Estes Green Eggs build
 

Estes recently released an egg lofter called Green Eggs as a bulk pack. The Green Eggs is a BT-65-based single egg lofter with a 24mm motor mount for C11s and D12s but not Es.

For those of us who don’t need a dozen of them, eRockets is selling them individually. I received one the other day. Here is a build thread of sorts. At this time the model is structurally complete but no sealer or paint is yet applied.

To get it out of the way: for this one I opted NOT to change the stock motor mount to take E12s. Maybe next time.

So, let’s get started. The instructions are posted on the Estes site (though not, at this writing, where the instructions are grouped, but from the product page). https://estesrockets.com/wp-content..._GREEN_EGGS.pdf

First the obligatory package and parts laid out pictures. As you can see, one of the interesting features is the 5-inch-long green translucent payload section tube.

Bernard,

That's a much nicer kit than I was expecting. Wow, thru-wall balsa fins! And a white body tube. For some reason I was thinking the kit was more like an E2X kit with colored body tube and plastic fins or fin unit.

The motor mount is pretty straightforward. One gotcha: make sure you put the black motor hook retention ring where instructed or it will drive issues with the TTW fins later as they have a cutout in the root edge of the tab to accommodate the ring. I got mine just a touch too far aft.

Apologies for the picture of the mount drying on a Qualman 24mm rocket stand being out of focus.

The balsa stock in my kit was 3mm thick, but the slots for the through-the-wall fins are sized for 3/32 inch balsa. I have learned today that this is an issue at the balsa supplier which is in the process of being corrected. In any case, I had to widen the slots by about 1/32 inch with a fresh #11 X-acto and a cork-backed steel ruler.

The second and third pictures are before and after fin slots.

Then, the motor mount goes in, aft end of the motor tube flush with the aft end of the body.

Then fins attached. Pardon the fancy fin jig....but when one has such a tool, one should use it :D. It was nice to see that my jig and the slots in the tube agreed about the fore/aft alignment.

While the fins are drying we deal with the payload section. As you can see in the parts pictures, the nose cone and the payload adapter are one blow-molded part that you first have to cut apart (not unlike the nose cone and dummy nozzle on the QCC Explorer and the like). I opted to use a Zona saw rather than a hobby knife for this task.

Another odd thing about this - the shoulders on the nose cone and the payload side of the payload adapter are about 0.016 inch smaller in diameter than the body side of the payload adapter. This meant that I needed five and a half turns of Scotch Multi-Task tape on the nose cone and payload shoulders to get a nice firm friction fit as befits carrying an egg (and altimeter, in my case). The instructions have you do this for both ends of the payload section.

One modification I made is to add four 1/16th inch holes in the payload section tube that are about 1/4 inch above the adapter shoulder, to serve as static ports for any altimeter or altimeters I might wish to fly in this (which I certainly will be doing).

At this point, it’s install the shock cord - which is a generous FOUR FOOT long piece of 1/4 inch wide rubber. I have no problems using the 50-years-proven tri-fold shock cord mount. So on this model I did. No picture of that.

So, structurally complete at this point (well after putting on the launch lug)..

I did fin and launch lug fillets with that thickened Titebond which has been my mainstay for this since Luke Strawalker first pointed it out to me shortly after I became a BAR. I know the name has changed. I still have two part bottles of it as Molding and Trim Glue. One of the neat things about this stuff is one can put on all (eight in this case) fillets at once, lay the model down and they will all be just fine.

This is where I am with the model now. By tying the shock cord to the payload adapter and installing the ‘chute it could be flown “naked”. I’ll fill the fins with sanding sealer and see if we have any painting days in the foreseeable future. I expect I’ll do the suggested scheme of white with one green fin. I have the green from other recent projects (such as the Multi-Roc).

It will be interesting to see how the Hobby Lobby exclusive Olympus compares to this.

Yes, the TTW fins (even with the fit up issue) were a nice surprise, as is the plenty long enough shock cord.

Since BT-65 is such an odd size, it will be interesting to see where else this nose cone/payload adapter appear in the future.

Thanks for the build thread.

It's a nice-looking model.

I'd put a 29mm mount in it like the old Enerjet EggCrate.

A member of the Estes fan FB page posted some pictures of the Olympus HL kit - the differences are surface mount fins, white nose cone/bulkhead, clear payload tube, and the plastic screw-on retainer instead of an engine hook. Not sure which way I’d go - TTW fins vs screw-on retainer...

Bernard, I never knew about the Scotch Multi-Task Tape. I’m not sure I’ve seen it in stores, I guess most places just stock the Transparent in the green packaging. But Amazon has it. I’ll have to get some.

I’m a woodworker and I’ve used the Titebond Molding and Trim Glue for years for ... you guessed it, molding and trim. :)
Great stuff. Best I’ve ever used for fillets. Titebond likes to change names on glues so I’ll have to see what they call it next time I need to order more.