I think you would end up a hair lighter covering the balsa with tissue than going to 1/64 ply, unless the balsa was really heavy in the kit.

My two Shuttles are en route from AC Supply and are due in shortly.

One of mine will be micro RC for sure.

__________________
Tom Blakeney
NAR 52002 L1
AMA 28682
TRA 2150 (lapsed)

Haven't taken a closer look yet, but the booster parts remind me of the Titan 3E booster parts?

They would have to be BT60 and the nozzles are not right.

So, has anyone finished a build of this kit and flown it yet?



John Boren

I'm getting there. I have a paint question: what did you use to paint the main fuel tank on your prototype? Red primer?

__________________
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

I never painted any of my prototypes to match the colors on the packagin. The color in my mine should be what the US Space Shuttle uses. A Brown to Red Brown would be good in my view.

John Boren

Started the build of my ESTES Shuttle today.
Just a little heads up when cutting out balsa part H from the sheet and handling it.
It is very small and mine broke in two pieces before I could get it on the BT-5 part G.
I was able to glue the two pieces back together and install it on part G as described
in the instruction. Don't know if anyone has had this happen to them or not.

Attached Thumbnails

 

jeffyjeep, you made the statement here



Can you comment on what has made it so challenging?

__________________

Absolutely.

Constructing the orbiter. I'm not a shipwright, but I would imagine that being one would be something like this. Building the Estes Asteroid Hunter is similar but not quite this difficult. Plus, there's the addition of the nosepiece that's a stack of (12) pieces and then shaped.

The orbiter is now constructed and in it's first coat of sealer so the worst is over (I believe.)

I don't have access to my camera right now, but I'll include photos later today.

__________________
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

Now I have my camera.

Attached Thumbnails

         

__________________
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