Kestrel 05063 User manual

Brand: Kestrel

Model: 05063

Type: User manual

Page 1

Made In USAKit #05063

Skill Level 3

Manufactured in the USA by:

Apogee Components Inc.

Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA

www.ApogeeRockets.com

Instruction Sheet A: P/N 31264 *Updated 5/22/2023

The Kestrel is a high performance rocket with extreme

exibility. It soars to high altitudes, breaks the sound bar-

rier, and carries payloads. With its sleek lines and sharp

beautiful decals, it is sure to delight. The rocket is ideal

for the advanced rocketeer who wants to set personal

records. With a long burn G motor, the Kestrel can edge

past one mile in altitude. A high-thrust G, on the other

hand, will handily push the rocket well past the speed

of sound. For the beginning and intermediate rocketeer

however, the Kestrel can be easily own on black pow-

der 29mm motors for reliable ights above the 2000’

mark. This makes the Kestrel an excellent rst mid-pow-

er rocket for those who desire altitude. The inclusion of

the spacious payload bay adds another dimension to the

rocket and provides a vehicle which can be used for ex-

tensive experimentation. All this comes at a reasonable

cost and in a rocket that is quick to build.

Item # Item Name Qty

10091 AT-24/3.75” 1

10140 AT-41.6/18” 1

10151 AT-41.6/9” 1

10255 AT-29/6.5” 1

12361 CBD-41.6mm 1/8” Plywood 1

13018 Coupler AC-41.6 (BT-60) 1

13031 CR-18/24 (GREEN) 1

13035 CR-24/29 (GREEN) 2

13056 1/4” Launch Lug x 3” 1

13080 #8-32 Nut ZP 1

13085 #8-32 x 4” Full Thread Stud LCS ZP All

Thread

14000 #8 Flat Washer ZP 1

15491 Kestrel Rings Cardstock Sheet 1

15729 Kestrel Fin Sheet 3/32”x4” Basswood 1

19469 PNC-41.6 (BT-60) 1

29114 Apogee 18”/15”/12” Plastic Parachute Pack 1

29527 300# Kevlar x 7ft 1

31264 Kestrel Instruction Sheet A 1

31265 Kestrel Instruction Sheet B 1

31266 Kestrel Instruction Sheet C 1

39057 Kestrel Face Card 1

41113 Kestrel Decal Sheet 1

Needed Tools and Materials

Pencil

Hobby Knife with Sharp Blades

Scissors

Razor Saw

Wood Glue

Medium CyA Adhesive

5-Minute Epoxy

Masking Tape

Sanding Sealer

Fine Sandpaper (400 grit)

Fine Point Sharpie Marker

Aluminum Angle

Optional Tools / Finishing Supplies

Fin Alignment Guide (P/N 35546)

Filled Epoxy (for n llets) - Like RocketPoxy or

FixIt Clay

Paper Towels

Spray Paint

Soapy Water

Wood Dowel

Skill Level 3

Average Skills Needed

Kestrel Parts List

Page 2

Assembly Steps:

1. Using a pencil, draw a line along the entire length of the

29mm (1.14”) diameter x 6-1/2” (165mm) long motor

mount tube. An aluminum angle is handy here as a guide

to ensure that correct alignment is maintained.

2. Again with a pencil, make a mark on the line drawn in the

last step at 1/4” (6mm) from one end of the motor mount

tube (which will now be the front of the motor mount). Add

two more marks 7/8” (22mm) and 2-5/16” (59mm) from the

aft end of the tube.

3. Remove rings A, B, and C from cardstock sheet with

hobby knife. Slide ring C (the aft centering ring) onto the

motor mount tube, aligning the engraved mark on the ring

with the line drawn along the length of the motor mount

tube. Make a ring of medium CyA adhesive at the line 7/8”

(22mm) from the aft of the tube, and slide the aft centering

ring into place.

