All Rocketry Blogs

 Rocketry Product: Estes - Ranger {Kit} (6) [1962-1971]

Model Rocket Building: Ranger Clone Build Part 1 Parts (2012-03-28)

On the left is how the Ranger looked in the 1968 Estes Catalog. Inset on the right is the Ranger shown in the 1971 catalog. This build will have the 1971 paint scheme. Here's the parts for the ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Ranger Clone Build Part 2 Engine Mount (2012-03-29)

The original Ranger had the cluster tubes glued side by side. I wanted to add engine hooks instead of simply friction fitting with masking tape. Any type of engine hook retention might get in the ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Ranger Clone Build Part 3 Engine Mount (2012-03-31)

Once the cardstock and engine hook are straight, burnish down the glued card strip with a clean dowel. The supplied engine blocks were a little short at 3/16" long. I notched the engine tubes at ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Ranger Clone Build Part 4 Engine Mount (2012-03-31)

These engine mount tubes are thin BT-20 based and the outside surfaces a little rougher than I would have liked. A layer of 24 lb. copy paper was glued around the tubes. This is strictly structural ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Ranger Clone Build Part 5 Engine Mount (2012-04-01)

I did sand down the tube even with the shorter engine blocks. This won't effect the fit or finish of any upcoming parts. The pencil lines were extended over the top of the three engine mount tubes. ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Ranger Clone Build Part 6 Engine Mount (2012-04-01)

The old "Tissue-Glue Putty" won't do on this clone! Here's a better way to block the ejection charge from going out the back. The engine mount kit included a plywood disk with three holes cut in it. ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Ranger Clone Build Part 7 Engine Mount (2012-04-02)

I've hated the Estes "Tissue-Glue Putty" since I first tried it unsuccessfully in 1969. From the Estes Ranger instructions: "Moisten small wads of facial tissue with glue and pack them into the gap ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Ranger Clone Build Part 8 Nose Cone Seam Prep (2012-04-03)

After sanding the high lines of the nose cone seams down, some shallow seam remained. Medium CA was applied and let dry. This is the nose cone surface after sanding down the CA set in the seam ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Ranger Clone Build Part 9 Primer and Sand (2012-04-04)

After sanding down the primer on the nose cone, you can see where it was left in the small shallow areas. This is the seam area where the medium CA was sanded to surface. Before this primer was ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Ranger Clone Build Part 10 Fin Marking (2012-04-05)

I went "old school" and made my own fin marking guide. A 2 1/2" wide strip of paper was cut from some 20 lb. printer paper. Be sure you cut the strip in a true rectangle, it's just easier to line up ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Ranger Clone Build Part 12 TIP: Gluing Four Fins Without The Wobble (2012-04-07)

Three fin rockets are like a three legged stool. All three legs make contact with the floor and they never wobble. Four finned rockets are like that chair around the kitchen table. One chair aways ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Ranger Cone Build Part 13 More Fin Gluing TIPS (2012-04-08)

With the trailing edge angle of the Ranger fins, it's hard to line up the fin flush with the end of the body tube. Here I'm using the same fin marking wrap as a height guide to be sure the front ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Ranger Clone Build Part 14 Epoxy Fillets (2012-04-08)

In regards to the width of fin fillets, a rule of thumb (for me anyway) is: The width of the fillet forming dowel is twice the thickness of the fin stock. The Ranger's fins are 1/8" thick, so the ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Ranger Clone Build Part 15 Epoxy Fillets (2012-04-09)

1. Have everything ready before mixing up the epoxy. From Crazy Jim Hendrickson: "Yes, denatured alcohol. Not rubbing alcohol...it can contain up to 20% water." Denatured Alcohol in a small cup, a ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Ranger Clone Build Part 16 Smooth Finish Prep (2012-04-10)

Before any gray primer was sprayed, the inside rear of the body tube was masked. I didn't want any thick primer on the inside of the tube to interfere with gluing the engine mount in later. After a ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Ranger Clone Build Part 17 "Baffle" Coupler Fit (2012-04-11)

I took a tip from the online Ranger instructions at the Semroc website. Semroc uses a "half baffle" placed 4" down from the top of the lower BT-60 tube. This is a single plate baffle glued to the ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Ranger Clone Build Part 18 Primer Over Epoxy Fillets (2012-04-11)

Before any more primer was sprayed over the epoxy fillets, the inside rear of the body tube was masked off. I'll be gluing the engine mount in after the painting is finished. One great thing about ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Ranger Clone Build Part 19 Roll Pattern (2012-04-12)

The entire rocket was painted a gloss white undercoat. One fin and the payload section got a thicker coat of paint. White is the finish color on that one fin and payload section. I saved the fin ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Ranger Clone Build Part 20 Payload Roll Pattern (2012-04-13)

After all four long stripes were set down, the stop wrap of paper is removed. You can see how well the square tops have lined up. Cut the overhanging ends off the back. Don't cut them close, you'll ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Ranger Clone Build Part 21 Payload Section Roll Pattern (2012-04-14)

A longer strip just over 1/4" wide was cut. Wrapped around the top of the tube, it was set over the tops of the smaller squares. I've learned through past experience, self-adhesive trim can shrink ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Ranger Clone Build Part 22 Nose Cone Paint (2012-04-15)

