Other Requests/Ideas
 

I'm starting this thread for requests/ideas other than motors or kits.

Something that would be nice to see is a parts assortment pack like they had in the good old days. The assortment pack from Estes nowadays is a joke with leftover parts in it. There are companies like Red Arrow, BMS, Apogee and Flis offering partial parts assortments, but nothing like the complete assortments that Centuri and Estes use to offer in the late 60's.

Oh, thank you, Scott!

I've been going back to the old catalogs and just drooling longingly for some of those parts packages offered back then. What we need is a good "supply replenisher" box of usable tubes and balsa and rings and, well, STUFF that we really need...

I'm talking a complete set. Take a look at page 53 of the '69 Centuri catalog. The Experimenters Special had EVERYTHING you needed to make up to 8 rockets. Now that's an assortment!

Agreed!

OK. Which one first?

If you mean "Which style -- Centuri or Estes?", then I'd have to say Centuri style, since there's a better cross-section of sizes.

If you mean "Which quantity of material in the package?", then I'd have to agree again with Scott; we need a comprehensive selection of components to make it interesting. I don't know which would be the better way to package tubes -- make them all 18", or a selection of long and short. Nose cones and other turned items, enough to build 8-10 basic models. Same with the other components like rings, launch lugs, motor hooks, parachutes, etc...

And we can't forget the printed materials, like fin patterns and shrouds, maybe even a complete plan of some simple design to get builders started.

It might be possible to feature two or three different "price range" kits, just like Estes and Centuri did in the late 60s. One set might have enough for 2-3 models, one might be able to do 3-5 models, the third as many as 8. I think folks would pay a premium for good quality components, but what they want is consistency.

Price points? How about $25, $40, and $75? What could these boxes be filled with for those prices? Close to what I described above? Better? Spot-on?

Maybe even put together at some point a $100 Super Box, equal to 2 or 3 times the $75-size box, considering that there would be a reduction in some of the printed material as a cost savings...

Parts you say.
 

A better parts asortment would be great and a Futuristic Parts Assortment would be even better.

Also I would also like to see a Rocket Designing Kit. Not a parts assortment but a sample of all Semroc body tubes, center rings, fin material, various dowels, LL, and other parts.

*Body tube samples would be precut and about 1/2" long with several of each tube.
*Fin material sample would be of various thicknesses from 1/16" to 1/8".
I use such a Design Box myself and has really helped me figure out what tubes fit into each other in an eye appealing way. I lay several tubes on a flat surface and design via End View of the rocket design. I have come up with several design in this way including the Cargo Star Transport, Megga Dogfighter, Etc...


Parts:
I also would like a better way to attach a paper transition to a body tube. The narrow of the
transition is easy but the wider end onto an .05 CR really stinks :( . I would like to see some 1/4" thick Balsa Transition Centering Rings for some commomly used paper transitions. Half (1/8") of the ring would be used as a centering ring to center the two different BT's and the other half (1/8") would be tapered to match the slope of the paper transition. A designer could even customize the slope themself with a little sanding if an oddball transition is desired.


James Pierson
NAR# 77907

James,

Carl has demonstrated this to be possible with paper rings using the laser Krellvenator and his 0.05" paper stock. Look at the base ring on the Apollo capsule. It's a staggered cut. For a ring like you're describing, a glue-up of two rings - one tapered, one not - would work fine. If the paper stock were available in thicker sheets - up to 1/4" (or 5x the 0.05" material, for 0.25" thick) - your ring could be done the same way.

My personal preference on those is to have larger packs of single items, rather than packs of varied items. I always end up with stuff that I just use up on something just to use it up. I also prefer the larger 34" tubes, rather than 18" tubes. Getting rid of the spirals is a good thing, too! Who likes filling spirals. Can't we just get rid of them? I got a couple of boxes of 34" tubes (BT-5 thru BT-60, 12 of each per box) from a guy on eBay and the spirals are almost non-existent. That's my idea of a parts pack! Having a variety of bulk packs like that would be great. A variety pack for cones would be cool, though, especially one that included futuristic cones like the Estes Futuristic Parts Assortment.
My 2 cents.
James

Good idea Scott. There are some parts I don't mind making from scratch, tubes and cones are what is most important to me, the rest I can usually fabricate myself in a pinch. Only problem with including cones, is your stuck using what you have rather than what you really want. Tube assortments are a good place to start.