Astron Sprite questions....
 

Not sure if this is the correct area to ask this so mods please feel free move OR terminate...

Anyway, I am trying to offer a new parts pack for the Sprite. It's one of the few models I never built when I was a wee lad so I have some questions.

1.) What was the preferred motor and what was the diameter of that motor?

((The reason for the first question is that I am trying to decide whether or not to produce a model that will duplicate the exact version of it or should I leave out the gas vent, weight the nose, provide a streamer and motor mount and provide a flyable option? Which brings us to question number 2...))

2.) I have resurected the Sprite on RocSim8 as best I can and looks like I can convert it ot 13mm and with about .25oz in the nose, it should be a stable flyer that could recover via streamer. Anyone else done something similar?

I want to provide the best possible product I can. Unlike other OOP models, the Sprite is not the most straight forward kit to provide an avenue for a modeler who wants to re-produce her...mostly from the powerplant perspective.


Any addtional feedback would be most welcome!

Thanks,
John

I still have my 1967 original Sprite.

It was made to fly on 18mm 'S' motors. They were 1.75" long and came in 1/4A, 1/2A, and A impulse only.

In order to fly mine now, I use an adapter cut from a used 18mm motor and put a 13mm motor inside. I think it's kind of cool the way it tumbles down but I don't know if the average person is going to want to make adapters to fly it.

I have an original Astron Sprite that I have flown with a 13mm adapter using 1/4a3's for flying.

I have also made my own "S-series" short engines by cutting an inch off the engine casing of 1/2A6-2's, but this is not exactly NAR safety-code legal :rolleyes:
Whether or NOT this SHOULD be cosidered a safety code violation is a whole other topic.
I think it is silly that removing the plug from A10-PT's to "create" A10-0T's is a violation of the safety code.

If it was me, and I was to make this a kit, I would go with a 13mm mount and leave out the gas vent; make it streamer or 8" chute recovery instead of tumble.
I think tumble recovery, in a word, STINKS !
It is good for getting a VERY beat up looking rocket, very fast !

Tumble recovery should be used for one thing and one thing ONLY; recovery of light boosters on BP powered 2+ stage models. Even that can be iffy....such as with the booster for the Astron Omega, which is quite heavy for a booster.

I agree. Just because it WAS done that way is no reason to keep it that way. I've got a Sprite ready for paint that's streamer recovered AND still has the vent hole. I just done trust the Estes ejection charges of late, as I may have mentioned previously. Unless you're talking Mosquitos, tumble recovery blows.

Good point. Perhaps the way to offer it is giving the 13mm mmt an optional install.

Bill...did you have to add any nose weight? (BTW, I shipped your stuff yesterday)

LOL :D :D My Sprite was the first rocket I ever built and with the finishing skills I had back then, it looked VERY beat up before I ever launched it. ;)

SHEESH !!!
Yechhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh !

I'm not sure I'd own up to one that ugly.... :D

I think I'd at least refinish it to a PRESENTABLE state !

Oh, I don't think I will. If I refinished it, it would probably get lost on the next launch. Ugly rockets always seem to come back.

It serves a purpose just like it is. No matter how badly I screw up the finish on a new model, I can always say " At least it isn't as bad that Sprite" :eek:

Nice Mars Outllander there :) Is the stager in the background the Delta (Camroc lifter)?
Doug

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

Or...you can buy one here!
 

You can now buy them here...Sprite clones that is...

Clone Parts Packs

I have mine! Nice parts pack for a great price. Now I just have to build it ;) .

I don't want to hijack this thread again, but this brings up a sensative subject.

Laser cut fins or not?

The 2 guys I use for clone packs are Semroc and Thrustline. Both supply great products, have wounderful customer service, and are very fast. The only diferance is that Semroc uses laser cut fins and Thrust line supplies raw balsa stock. I have always felt a little guilty building with laser cut fins, cutting the lumber is part of building classic rockets. On the other hand what is proved but taking the extra time to trace/cut fins? It just adds time and is not like it proves anything.

Maybe I'm lazy, but I seem to build the laser cut packs before the non-laser cut packs, I still feel guilty though.

Mark

Mark, that question is as old as sand itself. A debate that will go on far into the future (along with "plastic, or balsa nose cones?")
I have original kits that have both laser cut and manual cut balsa parts. It all depends on what YOU want. You shouldn't feel guilty no matter which way you choose.

Here's a couple pic of mine.

First pic is of my clone. Next is a pic of parts for a 339% upscale that we will offer as a kit
soon . We hope to have it ready for release at NSL.

Nice pic of the parts for the upscale! Looks like it should be a winner. What are the specifications of the completed kit, and what motor(s) will be recommended? And, of course, the targeted price? I've just sent my $20 registration fee yesterday, so I guess
I'll be seeing you and the others come Memorial Day weekend...

Ok spec are Dia. 2.6
Height 18.5"
Weight Approx. 6 oz.
Motors D12-5 E9-6 and of course Aerotech 24 MM
Cost about $45.99
By the way ring fin dia. will be 7.5