Estes SLV Build

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BSNW

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Hey All-
After completing my Airborne Surveillance Missile. I wanted something to slowly work on over the Summer. I thought to take a break from the "Cosmic-Fantasy-Space-Plane" M.O. and go for a "real" looking rocket. After I opened this kit I thought it would be fun (for me anyway) to do a thread on it.

This kit is.....I THINK.....going to be GREAT. LOTS of parts, a skill level 4, its bigger AND it is almost ALL balsa! It has the look and feel of an "old-classic" Estes kit! I also think it is also cool as "all get-out". It has, I think about 11-12 pages of instructions. There is no way I am going to get this done before NARAM. After opening the kit and reading everything.....I thought I was done for the evening.

ESTES!!! PLEASE make more kits like this! What a beauty!

Photos below....Just to give you a feel for the kit. Just an FYI....Dont expect fast progress on this.
Here we go!
Andrew
 
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WOW!.....look at all those parts and DO-Dads!!!

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Best part is they include a special jig that you construct to align the five booster pods. It's foolproof. And you can keep the jig for future scratch builds.
 
Best part is they include a special jig that you construct to align the five booster pods. It's foolproof. And you can keep the jig for future scratch builds.

I saw that! Very nice! Now if I can just get about 2 hours of free time!
Andrew
 
So it was a quiet evening after work and I could not help myself....so I started the SLV. I looked at the instructions again and I think I got a handle on it....Ha! Anyway, like 99% of the kits out there they start with the motor mount. This has a 24mm screw on retainer....I am so happy to not have that blasted engine hook! Anyway, check out all those rings for the kit...photos below.

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The motor mount is standard fare...I do use the screw on retainer as a guide for the aft ring. Once tacked on with CA I pull the retainer off and smoooooth on some wood glue (both sides). So there you have it...one 24mm motor mount.

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One of the coolest things about this kit (IMO) is the cradle-jig you make to aid in placing the side boosters on the body-tube. It also is then flipped to aid in the fin placement and alignment....very cool. I love all the balsa. On a total side note....it is great that this kit has a very nice balsa nosecone. I think a plastic nosecone would have taken something I cannot articulate away from the kit. Even if it had a plastic nosecone....it still would be a cool kit. I guess I'm just saying I like the "old school" balsa. Anyway...on to the cradle construction....pretty straight forward.

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Neil-
I have to tell you....you will LOVE this kit. If possible...you must get one (or two). Just trust me on this....
Andrew
 
So if anyone saw in the photo on what is coming next by looking at my instructions....it is the card stock "bending and curling" to make the tail cones and nozzles. Yep, I said cones AND nozzles! I have to say...the kit card does NOT show you many of the smaller yet very cool, details about this kit. I know they may be limited to the art etc. but there are details that go on the upper payload that are simply crazy cool .....but they don't show it on the kit card. Also, they have nozzles on the boosters yes....but they are set on top of a small cone. VERY stylistic. This is a builder's dream (IMO). I also like that it is not based on a BT20, it is a good size rocket that will do well on the soft but longer thrust of an RMS F12. I know I am gushing on this kit but it is a wonderful gem. I have yet to see one at any launch (okay....that is not fair, as I mostly go to TRA HP launches)....Anyway. As far as those paper/wrapped transitions and nozzles and such....this is high stress for me, as it is out of my normal experiences and comfort zone. Should be fun.....
Andrew
 
Last night I could not resist building one of the side boosters. I have to say I was out of my realm of experience. I cut out only the parts for one of them and gave it a try. It turned out pretty good for a first try...

I will say a few things for folks who want to build this great kit. The side boosters are not too bad but its one of those things that is hard to repair/recover from if you really break or mess up one of the small components. IMO....get Zen....chill out and just go slow. IMO - it would be great to have the very thin/watery CA to help with certain joints. It comes in handy...you will see why. I used thicker CA to glue the paper etc. Also....get a pair of forceps/tweezers or a tiny needle nose pliers...they are handy to press and hold the paper when you glue the rings (you will see below). I also "pre-wrapped" the paper transitions/cones/nozzles around a small tube to help in the gluing and shaping of the paper before I glued them.

One more point to note: I am sure Estes knew someone would cluster this rocket. The boosters conveniently have motor tubes to fit an 18 mm motor and one of the centering rings is vented. The kit also has a payload (how convenient) for extra nose weight for all those C motors....I have ordered a second kit to modify for clustering...IMO...they all but tell us to do it ....

