BAR Fleet #133 - Steampunk Protostar

Source:  Estes Industries Kit #7260

Highly Modified

Type: Futuristic Sport Model

Stages: Single

Engine Type: 24mm

Recovery:  Parachute

Length:  62.4 (24.6 in.)

Diameter:  41.8mm (1.64 in.)

Weight Empty:  148.7g (5.25 oz.)

Nose Cone:  Parabolic

Fin Type: Swept, with Pods

Number of Fins: 3

Color Scheme:  Metallic Copper, Silver, Aluminum, Brass

Date Completed:  April 6, 2022

A Flight Of Fancy...

Back in May of 2018, Estes Industries R&D designer John Boren posted a reply on one of the online rocketry forums in a thread discussing the proper paint scheme for the Estes Protostar kit. John posed the question concerning when the first steampunk version would be built.

After reading this, I decided that I would make an attempt at rising to the task. With 40% coupon clutched tightly in hand, I made the trek to the local Hobby Lobby, returning home with a new Protostar kit.

Next step was to consult the Wonderful World Wide Web to learn what 'steampunk' was all about.

With the kit and newfound knowledge now in my possession, I retired to the Secret Basement La-BOR-atory to pore over a drawing board. After several moments of taxing the few active brain cells that are left to me (I blame the many years working in the electronics industry), I had a working concept plan laid out.

Work soon began on the model.  At the outset, I had no clear ideas on how many of the myriad details were going to be rendered.  These just happened to be worked out as the build progressed.

Ultimately, the build stretched out over nearly four years.  Not that the build actually took that long, but the model languished on the shelf for long periods of time while I pursued other various rocketry projects.

Zillions of Rivets !

As seen in the accompanying photos, the Protostar is covered with copious amounts of rivet detail. These were all painstakingly hand punched on adhesive paper sections that were then applied to the model.  I never bothered to count how many rivets were made, but I'm sure they number into the thousands!

I won't go into a detailed description of the build here, as the full process is well-documented and photographed in the BlastFromThePast blog.  There are forty-five posts covering the build.  Here is a link to the first of these:

BlastFromThe Past: Steampunk Protostar, Part 1 - A Marvelously Splendid New Adventure (castlerocketeer.blogspot.com)

Flying The Steampunk Protostar

Many model rocketeers would be quite reluctant to risk flying a model such as this more than one time. After all, many hours of work went into the build, much of it dedicated to forming and applying large amounts of minute detail.  An illuminated magnifying headpiece was used on many occasions! 

All it would take to undo all of this would be a recovery system SNAFU or, worse yet, a destructive motor CATO. Like it or not, those things are an integral part of the hobby of model rocketry.

My plans for the model are to get at least ten flight missions accomplished before retiring it. Maybe more.  In other words, the Steampunk Protostar is by no means to be relegated to a display shelf.

Cheers!

Steampunk Protostar, Part 45 - Some 'Victorian' Decals

 The final touches to the Protostar are in the form of a few home-print decals to represent a brass fleet number and some viewing ports for the crew capsule.

A little searching on the Wonderful World Wide Web netted the following:

A set of cool looking Victorian style brass-colored numerals.  Here they are applied to the designated spot on the model.  I thought the "No." designation was an appropriate touch, as well.

To represent the viewing ports, I came across the image of an ornate antique brass circular picture frame. 

Importing the image into Paint, I had only to apply a black fill to the center of the frame, make a size adjustment, cut/paste three copies, and... Voila !!  

A trio of fancy, frilly viewing ports for the Protostar.

All of these decals were printed on the same page as those required for the recent seven-model binge build.

Here is a pic of the crew capsule with viewing ports in place:

Almost done !!!!!

Steampunk Protostar, Part 44 - The Crew Capsule

 ...a.k.a, nose cone.

Today's post covers the final decorative treatment of the Protostar model's nose section.

There are no new techniques here, as most of the features are a continuation of those found on the main rocket body.

Three vertical riveted strips and a riveted band were laid out, back-punched, painted metallic silver, and applied.

A crew access hatch was formed by painting the assigned area with enamel 'aluminium' paint and surrounding it with a riveted silver frame.

The hatch lock and handle mechanism, as well as the grip bar, were fashioned out of more parts from the aforementioned surplus plastic model kit. Again, these were painted with brass acrylic.

