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 Rocketry Product: Estes - Honest John {Kit} (7240) [2015-]

Model Rocket Building: New Estes Honest John Released (2015-10-02)

Estes has just released the new BT-60 based version of the Honest John. Retail price is $26.99 To see it, CLICK HERE Some Specs: Skill Level 3 Length: 22.9 in. (58.2 cm) Diameter: 1.64 in. (42 mm) ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Estes Honest John, #7240 Build, Part 1, Parts (2015-11-14)

This is an exciting new release from Estes, the 1/14th scale Honest John.  The main body is a BT-60 and it takes 24mm engines. Many were curious about the paint pattern. The only place I've ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Estes Honest John, #7240 Build, Part 2, Tail Cone (2015-11-16)

The ends have to be cut off the tail cone. The instructions show a hobby knife being used. You can use a knife but I have better results with a fine tooth hobby saw. The inside flash has to be ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Estes Honest John, #7240 Build, Part 3, Tail Cone (2015-11-17)

The instructions are vague about how to cut the fin slots, just a knife and some arrows. Instead of trying to cut around the corners with a knife tip, I rolled the blade back and forth underneath ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Estes Honest John, #7240 Build, Part 4, Fin Assembly (2015-11-18)

I'm not sanding the fin root edge here, I set the fin on my flat sanding block so you can see the curvature on the root edge. The sanding block was just a handy flat surface to show the slight curve ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Estes Honest John, #7240 Build, Part 5, Fin Gluing (2015-11-19)

Here's how I set the glue down on the outside laminate pieces. I wanted good coverage but not so much that the laminations would get slippery. While the glue was still wet, the fin pieces were set ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Estes Honest John, #7240 Build, Part 6, Fin Shaping (2015-11-20)

The Great Planes Easy Touch sanding block is indispensable for fin shaping. If you don't have one - get one! That, and some 220 grit self adhesive sandpaper. I've explained this technique ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Estes Honest John, #7240 Build, Part 7, Fin Shaping (2015-11-21)

If you've never sanded wedge shaped scale fins before, don't start with the kit fins! Cut some extra fins out of 3/16" thick balsa and practice on those! Trust me, you won't get the technique right ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Estes Honest John, #7240 Build, Part 8, Fin Shaping (2015-11-22)

Look at the final picture in the last blog post. You can see the center line at the root edge isn't very defined. I could have sanded the fin thinner but I decided to build up the center line to ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Estes Honest John, #7240 Build, Part 9, Fin Primer and Launch Lugs (2015-11-23)

The fin tabs were masked off and the fins sprayed will filler primer. After that dried I noticed a laminate edge was lifting. No big deal, some glue was slid underneath on the knife blade then ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Estes Honest John, #7240 Build, Part 10, Lug Gluing and Band Wrap (2015-11-24)

The lugs were glued in place before the body tube was shot with primer/filler. The laser cut band had small circles cut into it. You have to remove the circles by cutting through the hold down ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Estes Honest John, #7240 Build, Part 11, Band Wrap Center? (2015-11-25)

The instructions don't say whether to center the band or set it on the top or bottom of the 5" mark. The band wrap position at 5" from the bottom looks too high to me. A quick search online and I ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Estes Honest John, #7240 Build, Part 12, Gluing The Band Wrap (2015-11-26)

A wrap of copy paper was taped around the body tube for a base line. The top of the paper strip is 4 3/8" from the bottom of the tube. Setting the punched band on the top of the paper strip will ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Estes Honest John, #7240 Build, Part 13, Ends and Edges (2015-11-27)

I did a tug test on the pre-made parachute shroud lines. They easily broke! Another kit needing shroud line replacement. A painting dowel was stuck into the engine mount and some paper towel strips ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Estes Honest John, #7240 Build, Part 14, Nose Cone Paint - Oops! (2015-11-28)

The paint instructions are vague. I masked around the circumference of the notched rings. BIG MISTAKE! I assumed this was the right height for the black decal squares. Don't assume - I should have ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Estes Honest John, #7240 Build, Part 15, Fin Can Paint (2015-11-29)

Here's the fin mask for the red. Each fin side took two separate pieces of Scotch tape because of the wedge taper. Even the bottom of the body below the fin was masked, the trailing edge is a little ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Estes Honest John, #7240 Build, Part 16, Decals (2015-11-30)

I was curious about the gap between upper fin root and the tail cone. I saw this cover picture on the November/December issue of Sport rocketry. This is Jon Stenberg's Argo D4 Javelin model. Enlarge ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Estes Honest John, #7240 Build, Part 17, Decals and Trim (2015-12-01)

Here's how the nose cone decals were cut apart. Note the top piece on the right has a very slight curve to it to fit around the nose cone taper. The bottom was set down first. A damp Q-tip was used ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Estes Honest John, #7240 Build, Finished (2015-12-02)

  As kits go, this was a good one. Impressive size but still manageable on a display shelf. I made two, the better on is up for bids on Ebay. The other Honest John will be part of my ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: The BIG Fix, Estes Honest John, Part 1 (2016-12-07)

I hope I'm not the only one who has done this! My first D12-5 flight of the Estes Honest John looked great! I picked it up and walked it back to my car. I didn't notice this until I got home. It was ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: The BIG Fix, Estes Honest John, Part 2 (2016-12-08)

I'll have to make a coupler that will fit around the TTW fins tabs right above the cut engine mount tube. A short segment of BT-50H was cut into quarters. The sides were trimmed more to allow space ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Estes Honest John to EAC Firecat? (2020-03-18)

After looking closer at the Estes E.A.C. Firecat kit, I thought at first the fins might be from the old K-27 Honest John kit. The instructions have you cut up the HoJo die-cut balsa to make the ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: TRF Forum Bully? (2011-06-29)

Before I go on, I should clarify something about the building techniques I use. Here's a condensed version of what I wrote in the first blog post, almost one year ago: "Everyone has their own ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Honest John K-27 Decals (2013-10-30)

  I was thinking about building a clone of the Estes Honest John, K-27. Years back it was a challenge to build with the nose cone shroud, diamond tapered fins and spin nacelles. I found a ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Top Ten list for 2015 (2015-12-19)

Here's this year's TOP 10 . . . #10 is the worst counting down to #1 , or the best build and news of the year. (These are simply my picks, based on the build and flight experience and blog ... [Read More]