I thought I should post a couple photos of the display rocket I built a couple weeks ago for a display at our local museum. They were holding a one day celebration of the Apollo 11 anniversary and invited our NAR chapter out to set up a static display (they would have liked us to fly some as well, but the museum is situated on a narrow strip of land between a busy four lane expressway and the Ohio River - so we decided to forego launches). I decided a clear-bodied rocket would be a nice addition to out display, so I built one from a length of fluorescent tube shield, which is just a bit bugger that BT-60. I made three fins from clear styrene and added a giant thrust ring made from layers of toilet paper core and an outer layer of green construction paper to make it look like an oversized version of the real thing. I also made a cutaway dummy motor from CT-60 coupler stock with a couple layers of paper towel core inside to make it scale thickness. Some paper clay for the layers inside the propellant, a wrap for the outside to make it look like the real thing, and a giant replica igniter, and I had a 2.6x upscale Estes Wizard for display. Tissue paper wadding, a big red parachute (attached with a magic tape version of the standard Estes shock cord mount and a PNC-60AH nose cone salvaged from a crashed Mean Machine completed the display model.

Now the request for John and Estes - any chance of a possible bring back of the clear version of the Alpha III - the Phantom? It is sorely missed for displayed like this!

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Greg Poehlein

Member of Launch Crue - http://launchcrue.org/

Hint #1: Do not use magician's flash paper for recovery wadding!

Hint #2: Clean your shoes after flyin' in that cow pasture - that ain't no dirt clod on the sole!

A couple more photos of our display:

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Greg Poehlein

Member of Launch Crue - http://launchcrue.org/

Hint #1: Do not use magician's flash paper for recovery wadding!

Hint #2: Clean your shoes after flyin' in that cow pasture - that ain't no dirt clod on the sole!

Nice work on the phantom clone, display looks awesome...bet I know which display will attract the most youngsters and (probably will catch the eye of some old rocketeers).

I would like to see the Phantom brought back as well and I've brought this subject up several times over the past five years. I can't say if it's coming or not but it's on the Estes Radar at least.


John Boren

Just in case I haven't said so....add my voice to the "please bring back the Phantom" chorus (and may I suggest with a 5.5 inch body tube so that it's the same length as an Alpha III as well, rather than cramped as it can be with the 4 inch tube).

I bring one (an eBay find a few years ago) with me to most launches and to displays such as the one Greg describes and use it a great deal to describe "what's going on inside" to folks.

Greg - neat stuff!

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

Thanks for the feedback, John! Consideration of the return of the Phantom is all I ask!

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Greg Poehlein

Member of Launch Crue - http://launchcrue.org/

Hint #1: Do not use magician's flash paper for recovery wadding!

Hint #2: Clean your shoes after flyin' in that cow pasture - that ain't no dirt clod on the sole!

+1 to thinking bringing back the Phantom would be a great instructional tool.

I remember back when I was a freshman in high school one FOOL decided to launch his Phantom.
Flew great ONCE; naturally the ejection charge heat/flame permanently WARPED/CRAZED the main clear body tube and turned it a grungy sulphurated yellow color.
Successfully ejected the chute for good recovery.

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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 !

I like the Phantom Wizard!

I came across (dumpster diving) a big chunk of clear tube that I'm not sure what to do with. It is about 3" by 48".

I could turn it into several clear payload sections, but a clear display rocket is another possibility.

One neat trick would be to make it into a FLYING clear display model, with a motor mount inside of a cut-away dummy motor, a cleverly hidden stuffer tube and a "real" parachute compartment hidden inside a display one.

I'd need a custom cone made, and centering rings. I think I could fabricate a cut-away motor and other stuff.

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NAR #27085 - Oregon Rocketry - SAM