Manufacturer: | Scratch |
Brief:
While building the Estes SpaceShipOne, I encountered a problem when the plastic cement recommended by the
manufacturer melted and deformed the tail cone. To their credit, and typical of their customer service, Estes sent me a
replacement model immediately after I shared with them what had occurred.
Looking at the undamaged parts from the original kit, I decided that I would use them to create a variation on the original. This one would be longer and have a larger motor mount. I dubbed it the SpaceShip2000, or SS2K.
Modifications:
This build wasnt too complicated. I began with the motor mount and glued it into the lower tube. The BT was
marked for two sets of fins and a launch lug. Ive learned the hard way how important it is to mark a narrower
lower tube first before gluing it into a larger diameter upper tube. Once it was marked the centering rings were
attached and the lower tube was glued into the upper tube.
Next I made the cardstock transition and attached it. Ive developed the habit of gluing the transition together with a glue stick and immediately putting it on the rocket, thereby helping the lower portion to maintain its shape. I also wrap cardstock around the upper tube, tape it together, and slide it over where the tube and transition meet. This helps the upper end of the transition dry in the correct shape as well.
The fins were put together according to the instructions except for the beveling of the root edge I wasnt interested in attaching them to the body tube at an angle. I was worried that the amount of fin extending past the end of the rocket combined with the unique nature of the same would make the fins susceptible to damage but they have held up fine.
Knowing this would likely go fairly high, I painted it black for visibilitys sake. Both the primer and spray paint came from Wal-Mart. I didnt put any of the decals on it because I didnt want to take the time to do so on a rocket that may or may not be stable and likely would be lost because of the motors I intended to use.
Construction:
My primary components were:
Flight:
This rocket has flown numerous times on both D12-5s and E9-8s. It has flown and recovered beautifully
every time. It comes down nicely under an 18 Hartle Engineering chute.
Summary:
This is one of my favorite rockets in my fleet. It was fun to build and flies really well. Its distinctive look
causes people to pay attention when it comes out and flies. For those who may have one of these in their stash or find
it on clearance somewhere, this is a great modification.
Sponsored Ads