a marking guide that gets cut from the instructions, unfortunately it's located on the back side of the instructions needed for construction of it! So I cut it out, used it, then taped it back into place.

After marking, I glued in the engine block and motor hook/sleeve. Debated putting those in, but I don't see myself putting anything bigger than a 24-60 case in it so I followed the instructions as written.

Then came the eight cardstock rear fin things. I'm sure there's a real name for them, I don't know what that might be. Later, the top end of these slide into the main body tube. The combination of all these parts needing to work together is what would make a larger diameter motor rather difficult.
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Maybe make a copy of that particular page of the instructions?

 

[chadrog]

Paint job looks nice!. What are you going to fly it on?

Thanks! I'm thinking an E18 will give it a nice first ride.

 

[AfterBurners]

What a cool looking paint job. I think the one thing I like about this kit is that ESTES did away with those plastic center rings like on they had on the "E"

 

[qquake2k]

You've really got to watch how close you pass by Mars. They should put up a sign or something.

(Looks great, by the way!)

 

[chadrog]

Maybe make a copy of that particular page of the instructions?

A person would have to fully read the instructions prior to starting for that to be realized - who does that?i don't.

 

[chadrog]

What a cool looking paint job. I think the one thing I like about this kit is that ESTES did away with those plastic center rings like on they had on the "E"

Thank you.
I had a hard time painting this thing, there's just so many different things you can do - I run into the same problem at Chinese resteraunts.

 

[chadrog]

You've really got to watch how close you pass by Mars. They should put up a sign or something.

(Looks great, by the way!)

Thanks Captain! There probably was signs, I think the dust was from perpetual road construction - I heard they subcontracted their work to WI DOT...

 

[sodmeister]

Hey Chad ,very nice build and great color scheme !

That sparklely reddish orange looks pretty sweet....Duplicolor ?

I can see how painting this bird may pose problems,what with all those angles and surfaces ,but you donw good !!

Good to see you are back at this build ,it has inspired me to get mine out and hopefully start it soon.

Take care


Paul T

 

[chadrog]

Hey Chad ,very nice build and great color scheme !

That sparklely reddish orange looks pretty sweet....Duplicolor ?

I can see how painting this bird may pose problems,what with all those angles and surfaces ,but you donw good !!

Good to see you are back at this build ,it has inspired me to get mine out and hopefully start it soon.

Take care


Paul T

Thanks Mr.T, I do appreciate it. The paint is all Duplicolor, except for a little Modelmaster I used for touch up. I used a bunch of Metalcast ground coat, Metalcast red, and Perfect Match brilliant black pearl (GM). Clear acrylic lacquer covered it all in the end, and it will get a bit more after decals are applied.

 

[sodmeister]

Thanks Mr.T, I do appreciate it. The paint is all Duplicolor, except for a little Modelmaster I used for touch up. I used a bunch of Metalcast ground coat, Metalcast red, and Perfect Match brilliant black pearl (GM). Clear acrylic lacquer covered it all in the end, and it will get a bit more after decals are applied.

Perfect !

You just can`t go wrong with the Duplicolor range of paints.

The Perfect Match line of acrylic lacquers are beautiful and pretty much fool proof.

Also,their motor clor enamels are great matches for certain scale missiles ,the AIM-9 Falcon being one of them.

Now if they could only make an FS Flat Olive Drab ,but until then, Testors it will have to be (I have 10 cans comming in the mail for a project :wink

Cheerio


Paul T

 

[Huxter]

I run into the same problem at Chinese resteraunts.

We go to a Chinese buffet when we have that issue!

Beautiful looking paint job - love the metallic look - very sparkly! I hear Io spits a lot of crap into space too!

Inspired me to start mine too!

I'm gonna go with the paint scheme on this Interceptor!!



Pat

 

[TopRamen]

Cosmic Interceptor: A Starship of great Power, that can Inercept all those pesky Cosmos. Cool Rocket!

 

[dpower]

Looks great Chad, I like the metallics on this bird. You could just beat the anniversary of this thread with JC next Sunday...

 

[chadrog]

We go to a Chinese buffet when we have that issue!

Beautiful looking paint job - love the metallic look - very sparkly! I hear Io spits a lot of crap into space too!

Inspired me to start mine too!

I'm gonna go with the paint scheme on this Interceptor!!

Pat

I like that interceptor, I bet a lot of people wouldn't get it, unfortunately.

Cosmic Interceptor: A Starship of great Power, that can Inercept all those pesky Cosmos. Cool Rocket!

And people think Estes is only making RTF these days...

Looks great Chad, I like the metallics on this bird. You could just beat the anniversary of this thread with JC next Sunday...

If the weather holds out, that is a very good possibility!