All Rocketry Blogs

 Rocketry Product: Estes - Asteroid Hunter {Kit} (3224) [2012-]

Rocketeer's Corner: Warm December launch at Pegasus... (2017-12-03)

(Warning - this is a long post with many pictures) Some of the activity at Pegasus field this Saturday; the Jurassic TARC team is in the foreground (Click to enlarge). ... [Read More]

Blast From The Past: Launch Date: 6 September, 2019 (2019-09-09)

Today's rocket flying session at Dove Valley Regional Park in Centennial, Colorado, was planned to take advantage of some good weather models for the date.  There was the potential for up to ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Estes Asteroid Hunter #3224, Build Background (2020-10-30)

  The Asteroid Hunter was available from 2012 through the 2016 catalog. I remember seeing it in the Sport Rocketry magazine when it was being developed by John Boren. The magazine picture ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Estes Asteroid Hunter #3224, Build , Part 1, Parts (2020-10-31)

Lots of new parts, some of the plastic pieces may to have been molded for just this design. The main (internal) body tube is a BT-50. There are three clay packets for a total nose weight of 3/4 oz. ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Estes Asteroid Hunter #3224, Build , Part 2, Engine Mount (2020-11-01)

I was disappointed to find out the engine hook was not made of spring steel. I usually bend them to see if it will spring back. This one didn't and was tossed. I will use a spring steel replacement ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Estes Asteroid Hunter #3224, Build , Part 3, Parts Prep & Front Assembly (2020-11-02)

TIP: It is helpful to mark the piece names with pencil before removing them from the sheet. Use the parts illustration in the instructions for reference. The laser cuts are very clean and all the ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Estes Asteroid Hunter #3224, Build, Part 4, Fitting The End Assemblies (2020-11-03)

I wanted to clean up the laser burnt edges of the formers without changing their shape or reducing the size. Notice the sides of the interior forms aren't straight but have a slight curve. Some 400 ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Estes Asteroid Hunter #3224, Build, Part 5, Former Placement (2020-11-04)

The smaller "U" pieces are glued into the slots in the "N" piece. The sides of the U pieces don't quite touch the body tube. The angle of the "O" pieces sit on the top of the U pieces. It reminds me ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Estes Asteroid Hunter #3224, Build, Part 6, Interior Assembly (2020-11-05)

Here's another view showing the interlocking notches of the formers and stringers. This reminds me of the Guillow's balsa and tissue airplanes I built in my teens. A full view of the assembly so ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Estes Asteroid Hunter #3224, Build, Part 7, Side & Bottom Brace Gluing (2020-11-06)

I added a short glue fillet at the tube side and bulwark joint.  With the upper and lower braces in place I couldn't do a fillet all the way around the tube. A complete fillet wouldn't be ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Estes Asteroid Hunter #3224, Build, Part 8, Body Skin Embossing (2020-11-07)

The Estes instructions say to use a ball point pen and ruler to make three firm passes over each fold line. I didn't want all that ink on the cardstock. In older instructions I remember a r ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Estes Asteroid Hunter #3224, Build, Part 9, Body Skin Alignment (2020-11-08)

I used one side of my architectural ruler to "set" the emboss line and make a sharper crease.  Set the line you have already embossed over the edge of the ruler and run a smooth burnisher down ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Estes Asteroid Hunter #3224, Build, Part 10, Gluing & Setting The Skin (2020-11-09)

Before gluing, the sides should be sanded.  I took a little off the edges for s slightly wider glue contact line. A line of glue is set down the longest pieces (Ys, Zs and AAs). Glue is also ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Estes Asteroid Hunter #3224, Build, Part 11, Trimming Up The Skins (2020-11-10)

Here's where the main body stands now -  Note the overhang is a little longer on the back, larger end shown on the bottom. This overhang will be trimmed then sanded to the flat faces of the ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Estes Asteroid Hunter #3224, Build, Part 12, Cleaning Up The Edges (2020-11-11)

After sanding down the sides and reducing the card stock overhang - I ended up sanding through some of the primer/filler and the CWF filler. I'll have to fill these again. Maybe I shouldn't have ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Estes Asteroid Hunter #3224, Build, Part 13, Nose Cone, Tail Cone & Nose Weight (2020-11-12)

The nose cone and tail nozzle are molded as one piece. I always double check before sawing them apart. Sometimes the molded rings could be mistaken for the line to saw through. The hole in the back ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Estes Asteroid Hunter #3224, Build, Part 14, Even Up The Smaller Fins (2020-11-14)

The fins got a coat of CWF, sanding and a shot of filler/primer and more sanding.  Why do I fill then glue the pieces together? I wouldn't be able to get the tight angles underneath the "R" ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Estes Asteroid Hunter #3224, Build, Part 15, Tail Shroud Fit (2020-11-15)

TIP: Where you can, when forming a shroud, turn all print ink to the inside. The ink could still show through if the models final paint color is light.   The glue tab line was marked with ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Estes Asteroid Hunter #3224, Build, Finished (2020-11-26)

This was a Skill Level 5 adventure! I've never assembled a built-up model rocket like this before. On the left is one of the smaller nozzles, the gluing area had the paint scraped off. I actually ... [Read More]

Rocket Dungeon: Meteoroids kill satellites (2010-04-08)

The author with the Los Alamos Portable Pulser. (Photo: Chip Simons) The IEEE Spectrum has an interesting article on the danger that meteoroids pose to satellites and other spacecraft -  Space ... [Read More]

Rocket Dungeon: Links roundup (2012-04-24)

Intrepid Museum/Space Shuttle Enterprise - The Enterprise is now slated to be moved on Friday the 27th.  This site seems to be a good source of updates. The big space news today is ... [Read More]

Rocketeer's Corner: A great Memorial Day weekend! (2016-05-31)

A high power rocket blasts off from the away pad as racks of smaller rockets await their turn (Click to enlarge). Well, the National Association of Rocketry's National Sport Launch (NSL) 2016 has ... [Read More]

Rocketeer's Corner: What can you do with the Estes Generic fin can? (2020-07-25)

You can replicate a bunch of old rockets, that's what. Even though the fin can has evolved from rectangular fins with a diamond shaped cross-section to the current one with a slightly swept leading ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: TOP TEN for 2020, Part 1, Numbers 10 through 6 (2021-01-05)

Time again for the Ten Best Builds for the Year 2020!  I spend more time on the Top 10 lists than a usual build post. Lots of searching and links to find. What qualifies a build making the ... [Read More]