For those of you in the Pacific Northwest, you may be interested to know that Fred Meyer is turning over their Estes stock and with things on 50% off the prior clearance price there are motor packs for a bit over $3 (As, Bs and Cs), launch sets for under $10 and Estes ARF models for under $4.

It appears they are clearing out for a new line of launch sets and 18mm motors in TWO motor packs. I've seen the new launch sets (well, one of them, at least) in one store and the new motor packs in another. The new launch sets appear to have the latest incarnation of the Porta Pad II (red) and Electron Beam (also red, with an LED for continuity indication) as is working it's way into the launch sets we're familiar with in place of the bright orange Astron II 9V controller and pad.

It's interesting that the new two-motor-packs still come with four plugs and now four "starters" as well as a small pack of wadding, rather than the three igniters in the older ones. Maybe Estes has heard enough frustration from folks who don't get the new starters right up against the propellant to put extras in the packages.....

In both of those stores (both in Renton, WA) the motor packs that are left and on sale are only A8-3 three packs and A10PT four packs. I got the one B6-4 pack that was left at one and the one C6-5 pack at the other already, as well as an Alpha III launch set (Astron II pad and controller) for less than $8.

Pictures of the new products just taken in the store with my phone attached.

There is at least one of the air rocket sets in the new launch set packaging and the old ones are on clearance, if anyone is interested in those.

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Bernard Cawley
NAR 89040 L1 - Life Member
SAM 0061
AMA 42160
KG7AIE

The Fred Meyers in my area (Portland suburbs) sold off their 3-pack motors a few months ago (at $6.99 a pack), and presumably didn't restock.

I'll go and look, however.

I'd be P.O.s if the two-motor-packs cost the same, or anywhere near the same. This could be a way to reduce the price of a pack of motors to something less intimidating. Even if the price-per-motor is a bit higher, it is less intimidating to pay (say) $7 instead of $10; a psychological barrier.

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NAR #27085 - Oregon Rocketry - SAM

Where the new ones were in stock the prices appeared to be $6.99 for the A8-3s, $7.99 for the B6-4s and $8.99 for the C6-5s vs. the prior price of $9.99 for any motor pack. Still an increase on a per-flight basis for the new ones.

Maybe the Renton stores are just late to the party with respect to clearing the old ones out. I got a bunch of D12-0 2-packs on clearance there last year after they dropped the Booster-55/Booster-60.


There are a couple of WalMarts in the area that carried a similar mix of rocket stuff....I wonder what they are doing/have done.....

__________________
Bernard Cawley
NAR 89040 L1 - Life Member
SAM 0061
AMA 42160
KG7AIE

Evolving into a Citation type packaging. At least they have not dropped the average thrust number from the motors (A-3, B-4, C-5).

If they appear in our Fred Meyer's they will need to be diamond encrusted.

Little chance they will show up at Ralph's

(Kroger humor)

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-Fred Shecter NAR 20117 (L2)
Southern California Rocket Association, NAR Section 430