nose cone for estes solar flare rocket

[jeffsh]

hi i lost a nose cone for an estes solar flare rocket

i wrote estes and have not heard back and wrote tower hobbies but they are out of them any ideas

thanks very much

[CPMcGraw]

hi i lost a nose cone for an estes solar flare rocket

i wrote estes and have not heard back and wrote tower hobbies but they are out of them any ideas

thanks very much

The Solar Flare uses a version of the PNC-50Y nose cone. The easiest way to replace it is to order the BNC-50Y (http://www.semroc.com/Store/Scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=579) or the BNC-50YP (http://www.semroc.com/Store/Scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=1714) from SEMROC. The 50Y is the original shape from the 1960's and 1970's balsa version, while the 50YP is the modern shape from the late 1970's through present-day plastic version (like the one in the Solar Flare kit). Either nose cone would work, but it will require some finishing (sanding, priming, sanding, priming, tacking, painting, etc...) to make it look its best.

But then, that's what model building is all about, right? :D

[jeffsh]

will both of the nose cones you suggested require all that finishing work ???

[CPMcGraw]

will both of the nose cones you suggested require all that finishing work ???

Well, they're both bare, unfinished balsa. You can fly them without finishing -- it's not an absolute requirement for flight -- but in order to make it look like the one you had on the model, it will need some finishing work.

We have a number of "favorite finish" methods around here. One uses a water-based filler from Elmers, which used to be called "Fill-N-Finish" (FNF). You'd thin it just a bit, spread it all over the cone, and let it dry for a couple of days. You would then sand it smooth, tack rag it, then spray it with your favorite primer. Sand the primer, repeat the process until you don't see any blemishes, and give it a shot of color (black, I think).

The other method is a little quicker, but there's still some work involved. You spray the cone with Zinsser's Kilz (spray can version is OK) and let it dry a couple of days. Kilz is a thick-body primer that sorta does what the FNF does, but since it's also a primer, you can eliminate one step. Smooth the Kilz down with sandpaper (220-grit is fine for this) and repeat as needed to get the desired finish, then hit it with color.

Finding the plastic nose cone from Estes can be a job in itself these days, unless you buy another Solar Flare kit, or can locate a bag of nose cones that include it. The SEMROC components are always available, which is why I said they're the easiest way to do the job.