Hans "Chris" Michielssen's Page

AKA: hcmbanjo
Location: Orlando, FL
Club Memberships: NAR
Favorite Rockets: Estes Goblin
Personal Home Page: www.oddlrockets.com
Club Home Page: www.R-O-C-K.org
RocketReviews.com Pages:
Rocket Gallery
Flight Log
Flight Statistics

2025-04-12

Estes Advanced Target Drone, Kit #1913, Build, Part 12, Template Testing & Adjustments

Blog
You should check the template before tracing and cutting out the decal. The paper template is place over the decal position, in this case on the wing. Make any adjustments to the template, your intake fit over the wing might be a little different. This is the paper template fit on the rudder fin. There is a little overlap on the rounded leading edge. The leading edge of the template will ... [More]

2025-04-11

Estes Advanced Target Drone, Kit #1913, Build, Part 11, White Decals?

Blog
This model design had large white area decals. TIP: There is a way to make white decal backings. It's not perfect, but it does work. Spray painted white decals are set down first as the first layer and left to dry. The second home print color decals layer are set down over the white spray paint decals. I spray gloss white paint on a clear decal paper. Try to get complete coverage on the entire ... [More]

2025-04-10

Estes Advanced Target Drone, Kit #1913, Build, Part 10, Paint!

Blog
White undercoats - Spray, let dry and sand any rough spots. With paint on you can see the fillet ridges. Sand them down a bit then check them after the next undercoat. Only one color before decals! This is Ace Gloss Banner Red. Spray the inside areas of the intakes first, then concentrate on the outside surfaces. You won't be able to get full coverage all the way inside. [More]

2025-04-09

Estes Advanced Target Drone, Kit #1913, Build, Part 9, Gluing The Intakes

Blog
The outside edges of the intake shroud have been glued to the top rudder and underside ventral fin. Notice how the slot edges over the long wings bow out. An arc has formed along the slot sides. Use the flat edge of a ruler to press in and straighten out the slight arc. Apply a slight amount of glue to start, not a full fillet. Press the arc straight with the straightedge and remove. Check to ... [More]

2025-04-08

Estes Advanced Target Drone, Kit #1913, Build, Part 8, Lug Position & Shroud Fit

Blog
The instructions show the the front of the launch lug even with the leading edge of the wing fin. This would put the lug beyond the back edge of the intake. I decided to glue the lug a bit forward so it would be hidden under the intake shroud. A dry fit shows the lug better hidden under the intake. You'll have more control if you glue one side of the intake at a time. Look at the top ... [More]

2025-04-07

Estes Advanced Target Drone, Kit #1913, Build, Part 7, Fixing The Intake Slot

Blog
On a new print of the intake shrouds, I punched a round hole at the front of the intake slot to match the rounded leading edge of the wing fins. I used the rotary punch. The folds are indicated by a dashed line. I used the round tip of a butter knife to emboss the line and start the fold. The very tip of the knife should be smooth with no serrations. TIP: Make the embossed lines before ... [More]

2025-04-06

R.O.C.K. Monthly Launch, April 5, 2025

Blog
Weather forecast was for 20 mph wind gusts and 90 degrees! I almost didn't go - It wasn't that bad, rockets were prepped with A and B motors. I'm glad my car had all wheel drive as the wild hogs really tore up the field. It was a bumpy ride in! First test flight of the ROBOT design. I was concerned about stability, but it was fine with a B6-4 motor. Rear eject worked, but - The ... [More]

2025-04-05

Estes Advanced Target Drone, Kit #1913, Build, Part 6, Fin Gluing & Intake Fit

Blog
There are four fins, the two longest are the "wings". The large rudder fin is glued on the top, The smaller ventral fin to the bottom. Note the fin line was sanded for better adhesion. The pencil line was redrawn after sanding down the filler/primer. The wing fins followed. The trailing edge is 5/8" from the rear of the tube. All four fins are glued on at 90 degrees, or ... [More]

2025-04-04

Estes Advanced Target Drone, Kit #1913, Build, Part 5, Engine Mount Gluing & Filler Primer

Blog
The engine mount is glued into the main airframe tube. The end of the mount is even with the end of the BT-50 tube. I used the flat face of my sanding block to push in the mount. The fins grain and body tube seams got the usual CWF coat and sanding. Just the leading edge of the four fins was rounded. The fins and launch lug were sprayed with filler/primer. After it dried, the fins were ... [More]

2025-04-03

New Kit? Robot!

