OOP Quest X-30 Aerospace Plane Kits in Stock

Quest X-30 Aerospace PlaneOne of the newest additions to our online catalog is the Quest X-30 Aerospace Plane flying model rocket kit. Although new to our catalog, the X-30 kit has been out of production for several years. We were fortunate to have acquired a number of these vintage kits which are now for sale at JonRocket.com.

Chris Michielssen built the X-30 shown in the photograph. He describes building and finishing the kit in a series of articles in his Model Rocket Building Blog. Chris illustrates his blog posts with step-by-step photographs of the construction of the kit.

Assembled, the X-30 is a little over 17″ long. It flies on a C6-3 motor and is recovered using two 12″ parachutes. An Estes C6-3 is probably better-suited for this draggy model than a Quest C6-3. And, you may wish to replace the two small parachutes with a single 18″ parachute. A single parachute is easier to fit in the rocket and less likely to tangle on deployment.

While it is challenging to build, and can be a finicky flier, the Quest X-30 kit will make a unique addition to your rocketry fleet.

 

Finish Your Rocket in Style

We’ve recently expanded our selection of Rocketry Supplies by adding products to help you build and finish your rockets.

Aerogloss Balsa Filler CoatAerogloss Balsa Fillercoat is a sealer and filler for paper, fabric, and woods such as balsa and basswood.  Balsa Fillercoat is lightweight and it dries quickly.  Applied to balsa, it fills the grain and is easily sanded to create a smooth finish. Balsa Filler coat is available in 1 ounce jars as well as 1/2 and 1 pint cans.  Currently, the small jars are unavailable, so we are stocking the large cans.

Aerogloss Sanding Sealer

Balsa Fillercoat is often used with Aerogloss Sanding Sealer to help achieve a smooth, catalog-quality finish on model rocket fins and balsa nose cone.  For the best results, apply a few coats of Fillercoat (letting it dry then sanding between coats) then add two coats of Sanding Sealer (again letting it dry then sanding between each coat).

We don’t have the Sanding Sealer in our catalog right now, but is on order.  It should be available from our web site soon.

Ultra Fine Abrasive Sheets

Alpha Abrasives’s Ultra Fine Waterproof Finishing Set is an assortment of reusable, ultra-fine grit sand papers.  The set contains one sheet each of 320, 400, 600, 1000, 2000, 4000, 6000, and 12,000 grade sand paper. The sheets are waterproof so they can be used for wet sanding and are easier to clean for re-use.

We’ve also added adhesives, decal-making supplies, and masking tools. Please visit our online model rocket store to see our entire selection of Model Rocket Building and Finishing Supplies.

Rocketarium’s New Rebel Kits

Mega RebelRocketarium continues to create unique kits that take advantage of computer-aided design and production.  The Mega Rebel and Retro Rebel kits feature dozens of precision-cut plywood pieces which go together like a 3-D jigsaw puzzle to create a couple of amazing looking, and great flying, model rockets.  The two new kits are now available at JonRocket.com.

New Products Added to Our Catalog

We’ve added a number of new products to our online catalog just in time for Spring building!

Semroc Starship ExcaliburSemroc has introduced the Starship Excalibur.  Based on “Estes Kit Plan #55,” the Excalibur kit models is a retro-futuristic space ship.

We’ve also add two other new kits from Semroc. The Centurion-F is a larger model rocket which flies on 29mm motors and the Maxi-Micron is an upscale of the classic Centuri beginner’s kit. 

From Estes, we’ve add the new Astron Sprint-XL. An upscale of the classic Astron Sprint designed by Mike Dorffler, the XL features ellipitical fins and a sleek boat tail.

Estes Astron XL

Other additions to our catalog include the Mini Fat Boy and more parachutes from Top Flight Recovery.

 

New DFR Technologies Scale Model Rocket Kits

We are excited to announce that we have added the first of DFR Technologies’ new series of scale flying model rocket kits to the JonRocket.com store.

Delta-II-DFR-003A

The first of the new kits is the Delta-II – GPS, a 1/72nd scale flying model of the United Launch Alliance, NASA, and USAF GPS workhorse rocket.

Delta-IV-M4-2-DFR-005AThe Delta-IV 4M Medium – GPS is a 1/124th scale flying model of the United Launch Alliance Delta IV Medium 4+2 Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle.

Delta-IV-M5-4-DFR-004A

Finally, the Delta-IV 5M Medium – WGS or NROL-2 is a 1/124th scale flying model of the United Launch Alliance Delta IV Medium 5+4 (5+2) Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle.

These new kits feature 3D-printed plastic parts and pre-applied printed wraps which make the kits easier to build while adding detail to the scale models.

We are expecting more new kits from DFR Technologies soon!

New Products Added

In the past few days, we’ve added many new products to the JonRocket.com online catalog and we are planning to add more in the days to come. 

We’ve added a number of exciting products from Estes including the mid-power Leviathan Pro Series II Model Rocket Kit. Recently added products from Semroc include the Wac Corporal Scale Model Rocket KitRocketarium has supplied us with some new scale model kits as well as a few new odd-rocs.

Visit the New Products at JonRocket.com page to see the complete list of the recently added products.

Dr. Zooch Space Launch System (SLS)

NASA’s proposed follow-on to the Space Shuttle program is called the Space Launch System (SLS). At the heart of the SLS is a large booster rocket. Based on NASA artist conceptions, Dr. Zooch has produced a flying model rocket kit of the proposed SLS booster.

I took the attached photo at the Tripoli Tampa Rocketry Association Launch a few weeks ago. It captures the lift-off of a Dr. Zooch SLS kit built by Chris Michielssen.  As explained in a series of posts to his excellent Model Rocket Building Blog, Chris modified the kit a little by adding a few home-made decals and changing the position of the Solid Rocket Boosters (SRB)s.

Note the “flame fins” which attach to the rocket for flight to ensure that the rocket is stable.  Chris has painted them to resemble the flames from SRBs. Chris describes how he builds and paints flame fins in his blog.

The Dr. Zooch SLS kit is available from JonRocket.com.

Semroc Starship Vega

The Starship Vega made its debut in the 1973 Estes catalog. It’s futuristic design made it an instant hit.

Assembled, the rocket is about 20-inches tall and just under an inch in diameter. Semroc’s kit features a quality balsa nose cone, laser-cut fins, and waterslide decals. The Skill Level 3 model is recovered by parachute.

Semroc has recaptured the magic of the classic kit from the 1970s.  It is now available for purchase at JonRocket.com.