Model Rocket Building Blog
Estes Alien Invader #3003 Build, Part 1, PartsI built one of these when it was first released in 1976. Estes brought it back when they released the Classic Series of kits. There is a lot of small fins on it, many areas I didn't get smooth the first time around. I remember how the simple yellow/black mask worked so well with the detailed upper ...[Read More]
Estes Alien Invader #3003 Build, Part 2, Engine Hook TIPIf you've followed the blog you know I don't like the long finger tabs on engine hooks. The original model didn't have a finger tab, this one won't either. I've seen some forum builds where some have had problems cutting off the tab. Some "after" pictures show a bent up hook. You could grind or ...[Read More]
Estes Alien Invader #3003 Build, Part 3, Replaceable Kevlar MountThe centering ring had an inside burr that prevented it from sliding over the blue engine mount tube. This was rolled off with the backk end of a Sharpie pen. Fitting this ring over the engine hook will be very tight. I filed a notch the width of the engine hook down the full length of the inside ...[Read More]
Estes Alien Invader #3003 Build, Part 4, Coupler ReinforcementBT-50 tubing is too thin for me. many rockets end up with a crimp right above the interior of the engine mount. This tube will get a coupler for strength. A 2" long piece of BT-50 is slit down it's length. Slide this into the main body tube and mark the overlap. Remove the coupler. Cut off the ...[Read More]
Estes Alien Invader #3003 Build, Part 5, Balsa! Lots Of ItI don't always sand the balsa sheet flat. I depends how rough the sheet is. Sometimes if the sheet is smooth I go right to freeing up the parts. This one was rough. I said there was a lot of pieces. ALL the leading edges will be rounded. The curved inside edges of the forward wing pieces were ...[Read More]
Estes Alien Invader #3003 Build, Part 6, Fin Rounding and AssemblyThe rear "I" piece was glued on first and sanded flat. The front piece wasn't glued on yet so I could fill the inside edges of that "H" piece and the main "G" piece. It would be very hard to fill the inside edges if all three fin pieces were glued together. You have to make the decision which ...[Read More]
Estes Alien Invader #3003 Build, Part 7, MiscellanyThe nose cone seams were sanded down. What seam that was left was filled with beads of medium CA glue. The pencil circles outline the recesses. After the CA bead dries (it does take a few minutes) the glue sands down with 220 grit. Follow with 400 grit. I'm building two kits at the same time. This ...[Read More]
Estes Alien Invader #3003 Build, Part 8, Wing Tube Fill and PaintI filled the inside seams of the Wing Tip Tubes, part F. The interior of the tubes will be visible on the finished model. They will be painted red before gluing onto the wing fins. The outside surface of one tube was wrinkled. A little sanding with 400 grit brought it down slightly. Filler/primer ...[Read More]
Estes Alien Invader #3003 Build, Part 9, Engine Mount GluingI marked the inside rear of the main tube and end of the engine tube with a Sharpie. Sometimes its hard to get black spray paint into the rear after the mount is glued in place. TIP: Set the engine mount and Kevlar line down the length of the body tube to get an idea of how long the Kevlar should ...[Read More]
Estes Alien Invader #3003 Build, Part 9, Engine Mount GluingI marked the inside rear of the main tube and end of the engine tube with a Sharpie. sometimes its hard to get black spray paint into the rear after the mount is glued in place. TIP: Set the engine mount and Kevlar line down the length of the body tube to get an idea of how long the Kevlar should ...[Read More]
Estes Alien Invader #3003 Build, Part 10, Wing PrepHere's the main wing after primer and sanding. Notice the leading and outside edges where the primer was sanded down for better adhesion and fillets. The body tube fin areas were also scraped for better adhesion. I noticed too late that the bottom "root" edges of the small part K fins needed to be ...[Read More]
Estes Alien Invader #3003 Build, Part 11, Wing GluingBe sure you glued the small crescent fins to the "mirrored" tops of the main wings. Don't ask me why I bring this up! Two on top of the right side wing, two on top of the facing left side wing. Here's how the wings are glued onto the body. The lugs are on the bottom.[Read More]
Estes Alien Invader #3003 Build, Part 13, Undercoats and Sanding!After the first white undercoats were shot there was more sanding. There are too many nooks to sand! This model took extra time to get rid of the glue fillet ridges. Then another white undercoat. The instructions are vague about the decal and color separation point. The main decal helps bisect the ...[Read More]
Estes Alien Invader #3003 Build, Part 12 Pod Glue and MaskingThe pods were masked for the internal flurescent red/orange spraying. It's easier to mask and spray the inside of the tubes before gluing them onto the wings. You must use a white undercoat when using fluorescent paints. The inset picture shows the red/orange paint inside the tube. The pods were ...[Read More]
Estes Alien Invader #3003 Build, Part 14, Paint, Mask and Paint AgainThis is an easy mask. Spray the upper tube so you have yellow coverage right below the smaller forward fins. Don't worry, the black will cover up the yellow. Black can pretty much cover anything. The instructions just say to mask above the forward small fins. Double check by setting the decal ...[Read More]
Estes Alien Invader #3003 Build, Part 15, DecalsThe decals provided don't match the face card illustration or even the instruction sheet. You don't get the three white lines on the left side of the wing or the short decal that rolls over half the body tube. The circle decal by my thumb can't and doesn't go into the outside edge of the wing. ...[Read More]
Estes Alien Invader #3003 Build, FinishedI had build this one years ago and was interested in trying it again when Estes brought it back as part of the Classics Collection. It was a fun build, this time I got all the balsa filled correctly before painting. The decals were the only a disappointment. We'll see if those trailing pod dowels ...[Read More]
Estes Alien Invader #3003 Build, Follow UpIn a comment, Naoto Kimura mentioned the older instructions at the Jim'z website. CLICK HERE I should have checked the original Alien Invader instructions and face card for the correct decal placement. Normally when I have a assembly question on a reissued kit, I'll look up the older instructions. ...[Read More]
Estes Alien Invader Decal FixI finally set the decals down on the second Alien Invader. I think I got it right this time. The white decal on the tube sides won't fit the way the face card shows it. With the dowel in the location specified in the instructions, this decal is too tall. I turned it on its side. This time the ...[Read More]
Estes Alien Invader Paint Fix - Part 1, TIPA few years back I was talking to a local guitar repairman. Early on h e had worked for Tobias guitars, learning the finer points of lutherie. He drilled the screw holes for a tailpiece install. After drilling he realized one hole was in the wrong place, off by a good half inch. Expecting ...[Read More]
Estes Alien Invader Paint Fix - Part 2, TIPHere's the front and back after the flat clear was shot. The light spraying of acrylic dries almost instantly. If you enlarge the pciture the black might look splotchy. That's just the low pixel resolution. The black actually looks very even now. This is the angled mask over the transition decal ...[Read More]
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