Estes Bullpup 12D build thread

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Gillard

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A fellow TRFer (drfish) and Midlands rocket club member and I are both building an ESTES BULLPUP 12D, as part of the EMRR challenge.
This is my build thread, there will be a joint build review for the EMRR challenge.

The kit:

It's a sports scale rocket.
37.7cm long
33.7mm wide
1.8oz in weight
Recommended motors are A8-3, B4-4, B6-4, C6-5.

My bullpup is from the explorer series - E7000.

I bult one of these years ago, but it entered a game of hide and seek on a windy day - it won and I never found it.

estes_bullpup_01.JPG
 
The parts for the kit consist of:

  • Body tube.
  • Engine spacer.
  • Engine mount tube.
  • Launch lug.
  • Green engine block.
  • Centering rings.
  • Die cut basla sheet.
  • Elastic shock cord.
  • Plastic tail cone.
  • Plastic nose cone.
  • 12 inch pre assembled parachute.
  • 2 pieces of clay weight.
  • Decal sheet.

A few things to note about my parts:

The parachute on the instructions in the make it yourself type, with shroud lines, disks and parasheet, mine was the better pre assembled type.
The decal sheet is a peel and stick - I'm pretty sure that the last bullpup I built had waterslide.
The die cut balsa sheet was not the best quailty.
The centering ring sheet is warped.
The shock cord is far too short, but Estes kits always have too short shock cords.

estes_bullpup_02.JPG
 
The tail cone has to be cut from a plastic part. I remember this being a bit difficult last time, but since then I have purchased a razer saw, so the cutting was much smoother.
The ends were then sanded down on sand paper.

estes_bullpup_03.JPG

estes_bullpup_04.JPG
 
The centering rings were warped, which you can see in the picture.
I have ironed them flat.

estes_bullpup_05.JPG
 
Yes your right, the decals were waterslide, I just built this kit a year ago(old kit) and it had waterslide decals. Some of the decals did not stick to the nose cone(NC) because I did not prepare it well enough(clean it).
Don't make the same mistake.

Daniel
 
A fellow TRFer (drfish) and Midlands rocket club member and I are both building an ESTES BULLPUP 12D, as part of the EMRR challenge.
This is my build thread, there will be a joint build review for the EMRR challenge.

The kit:

It's a sports scale rocket.
37.7cm long
33.7mm wide
1.8oz in weight
Recommended motors are A8-3, B4-4, B6-4, C6-5.

My bullpup is from the explorer series - E7000.

I bult one of these years ago, but it entered a game of hide and seek on a windy day - it won and I never found it.


We like the Bullpup so much we bashed 3 into one rocket.

Verna
www.vernarockets.com

spiff3.jpg

spiffnl002.jpg
 
Next thing I have done is build the motor mount. This rocket does not come with an engine hook, which I would have omitted even if there was one as I think it would ruin the look of the rocket.
One of the two rings supplied has an notch removed, where the engine hook could move, this will be for the top of the motor mount as I can then thread a steel leader onto the center of the mount.
White glue was used to glue the rings and engine block into place.
Leader will be added later.

estes_bullpup_06.JPG
 
Did a bit more today.
A steel fishing leader has been added to the mount, taped and glued in.
The motor mount has been glued into position, with the boattail added later.
There is a seam where the boattail and the BT join, it's not much but I've coated the seam and most of the rear with model filler, which sands down smooth. As I've used a fresh tube, the filler came out a bit watery, so I might have to sand and refill to remove all trace of the transition. (Picture shows the seam through the model filler)
The BT has been marked for the fins and the launch lug.
The clay weight has been added to the nosecone. The opening to the nosecone had to be widened to get the clay in.

estes_bullpup_07.JPG
 
You needed to widen the hole in th NC?
I just rolled the clay into several small snakes about 1/8" diameter, dropped it in and mashed into the tip with a dowel.
 
You needed to widen the hole in th NC?
I just rolled the clay into several small snakes about 1/8" diameter, dropped it in and mashed into the tip with a dowel.

Didn't widen it much. just enough to get the back end of a paint brush in to stomp down the clay.
 
fins have been sanded and paper laminated. Did not round off the leading edges, left them square.
 
The little Estes Bullpup and the Bullpup missile is one of my favorites.....built 4 Estes kits so far and have two more in my rocket stash.

Great kit !!

Paul
 
Sanded down the boattail section, so the seam has gone.
Fins have been added to the bodytube, with three fillets of white glue.

estes_bullpup_08.JPG

estes_bullpup_09.JPG
 
Launch lug has had its ends trimmed and glued onto the bodytube, 75mm from the rear of the bodytube seam. Fillets added as normal.

estes_bullpup_10.JPG
 
I really like the Bullpup. I lost mine last week. Put too big a motor in it for the area. The upper winds took it and BYE BYE> I almost cried. LOL:(.
By the way what is the brand name of the filler you use? Thanks Nukemmcssret
 
I really like the Bullpup. I lost mine last week. Put too big a motor in it for the area. The upper winds took it and BYE BYE> I almost cried. LOL:(.
By the way what is the brand name of the filler you use? Thanks Nukemmcssret

filler is by Humbrol.
 
Rocket has now had a few coats of primer, and had three coats of white enamel. I'm away on a work event for the next week, so i'll apply decals after i return, give the paint plenty of time to settle.

estes_bullpup_11.JPG
 
applied the stickers.

did not do a great job, i really do hate the sticker type decals, the waterslide that came with the last bullpup i built were better looking and easier to apply.

estes_bullpup_12.JPG
 
Very nicely done Gillard.

Boy I'm with you there! Vinly stickers are the pits, water slide decals are the only way to fly.
I just wish the "kit" has beem made a bit more Scale like to begin with.

wonderful looking model, I think you'll be pleased flying it as well:)
 
Very nicely done Gillard.

Boy I'm with you there! Vinly stickers are the pits, water slide decals are the only way to fly.
I just wish the "kit" has beem made a bit more Scale like to begin with.

wonderful looking model, I think you'll be pleased flying it as well:)

thanks.

i'm not totally against vinyl - it has it's place on big HPR models, but on the LPR model they just look wrong.
 
applied the stickers.

did not do a great job, i really do hate the sticker type decals, the waterslide that came with the last bullpup i built were better looking and easier to apply.

Looks great! I still can't get a smooth finish :D although I am a huge fan of water-slide decals, sticker decals, contrary to their name, do not stick very well to Paint for me, now Thats an oxymoron! I think that this is one of the "Gems" of Estes.
 
Looks great! I still can't get a smooth finish :D although I am a huge fan of water-slide decals, sticker decals, contrary to their name, do not stick very well to Paint for me, now Thats an oxymoron! I think that this is one of the "Gems" of Estes.

No, it's not an oxymoron, "sticker decal" are not a pair of contradictory words or terms.
 
fianlly got to fly her today, twice, once on a A8 and once on a B6.
A8 was underpowered, and it landed in a water ditch.
B6 was much better.
i remember my last Bullpup flying much higher A and B motors.
drfish had his bullpup there as well

bullpup_20.JPG

bullpup_21.JPG
 
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