Vintaqe Estes Falcon Commander Build
 

Building has slowed down because of a busy summer, but I am back at it with the Falcon Commander. The kit comes with 2 parachutes but the plans only call for one chute.

This one never did anything for me.
Swept forward wings on ANYTHING in a word, suck.

Falcon Commanders
 

I think the Falcon Commander is a cool design...so I upscaled it to 29mm power. Here it poses with its little brother (original scale) and the rocket room mascot. :)

That is cool. :cool:

I may have to build my Falcon Commander kit (Someday.... :rolleyes: )

I like Dean's mascot far more than the rockets in that pic.

Thanks, GH. He's not as "Rocketry Related" as Stanton Ewert's "LGAD" (Little Green Alien Dude), but he's part of the family and projects the appropriate 'tude. :)

In general, I agree. This one is not as bad as some. But I know what I’d do — flip the forward swept “tips” around and make them swept back fins/wings.

Forward swpt fins
 

I have to say I LIKE a lot of the forward swept designs. The original Estes Starship Excalibur free plan is one of my favorite all-time designs.

ANd I apologize for the slightly off topic post.

Buzz

The Starship Excalibur is about the only one I do like with forward swept fins.

I have a particular affection for the Falcon Commander.

It was my daughter's first rocket. I was skeptical when she picked it out because I thought it looked a little difficult for a 7 year old.

I was wrong...her model came out just beautiful.

She desperately wanted to fly it when finished but it was a windy day. I tried to talk her out of it but she started to cry so I relented.

It flew beautifully but the wind carried it to a power line...more tears, "Daddy get it down for me!"

It was a trunk line :( , more electricity than I wanted to deal with. :confused:
So I grabbed my wrist rocket sling shot and marched over to where the rocket hung on a power line.

I picked up a stone from the gravel road and shot...missed by 3 or 4 feet...You should have seen the look of disgust on my daughter's face. She was PO'D!

I grabbed another stone for a second shot and POW!!!! I hit the plastic loop on the nose cone, broke it off and the model fell straight down.

My daughter stopped crying. :)

She still has it (I saved it for her) she's 46 now.

Great story, Gordy!

Btw
 

...and in the "credit where credit is due!" department:

The upscale nose cone on my big Falcon Commander (made of balsa!) as well as the decals were sourced from our very own Sandman (Gordy). He has a way of making anyone's work into the best it can be.

THANKS AGAIN, Gordy. You rock! :)

I did?

Man, I do not remember...but I'll take the credit. :)

I have your autograph on the bottom of the nose cone. DELIBERATELY did not overpaint it --- that would be like covering Leonardo's signature on a painting! :)

(I *did* have to put the screw eye though the "d" in "Sandman", though --- so it's not a "perfect" autograph. I knew you wouldn't mind) :D

That kit was simple yet I loved it as a young teen back in the day. Most likely will build a lone someday. Flew Great!

Sounds like a hit or miss rocket for some, but I am happy. Something about building an old vintage sealed Estes kit with old parts and die crushed parts. The build is simple out of the bag, 3 coats of Brodak sealer and one coat of primer. Tomorrow I will shoot the old Krylon glossy white.

OK, I had to dig them up.

Not easy when you look at the number of kits I am trying to sell among all the kits I've built but I found them.

My daughters's is at the top , yes I had to clean it up a bit since it's almost 40 years old and my clone at the bottom.

I just love the line. It looks fast just sitting there.

Yes! I like reversed fins! ;)

I have an unopened Falcon Commander kit in the pile, in fact...I believe I have all of the futuristic models from the 70's era that used the PNC 50SP cockpit nose cone.

Nice! Your daughter’s model looks great. Just what exactly did you have to do to clean it up? I need a bottle of that stuff! :)

I use Windex on a paper towel. Gently!

Actually It was kept in a cupboard in my wife's sewing room. so it held up pretty well for almost 40 years.

Does anybody else's wife sew? :rolleyes: That's like a lost art.

My daughter sews. My mom made many outfits back in the day, many of them quite involved, and all done on an ancient, nearly worn out old Singer, IIRC. Mom used to cuss that thing every time she used it, but she cranked out lots of cool sfuff :)

Anyway, I keep encouraging my daughter to do those kinds of projects, knowing how good she is at them, and knowing how uplifting DIY projects like that can be - they're good for the brain!

Doug

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My daughter and grand daughter are big Dr. Who fans and my wife found a bunch of Dr. Who material so she has been making Dr. Who purses, pencil bags, a jumper, blouses and a bunch of other stuff for them.

OK, back to the Falcon Commander.

I wonder how a black Falcon Commander would look. That may work but maybe a slight upscale say to a BT-60 and 24mm. :)

OH WOW!!! I just opened my pic of the falcons in paint and reversed the colors...WAY COOL!!!!!

That looks so bada$$ But I wanna change it from USAF to USSF. :chuckle:

Love it !

Doug

.

One of my regrets moving from my boyhood home in Kentucky in pursuit of career is that my kids didn't grow up around their grandparents. My mom is an awesome 1950's homemaker - she's scrubby dutch on the housekeeping, an incredible cook, a fantastic seamstress, awesome at re-modeling, and pretty danged good at styrene cars and model rockets, too :)

I would love for more of that to have rubbed off on my kids :)

Doug

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You got something there Gordo!! I love that look.

I’ll have to try the Windex.

My wife sews. She tried to teach our daughters when they were young. Then in their 20s. Now that they are 33 and 36, and have kids, my wife gave up trying to teach them. They even bring her their mending! I told her she needs to charge them.

We have three granddaughters, so the sewing is for them, mostly. And it carries over to crafting, fairy gardens, making jewelry, etc. with them. They think grandma is pretty cool. I do take them to fly rockets, which they enjoy.

Here she is all painted with old formula Krylon white....I will be gone for a few days but when I get back I will apply the decals. Once again I sure love Brodak.

Agree about Brodak dope products.
Every bit as good as old Pactra Aero Gloss, and available in about 3 times the colors.

I just checked... :o

No wonder I didn't remember. It was 5 years ago!

My Brodak order will arrive Friday. I still have half a can of Deft Lacquer Sanding Sealer, but it goes back to the wood shop for general sealing tasks. I’m looking forward to trying the Brodak on balsa fins and nose cones.

Here she all done, out of the bag ready for flight. The vintage decals went on with no issues, all and all a fun build.

That is just lovely!

One of the prettiest designs Estes ever came up with.