Estes Outlander (Kit EST 2110) - Build Thread With Modifications

The Rocketry Forum

Help Support The Rocketry Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Gear Housings Fabrication

Revised the design to have 3 legs instead of 4.​
Looks more spindly, which is a good thing. It was just too bulky appearing before. Now you can see the gap in the body tube and the tanks stand out better.​
Cut, routed and sanded the Gear Housings and Gear Housing Spacers... and glued them together. They're clamped... due for early release in 24 hours.​

001.JPG 002.JPG003.JPG2024-06-19 Outlander ML 9 - 29mm Photo Studio.jpg 2024-06-20 Outlander ML 9 with Ladder - 29mm Photo Studio.jpg2024-06-19 Outlander ML 9 - 29mm Side View.jpg
 
Last edited:
Gear Housing Redux

I needed a bit more clearance to slide the Legs between the Gear Housings. So I cut through the spacers that I previously glued between the Gear Housings using my Scroll Saw (blade thickness of .032"). Then I cut some new spacers from 1/16" thick Basswood (0.0625") which gives me a gap of 0.0305". That'll be less once I paint both parts.​

001.JPG 002.JPG
 
Gluing The Leg Sub-Assemblies

I flipped the Leg Sub-assemblies over and applied fillets between the Struts and Dowels. Once those dried sufficiently to stay in place I layed the Legs on their sides and glued the Leg to Strut joints.​

001.JPG 002.JPG003.JPG
 
How many parts besides the nose can are you still using ? :D
That's pretty much it.... :dontknow:
I really wanted to do an accurate simulation of the stock Estes model... so I'm good with getting the kit.​
Plus, I've got an idea for the original kit....​
2024-06-21 Outlander Kit Bash Open Rocket Sim.jpg


 
Last edited:
Speaking of that original Estes Outlander Rocket... what if I turned a pine nose cone and then built it as one of the following?


2024-06-23 Outlander Kit Bash Backwards Open Rocket Sim 3D Finished.jpg2024-06-23 Outlander Kit Bash Open Rocket Sim 3D Finished.jpg

 
Last edited:
Back to the build...

I drilled the Gear Housings and Leg Sub-Assy's to accept 3/16" dia. Pan Head Screws.​
001.JPG 002.JPG
 
Gluing the Gear Housings to the Body

Now that the Gear Housings are drilled they can be glued to the Body. I prepped the C-60 by poking a copious amount of holes through it at the Gear Housing locations. Then glued the first Gear Housing.​

001.JPG 002.JPG003.JPG


Followed by the 3rd Gear Housing

201.JPG 202.JPG
And then the 2nd Gear Housing

201.JPG 202.JPG
 
Last edited:
Updated the CAD model and drawing package to reflect the 3 legged design and other as built features as Rev 01. See post #21.

Working on Gear Housing to Body glue fillets.

001.JPG 002.JPG
 
Spherical Tank

A few years back I stashed a couple of shampoo bottles in the barn, because they had hemispherical ends on them. I thought I might use them on a rocket someday. Well, today is that day!​
I started by chucking the threaded portion in the wood lathe and parted the end off of each. Then I used a hole saw to cut a 1-11/16" hole in each one.​
The two halves need to be glued together... so I'm doing a little R&D with some Duco Cement to see what works best.​
Updates: Glue R&D
06-08-2024: Duco Cement​
I tried (1) test with no prep: Failure
I tried (1) test with the surface sanded: Failure
06-09-2024: Bob Smith Super Thin Insta-Cure CA​
(1) test with no prep: Failure
(1) test with the surfaces sanded: Failure
06-10-2024: Testors Model Cement​
(1) test with no prep: Failure
(1) test with the surfaces sanded: Failure
06-13-2024: J-B Weld​
(1) test with no prep: Failure
(1) test with the surfaces sanded: Failure
Update 06-13-2024: Well, looks like this one is destined for the trash heap. It's impervious to all glues that I have. Time to search for a
sphere made from a material I can work with.
FYI, for future reference, for what it's worth, that bottle is, I think, most likely polypropylene. Henkel (the Loctite people) make an "activator" for using CA on that. There are also less expensive kits of CA glue and an activator for hard plastics that you apply with what amounts to a magic marker. I've had mixed success with the latter, and I have not tried the former.
1719508001065.png
 
FYI, for future reference, for what it's worth, that bottle is, I think, most likely polypropylene. Henkel (the Loctite people) make an "activator" for using CA on that. There are also less expensive kits of CA glue and an activator for hard plastics that you apply with what amounts to a magic marker. I've had mixed success with the latter, and I have not tried the former.
View attachment 653041
Thanks Joe!​
 
Trimming the Nose Cone and installing the Launch Lug

Pretty much done with glue fillets on the Gear Housing to Body.​
I opened up the hole in the Nose Cone for the 3/8" dia. Launch Lug, test fitted it and then glued on the BT-3.​

001.JPG

002.JPG 003.JPG004.JPG 005.JPG006.JPG
 
Last edited:
I’m never quite sure if it’s a good idea to have super long lugs like that. The potential downside would be binding on the rod if it were not straight. I don’t know if that’s a valid concern or not.

:dontknow:
 
I’m never quite sure if it’s a good idea to have super long lugs like that. The potential downside would be binding on the rod if it were not straight. I don’t know if that’s a valid concern or not.

:dontknow:
One long lug is much better than 2 separate lugs... it holds the launch rod to prevent rod whip.​
It's never been an issue for me because I use a 5/16" wooden dowel as an alignment guide... and my 5/16" launch rod is zinc plated, which is pretty darn slippery.​
Plus.. on this rocket the launch lug doubles as a holder for the ladder... so the astronauts can climb down from the "Biosphere".... ;)
Outlander ML 9 Drawing Sheet 1 of 14 Rev 01.jpg
 
Last edited:
Gear Housing Covers, Installing the BT-50 Tanks and CWF

I used some 1/8" thick stand-offs to mount the BT-50 Tanks. The stand-off makes it more accessible around the tanks.​
One tank holds the Altimeter Two, the other is empty.​
Also applied CWF to the "Biosphere".​

001.JPG002.JPG 003.JPG
 
Behold... It's Outlandish!

No, It's Outlander ML9.​
Still need to finish up gluing the foot pads, and add the BT-20 tanks. Also determine if I want the legs spring loaded or just bolt them up semi-loose.​

008.JPG 007.JPG
 
Back
Top