Hans "Chris" Michielssen's Page

AKA: hcmbanjo
Location: Orlando, FL
Club Memberships: NAR
Favorite Rockets: Estes Goblin
Personal Home Page: www.oddlrockets.com
Club Home Page: www.R-O-C-K.org
RocketReviews.com Pages:
Rocket Gallery
Flight Log
Flight Statistics

2025-05-01

New Way Letter - Go Build, Part 9, Fin Gluing

Blog
I applied wood glue to the root edge and to the sides of the TTW (thru-the-wall) fin tabs. The name letters should read clockwise, to the right. Note how the letters lean down, like a down swept fin. I drew an arrow to show how the fin should intersect the centerline of the body tube. Here's all five fins viewed from the rear, spelling my first name. I tried to fill the nose cone seams ... [More]

2025-04-30

New Way Letter - Go Build, Part 8, Sanding the CWF & Filler/Primer

Blog
Here's the tube fill after working the CWF into the seams. I usually hit the filler with 400 grit on a sanding block to start. Take a close look at the end of the launch lug. That edge is rough and needs same sanding with 400 grit on a block. On the left, there is already sanded CWF filler in the lug. After sanding the ends clean, use a sharpened dowel to round the lug and clean up the inside ... [More]

2025-04-29

New Way Letter - Go Build, Part 7, Tube Seam Fill

Blog
I like to mark the tube spiral indents with a sharp pencil. It makes them easier to see when applying the CWF filler. I dip just the tip of my X-Acto knife in the thinned CWF filler. You won't need much, so wipe the excess off the back of the knife tip. Run the tip into the seam recess with a back and forth motion. The blade directs the filler into the seam. I dip and fill about one inch at a ... [More]

2025-04-28

New Way Letter - Go Build, Part 6, Filler/Primer On The Fins

Blog
The fins are plywood and don't require CWF filling used with deeper balsa grain. Here I've taped down the fins over the fin tabs, keeping he filler off the wood for a better glue bond. Here's a fin after spraying with filler/primer. Note the tab and root edges didn't get sprayed. After sanding, there is some filler/primer left and filling the slight wood recesses. There were a few deeper ... [More]

2025-04-27

New Way Letter - Go Build, Part 5, Engine Mount Gluing

Blog
Run the Kevlar line out the back of the engine mount. I set the engine mount beside the main airframe tube to mark a dowel that will apply a glue line inside the tube. Note the pencil line where the glue will contact the upper centering ring. Glue was applied to a dowel end and transferred inside the tube. The mount was slid in with 1/8" of the engine hook exposed out the back end. A length of ... [More]

2025-04-26

New Way Letter - Go Build, Part 4, Engine Mount

Blog
The upper plywood ring has a engine hook notch. For added strength, glue in place over the upper bend of the hook. Notice the Kevlar notch is to the outside of the ring edge to keep the line away from the ejection charge. The upper ring is plywood, strong enough for the ejection pull on the Kevlar line. The lower ring is thick cardstock. The completed engine mount with the engine ... [More]

2025-04-25

New Way Letter - Go Build, Part 3, Engine Mount

Blog
The bottom edge of the engine mount tube got an interior wipe of CA Glue. Then the edge got a quick coat. Then sand the edge square, flat and smooth with 400 grit. This shows the engine hook retaining ring, not glued on yet. Always be sure your engine hook runs straight down the tube after gluing the ring over it. The hook can slip around so check it before the glue sets up. The upper centering ... [More]

2025-04-24

New Way Letter - Go Build, Part 2, Cleaning Up The Letter Fins

Blog
The letter fins are cut from 3/32" thick plywood. The edges are slightly laser charred. The flat faces were sanded with 400 grit on a block to remove the ash. On the left - is a before and after sanding the fin edge. On the right - The inside tighter curves were cleaned up using small half round diamond files. The laser edges are cut with a slight "wedge" cut. The ... [More]

2025-04-23

New Way Letter - Go Build, Part 1, Parts

Blog
Rick from New Way sent me a prototype for a upcoming kit. The LETTER - GO is a robust BT-60 design, but with a custom fin design. The fins spell out your name from left to right going around the tube! The fins are laser cut plywood and thru the wall. . The kit should be available after this summer's NARAM. The kit doesn't include the shorter fin attachment tube and letter fins. You send ... [More]

2025-04-22

Porthole Tube Fitting - Tip

Blog
For the new ROBOT prototype, I needed to fit short tubes, glued horizontally to the (vertical) main airframe tube. These are a like the "portholes" on the old Centuri Skylab model, only larger in diameter. To see the Centuri Skylab: CLICK HERE Wrap some 220 grit sandpaper around your main airframe tube. Sand the tube end against the sandpaper with a back and forth motion, to the left ... [More]

2025-01-04

Estes Mini Bertha Clone

Flight
- Estes A3-4t - Orlando R.O.C.K. [More]

Estes Blue Origin, New Shepard

Flight
Stable with a B6-4, not so much with a C6-5. Flew a bit south over the trees. Recovered by other club members with the pole. No damage! - B6-4 - Orlando R.O.C.K. [More]

Semroc Snake Jumper

Flight
Launch wasn't vertical and veered off to the south. Landed in trees, given up for lost. - B6-4 - Orlando R.O.C.K. [More]

2024-12-07

Centuri Vector V

Flight
My Centuri VECTOR V clone was first in the air with an Estes A8-3. On the left is an Estes Viking, the kit used to make my clone. Altitude was estimated to be around 225 feet. Reefed 12" chute recovery. - A8-3 - Orlando R.O.C.K. [More]

Odd'l Rockets Stealth

Flight
Stable and true. Broke off one of the smaller winglet fins, not recovered. - B6-4 - Orlando R.O.C.K. [More]

Odd'l X-15 Goony

Flight
A favorite is my Goony X-15 . Part are from a Quest X-15 parts pack but built around a shorter BT-60. Great stable flight using an older Chinese made Quest B6-4 motor. Estimated altitude was 325'. - German Made Quest B6-4 - ROCK Monthly [More]

ASP Micro Wac Corporal

Flight
This is the ASP MMX CORPORAL , a well performing MMX bird. It was easy to follow the Mylar streamer as it descended. - 1/8A-1 - Orlando R.O.C.K. [More]

Semroc Centurion

Flight
Very stable, slow lift off. Ejection blistered the paint right above the baffle inside. - B6-4 - Orlando R.O.C.K. [More]

2024-06-29

Odd'l Rockets Little Green Man

Flight
A little wobble on the way up. Not much altitude but recovered safely. - B4-4 - Muncie AMA Field [More]

2024-04-06

Quest MMX Saturn V

Flight
The larger fins really didn't help much, it was unstable after it cleared the short launch rod. - 1/8A-1 - Orlando R.O.C.K. [More]

2015-04-19

Rockets By Style / Kit-Bash/Modified

Photograph

Hans "Chris" Michielssen's Orange (Q Cobalt Kitbash)

2014-11-09

Rockets By Style / Kit-Bash/Modified

Photograph

MX-774 Kitbash on an Estes A8-3. Bunnell Blast, November 8, 2014

2012-09-22

Saturn Press Saturn V - Step 17

Build Entry
The outside curved lines of the Engine Fairing Shrouds were cut from the cardstock with scissors. The interior Fin Slots were cut with a knife and straight-edge. [More]

Saturn Press Saturn V - Step 16

Build Entry
The A Frames and Fins were pressed together. The C Frames are pressed into the A Frames and Fins. Be careful handling the Fin paint while assembling. Silver or metallic paints are easy to dull with fingerprints. After all were assembled dry (no glue) I applied white glue to all the joints with ... [More]