Not to highjack this thread but:

Yes, it is. I built it back in the late 60's or early 70's. It still has the Camroc on it. I never did find a field back then that I thought was big enough to risk flying it. So here it sits, still only a model and not a rocket.

As long as you post rocket pics, it isn't really hijacking. ;) This one is cool. I also liked the Sprite. It has a sense of history about it that catalog queens can't touch. Very cool. :cool:

As long as we're talking ugly, here's mine. I don't remember what happened to the tail ring....

Hi, John,
Here are my Sprite, Scout and Streak. http://home.flash.net/~samily/SSS/SSS-outing.html

Can you make your Sprite kit so that users have the option of building it stock OR making it nose-blow?

The purist in me says it's sacrilege to build it any way other than stock, but the realist knows that tumble is unreliable. I managed to get my Sprite to shift the motor aft without slipping the hook and tumble in. But it still cracked a fin fillet.

And my Scout, with the same recovery system, lawndarted in when the motor didn't shift aft. (Too much compensation for hot ejection charge only to have a normal charge.) No damage, but no tumble.

Your idea for nose-blow has a precedent, too. The Scout III was nose-blow. Rocketeers who want the Sprite to be a regular flier will need a more reliable recovery system than stock. After my tumblers got in their maiden flights, I promptly retired them to the book case as nostalgia pieces. But if I had tried to fly the Sprite several more times, I'm sure it would have either been blow apart by a hot ejection charge, or had its motor hook ripped out by same, or lawndarted one too many times and met its fate. So nose-blow will definitely be an improvement.

My only concern for your conversion is the severely limited space in the airframe. One idea I had was to use a T motor mount, and shift it aft a bit. Having the motor stick out aft at liftoff won't look unusual (even though the Sprite's motor was flush at liftoff). You might stretch the BT a tad. I've done that a few times without compromising the appearance. Also, shortening the NC's base might help. Or, how about an upscale? Just some ideas. Good luck with it.

Doug

:eek: It's nekkid!

Not really. It's just kind of missing its underpants. ;)

I had an Estes Scout from 1969 until early last year, when I lost it at Rushing Park, Katy, TX (launch site
of the Challenger 498 Section) on a C6-7. Despite the many years this model was flown again and again, its ruggedness held whether it tumbled like it was supposed to, or just lawn darted a few times
when the motor kicked itself out.

In that last flight, it must have made it to rocket heaven, as no amount of searching in the immediate
area could I find it, even when the grass was cut. I also had the Astron Sprite way back in the early
1970's, but don't remember what happened to it (the "S" series motors were obsolete then). AND,
the Estes Mosquito, well, after losing several of them, I just quit buying them!

Flis kits has a 13mm version for sale, called the tumbleweed. I have one but my 46 yr old eyes are having trouble with the small fins. A friend has cloned 3 of them and flown them many times, they always fly nice.

The fliskits can be seen here, skill level 2:

http://www.fliskits.com/products/01prod_fs.htm


The EMRR link:

http://www.rocketreviews.com/review...umble_weed.html

Mark

Semroc is working on kitting this as well. They already have a number of parts available for the Sprite, including the fin ring and nose cone.

http://www.semroc.com/Store/scripts...Parts.asp?ID=16

My first
 

My Sprite is gone now, no luck on ebay for under $75.00

So glad to see all but 4 parts, I wish they would make the BT-30,
The fins and gause would be easy to make on ones own.
Please SEMROC Complete the kit, I know you will sell it out.

All us old suckers want to built it, provide the adaptor for 13mm,
Just think how many we will lose so we have to by another one.

I built the tumbleweed and it is cute and the Hyperon, but they are NO Sprite.
I am going to build the Carona, but I want to built the Sprite.

It is the CLASSIC !!!! I love ring tails, I am kit bashing my Nemisis to the Starfighter.

Good Night, Alan