All Rocketry Blogs

 Rocketry Product: Estes - Orbital Transport Laboratory {Plan}

Model Rocket Building: Estes MRN Orbital Transport Laboratory Build, Background (2020-04-06)

The Orbital Transport Laboratory was the June 1971 Design of the Month winner. Designed by Ted Nomura, and featured as Plan #73 in the  Model Rocket News - Volume 11, Number 2.  Ted Nomura ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Estes MRN Orbital Transport Laboratory Build, Part 1, Parts (2020-04-07)

Here's almost all of the parts -  Interesting that the fins are cut from BFS-40 balsa stock, or 1/8" thick balsa. The dowel is 1/8" diameter. The Engine Hook (pictured above) won't be used ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Estes MRN Orbital Transport Laboratory Build, Part 2, Decal Draw (2020-04-08)

The decal draw was tricky and took a few hours. Luckily there are no white decals. I wonder what existing kit decals the original Estes builders used for the MRN picture. The solar panel grids were ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Estes MRN Orbital Transport Laboratory Build, Part 3, Shroud & Nozzle Draw (2020-04-09)

Why bother re-drawing printed plans? I do appreciate all the plans stored at the JimZ's and oldrocketplans.com website. But after those initial scans, your download and a "usable" home print you ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Estes MRN Orbital Transport Laboratory Build, Part 4, Fin Cutting (2020-04-10)

Four fins were cut out. Here they are stacked after "gang sanding". In the old days (when we had to cut out fins) the pieces could be a little off. Stack the fins and sand the edges with a block. On ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Estes MRN Orbital Transport Laboratory Build, Part 5, Fin Dowel Positioning (2020-04-11)

I did a test fit of the 1/8" dowel in the slot I just cut. The instructions have you glue the small triangle fin after the main fin is attached through the "drilled" body tube hole. I decided to ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Estes MRN Orbital Transport Laboratory Build, Part 6, Engine Mount, Nose Cone Trim (2020-04-11)

Here's the engine mount assembly drawing. The rear of a single 20/50 centering ring is 1 7/8" from the rear of the motor mount tube. Is that rear 20/60 ring really needed? Later another third ring ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Estes MRN Orbital Transport Laboratory Build, Part 7, Hatch Windows (2020-04-12)

The MRN picture shows hatch windows carved into the Gemini style nose cone. I'd bet they grabbed an already finished nose cone off the catalog Gemini Titan catalog model an used it for the picture. ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Estes MRN Orbital Transport Laboratory Build, Part 8, Bottom Nozzle (2020-04-13)

There are two nozzles glued around the engine mount tube. The lower, smaller nozzle is shown in the instructions as single thickness card stock. It would be the first thing to hit the ground and get ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Estes MRN Orbital Transport Laboratory Build, Part 9, Dowel Hole Positioning (2020-04-14)

The dowel hole positioning is critical. I spent some time making sure of the locations before actually punching a hole in the body tube. Notice the dowel in line with the center line of the 20/50 ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Estes MRN Orbital Transport Laboratory Build, Part 10, Dowel Hole Positioning (2020-04-15)

Holes were punched and enlarged slightly for a tight fit of the dowels. TIP: You can clean up the burr left from the punch with a sharpened dowel. Rotate the tip in the hole to dress the edges. ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Estes MRN Orbital Transport Laboratory Build, Part 11, Engine Mount Gluing (2020-04-16)

The motor mount assembly is glued so the lower 20/60 ring is flush with the end of the body tube. On the left is the rounded dowel used to apply a glue drop to the inside edge of the top centering ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Estes MRN Orbital Transport Laboratory Build, Part 12, Paint & Fin Fitting (2020-04-17)

After a shot of filler/primer the body was slightly sanded. Gloss white followed. I noticed the exposed edge of the black centering ring didn't take the paint evenly. I added glue fillet over the ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Estes MRN Orbital Transport Laboratory Build, Part 13, Chrome Trim & Fin Gluing (2020-04-18)

The old MRN black and white picture showed the black end color  as black. The 1973 Estes catalog showed the OTL in color. I could now see it wasn't black, but reflective chrome. Why apply the ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Estes MRN Orbital Transport Laboratory Build, Part 14, Decals, Trim & Touch-ups (2020-04-19)

Here's how the decals were set, the USA was centered between two fins on opposite sides. The available decal sheet has black horizontal stripes. While they could work fine, I used something ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Estes MRN Orbital Transport Laboratory Build, Part 15, Windows & Nose Trim (2020-04-21)

It's hard to see in the instructions picture, but the Gemini style capsule has a white circle disk on the nose and the hatch windows are white. These would bee a tough mask. Hand painting white over ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Estes MRN Orbital Transport Laboratory Build, Part 16, Nose Weight & Shock Cord (2020-04-22)

The instructions called for one NCW-1 Lead Weight! LEAD - Between the lead weights and a square of asbestos on the Centuri LIA-50 launchers CLICK HERE , how did we ever survive rocketry in the 1960s ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Estes MRN Orbital Transport Laboratory Build, Finished (2020-04-23)

Well, this was a fun build. I had always wanted to build one since I first saw it in the Model Rocket News. I'm happy with the finished model. Some observations:  The dowel attached fins are ... [Read More]