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

1 inch

Fin

Launch Lug

Kestrel

Fin Marking Guide

Overlap

Motor Retention

Overlap

Large (BT-60) End

Plastic Transition Marking Guide

Overlap

Small (BT-55) End

Plastic Transition Marking Guide

7/8”

(22mm)

2-5/16” (59mm)

1/4” (6mm)

Aft Forward

7/8” (22mm)

Page 3

Instruction Sheet B: P/N 31265

4. Cut a 6” section off of the shock cord and set it aside for

building the payload bay. Take the remaining piece of

Kevlar™ shock cord and tie a knot roughly 1” (25mm) from

one end to prepare it for installation.

5. Pass the shock cord through ring B (the middle centering

ring), then slide the ring onto the motor mount tube making

sure that the engraved line is on the lengthwise alignment

line drawn in Step 1, and that the shock cord runs through

the notch. Make a ring of medium CyA glue at the mark

2-5/16” (59mm) from the aft of the tube and slide the ring

into place. Pull the shock cord tight so that the knot rests

against ring B.

6. Pass the shock cord through ring A (the forward centering

ring), then slide the ring onto the motor mount tube. Again

ensure that the shock cord runs through the notch in the

ring. Make a ring of glue at the mark 1/4” (6mm) from the

front of the tube, then align the notch on the centering

ring with the line on the motor tube and slide the ring in

place.

7. Using 5-minute epoxy, glue the 4” all-thread rod into place

in the notches with 3/4” (19 mm) of the rod extending aft of

the motor mount tube. Apply a llet of epoxy between the

threaded rod and the motor mount tube as well as along

the shock cord to ensure a solid attachment. You can then

tape the all-thread to hold it in place, and set the motor

mount assembly aside for the glue to set.

8. The nose cone and boattail used in this kit come as a sin-

gle piece. To separate the two parts, simply apply pressure

between them with a quick bending motion. The nose cone

will be used as it is. The transition requires modication for

use in the kit.

Step 4

Step 5

Step 6

Step 7

Step 8

6” (152mm)

1” (25mm)

Overhand Knot

2-5/16” (59mm)

1/4”

(6mm)

3/4” (19mm)

Secure

With Tape

Bend Here

Transition

Seperated

Nose Cone

Page 4

9. To prepare for modications of the boattail, the slot must

be marked. Cut the two boattail marking guides out with

scissors and wrap them around the shoulders of the

transition. Align both guides with the molding seam on the

part and mark as shown using a marker such as a Sharp-

ie. Remove the marking guides, then extend the marks

to provide lines along the whole length of the transition

and shoulders. The small strip between the lines will be

removed shortly to make room for the threaded rod.

10. Using a razor saw, remove the entire smaller shoulder

by cutting along the small depression right at the joint

between the shoulder and the transition. Then remove

the loop section of the larger shoulder by cutting at the

line. If necessary, sand the ends of the transition with ne

sandpaper (400 grit) to smooth any inconsistencies in the

cut.

11. Carefully cut along the marked lines on the transition

using a razor saw to remove the thin strip of plastic. This

is easiest if you alternate between the two lines so that

you cut partly through one, then cut through the other, and

nally, cut the remainder of the way through the rst line.

Don’t worry too much about how this slot looks as it will be

covered by llets later. The main goal is to create sufcient

clearance for the motor retention threaded rod.

12. Test t the modied boattail on the aft end of the motor

mount assembly. The motor mount tube should press

against the inside aft end of the boattail, while the slot

should allow the threaded rod to pass through without

distorting the boattail. The inner front end of the boattail

(not the shoulder) should rest against the aft centering ring

(ring C). Sand the motor mount assembly and the slot until

a good t is achieved.

13. Using medium CyA adhesive, glue the boattail onto the

motor mount assembly by applying glue to the aft cen-

tering ring (ring C) and the inside aft edge of the boattail.

Tape the boattail into place and allow the adhesive to

harden.

Step 9

Step 10

Step 11

Step 12

Step 13

Align Guides With

Molding

Line

Boattail Clears Retaining

Allthread

Tube Rests

on Inner Lip

Glue on

Inside

Lip

Glue on Ring C

TAPE

Page 5

Instruction Sheet C: P/N 31266

14. Cut out the n marking guide and tape it around the aft

body tube. Using a pencil, mark the n lines, launch lug

line, and motor retainer line. Lightly label the marks to min-

imize confusion later on. Once marked, extend the lines

along the length of the tube using an aluminum angle to

ensure that the lines are aligned along the body tube.

15. Pass the shock cord through the motor mount tube so that

it hangs out the back end of the motor mount assembly.

Apply two rings of wood glue around the inside of the tube

using a dowel at 3/4” (19mm) and 5” (127mm) from the

end. Install the motor mount assembly in the main body

tube by sliding it all the way into the tube and rotating it

so that the threaded rod is aligned with the motor retainer

line.

16. Take the 6” (150mm) section of shock cord that was cut

in step 4 and tie a loop in the middle of it. Pass the loop

through the plywood bulkhead and glue the tails to the

bulkhead from the back using wood glue.

17. Using a pencil, mark the center of the red coupler tube

at 1-1/2” (38mm) from either end, then apply a bead of

wood glue along the inside edge of one end of the coupler.

Install the bulkhead with the loop facing out. The bulkhead

should sit about 1/8” (2mm) inside the coupler. Run a bead

of wood glue around the coupler/bulkhead joint and form

a llet with a nger. If no llet forms when the bulkhead is

inserted, use a dowel to form a llet on the joint inside the

coupler.

18. Apply a large bead of wood glue to the inside of the 9”

long payload bay tube 1” (25 mm) deep and insert the cou-

pler assembly up to the marked line with the loop facing

out. Allow the payload section to dry.

Step 14

Step 15

Step 16

Step 17

Step 18

3/4” (19mm)

5” (127mm)

1-1/2” (38mm)

Fillet Around

Bulkhead

Page 6

19. Before removing the ns from the sheet, sand both sides

of the sheet using a ne grit sandpaper (400 grit) and a

sanding block to achieve a nice smooth surface.

20. Cut the ns out of the sheet using a sharp hobby knife and

sand any remnants of tabs off the edges of each n. The

edges of the n are easiest to sand by hand using a small

piece of sandpaper. Optional: To reduce drag for higher or

faster ights, the edges of the ns can be either rounded

or the ns fully airfoiled.

21. Pass the shock cord back through the motor mount tube

so that it sits inside the main tube. Glue the ns in place

along the previously marked lines by applying a bead of

wood glue to the bottom edge of the n. The aft edge of

the n should sit ush with the back edge of the boattail,

and the root of the n will contact both the tube and the

boattail without a gap. The ns should be as straight as

possible so that the rocket ies straight and high. A n

alignment guide such as the Apogee Components 3-Fin

41.6mm Alignment Guide (P/N 35546) is highly recom-

mended to make perfect n alignment easy.

22. Optional: For a slight drag reduction and for the purpose of

aesthetics, the forward and aft ends of the launch lug can

be beveled. To do so, mark 5/16” (8 mm) from either end of

the launch lug then cut the bevels using a razor saw. The

cuts can be cleaned up using some ne (400 grit) sandpa-

per.

23. Make a mark on the launch lug line 6-1/2” (165mm) from

the aft end of the tube and using wood glue, attach the

launch lug to the body tube in front of the line.

Step 19

Step 20

Step 21

Step 22

Step 23

Correct

Incorrect

5/16” (8mm)

6-12”

(165mm)

Page 7

24. Using 5-minute epoxy or a lled epoxy (such as RocketP-

oxy), apply llets to the roots of each n, around the motor

retention rod, and at the base of the launch lug. To create

the llets, apply a bead of epoxy to the joint then form the

llet with the tip of a dowel or a gloved nger.

25. To build the 24mm motor adapter, make a ring of wood

glue around the outside edge of one end of the 3-3/4”

(95mm) 24mm motor tube. Slide one of the large green

(24mm to 29mm) centering rings onto the tube so it is

ush with the end. This will be the forward end of the

adapter.

26. Mark the tube 1/2” (13 mm) from the aft end of the tube.

Make a ring of wood glue just in front of the line and slide

the second 24/29 large green centering ring onto the tube,

so that it is forward of that mark.

27. Cut the thrust ring (ring D) out of the cardstock sheet.

Make a ring of wood glue just behind the aft centering ring

on the motor mount assembly and slide the cardstock ring

into place up against the green aft centering ring. Apply

a llet of wood glue to the joint between the thrust ring

and the motor tube to ensure that the ring is attached as

securely as possible.

28. Optional: The engine block is installed if only Estes mo-

tors are going to be used. If the engine block is used, no

thrust ring needs to be added to the motor. If extra-long

reloads from Aerotech and Cesaroni are going to be used

too, the engine block can be left out. To install the engine

block, glue the small green 18mm to 24mm centering ring

in the forward end of the adapter, ush with the end. As-

sembled with the motor block installed, the adapter can be

used directly with 95mm long motors or it can use 70mm

motors with a spacer.

Step 24

Step 25

Step 26

Step 27

Step 28

1/2” (13mm)

Fillet

Page 8

29. Using scissors or a sharp hobby knife, cut out the para-

chute along the middle line to trim it to 15” (381mm) in

diameter. Once cut, place the reinforcement rings at each

corner as marked, then puncture the center hole using a

pencil or hobby knife.

30. Cut the white string into three equal sections as shown.

These are the shroud lines for the parachute. Tie the

shroud lines through the reinforcement rings and around

the outside of the parachute as shown. Apply a small dab

of glue to each of the knots and allow that glue time to dry

before installing it in the rocket.

31. Tie the shock cord to the loop on the payload section and

wrap a small piece of tape around the remaining tail and

main cord to prevent the knot from coming loose. Then,

collect the three shroud lines from the parachute, pass

them through the loop on the end of the payload bay, and

pull the parachute back through the loop created by the

ends, pulling the knot tight. At this point the shock cord and

parachute can be placed inside the rocket and the nose

cone slid on.

32. Allow the glue to harden entirely before applying paint to

the rocket. For the absolute best nish, it is important to

apply primer. Priming is a two step process. The rst step

is to spray a thick coat of a lling sandable primer on the

rocket and allow it to dry. Using ne sandpaper (400 grit),

sand most of the primer off, leaving it only in the deeper

surface imperfections. Further heavy coats of primer can

be applied and sanded off to completely ll such surface

imperfections. The second step is to apply a thin coat of

primer, and once it has dried, to lightly sand the surface so

that the rocket is covered by a thin uniform coat. After sur-

face preparation is complete, spray the rocket with a coat

of the desired color of paint following the paint manufactur-

er’s directions.

33. Allow the nal coat of paint to dry at least 24 hours before

applying the vinyl decals so that the paint isn’t damaged.

Remove each decal from the paper backing and apply

soapy water to the back of them so that the decal slides

easily on the surface of the painted rocket. If the decal

begins to dry before it is correctly positioned, a little water

can be added to the surface. Position the decals on the

rocket and once they are in the correct location, press

them down rmly and squeegee out any water underneath

them. Once they dry entirely, the soapy water will not affect

the adhesion of the decals on the rocket.

PARACHUTE ASSEMBLY FOR 18”/15”/12”

Step 29

PARACHUTE ASSEMBLY FOR 18”/15”/12”

Step 30

Step 31

Step 32

Step 33

Congratulations! Your Kestrel is now complete and ready to be own! Continue with the preight and launch

instructions on the next page

Tape

Page 9

Motor Manufacturer Est. Altitude Type

Ft m

D12-5 Estes 856 261 Single Use

E12-6 Estes 1421 433 Single Use

E20W-7 Aerotech 1825 556 Single Use

F15-8 Estes 2329 710 Single Use

G79W-10 Areotech 3947 1203 Single Use

Suggested Motors

Launch Supplies Needed

To launch your rocket you will need:

A launch pad with a 1/4” (6mm) launch rod and a launch

controller that can handle the selected igniters

Recovery Wadding

Engines such as those recommended in the motor chart.