Tomorrow's post will pretty much wrap up the Protostar's decorative aspects with the application of a few home printed decals.

Stay tuned!

BAR Fleet: #139 ESAM-58

 Source:  Estes Industries Kit #0661

Type: Sport Model

Stages: Single

Engine Type: 18mm

Recovery:  Parachute

Length:  69cm (27.2 in.)

Diameter:  42mm ( 1.64 in.)

Weight Empty:  88.7g ( 3.13 oz.)

Nose Cone:  Ogive

Fin Type: Multiple

Number of Fins: 8

Color Scheme:  Grey, Red, Aluminum with black, white, red , and silver trim.

Date Completed:  March 30, 2022

A Nice-Looking Bird

This kit was purchased from the local Hobby Lobby store about a year and a half ago, but construction didn't  begin until last October, when the model became part of the 2021 binge-build.

The BT-60 based rocket features two sets of inter-digitatated fins and a very long nose!

The kit was largely built stock, with the exception of being equipped with a longer motor mount stuffer tube.

The paint scheme follows that shown on the kit face card.

The application of the myriad kit decals makes for a very attractive model rocket which I am quite pleased to add to the fleet.

Binge Build - The Final Flourishing Finish !

Well, boys and girls, the Great BlastFromThePast 2021 Model Rocket Binge Build has finally come to a conclusion.

The seventh and last model, an ESAM-58, received its decal and paint embellishments yesterday, and has now been deemed flight-ready.

D'ya know what else this means?

No more of the corny alliterative blog post titles !

Coming up with those was putting quite a hurt on the few active brain cells that yet remain to me.

Anyway, here is a photo of the 2021 binge-build family:

I had so much fun with this project that I've already lined up the models that will comprise the Great BlastFromThePast 2022 Binge Build.

This one will begin on July 1st to give me six months to ensure end-of-year completion.

Cheers !

Steampunk Protostar, Part 43 - Greebles and Nurnies!

 The final stage of this build revolves around the application of small random details on the main rocket body.

The source material for all of these little decorative pieces is a plastic model kit that I have no intention to build. (More on this subject in a future post.)

Anyway, this plastic kit is chock-full of all sorts of pipes, panels, widgets, and gadgets that are perfect for adding little embellishments to the Protostar.  I've even been able to employ some sections of the kit's plastic molding sprue pieces.

Here is a pic showing the various stages of processing some of these detail parts:

After trimming and sanding the molding lines and flash from of the parts, they are brush painted in "Steampunky" antique brass acrylic paint.  Note the small pieces at top center of the photo.  These were little scale chemical barrels from the kit that were sliced in half using a heated hobby knife!  

Whatever it takes.... 

In looking through a number of online photos of various Steampunk models, I found that there was usually an over- abundance of gears, pulleys, cogs, cams, and other widgets, most of which appear to have no useful functions.  They seem to be put there purely for aesthetic effect only. In many instances the models have a very cluttered appearance.

With the Protostar, I'm trying to avoid overload of this sort of thing.  I carefully selected parts from the plastic kit that looked like they might serve some function on a working spacecraft - pipes, conduits, panels, valves, etc.

Also, since this is, after all, a flying model, I do not wish to weigh it down with a lot of un-necessary greebling.

Sometimes, less is more.

Once the parts are all painted, it's only a matter of scraping away some copper paint on the model and epoxying the 'brass' embellishments in their allotted spots.

In addition to the plastic parts, I have fashioned a small number of details made from more of the adhesive label stock.

Here is a detail photo of some of the completed additions:

Now, all that remains for the rocket body is to apply a couple of decals, clear coat, and attach the recovery system.

The final upcoming posts will cover detailing on the Protostar's 'crew capsule', a.k.a, nose cone.

There is light at the end of the tunnel on this long-running project!

Cheers....

Binge Build: Painted Parts - Day 6

 Today's weather forecast showed warmer temperatures and minimal wind, so I decided to take this opportunity to step outside and apply the final color coat to the last model of 2021's multi-rocket build - the Estes Esam-58.

After spending a good portion of the morning with masking the eight fins on this model, I took it out to the BlastFromThePast painting facility (the side of the garage) and shot the red enamel.

Here is the ESAM after masking material removal and minor brush paint touch-up:

More to come....