Flew the Star Orbiter on a 24mm E with the Estes plastic adaptor. Nice straight flight, maybe 1200 ft. Used the masking tape flange on a few kits, works well. ASP sells both Tamiya 6mm (approx 1/4") tape and generic 1/4" tape. Difference is the Tamiya is 18 meters long but the generic is 60 YARDS. So more than three times longer, for less. Should last you for hundreds of flights, at $1.99. Cheers.

https://www.asp-rocketry.com/ecomme.....cfm?cat_id=73

Thanks, BG, and everyone for sharing their knowledge.

Now, I don't believe I've formally introduced what I call my Quadraphonic Blaupunkt of Goblins.

1) A mini, culled from a Mini-Red Max. Hand cut fins, Semroc nose cone and Sandman decals.

2) Semroc Goblin, the kit.

3) Upscale with ST-20, custom nose cone and decals from Sandman. Hand cut fins.

4) Upscale from a Leviathon kit. Tube and internals from the kit. Staggeringly beautiful nose cone and decals from Sandman. Hand cut fins.

Oddly, I'd never had a Goblin as a kid but have really enjoyed them as a BAR. All of these have flown many times, and will continue to.

I had need to replace my second Patriot clone, having seen it splash down unretrievably in a remote pond. I opened the recent re-release and had at it.
Because of course, I boofed a couple of decals after being almost perfect on my last one, but at least I again have one in my fleet. D-enigine mount for the club, adapting down for the NTMLF.

While waiting for some glue to dry on the recent Patriot, I realized that, after kit-bashing a couple of Nova Payloaders early in my BARhood, I had fins and most everything to actually build one. So I set the Patriot to one side of my work space and here we go.

Never found anything in the least bit interesting about the Nova Payloader.
Single stage, weird fins, boring decals, boring color scheme.
Some seem to like the design, but I don't even pretend to understand.
:confused: :confused: :confused:

Bernard Cawley would like a word with you. :)

Personally, I consider anything, inside or outside of rocketry, that includes both red and black to be devinely inspired.

And while waiting for some glue to dry on the Nova Payloader, I sliced open the bag to my other birthday gift: a Mini-Comanche 3. What a fun build! Really enjoyed it and I think it came out okay.

Below find the finished model, then a family shot with its well-worn five flight big brother.

Now that it is finished, I think I'll build 10 or 15 more Nova Payloaders. :rolleyes:

Nah.....some things are just a lost cause. :D

I just hung my most recent NP in a tree at my club's December launch....and it's well and truly embedded so I think even today's windstorm will likely just get it stuck harder. So I guess I need to build another. I like how Estes went back to waterslide decals for the most recent release.

It's an uglified version of the Icarus.

Well, I won't comment on the aesthetic judgement (other than to say that I see it the other way 'round), but the Icarus and the first version of the Nova Payloader do appear to share quite a few parts.