You've gotta' love a simple mask - the nose cone is red. There's a few things you can do to sharpen up the black and red color separation line. Mask off the nose cone shoulder just below the stepped ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Ranger Clone Build Part 23 Yellow Paint Mask (2012-04-15)

The Ranger's catalog paint scheme is a little different. One fin and one fin only is left white. This is the mask, covering up the single fin. A second piece of Scotch Tape is on the leading edge ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Ranger Clone Build Part 24 Black Paint Mask (2012-04-16)

The black area is one fin and the body tube areas on either side of the black fin. This mask isn't really that hard to do, it just take a few extra minutes to lay the Scotch Tape over the rounded ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Ranger Clone Build Part 25 Black Body Stripe (2012-04-17)

There is one black stripe running up the body from the side of the lowest black block to the right of the single black fin. It's the same width as the upper payload section stripes, just over 5/8" ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Ranger Clone Build Part 26 Single Baffle Plate (2012-04-17)

Trace around your coupler onto heavy card stock. I'm using a very thick mat board material using in picture framing TIP: Ask for scrap mat board at a framing store. They usually have smaller center ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Ranger Clone Build Part 27 Single Baffle Plate (2012-04-18)

Cut a slot for the 1/4" wide shock cord attachment. Apply a glue coat to both sides of the disk and let dry. The glue coat helps protect the card stock from the ejection charges. Center and glue the ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Ranger Clone Build Part 28 Baffle Plate Install (2012-04-19)

I may have mentioned a few posts back: This is a single "baffle" plate. It doesn't protect the parachutes from the ejection charge. It's there to prevent the parachutes (and wadding) from traveling ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Ranger Clone Build Part 29 Engine Mount Gluing (2012-04-20)

I wanted to center the engine mount between the fins. One motor tube would be centered, the others would fall evenly between the other fins. Look closely at the base of the yellow fin. The engine ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Ranger Clone Finished (2012-04-21)

The two 12" parachutes have been assembled and have snap swivels added. One parachute was tied to the shock cord on the lower half. The other joined to the screw eye on the nose block. Remember: ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Ranger Clone Build Finished (2012-04-21)

The two 12" parachutes have been assembled and have snap swivels added. One parachute was tied to the shock cord on the lower half. The other joined to the screw eye on the nose block. Remember: ... [Read More]

Rich's Rockets: Building the Estes (clone) Ranger (part 2) (2015-02-01)

So here are some parts. I got the nose cone from BMS, as I said. I was surprised when I got it. I was expecting a balsa nose cone. I got a balsa nose cone ... [Read More]

Rich's Rockets: Building the Estes (clone) Ranger (part 3) (2015-02-07)

I rounded the leading edges on the fins, then papered them. My usual, good old printer paper and glue stick. Here they are: um, under that board. I don’t know if it actually helps to weight ... [Read More]

Rich's Rockets: Building the Estes (clone) Ranger (part 4) (2015-02-08)

Straightforward progress today. I trimmed the paper on the fins. I decided to put some (big, sloppy) fillets on the motor tubes, partly for strength and partly to make it that much easier to stuff ... [Read More]

Rich's Rockets: Building the Estes (clone) Ranger (part 5) (2015-02-14)

I am, I suppose, being wildly inconsistent with this model. I’ve gone out of my way to get a balsa nose cone of the original Ranger length, instead of the shorter modern Big Bertha nose cone. ... [Read More]

Rich's Rockets: Building the Estes (clone) Ranger (part 6) (2015-02-15)

I’ve been reading online about people going out and launching rockets. Some of them are people who live in warm climates. Some are crazy people who launch in the snow. None of them live in ... [Read More]

Rich's Rockets: Building the Estes (clone) Ranger (part 7) (2015-02-18)

With three fins firmly glued in place I stood the Ranger upright, with a dowel support keeping it from falling over. I found it stood just slightly off vertical on the three fins. So what to do: ... [Read More]

Rich's Rockets: Building the Estes (clone) Ranger (part 8) (2015-02-19)

I addressed the damaged fin paper the same way I did the de-glassined tubing on the Sea Sting, painting it with white glue thinned with denatured alcohol, then sanding. Seems good. Ideally I ... [Read More]

Rich's Rockets: Building the Estes (clone) Ranger (part 9) (2015-06-15)

Oh, hey, it’s paintbug season! Thanks for the footprints, bug. It wasn’t even the only one on this rocket.And another besides those. Jackpot. Paintbugs aside, another problem I’d ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Not Your Father's Estes Ranger - Model Profile (2015-09-14)

  This isn't the Estes Ranger I remember - Lonnie Buchanon showed me this one, he picked it up in one of his Craig's List lot buys. This was kit # 1955, a BT-55 based D engine model. I ... [Read More]

Rich's Rockets: Ranger flight (2016-06-19)

So I finally have gotten around to flying an altimeter and getting a record of the flight. Here it is.That’s the Ranger’s altitude in feet versus time in seconds. The downward spike after ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Ooooh! Tissue - Glue Putty! (2020-04-09)

With all the shortages and hoarding of toilet paper, I was reminded about this old Model Rocket construction technique - This instruction step comes from the old Estes Ranger, K-06. To see the old ... [Read More]