Blog
Had some inspiration last night - I've been playing around with this idea for a while. This is the first build of the ROBOT . I wanted it to reflect the wind-up tin robot toys from the 1950s and 60s. 18mm powered, much like the Odd'l Rockets Little Green Man and Pigasus. It is different with a rear eject of a 12" parachute. The robot arms are bent to the front on the left, and turned ... [More]

2025-01-04

Estes Mini Bertha Clone

Flight
- Estes A3-4t - Orlando R.O.C.K. [More]

Estes Blue Origin, New Shepard

Flight
Stable with a B6-4, not so much with a C6-5. Flew a bit south over the trees. Recovered by other club members with the pole. No damage! - B6-4 - Orlando R.O.C.K. [More]

Semroc Snake Jumper

Flight
Launch wasn't vertical and veered off to the south. Landed in trees, given up for lost. - B6-4 - Orlando R.O.C.K. [More]

2024-12-07

Centuri Vector V

Flight
My Centuri VECTOR V clone was first in the air with an Estes A8-3. On the left is an Estes Viking, the kit used to make my clone. Altitude was estimated to be around 225 feet. Reefed 12" chute recovery. - A8-3 - Orlando R.O.C.K. [More]

Odd'l Rockets Stealth

Flight
Stable and true. Broke off one of the smaller winglet fins, not recovered. - B6-4 - Orlando R.O.C.K. [More]

Odd'l X-15 Goony

Flight
A favorite is my Goony X-15 . Part are from a Quest X-15 parts pack but built around a shorter BT-60. Great stable flight using an older Chinese made Quest B6-4 motor. Estimated altitude was 325'. - German Made Quest B6-4 - ROCK Monthly [More]

ASP Micro Wac Corporal

Flight
This is the ASP MMX CORPORAL , a well performing MMX bird. It was easy to follow the Mylar streamer as it descended. - 1/8A-1 - Orlando R.O.C.K. [More]

Semroc Centurion

Flight
Very stable, slow lift off. Ejection blistered the paint right above the baffle inside. - B6-4 - Orlando R.O.C.K. [More]

2024-06-29

Odd'l Rockets Little Green Man

Flight
A little wobble on the way up. Not much altitude but recovered safely. - B4-4 - Muncie AMA Field [More]

2024-04-06

Quest MMX Saturn V

Flight
The larger fins really didn't help much, it was unstable after it cleared the short launch rod. - 1/8A-1 - Orlando R.O.C.K. [More]

2015-04-19

Rockets By Style / Kit-Bash/Modified

Photograph

Hans "Chris" Michielssen's Orange (Q Cobalt Kitbash)

2014-11-09

Rockets By Style / Kit-Bash/Modified

Photograph

MX-774 Kitbash on an Estes A8-3. Bunnell Blast, November 8, 2014

2012-09-22

Saturn Press Saturn V - Step 17

Build Entry
The outside curved lines of the Engine Fairing Shrouds were cut from the cardstock with scissors. The interior Fin Slots were cut with a knife and straight-edge. [More]

Saturn Press Saturn V - Step 16

Build Entry
The A Frames and Fins were pressed together. The C Frames are pressed into the A Frames and Fins. Be careful handling the Fin paint while assembling. Silver or metallic paints are easy to dull with fingerprints. After all were assembled dry (no glue) I applied white glue to all the joints with ... [More]