Estes Omega/Cineroc

[tbzep]

I have recently completed an Omega and Cineroc clone. I made the Cineroc body with paper tubing and built up the balsa fairing. I turned the nosecone and transition section from balsa.

The unit currently houses an inexpensive video camera and transmitter instead of film, which will be upgraded soon. The only thing I lack on my project is the "Cineroc" decal on the camera payload and the "Cineroc" decal for the Omega booster that was included with the Cineroc/Omega combo from Estes.

If anyone has a scan of either these decals, I would greatly appreciate your help.

 

[Omega_D]

I have a friend that has an original Cineroc camera, I'll email him to see if he has the decals that he could scan.

Also I just had to comment on your Omega. That is a piece of art! Of course I may be a little biased, that is my FAVORITE rocket kit! I lost mine years ago.

Do you happen to have a parts list of what you used? I've been trying to get an original from the different auctions but I may have to settle for a clone. Do you have a Rocksim file by any chance?

Awesome bird!

 

[jflis]

I agree, you did a wonderful job. The omega lift vehicle isn't hard to clone, but I would love details on the nose cone details.

very kewl

 

[tbzep]

The Cineroc payload isn't exact scale, but it's close. I used some Aerotech 1.9" tubing for the body and turned the nosecone and transition from balsa using the dimensions from a Mike Jerauld drawing I found on the net. The true diameter of the Cineroc is 1.8" according to the drawing, so I'm fat by a 1/10".

I stuck the spycam housing into the wall of the payload as far as possible and still leave the lens outside the body. Once it was in place, I used balsa scraps to build up a shroud around the camera. It is larger than scale due to the size of the camera housing. I decided the direct point camera and larger shroud was better and easier than trying to keep it perfectly scale looking by using a mirror in the shroud.

The rocket and camera are ready to fly, but I 'm debating on adding a recovery harness that will keep the camera pointed at the ground on recovery. I'll probably do it the old fashioned way for the first few flights at least. I will eventually get one of the better quality video systems from Boostervision or Blackwidow and build another Cineroc payload to house it. When I do that, this particular one will be used to test recovery methods for stability, etc.


The Omega rocket was a straight build from plans on JimZ's site.

It uses a PNC-60AH (From a Screamin' Mimi kit)

Three body tubes, 5" for payload section, 5" for booster, and 14" for main body.

Fins are 1/8" balsa, pattern from JimZ.

I cut down some body tube to make a tube coupler cause I didn't have any handy. I took engine hooks and broke off the extensions to make regular old style hooks and put it all together. The rest is straightfoward rocket 101 assembly.