Vintage Estes Crusader Build

[SCIGS30]

I should have a little more time to work on this rocket, looks like a more challenging fun build.

 

[Leo]

Oh, I like this one. I have a nose cone lying around. I should someday clone it.

 

[kjohnson]

I painted my last one like NASA's Supercritical Wing Crusdarer:

I also added baffle at the front of the pop-pod, and trimmed off the end of the shoulder to allow it to extend into the nose.

kj

 

[K'Tesh]

SCIGS... You get all the neat rockets... Dang it! Save some for the rest of us!!! :wink:

While you're at it... could you scan the flat parts with a ruler for scale?

Thanks!

 

[SCIGS30]

Ken, I will upload the scans with a ruler.
I had some free time to work on my Crusader today and she is ready for paint. The first thing I had to do was free the parts from the die cut balsa sheets and do my best to sand to shape. The plans then have you apply sanding sealer so I used 3 coats of Brodak balsa sealer. The 1/8 play that is inserted into the wing is a tad thicker than the 1/8 balsa requiring sanding. The plans are pretty good with the measurements and everything fits nice and loose. I am finishing applying all the fillets with white glue and I am waiting on my Krylon Acryli Quick to arrive. The plans call for light gray so I am going with Pewter Gray since that is the lightest gray. I was going to use Gloss white but I think the light gray will look better, that is what people use for the Enterprise and model jet liners. I am not going to use any primer to keep the weight down, just shoot the top coat and apply the decals. The weight of the glider is 1.5oz ready for paint. All and all a fun challenging build especially without laser cutting.

 

[K'Tesh]

Now this is funny...

I'm listening to a youtube video that had autoplayed itself when I read the latest update... The subject?

[video=youtube;vqXg0VQi6g0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqXg0VQi6g0[/video]

That's what is called timing...

Nice Work SCIGS!

 

[SCIGS30]

I finished my Estes Crusader, just had to wait for the Krylon Acryli Quick Pewter Gray to arrive. This was a fun build and cannot wait to fly her, I think the glider will do well. I kept the weight down by using 3 coats of Brodak sealer for grain free balsa, no fillers, no primer just shot light coats of Pewter gray. The balsa wood was pretty heavy making for a tail heavy glider. I did not glue the nose in until she was all painted and balanced out and some nose clay was needed. The test glide is pretty nice after she was balanced. The decals were old but no major issues, now onto the next build. Sorry about the pictures, I do not have my normal camera.

 

[SCIGS30]

More pictures

 

[Leo]

Very cool rocket. Well done!

Report on it's flight characteristics here

 

[Daddyisabar]

Cool kit.

 

[Daddyisabar]

Nice. These are always fun to see fly. How did anyone survive the die cut age. Hard to imagine a world without laser cut fins and the internet.

 

[K'Tesh]

Nice Job as always!!!

Man, I wish I had the bread back in the day (or now for that matter) to pick a few of these up and build them.

 

[BABAR]

Impressive, even more so with keeping the mass low.
I too am looking forward to the flight report

 

[SCIGS30]

I have my nice camera and was able to get some close up pictures showing how well the Brodak Balsa sealer does at sealing the balsa with no primer or fillers. Also test glided the glider and she did very well. The final weight of the glider with clay added is under 2oz. I built the newer version of the Scissor Wing Transport a few years ago and now I am thinking maybe I will build the all wood version next.

 

[SCIGS30]

More

 

[dvdsnyd]

@SCIGS30
Beautiful model!
Has it flown?

 

[Grant_Edwards]

Beautiful work!

I love the fin that ejects with the motor pod!

 

[Cape Byron]

That would be a sweet kit to bring back, Mr Estes…

 

[Echo3]

That is a beautiful rocket.

I have one of these that I built in the late 80s that I still launch occasionally and I have found that the fin on the internal pod tends to hit the ground first and break off at the joint where it is glued to the BT-20 tube. I finally reinforced mine with some extra balsa but I haven’t launched it yet to try it out. A larger streamer or a small parachute might help as well.

 

[dpower]

Amazing that it's only 2oz, it *looks* like it would be heavier. Still, I bet it'll be great flight to watch. Nice work!