Ok... I finally managed to finish all three of the early versions of the Estes Astron Cherokee-D (K-47). The original two-piece fin version, the slightly later one-piece version (both from 1970), and the later 1971-? long version. The long version is based on the catalog photo, but I'm pretty sure that it's accurate. There are a couple of minor variants that could also be floating around out there that would have been made in the 1970s.
Estes Astron Cherokee-D (K-47)(Two-Piece Fin Variant)
Notes:
Decals: white backing paper, pre-Damon era logo on the wrap.
Nosecone: BNC-55AC.
Body Tube: BT-55V (~16.35" long).
Screw Eye: SE-1.
Shock Cord: SC-2 ( .25" x ~18").
Parachute: PK-18 (yellow and red checkerboard with pre-Damon era logo).
Fins: made from two pieces of 3/32" thick balsa (small hump on rear fin tip).
Engine Hook: Thin .096" wide (gap cut in aft CR 1/8")
Standoff: a 1" long piece of 1/16" dowel was included for a standoff to be used in conjuction with the "C" Rail.
Estes Astron Cherokee-D (K-47)(Short, One-Piece Fin Variant)
Notes:
Decals: white backing paper, pre-Damon era logo on the wrap.
Nosecone: BNC-55AC.
Body Tube: BT-55V (~16.35" long).
Screw Eye: SE-2.
Shock Cord: SC-2 ( .25" x ~18").
Parachute: PK-18 (orange and white "Sunburst" pattern, Damon era logo, printed on clear plastic).
Fins: made from one piece of 3/32" thick balsa (small hump on forward fin tip).
Engine Hook: Thin .096" wide (gap cut in aft CR 1/8")
Standoff: Standoff and "C" Rail not mentioned or included in this or later versions.
Estes Astron Cherokee-D (K-47)(Early Production Long Variant)
Notes:
Decals: white backing paper, pre-Damon era logo on the wrap.
Nosecone: BNC-55AC
Body Tube: BT-55 (18" long)
Screw Eye: SE-2
Shock Cord: SC-2 ( .25" x ~18")
Parachute: PK-18 (orange and white "Sunburst" pattern, Damon era logo, printed on clear plastic)
Fins: made from one piece of 3/32" thick balsa (small hump on forward fin tip)
Engine Hook: Thin .096" wide (gap cut in aft CR 1/8")
I personally have an original set of later decals with the Damon era logo printed on white backing paper. The catalog photos from 1973 clearly still have the old logo and if you look carefully you can just barely see the old logo on the 1971 catalog photo too.
The BNC-55AC appears in the catalog until 1974, PNC-55AC doesn't appear until 1975 (it is unlikely that they'd have made the plastic nosecone and not included it in the catalog). Photographic analysis of the 1971 catalog shows that the body tube is longer than 16.35". The shock cord and screw eye used are best guesses. In the earlier, one piece finned version, the parachute had the Sunburst pattern shown in the instructions. The parachute included in my later produced Citation Red Max (boxed version)(ca. 1973) has a clear background on its parachute, and the included engine hook was thin, it's uncertain when these parts changed, but it was clearly after the 1971 version of the K-47 kit was produced.
So, here's the questions that I've yet to find the answers to...
Is my Early Production Variant accurate? If not, what needs to be changed?
When did Estes switch the decals to have the Damon Era logo? And when did they change the color of the backing paper?
When did the engine hook change width?
When did the shock cord change from the 1/4" wide SC-2 to the 1/8" wide SC-1?
When did the parachute change to one printed on the white plastic?
Were these incremental changes? or did they happen all at once? (My guess is incremental changes).
And the BIG Quesions...
When did the nosecone change to the PNC-55AC?
Where are the instructions that show the intermediate steps? The instructions I've seen so far are the two versions of the 1970 kit, and the late production version (ca. 1983). You can see that recommended motors did change over time in the catalogs. Surely the instructions were updated to reflect these changes (and no I didn't call you Shirley).
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