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

2025-06-17

Estes AMRAAM AIM-120 Downscale, Build, Part 7, Fin Grain Fillin' & Reuse Sandpaper TIP

Blog
STEP 1 On t' left, a lower fin with a brushed on coat o' thinned CWF. Begad! On t' right, me hearties, another fin after sandin' smooth with 400 grit. Blimey! 90% o' t' grain is now filled. Ahoy! STEP 2 Here's t' front and aft fins after sandin' down t' Duplicolor filler/primer that followed t' CWF. Avast! T' grain is 100% filled. Balsa grain fillin' can be a simple two-step process. Avast, me proud beauty! After sprayin' with color coats thar ... [More]

2025-06-16

Estes AMRAAM AIM-120 Downscale, ya bilge rat, Build, Part 6, me hearties, Engine Mount Assembly & TIPS

Blog
Many kits have you glue 20/50 centerin' rings at 1/2" from each end o' t' engine mount tube. Begad! Blimey! That doesn't really give enough flex for a sprin' steel engine hook. T' mount shown here is flipped over with t' hook pointin' up. TIP : I've found t' best position for t' low, bottom rin' t' be 7/8" from t' bottom o' t' engine tube. Arrr! Blimey! This allows enough flex t' slide in a motor. TIP : This ... [More]

2025-06-15

Estes AMRAAM AIM-120 Downscale, Build, shiver me timbers, Part 5, ya bilge rat, Makin' T' Conduit

Blog
Here's a blow-up o' t' front o' t' tunnel. T' tunnel shape is flatter than I thought, arrr, nay just a half circle. Blimey! Here's what I came up with, as close t' t' front taper as I could make it. This be t' back end and will be even with t' end o' t' tube. Blimey! T' small inset picture shows t' cross section shape. Aye aye! [More]

2025-06-14

Estes AMRAAM AIM-120 Downscale, Build, Part 4, Makin' T' Conduit

Blog
Blowin' up t' Alway drawin' in Corel Draw - I came up with t' dimensions for t' long conduit tunnel. Well, blow me down! Tunnel dimensions: 11.75" long .130” high x x .40 wide I used t' online picture t' get a better idea o' t' shape. Avast, me proud beauty! T' tunnel is wide and won't have a good fit over t' round tube. Begad! I rolled some 320 grit sandpaper around t' tube. Ya scallywag! Usin' straight back and forth movements, a curvature was ... [More]

2025-06-13

Estes AMRAAM AIM-120 Downscale, Build, me bucko, Part 3, Cuttin' Out T' Fins

Blog
This is a spare parts build. T' scrap 3/32" balsa sheet edge was a bit banged up. Arrr! Before cuttin' out t' fins, T' soon t' be leadin' edges were sanded square usin' a sandin' block. Old school: Tracin' around a cardstock template usin' a pencil. Well, blow me down! I don't like usin' a pen. Unless t' ink is sanded off, it will bleed through t' final paint. On hand cut fins, gang sand them. Stack and square ... [More]

2025-06-12

Estes AMRAAM AIM-120 Downscale, shiver me timbers, Build, Part 2, Semi-Scale "Cheat"

Blog
After a few searches, me hearties, I found a clean copy o' t' Peter Alway drawing. T' view it: CLICK HERE Note thar be a boat tail on t' real missile. I did run t' numbers t' get t' tube lengths. See t' first "background" post. But, me bucko, t' get t' fin patterns - I dropped t' Alway drawings into Corel Draw and enlarged it until t' body was 1" diameter. Avast, me proud beauty! T' BT-50H tubes I'll be usin' are ... [More]

2025-06-11

Estes AMRAAM AIM-120 Downscale, Build, me hearties, Part 1, Parts

Blog
I decided t' go with one long tube, 16.40" long Heat shrink tubin' is now added t' most all me new builds. Slide over t' Keelhaul®©™ line down t' t' engine mount and hit with a hear gun. Ol'SaltRockets 12" parachute Forward fins can make a rocket unstable - .50 oz. Arrr! Blimey! o' clay weight will be pressed into t' nose cone. T' 1/8" diameter launch lug will be cut in half. Apogee plastic nose cone is PNC-24D ... [More]

