Well although this one was rated as an intermediate level kit and it certainly feels about that level to get it into flyable condition, this one was a challenge for me to get to look nice and present it well. I learned a ton and I’m certainly glad that I tackled this before trying something even more challenging.
First challenge I haven’t dealt with in a while: cutting a slot in the centering ring for the motor hook to sit in. Probably not entirely necessary but I decided to rise to the challenge anyway. I did a pretty sloppy job of it but towards the end of the cut I think I found a trick to make it more reliable and neat. It’s difficult to describe but I’ll definitely be using it in the future. You can see my slot job on the complete but not installed motor mount. Thankfully this part isn’t visible from most angles.
Second challenge: fin alignment. Not bad, and passable at a glance or from a distance, but noticeably asymmetrical when you look at it from the tail. I ended up giving up on eyeballing the alignment, so I bought a fin alignment jig to use for my next build.
Third challenge: a nice paint finish. The primer I used made glue residue, wood grains, and paper fibers stick out, giving the airframe a fuzzy look. I made the mistake of trying to paint it like that because I didn’t have fine sandpaper, and the end result didn’t look good at all. I broke down and got some 400 grit and sanded off all the fuzz and bumps. The spots of white primer show where they all were. I ended up putting on another coat after this.
There are still a few spots on the finish where the paint job isn’t perfect, but I figured this is the kind of rocket where I just say “good enough” once I get some noticeable improvement (and learn a few things), then move on. The next model will be better.
Fourth challenge: Decals. This one gave me the most headaches, and I ended up asking the forum for help tracking down a place to print out or buy some replacements. Bruiser was especially helpful, providing the scan himself and giving me a few tips on getting the paper ready to go. Next time I’m going to be much more patient waiting for the factory-provided decals to loosen from the backing paper themselves. Trying to rub them off is what made them rip.
This whole episode also reminded me how much I hate printers. Never let a printer know when you want something done quickly; they can smell fear.
I haven’t given this one an acrylic finish, since Estes is shipping me a brand new decal sheet and I think it would be very desirable to have a logo that’s black and clear instead of black and slightly gray. Maybe someday I’ll revisit this kit and give it the decal job it deserves, but for right now that extra sheet will sit in my range box inside a waterproof bag, awaiting its chance to replace a DIY decal that has fallen off in flight.
But overall I’m pretty proud of the way this turned out. That’s going to look badass as all hell sitting on my spike row or hooked up on the pad. Thanks to TRF for your support, getting it to this level wouldn’t have been possible without you.
First challenge I haven’t dealt with in a while: cutting a slot in the centering ring for the motor hook to sit in. Probably not entirely necessary but I decided to rise to the challenge anyway. I did a pretty sloppy job of it but towards the end of the cut I think I found a trick to make it more reliable and neat. It’s difficult to describe but I’ll definitely be using it in the future. You can see my slot job on the complete but not installed motor mount. Thankfully this part isn’t visible from most angles.
Second challenge: fin alignment. Not bad, and passable at a glance or from a distance, but noticeably asymmetrical when you look at it from the tail. I ended up giving up on eyeballing the alignment, so I bought a fin alignment jig to use for my next build.
Third challenge: a nice paint finish. The primer I used made glue residue, wood grains, and paper fibers stick out, giving the airframe a fuzzy look. I made the mistake of trying to paint it like that because I didn’t have fine sandpaper, and the end result didn’t look good at all. I broke down and got some 400 grit and sanded off all the fuzz and bumps. The spots of white primer show where they all were. I ended up putting on another coat after this.
There are still a few spots on the finish where the paint job isn’t perfect, but I figured this is the kind of rocket where I just say “good enough” once I get some noticeable improvement (and learn a few things), then move on. The next model will be better.
Fourth challenge: Decals. This one gave me the most headaches, and I ended up asking the forum for help tracking down a place to print out or buy some replacements. Bruiser was especially helpful, providing the scan himself and giving me a few tips on getting the paper ready to go. Next time I’m going to be much more patient waiting for the factory-provided decals to loosen from the backing paper themselves. Trying to rub them off is what made them rip.
This whole episode also reminded me how much I hate printers. Never let a printer know when you want something done quickly; they can smell fear.
I haven’t given this one an acrylic finish, since Estes is shipping me a brand new decal sheet and I think it would be very desirable to have a logo that’s black and clear instead of black and slightly gray. Maybe someday I’ll revisit this kit and give it the decal job it deserves, but for right now that extra sheet will sit in my range box inside a waterproof bag, awaiting its chance to replace a DIY decal that has fallen off in flight.
But overall I’m pretty proud of the way this turned out. That’s going to look badass as all hell sitting on my spike row or hooked up on the pad. Thanks to TRF for your support, getting it to this level wouldn’t have been possible without you.
Last edited: