Estes Gemini Titan
 

A few weeks back, I scored an Estes Gemini Titan (#1978). The construction seems to be fairly straight-forward. It looks like a fun build with no gotchas. For those that have built a Gemini Titan, do you have tips or tricks that would enhance the finishing...above and beyond what the instructions would have me to do?

Thanks.

Wish I could help, as I know nothing of this kit version of the Gemini Titan. I only know about the famous two engine cluster kit (built the PDRocketry clone of that kit). If I'm not
mistaken, the kit shown in your picture is a smaller scale model and flown single engined.

The best tip I can give is to send it to me....forget trying to build that thing. It's ugly and of absolutely no historical value...... :D

That's putting it mildly. :D :D :D

I had one of these before....
 

I had one of these a long long time ago, and it was a very fun rocket. Well, I think it is the same rocket, this one has the clip-on/screw-on/click-in (not sure how to word it, basically insert and turn) clear fin which also acts as part of the motor mount, or you can click in the display nozzles, right???

Well, if it is, it builds easy, was a lot of fun to fly, and looks good. Of course, I was 15 at the time, and that was 20 years ago (YIKES!!). I remember breaking the plastic fins a few times (hard landing), glued them back on, didn't look pretty but flew well. Got a lot of flights out of it before the tube got bent. I kept the nose cone for a while, lost it during a move....argh....

I can't really give any advice on building tips as it was soo long ago. From what I can tell from your pic you already have some NASA data on hand, so I would just take your time and really enjoy bulding a classic kit!

For the rest of us, maybe we can talk Estes into re-releasing some of these NASA kits, especially this one which is a relatively "basic" kit to produce. The nose cone was one piece from what I can recall, and the rest of it is a basic rocket build, ie, body tube, insert the female end of the motor mount/display nozzle system and glue. The fins were one piece clear plastic, and this "male end" clicked in to the female base. Not as complicated as lets say the Mercury Redstone kits....

Just an idea......

This version is the second one that Estes produced, look in the 1966 catalog, that was a real JOY to build.

Everything had to be contructed and the painting scheme was very difficult to transfer from the painting template.

Yours is the later version and I believe that most of the parts are plastic.

Go to JimZ for the original instructions and compare

www.jimz.com

The original kit called for wrapping an included paper "paint markings transfer template" around the body tube and then transferring the markings by pouring LIGHTER FLUID on it!

I remember those "Good Old days" what a thrill, I don't know how rockets got built back then, but, we managed.

Long live Rocketry>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Yea !!!

Thanks for everyones input.

Jonathan,

maybe I can help by saying this:

I built the Titan II, which is very similar to the Gemini, straight forward as per instructions. I think in both cases the details are enough that no additional detailing through add-ons are needed. I have a half built Gemini and it will be finished as per instructions, someday :)

Since you have no balsa to work on (good thing) concentrate on sealing the body tube seams nicely to give it a clean finish. On scale models you would want to avoid the paper role look.

Here an example of my Titan 2 that I built back in 1985 bone stock: