Little Joe II Nozzle Plate, Nose Bulkhead, RCS for Estes 1/45 scale model

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The Estes 1/45 scale Little Joe 2 makes for a stunning model, despite its flaws. Even if you've resolved the adhesive compatibility issues, you still risk melting the plastic dress-up nozzles during launch. One possible solution is to remove the nozzles before flight, and this mount simplifies the process without requiring significant modifications to the kit parts. The nozzle plate features a bayonet-mount design that accommodates six plastic dress-ups and allows for easy twist-lock or twist-unlock removal as desired. I created the nose bulkhead and plug to enable straightforward adjustment of nose weight by inserting steel BBs through the bulkhead hole. I utilized the original putty provided in the kit, but positioned the bulkhead in a way that facilitates increased weight if needed. The RCS motor - an unappealing feature in this print; I can improve it with a smaller nozzle in the future - remains because, yes, I plan to create multiple copies of this model.