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#1
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Estes #1902 Space Station Aquarius build
No kit in my stash is immune from being cut open and built. In this case it's the vintage Estes Space Station Aquarius #1902.
Despite it's age, the kit is premium! The plethora of tubes are completely round. The decal sheet still appears fresh. The only detriments are that the 3/32" balsa sheet is quite fossilized as is the rubber shock cord. To begin, with a few, easy straight cuts I replaced the "die crushed" balsa parts with parts slit from my flattest sheet of 3/32" Midwest basswood. I gave the 18mm engine mount the royal treatment: epoxy for the adhesive, a 100# Kevlar leader for the shock cord, and I replaced the fossilized rubber shock cord with an extra long, 1/8" wide elastic fabric shock cord. TBC
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Never trust an atom. They make up everything. 4 out of 3 people struggle with math. Chemically, alcohol IS a solution. NAR# 94042 SAM# 0078 |
#2
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I built a PDR version of this back before they crapped out.
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Bill Eichelberger NAR 79563 http://wallyum.blogspot.com/ I miss being SAM 0058 Build floor: Centuri Mini Dactyl Estes - Low Boom SST Semroc - Marauder, Shrike, SST Shuttle In paint: Canaroc Starfighter Scorpion Estes F-22 Air Superiority Fighter, Multi-Roc, Solar Sailer II, Xarconian Cruiser Semroc Cyber III Ready to fly: Estes - Solar Sailer II Semroc - Earmark, Groonie Der V 1/2 |
#3
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Bill-
I built the PDR version as well. Lost it on the first flight to an old Cox D8-3 cato at about 400'. I really liked their kits. Bummed me out the way they folded.
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When in doubt, WHACK the GAS and DITCH the brake !!! Yes, there is such a thing as NORMAL, if you have to ask what is "NORMAL" , you probably aren't ! Failure may not be an OPTION, but it is ALWAYS a POSSIBILITY. ALL systems are GO for MAYHEM, CHAOS, TURMOIL, FIASCOS, and HAVOC ! |
#4
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Now for some technique with the faux missile tubes. (Hmmm, why does a space station need missile tubes?)
I tape a length of 1/2" x 1/2" angle aluminum to my Corian board. This will act as a fence as I register the (2) 3-tube assemblies to it as the epoxy holding the tubes together hardens. Also as the epoxy hardens I lay my steel ruler across the top of the assemblies to give it just a little bit of weight to keep them flat. After the epoxy hardens I apply epoxy fillets to clean up the joints of the tubes. Next I assemble the bottom BT60 assembly and epoxy the rings to tube joints from the inside with a long applicator stick. I then epoxy the BT60 assembly to the central BT50 with the engine mount in it. I then mount the basswood fins/faux solar arrays, the standoffs for the missile tubes, and the launch lug to the BT60 and fillet all the joints with epoxy. Time for some ethyl alcohol. Good night. TBC
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Never trust an atom. They make up everything. 4 out of 3 people struggle with math. Chemically, alcohol IS a solution. NAR# 94042 SAM# 0078 |
#5
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ALL U. S. space stations should have MISSILE TUBES.
Ya never know when a BLLLASSTT-OOOO is needed. Not joking either.
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When in doubt, WHACK the GAS and DITCH the brake !!! Yes, there is such a thing as NORMAL, if you have to ask what is "NORMAL" , you probably aren't ! Failure may not be an OPTION, but it is ALWAYS a POSSIBILITY. ALL systems are GO for MAYHEM, CHAOS, TURMOIL, FIASCOS, and HAVOC ! |
#6
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Quote:
They should all have these... And these...
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I love sanding. |
#7
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Quote:
Missile tubes? I thought they were water tanks for the hydroponic gardens.
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Lee Reep NAR 55948 Projects: Semroc Saturn 1B, Ken Foss Designs Mini Satellite Interceptor In the Paint Shop: Nothing! Too cold! Launch-Ready: Farside-X, Maxi Honest John, Super Scamp |
#8
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Ummm, instructions says long and short fuel tanks.
But I like missile tubes better.
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I like the unusual, the off beat, the avant-garde. No 3/4 FNC for me! |
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