Additional motors can be viewed at: https://www.apo-

geerockets.com/Model-Rocket-Kits/Skill-Level-3-Model-

Rocket-Kits/Kestrel#motors

Rocket Preight:

A. Crumple and insert 3 or 4 sheets of recovery wadding into

the main tube, then push the wadding down to the bottom

with a dowel.

B. Fold the parachute so that the shroud lines all come to-

gether, then place the shroud lines onto the parachute in a

loop and fold the parachute in half long ways to surround

the shroud lines. Fold the parachute again – this time the

other way – to shorten the whole package.

C. Loosely fold the shock cord and insert it into the body

tube, followed by the folded parachute, and the payload

section. Ensure that the nose cone ts tightly into the

payload tube to avoid losing the nose cone in ight. Wrap

the nose cone shoulder with tape if necessary to achieve a

tight enough t.

D. Optional: If using a motor without a thrust ring, such as

an Estes motor, wrap the back ¼” (6mm) of the motor with

several wraps of masking tape then trim the extra tape to

create a thrust ring to prevent the motor from sliding up

into the rocket.

Page 10

E. Optional: If using the motor adapter, slide the motor into

the adapter then apply tape around the motor/motor tube

connection to retain the motor.

F. Install the motor (or motor in adapter) by sliding it into

the motor mount tube. Slide the washer into place on the

threaded rod, then screw the nut into place to retain the

motor against the ejection charge ring.

G. Insert and secure the igniter as directed by the motor’s

manufacturer. To improve the chances of the rocket motor

igniting correctly the rst time, ensure that the igniter has

been inserted all the way and is in contact with the propel-

lant.

Continue to follow the countdown and launch procedures.

Countdown and Launch Procedure

The Kestrel is a rocket designed for high speeds and high altitudes and - as such - it requires a large eld to y on typical mo-

tors. With a 24mm motor in the included adapter, it can be own on smaller elds.The rst ight should be done in light winds

and with a motor in the middle of the recommended range. The smallest safe motor is rarely a good “rst-ight” motor, nor is

the largest possible motor a good place to start. Regardless of the motor selected, the area around the launch pad should be

free from dry grass and other re hazards, and the pad should be as far from trees, powerlines and low-ying planes as possi-

ble.

1. Remove the safety key from the launch controller if it has been stored there.

2. Place the rocket on the launch pad. The rocket should slide freely along the rod.

3. Attach the clips to the igniter wires. The clips must not touch either each other or the metal blast deector. Otherwise, a

misre is likely.

4. Stand back from the rocket as far as the launch wire allows.

5. Insert the safety key to arm the launch system.

6. Give a loud countdown! 5… 4… 3… 2… 1… LAUNCH!

7. Press and hold the button until the engine ignites. Once the rocket is away, remove the safety key.

Misre Procedure

A misre is when an engine does not light after the launch button is pressed. This is sometimes a result of the igniter burning

but failing to light the engine. At other times, the igniter will not burn at all (this is often indicative of a short between the clips).

To deal with a misre safely, remove the safety key from the launch controller and wait a full minute (60 seconds) prior to ap-

proaching the pad. Check that the igniter wires or clips were not touching and causing a short. If they were, the short can be

corrected and a launch attempted again. If the engine simply failed to light, remove the old igniter and install a new one. Make

sure that the igniter is installed all the way into the engine and that it is in contact with the propellant. Always follow the NAR

(National Association of Rocketry) Model Rocket Safety Code when launching model rockets.

Tape

Washer and Nut

Kestrel 05063 User manual

Kestrel 05063 User manual

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