So I got on a building kick this past week and decided to try my hand at something a bit more challenging, an Estes Renegade. I had a little trouble getting started (see Ask the Doctor) related to the marking guage that is printed on the instructions, so I made my own.

This kit is a Skill Level 3. It has a number of features that make it quite challenging for the Guillotine Fin Jig. It's a two stager, which requires the use of a temporary coupler and an extension tube in order to attach the fins to the booster stage. In addition, two of the booster's five fins slant forward rather than rearward. Then there are two fake boosters that must be centered within the 60 degree arcs formed between the forward and rearward sloping fins, further confusing things. Lastly, it has two fuel pods which are glued to the tips of the forward slanting fins.

The upper stage is pretty straightforward except that the launch lug is offset by 30 degrees rather than the normal 60 degree increment on a three finned airframe.

It's a trickey build, but as most can see from the pictures that follow this post, the Guillotine passed with flying colors.

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Here's more:

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And more yet:

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Looking good. I note you say it's a two stager, is it an older kit? The kit I received about 18 months ago was modified by Estes to be a single stager using a 24mm motor. I had built the old two stager previously but lost it.

I started a thread about which way to build it here on YOLF, It appears there is a tendency for the original booster stage to attack landlubbers.

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Bernard J. Herman Ohio RLS

Starport Sagitta Rockets
email bherman@sagittarockets.com

NAR # 97971 SR

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We're looking for a few good Catos, please tell us about any you may have had. Survey of Anecdotal Malfunctioning Engines or S.A.M.E.

It must be an older kit. It was send to me in error by an Ebay retailer who subsequently went out of business. I had ordered a C-C Express from them and they sent this monstrosity instead. They did make good on the C-C Express and told me to just keep the Renegade and so it's been collecting dust in the original packaging for several years. I thought I'd better build it before I tripped over it and flattened the parts!

I honestly can't imagine what I mess I would have made if I didn't employ my Guillotine to build it. My eyesight isn't what it used to be and I hate using plastic cement. I hated it when I was 10 years old building Revell models and I still hate it! Sticks to everything except what you want it to!

I'm curious to see how this thing flies what with all the unecessary fakery weighing down the booster. Estes says 900 feet on the package. (C6-0 to C6-5 or 7) I may build a D12 or even E12 "after market" booster without all the decorations and see what happens. I weighed these excess parts (forward slanting fins, fuel tanks and "boosters"...42 grams!)

That's a lot of lard!

http://www.oldrocketforum.com/showthread.php?t=9883

That's the thread were we discussed all the choices on how to power the Renegade, I think there was 18mm 2x, 24mm 2x and other variants using the "unnecessary fakery" as engine mounts. IIRC I uploaded a rocksim plan you can modify and use to see how well various modifications fly.

__________________
Bernard J. Herman Ohio RLS

Starport Sagitta Rockets
email bherman@sagittarockets.com

NAR # 97971 SR

What's your idea on the best way to change Washington D.C.?
Let us know at the Cantina
Sagitta Cantina

We're looking for a few good Catos, please tell us about any you may have had. Survey of Anecdotal Malfunctioning Engines or S.A.M.E.

That is an interesting thread which I must have missed. Had I seen it before, I would probably have modified the booster to a central 24mm (BT50) mount and the fake boosters to real boosters with 18mm (BT20) mounts. I have an Estes Magnum two stager, 24mm to 18mm, which is also in a BT60 airframe. With a D12-0 to a C6-5, it skoots right on up there!

Now don't get me wrong about the "unnecessary fakery" description. I tend to be a "less is more" kinda guy and this thing reminds me of a '58 Buick. But when completeed and assuming I don't botch the paint job, it really does look cool.

About a year ago I plugged a C6-0 with epoxy an fired it on a static stand. At burnout, it just burned out. Of course, this would violate all the rules as well as the Estes warranties.

I was looking over your photos in a little more detail and I was wondering why you didn't glue the fin tip pods on first, then glue the fin to the BT?

__________________
Bernard J. Herman Ohio RLS

Starport Sagitta Rockets
email bherman@sagittarockets.com

NAR # 97971 SR

What's your idea on the best way to change Washington D.C.?
Let us know at the Cantina
Sagitta Cantina

We're looking for a few good Catos, please tell us about any you may have had. Survey of Anecdotal Malfunctioning Engines or S.A.M.E.

The short answer is, I never thought of that! Good idea!

Is your motor mount in backwards? I can see the motor block at the end instead of further in.

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If it flies, I can crash it!