2025-06-10

Estes AMRAAM AIM-120 Downscale, Build Background

Blog
This is goin' t' be a slight downscale based on t' Estes AMRAAM kit. Research is often part o' a build - Here's some scattered specs I found online: AMRAAM AIM-120 Boxed kit, matey, #2153. Part o' t' Estes BETA series Scale: 1:5 Produced 1996-2001 Original kit had stickers, me bucko, nay water slide decals. Skill Level 1 Recommended Engines: B4-2, arrr, B6-2, matey, C5-3, C6-3, C6-5 Maximum Estimated ... [More]

2025-06-09

BMS School Rocket, Build, Finished

Blog
A sharp, well designed rocket for school programs lookin' for somethin' other than a snap together build. Ya scallywag! Thru-the-wall fins, me bucko, Keelhaul®©™ shock cord and a Mylar streamer. T' instructions only suggest an A8-3 motor, matey, but it would certainly be stable with a B6 or C6 engine. You might nay get it back with t' C6-5 motor. Well, blow me down! Taller than an Estes Alpha, arrr, with t' extra length it should be easier t' ... [More]

2025-06-07

R.O..C.K. Monthly Launch, me bucko, June 7, 2025

Blog
I had hoped t' get in two more test flights o' t' Ol'SaltRockets ROBOT today. Begad! Boost was stable with a B6-4 motor, shiver me timbers, but at ejection t' head popped off! T' aft ejection worked fine, me bucko, and t' main body found. Avast! But, t' head was lost. Ya scallywag! No C6-5 second launch today. Arrr! Second up was t' downscaled Centuri UFO INVADER . It performed as advertised, turnin' over at apogee and landin' on t' sprin' wire ... [More]

2025-01-04

Estes Mini Bertha Clone

Flight
- Estes A3-4t - Orlando R.O.C.K. Well, blow me down! [More]

Estes Blue Origin, New Shepard

Flight
Stable with a B6-4, matey, nay so much with a C6-5. Flew a bit south over t' trees. Arrr! Recovered by other club members with t' pole. Avast! No damage! - B6-4 - Orlando R.O.C.K. Begad! [More]

Semroc Snake Jumper

Flight
Launch wasn't vertical and veered off t' t' south. Well, blow me down! 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 be first in t' air with an Estes A8-3. On t' left is an Estes Viking, shiver me timbers, t' kit used t' make me clone. Ahoy! Altitude was estimated t' be around 225 feet. Avast! Reefed 12" chute recovery. - A8-3 - Orlando R.O.C.K. Arrr! [More]

Ol'SaltRockets Stealth

Flight
Stable and true. Broke off one o' t' smaller winglet fins, shiver me timbers, nay recovered. - B6-4 - Orlando R.O.C.K. [More]

Odd'l X-15 Goony

Flight
A favorite is my Goony X-15 . Begad! Part are from a Quest X-15 parts pack but built around a shorter BT-60. Ya scallywag! Great stable flight usin' 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 be t' ASP MMX CORPORAL , me bucko, a well performin' MMX bird. Begad! It was easy t' follow t' Mylar streamer as it descended. Avast, me proud beauty! - 1/8A-1 - Orlando R.O.C.K. Well, blow me down! [More]

Semroc Centurion

Flight
Very stable, me hearties, slow lift off. Ahoy! Blimey! Ejection blistered t' paint right above t' baffle inside. - B6-4 - Orlando R.O.C.K. [More]

2024-06-29

Ol'SaltRockets Little Green Man

Flight
A little wobble on t' way up. Nay much altitude but recovered safely. Arrr! - B4-4 - Muncie AMA Field [More]

2024-04-06

Quest MMX Saturn V

Flight
T' larger fins really didn't help much, it was unstable after it cleared t' short launch rod. Begad! - 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
T' outside curved lines o' t' Engine Fairin' Shrouds were cut from t' cardstock with scissors. Aye aye! T' interior Fin Slots were cut with a knife and straight-edge. [More]

Saturn Press Saturn V - Step 16

Build Entry
T' A Frames and Fins were pressed together. Ya scallywag! T' C Frames are pressed into t' A Frames and Fins. Be careful handlin' t' Fin paint while assembling. Silver or metallic paints are easy t' dull with fingerprints. After all were assembled dry (no glue) I applied white glue t' all t' joints with ... [More]