And Bob, thanks for popping this thread back up. I still owe folks the nose cone comparison picture I promised. I should also post a picture of the nose cone and motor mount variations display I made for the Alpha 50th event (and the fin shapes display). They sum up the evolution in many fewer words.

I really need to sit down and figure out a way to present the data I collected - including from a delightful conversation with Mary Roberts and subsequent emails - on the evolution of the Alpha, the Alpha II (both of which had a couple of real surprises) as well as the Alpha III - which save for the motor hook and the color scheme is pretty much identical to Mike Dorffler's original from 1971. At least the III has changed far less than Bill Simon's original Alpha has over the years.

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

A question (and I apologize if you've been asked--and answered--this before):

I once had a "latter-day" Citation Quasar kit, which had a white nose cone and a white fin unit that were identical (except in color, of course) to the Alpha III's red--and now, orange--plastic parts. Was the original aluminized Quasar fin unit identical in shape to the Alpha III and later Quasar fin unit (except for the "clipped trailing fin tips," of course), or were its fins different in fundamental planform? Many thanks in advance for your help!

__________________
Black Shire--Draft horse in human form, model rocketeer, occasional mystic, and writer, see:
http://www.lulu.com/content/paperba...an-form/8075185
http://www.lulu.com/product/cd/what...of-2%29/6122050
http://www.lulu.com/product/cd/what...of-2%29/6126511
All of my book proceeds go to the Northcote Heavy Horse Centre www.northcotehorses.com.
NAR #54895 SR

The chrome Citation Quasar fins were a clipped Alpha III fin unit. The bagged Quasar fins were completely identical except molded in white color plastic.

__________________
When in doubt, WHACK the GAS and DITCH the brake !!!

Yes, there is such a thing as NORMAL, if you have to ask what is "NORMAL" , you probably aren't !
Failure may not be an OPTION, but it is ALWAYS a POSSIBILITY.
ALL systems are GO for MAYHEM, CHAOS, and HAVOC !

Thank you. I thought that was the case, but never having had (or seen, other than in a catalog) a Quasar with the metallized plastic parts, I wasn't sure.

__________________
Black Shire--Draft horse in human form, model rocketeer, occasional mystic, and writer, see:
http://www.lulu.com/content/paperba...an-form/8075185
http://www.lulu.com/product/cd/what...of-2%29/6122050
http://www.lulu.com/product/cd/what...of-2%29/6126511
All of my book proceeds go to the Northcote Heavy Horse Centre www.northcotehorses.com.
NAR #54895 SR

Here's a picture of my original Citation Quasar model alongside a clone of the later white finned/nose cone Quasar.

Attached Thumbnails

 

__________________
Bob
S.A.M. # 0014

Thank you--that's a good comparison picture! The fin tips of the original chromed one aren't clipped as much as I had expected. My "post-chrome" one vanished on its first flight, when it weather-cocked into a horizontal path toward a large area of thick foliage.

__________________
Black Shire--Draft horse in human form, model rocketeer, occasional mystic, and writer, see:
http://www.lulu.com/content/paperba...an-form/8075185
http://www.lulu.com/product/cd/what...of-2%29/6122050
http://www.lulu.com/product/cd/what...of-2%29/6126511
All of my book proceeds go to the Northcote Heavy Horse Centre www.northcotehorses.com.
NAR #54895 SR

OK - here are nose cone comparisons a couple of ways. The first two pictures are three recently-built Alphas and one that’s been flying for several years and currently has 55 flights on it.

In the whole-rocket pictures they are:

First one built from a yellow face-card K-25/1225 kit with a real Estes BNC-50K nose cone. This is my “Golden Alpha”.

Next is the “Aggie Alpha” done in the colors of my wife’s and my alma mater (New Mexico State University). It is a clone of the same version of the Alpha kit, made with Semroc parts (notably the nose cone). (Fins for both of these are hand-cut using an SP-25 fin pattern).

Next is an early 1980s 1225 Alpha which has the first version of the blow-molded nose cone (and die-cut fins which match SP-25 exactly). As many others have noted, this is also my favorite version of the Alpha livery, which is done via water slide decals.

Finally is that much flown relatively recent Alpha - built from a bulk pack kit which probably dates from about 2005. This is the later (current shape) blow molded nose cone and laser-cut fins (which were a little too aggressively rounded when I put the model together).

The next picture is a nose cone closeup - but in a different order - BNC-50K, PNC-50KA (first version), PNC-50KA (current version) and Semroc BNC-50K.

Next is a view of the little display I built showing the evolution of both the nose cones and the motor mounts over the years. This was made for the Alpha 50th affair at the Museum of Flight last September.


Next come three fin comparisons - first the early 1980s Alpha and the battered one from 2009 or so, then the fins display for the MoF affair - showing “cut it yourself”, then die cut then laser cut. In the lower left of that was an attempt to show the fin shape difference by laying a laser-cut fin on a pattern cut from an SP-25. The final picture is a closeup of that area.

Attached Thumbnails

           

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

__________________
Bill Eichelberger
NAR 79563

http://wallyum.blogspot.com/

I miss being SAM 0058

Build floor: Centuri Mini Dactyl Estes - Low Boom SST Semroc - Marauder, Shrike, SST Shuttle

In paint: Canaroc Starfighter Scorpion Estes F-22 Air Superiority Fighter, Multi-Roc, Solar Sailer II Semroc Cyber III

Ready to fly: Estes - Solar Sailer II Semroc - Earmark, Groonie Der V 1/2

Wow.

__________________
-Wolfram v. Kiparski
NAR 28643 - TRA 15520
MTMA Section #606 President

Two additional thoughts: first of all, I probably should refer to the blow molded Alpha nose cones as PNC-50KA (both versions) since I think the Alpha III/Quasar/Phantom nose cone - which is injection molded and has a rather different shape - is actually “PNC-50K”.

[I edited the post to reflect that]

Next, some will notice the small holes near the bases of the nose cones on the golden Alpha and the battered one. As you may surmise, these are static ports for an altimeter. It IS possible, with a little bit of careful packing (and very thin plastic Semroc ‘chutes) to tie a PerfectFlite FireFly in a protective pouch to the nose cone and get it all in. I am a little surprised at how much ejection gas residue is on the golden model around those holes. It’s only been flown twice.

I also failed to mention in the post above that my wife Avis built the Aggie Alpha from a “kit” that I pulled together from Semroc parts for her. I did cut the fins out, but the rest is her work save for some of the painting.

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