So, like not being able to each just one Dorito...I ended up making two boosters. And that was enough for me for the evening. The photos are below. I hope they help any prospective builders of this kit.
Andrew
 
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I then glued on the nosecone and then took some thin CA and gently "coated" the entire rear assembly. I did this to seal and strengthen everything. I then took 400 grit and sanded the whole thing. I will do some filling, sanding and then some finishing work on these (less primer and paint) before I glue them on. Also the paper seams also sand down smooth nicely. The seams will be oriented to the inside so they wont be seen.....only 3 more to go!

This is really a fun rocket!
Andrew
 
One more thing....IMO...I think this is a hefty skill level 4 kit. But don't let that stop you from building this! It is really a great kit and a lot of fun. I also think it will provide some slower and more majestic lift offs, at least I hope so. Kind of like the D-Region Tomahawk Estes put out awhile ago....(which I also hope they bring back). That rocket had really nice flights on D's and Bp E's It also did well on the F12 among others.
Andrew
 
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I order mine from ac supply as soon as I saw it was not in the 2019 catalog. I am nearly finished with mine as well. I think it was 40 centering rings. It is not really clear in the instructions but the card stock transitions do have gluing marks. they are little notches, but could have clearer overlap tabs. I made a few of mine too small.
 
I order mine from ac supply as soon as I saw it was not in the 2019 catalog. I am nearly finished with mine as well. I think it was 40 centering rings. It is not really clear in the instructions but the card stock transitions do have gluing marks. they are little notches, but could have clearer overlap tabs. I made a few of mine too small.

Hey Walter! I am glad to hear someone else is building one. Post a photo of yours! I know what you mean about the card stock transitions....I saw the little notches and thought "that's what they have to be"....markers for the glue spot. I know what you mean....on my second one, I had one transition that was really snug.....I will be careful/mindful of that on the last three. I am thinking of getting another one just to put away in the closet just in case I crash this one.
Andrew
 
I've also got one of these. My son and I had a discussion about how you almost never see 5 finned rockets because the fins are too hard to evenly space around a body tube. The next day we saw this kit on sale at Hobby Lobby and immediately grabbed it. I'll be following along!
 
These are the kind of kits that I like also. Inspired by a heavy lifter like a Delta or Atlas or Shuttle-derived, but in its own unique Estes style. Quest also has a Future Launch Vehicle with a similar inspiration. I wonder how these would look if you swapped out the fins for clear fins...

The Estes Shuttle is another cool sporty/fantasy/realistic rocket along this line.

Masking the nozzles on the fin pods might be tricky along the neck of two transitions. I wonder if those could have been pre-painted before assembly, or how anyone else would tackle that color separation line between the pods' red nozzle and white boat tail.

Nice build, and a great kit, thanks for sharing your progress on this one. There was some activity on the forums about this kit when was it was first released, sounds like a great flier and a fun build, another great all-around Estes kit. Makes me want to get one for my already overflowing build pile.
 
Get one while you can, Glen. John Boren told me it's basically a SPEV as they aren't doing balsa nose cones any more (and it uses five BNC-50Js plus the one on the main body). Of course this was before the recent change in ownership at Estes, but I don't know when/if that will change the policy about balsa nose cones...

It IS a really cool SPEV.
 
Well, this weekend the weather positively sucked. It rained....a lot. So I did have some major time to work at my hobby table. It turned out to be very productive. I ended up finishing the rest of the boosters and then moved on to more assembly. I found that once you get used to the paper shrouds and you "pre-wrap" the shroud paper around something slightly smaller and prior to gluing, it made things much easier. The boosters are below....

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The instructions then have you cut the side "conduit" detail and do some prep-work for the assembly. Not very glamorous photos but I included them to give folks a feel for the kit etc. It goes on the side of the rocket and is cut in two sections. They have you round them down and cut the outer ends at a 45 degree angle. I then glued the first on the side of the booster. The large ring actually is glued on the top of the booster. There is another one that goes on the upper section of body tube that mates with this one. I will show you how it all fits later......


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NOW comes the attachment of the boosters. NOTE: The fin guide/jig has a notch cut out to accommodate the conduit. You place the conduit in this notch FIRST This is your starting point. The instructions kid of show it but don't make a point that it has to start in this position (No, I did not learn this the hard way!...Ha!). And then you start with the first two side boosters!

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