Leading Edge Micro kits

[kuririn]

Hey, Kuririn, Would you do me a favor? I have a Leading Edge Starlight I'm starting to build. Would you measure the body tube length? Does the ring go below the body tube? I believe the ESTES body tube and the ring tube were even with each other on the original rocket. I'm trying to decide which way to do it. I may have to lengthen the body tube.

The body tube is 5 7/8" long.
The fin root edges are 5 3/4" long.
Check the post above for the mods I had to do to the Starlight to get it close to looking OK.
Lengthening the tube would probably be the easiest way to go, if you have an extra BT-4(?) tube lying around.
Then you can get the aft ring and runners even with the tube.
I didn't have an extra tube. The way I modded it, you would need a pair of needle nose pliers to get the motor out.
Flies OK, but a little heavy for MX.

 

[Saluki]

Thanks, I may do what you did. Adding tube adds weight and with these little rockets, that's not good. I like the size of these rockets but I wish the motors were a little stronger so you could do just a little longer rockets. I would really like to do an MMX size Alien Explorer or USS Andromeda.

 

[kuririn]

Another option is to do what Erin from LE customer service suggested and sand down the forward fin tips so you can move the fins up enough to bring the aft ring even with the tube.
Of course then it wouldn't quite look like the Starlight, would it?

 

[Saluki]

That's a good suggestion to solve the problem but your right it wouldn't look right. I think I will do what you did. At this point, I'm thinking of doing the white and red paint scheme like the one in the ESTES catalog when they first came out. Who knows what I will end up with when my ADHD kicks in.

 

[tsmith1315]

@Saluki The original Estes instructions and a pic on JimZ's pages, if you need more detail. The aft ring is flush on the original.