Estes Redstone Build: Tips? Tricks?

[ActingLikeAKid]

Got a Redstone kit for xmas and I'm looking forward to putting it together. Anything to do or to avoid to make the kit better?
It says it'll do 200' on a C motor. That's...awfully low. Is that accurate? If it *is*, that's actually kinda good - I have a fairly small flying field. Does it take well to sticking a bigger motor in it? I think I have a Bt-60 24mm mount sculling around somewhere, and I can always adapt down to 18.
Or there are those 18mm Quest C and D motors...

Any info is appreciated!

Thanks.

 

[neil_w]

Standard advice applies: go check out @hcmbanjo 's build on his blog: https://modelrocketbuilding.blogspot.com/search/label/E Mercury Redstone

 

[samb]

Uprating to a 24mm motor tube is a common upgrade BUT the Estes D12 is too much motor IMO. The C11 is the right choice but may be hard to come by as Estes is phasing that one out of production. The 18mm Quest composites would appear to be a viable alternative but I haven't tried that or seen any postings from others yet. +1 on using Chris' blog; a great asset to the community. Rigging a parachute to the capsule, the "Centuri" way, is the way to go. Adding a small dowel from the top of the capsule antenna housing to the bottom of the escape motor will detract slightly from scale but add some strength and longevity to the tower structure.

 

[hcmbanjo]

Thanks Neil!
All the blog builds go from finished model and back to start.
Lots of other tips and info there, too.

Biggest piece of advice - Assemble the tower as shown in the old Centuri directions from the top down, not bottom up.
That information is also on the blog build.
The Centuri tower assembly was designed to pop-off (in one assembled piece) on a hard landing,
not break up into many smaller pieces.

 

[OC-Patrick]

I've built 2 MR and the old Estes Mercury-Atlas, they use the same escape tower assembly. They've ALWAYS broken off on landing.

 

[ActingLikeAKid]

Thanks everyone!!