I recently completed clones of three old Estes Mini-Brute kits. I'm going to post all three builds in this thread.

First up is the Wolverine.

The engine mount is in and we're just getting started with the lines for the fins...



The fins are all cut and sanded to my approximation of an airfoil shape


The Wolverine build is nearly complete and the canopy (and decals) have arrived from Excelsior Rocketry


The canopy is built and attached


Paint it silver


Add the decals and FFF and we're done

Next up is the Beta.

Laying it all out ... engine mounts assembled




Install the booster motor mount


Install the sustainer motor mount


Cut out the fins ... (watch out -- those booster fins are tricky!)

More Beta...


Attach the fins




Let's check it out how it looks with that old Astro nose cone


No ... just not quite right -- Let's order a proper Beta nose cone from Semroc (ah, that's better)


Bonus Pic: Group Shot

Finishing up -- These are the last ones for the Beta...

Apply the paint



And apply the decals (from Excelsior Rocketry)

Nice job!!

Last one is the Mini Bertha.

This build is mostly undocumented as we go straight from built...


... to finished

Real nice work ( and good close-up pics, my antique camera won;t shoot close like that ) .

Saw these in your DRM thread - good fleet, I have a Beta done and restored my original vintage Wolverine last spring - have all the parts ( I think ) for the Mini Bertha, including an original decal sheet.

question / comment

1 - is that a Semroc cone ? BNC-20L, iirc ? ( I was always going to use a bnc-20B until I saw plans at Jim Z's and it shows the 20L, so I already ordered the Semroc cone, just curious.

2 - almost commented on this over on the other thread, but since there's this new thread..... what I did NOT like was the new style engine hook on the Bertha
PLEASE cut that extra bit off, so it looks vintage

( actually, I;ve gone to using NO engine hooks on 95% of my builds, as I just think they detract from the looks ).

Keep up the good work, and keep posting, I'll post a few pics myself - hope mine turn out as well

~ AL

As I mentioned in the other thread, your Mini's look great!

Now for the hard part...catching them at liftoff without any blurring. I used a shutter speed of 1/1600 for my A10-3T powered Astro-1 and it was still blurry. I'm guessing the BT-50 based Wolverine will have about the same liftoff speed and the others will be even faster. The A10 kicks them off pretty hard. If you have A3's or 1/2A3's, use them for liftoff shots.

Answers:

1) I used a BNC-20L (as per the Mini Bertha part list) but it was from BMS. I expect you'll be happy with the Semroc cone, since I've been pleased with the parts I've gotten from both BMS and Semroc.

2) I don't like that long hook either, but I need a better tool (wire cutters perhaps?) ... I did try to cut it off after the rocket was already built but gave up after damaging the fins and having to repair them...

And thanks for the encouraging words.

By the way, I launched each of these rockets today ... not sure how the launch pictures turned out (my wife had the camera) but I am positive they don't campare to tbzep's amazing launch pictures. (There's a good chance we didn't catch any liftoffs (or recoveries for that matter). If there's anything good, I'll post it after I get a chance.) [My pics are cropped, by the way, so most of them weren't really that close up.]

We managed to recover everything on the small field where we launched -- so that was a plus. Not all of them still look as good as they did. The Wolverine sustained a scar (gash) to the side of its nose cone (may have caught a fin corner on rebound at ejection). [1/2A3-2T flight] The Mini Bertha sustained a scuff that removed a small bit of black on the wrap decal (a little surprising since it was clear coated with Future). [also 1/2A3-2T] The Beta was flown on a 1/2A3-0T-to-1/4A3-3T combo which put it up high enough to make me nervous, but it staged nicely and avoided any problems. Flights were nice and straight for the Beta and Mini Bertha. The Wolverine flew generally straight but I think I detected a spin. All of them got off the pad quicker that I expected for just 1/2A3 engines. All of them were recovered on 10" parachutes which did lead to some drama near the tree line.

Nice mini-brutes. I've always liked the Beta (my first 2 stager), and will be cloning one soon, hopefully it will look as nice as yours. I'm considering adding some sort of removable nose weight for the sole purpose of using A3-0T and A10-0T motors and keeping the altitude low. How big of a streamer did you put in the Beta? If you have a dremel, a cutoff wheel works nice to cleanly slice the engine hook.

__________________
Paul
If we weren't all crazy, we would go insane - Jimmy Buffett
NAR #87246 www.wooshrocketry.org