Heh, RD's name is Ken.

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Scott D. Hansen
Ye Olde Rocket Shoppe - Your One Stop BAR Shoppe!
Ye Olde Rocket Plans - OOP Rocket Plans From 38 Companies!
Ye Olde Rocket Forum
WOOSH NAR Section #558

My bad...welcome, Ken.

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"I'm a sandman. I've never killed anyone. I terminate runners when their time is up." Logan from "Logan's Run"

http://sandmandecals.com/

Doc,

I have two or three of these fin alignment tools. Far superior to the plastic version Estes sold at the end.

I don't believe these were made by Estes though. Estes may have sold them, but I'm almost positive they were made by a third party.

I'm assuming you own one of these, but if not and you need to borrow one for measurements or something just let me know.

__________________
Scott D. Hansen
Ye Olde Rocket Shoppe - Your One Stop BAR Shoppe!
Ye Olde Rocket Plans - OOP Rocket Plans From 38 Companies!
Ye Olde Rocket Forum
WOOSH NAR Section #558

I'm inviting you all to come to NARAM next year in Virginia to meet the Rocket Doctor.

I, plan on bringing some of my creations !!!

I still have about 15 sitting back at Estes in storage though.

I usually built two of each, one for me and one for Estes, I was lucky enough to get back my four that were supposed to make it into kits for this year.

Around September 15th on nar.org, there should be information regarding NARAM 50.

I have my fingers and toes crossed about the lottery, the mega million is over $260 million and the powerball is over $350 million, I can only wish........

Anyone have a spare million to help the cause???

Anyone out there who would like to produce my designs, I'm open to suggestions, contact me.

Right now I'm heading to do an interview regarding Reaction Motors, Inc, the first liquid fuel rocket engine manufacturer in America, 1941 - 1972.

Have a great day everyone.....

RD

Scott

I have an original Fin Kwik, I also have the patent prints for it as well.
You are correct, the original metal Fin Kwik .

Here is the patent number for the metal fin alignment guide, 3,805,355 dated April 23,1974

The patent holder is/was Mitchell Gornik, 460 Pioneer Drive, Addison, Il 60101
patent filed December 15, 1972
Appl number 315,515


The current problem with this design is that it cannot be adjusted to accomidate a BT-80 tube.

Also, the mannor inwhich you have to set the fin support isn't good, there are circular indentation in the base plate, which, you have to guess that the tube is properly set to.

I would expand the fin guide by at least a half an inch, make inserts for every size body tube that would allow the user to properly set the fin guide in the proper position.

For those who might have the original, you know what I mean, unless you get is right the first time, your fins will be off, the only other way to do it, is to use a previous model, whith the correct fin position to set the fin guides, too time consuming.

The Estes plastic version was not accurate, and, the tabs inwhich the fing guide slid through usually broke off.

Metal is the way to go, but, I don't know how much it would cost to reproduce it, and, you would have to buy it, or I should say produce it in quantities.

I know from the Estes Forum there was much interest in it, but, I don't know if the number would be there to support such a project and keep the cost down to a reasonable amount.

I think that I am going to look into this further to see what I can come up with.

The Rocket Doctor will be off this Forum for awhile, making house calls, sort of, I have to do an interview and will return later.

RD, When Estes does a prototype, do they use the same parts that are in the kit? IE plastic nose, Estes Bt, silkscreen decals? The reason I ask is because I know that everything is now produced in China so I was wondering what Estes does? If they make decals for the prototypes, do they silk screen or do they have a special printer?

Be advised that the Rocket Doctor needed a real doctor after I broke my left elbow.

So, it's kind of hard trying to type with one hand, especially capital letters. Myfingers can only stretch so far trying to hold down the shift key whiile trying to type with one hand.

Now it's at least three weeks in a sling, I should have said fractured the tip of my left elbow, very, very painful.

So, I will try to do my best to reply back.

Broke your left elbow?! Doing what? Hope it wasn't trying to recover a model rocket stuck
in some rocket eating tree.

You have our well wishes; get some rest and please, please be careful....

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Dave, NAR # 21853 SR.

No. it wasn't a rocket eating tree, if that was the case, I think I would have gotten a chain saw and cut it down, no tree is going to swallow one of mine without a fight !!!

No. I had just interviewed a gentleman for my Reaction Motors article, he suggested that I go to thw local library for more info, while comind down two flights of stairs, the last step decided to do me in, I slipped and fell on mt left elbow, and I did see stars for awhile, maybe it was my shooting stars, what pain.

I went to the local hospital, had xrays, ands the tech told me that it was fractured.

About a half hour later, the doctor came in to make it official.

Now I have a soft cast and a sling on.

Thanks for your kind words.

Now it's three weeks in a sling.