We just added a new kit to our auction listings. It is an Estes "Young Astronauts" Cadet kit (#1459) still sealed in the original packaging.

I haven't been able to find any information about the Cadet kit on the Internet. It looks like the "Young Astronauts" logo was used only in products sold in 1987, so I'm guessing that's when this kit was released.

http://www.jonrocket.com/auctions.html

More photos at: http://www.payloadbay.com/gallery/v...age/?g2_page=16

-- Roger

Roger,

Couple of quick questions...

Can you get a length measurement on the BT and the NC?

Also, are the fins balsa or fiber?

This appears to be a reworked #1956 Blazer. The Blazer appears in the 87 catalog on pages 24 & 25.

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Additional info:

It looks like Estes was trying to get involved with a national "Young Astronauts" program that was initiated by President Regan back in 1984. Check this link...

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It's in one of those bags with printing on the back, so you can't see the parts. But, I was able to measure the tube and nose cone. The tube is 9" long and the nosecone (counting the shoulder) is 3" long.

According to the face card, the fins are die-cut balsa.

-- Roger

It looks like the "Young Astronauts Council" is trying to get the Young Astronauts Club started up again:

http://sites.google.com/site/youngastronautcouncil/

-- Roger

Something else I just noticed: It recommends a B8-5 in the list of engines...

Not the B6-6, which is (today) an ideal engine for this design...

The B8-5, BTW, is a Series-II core-burner...

Technical trivia:

Using the dimensions given for the tube (9"), and using the common PNC-20 NC length of 2.6575" as given by RockSim, it seems the length of the rocket is about 3/4" longer than that given on the art card, using the fins from the Blazer. My suspicions remain the same, however: The Cadet is the "Young Astronauts" rework of the Blazer, using probably the same tube, and adding only the engine hook (for simplicity of engine loading) and the hook sleeve. The original (not necessarily what is in the package) body tube was likely the BT-20B, which is supposed to be 8.65" long. This lowers the total length to 12.4575" (12.5").

Flight dynamics:


A8-5.......571'......5 FPS Dv
B6-6......1080'......6 FPS Dv
C6-7......1900'......7 FPS Dv


For the sake of keeping this thread "on-topic", I'm posting a RockSim file in the BARCLONE area in case anyone is curious...

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Craig McGraw

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SAM 0044
AMA 352635

The Estes "Young Astronauts" Cadet (#1459) does indeed look like the Blazer (see: http://www.ninfinger.org/rockets/ca...86/86est24.html ), but their lengths differ a bit. The Cadet is 12.1" long and the Blazer is 12.75" long. The Blazer did have fiber fins as described in the catalogs' texts, although the fin material icon in the Estes catalog didn't reflect this in the 1986 and 1987 editions (the black "F" was finally added to the icon in the 1988 Estes catalog).

The Blazer also had a molded-in-red plastic nose cone (as did the early Estes Viking kits), as indicated by the "No painting required!" feature listed in the catalog description. Below is the full listing for the Blazer from the 1986 Estes catalog:


Blazer (No. 1956)

Excellent beginner's model features die-cut fiber fins, red decal, streamer recovery and 1,000 foot flights with a "C" engine. No painting required!

Length 12.75"
Dia. 0.736"
Wt. 0.71 oz.

ENGINES: A8-3 (1st Flt.), A8-5, B4-4, B6-4, B8-5, C6-5, C6-7

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Oh .. yes ... the fins in the Cadet kit are fiber. I had said "balsa" in the eBay listing, but I've revised it.

I was really surprised to come upon a kit that is not listed on Gerry Fortin's site (or anywhere else on the 'net for that matter).

It's like winning at Googlewhacking!

I did find, at Ninfinger.org, references to plastic model kits with the "Young Astronauts" logo. The kits were all released in 1987 which is why I'm guessing that's the year the Cadet was produced.

-- Roger

The auction of this unusual "mystery" kit ends in a few hours. Right now it's going for less than the price of a Big Mac combo. :-)

http://www.jonrocket.com/auctions.html

-- Roger