I have always liked the old White and Red Alpha III. I do not like the current black and orange version. Estes is producing the old red can for the Shac event, wonder if Estes could do a release of the older version. Here is a picture of the rocket that will be used, it is a longer Alpha III.

Attached Files

estes Alpha.pdf (104.8 KB, 240 views)

It appears to be longer because of what looks like the PNC-50Y nose cone; can't tell from the photo if the body tube is the same or different.

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John
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That bird looks like an MRC Mach V (see: http://www.ninfinger.org/rockets/ca.../mrc/mrc10.html and http://www.ninfinger.org/rockets/catalogs/mrc/mrc4.html ) with reversed-color nose cone and fin unit.

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NAR #54895 SR

....which of course means that it could be basically the same as the current RTF HiJinks, which has the Alpha III fin can and the 50Y cone in either yellow or gold depending on version. The body is half an inch longer on a HiJinks than an Alpha III (BT itself is 6 inches). There's also the RTF Athena. Again the same fin can and cone but with a 7.75 inch BT.

I looked at the specs in the original post....at 16 inches overall that's the length of the RTF Athena. The other specs (weight, predicted altitude) match the Athena box, too, though the weight is overstated compared to the actual models (yes, I know, that's unusual). The Athena has a 12 inch 'chute rather than a streamer, but a streamer would certainly be a good choice.

So - Alpha III fin can, a body tube 2.25 inches longer than an Alpha III and the PNC-50Y nose cone.....

What is "the Shac event"?

I'd like to see the Alpha III back in the original red/white as well. A colleague of mine at work repainted a current one that way and it looks nice indeed.

I rebuilt a crashed Alpha III (see the Altimeter One thread on TRF) with a white BT (Semroc ST-9) and it doesn't look half bad in orange and white either.

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Bernard Cawley
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The "Shac event" was a mass model rocket launch conducted at the Boy Scouts of America SHAC Jam event in October to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the BSA. Interestingly, the kit instructions for the BSA livery Estes Athena rockets used for the event gave the rockets' name as "Make-It, Take-It." A 12-minute "How-To" video on building this rocket (which shows the kit name), as well as multiple videos of the spectacular 3,200-rocket launch attempt (3,130 ignited, setting a new Guinness World Record) can be viewed here (see: http://www.youtube.com/results?sear...Jam+rocket&aq=f ). I just wish Estes would make this kit available to the general public, as its pre-colored red, white, and blue decor scheme is quite attractive!

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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

Thanks for that. Amazing to see all those go up (and come right back down) like that. Must've been A8-3s, the flights were so short.

I agree that the "Make-It, Take-It" would be a nice general release.

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Bernard Cawley
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You're welcome. Yes, the SHAC Jam rockets used A8-3 motors (the pre-event information online mentioned it). The recovery system was a 30" streamer, tied in the middle to the shock cord. Also...It could (with appropriate livery decals) be the Official Cub Scout model rocket kit because it's so simple, and a BSA livery Akela-1 (Viking) could be the somewhat more challenging Official Boy Scout model rocket kit. The "Make-It, Take-It" kit without any Scouting decals (it could be supplied with Estes logo decals and stripe/lettering decals instead) would be a perfect E2X kit for the general public--its patriotic color scheme would make it a natural choice for Estes, "box store," and hobby shop summertime promotions.

__________________
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

A short follow up on the Make It-Take It: Since I now have one of those kits thanks to Estes sending to those of us who got the LED-based Electron Beam controllers to test, I can say:

The Make It-Take It is the same in all major dimensions and components as the ready-to-fly HiJinks. The nose cone is the same save for color. They both use the Alpha III fin can, and the body tube is a 6.0 inch long BT-50 in both cases. The only real difference besides component color is that the Make It, Take It kit uses a "standard" launch lug rather than the two-loops-on-a-plastic-base type of the RTF (and the Alpha IV).

It might be amusing for someone to make up a list of all the rockets that use the Alpha III fin can with the body tube length and nose cone type, as well as component color called out. Off the top of my head I can think of the following that all use the Alpha III fin can: Alpha III and IV, the BT-50 Phantom, the HiJinks and Athena RTFs and the Make It-Take It. I wonder if there are others......

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Bernard Cawley
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Another is the original Super Alpha that was discussed here in another thread. It used the Alpha III fin can, a longer BT and I think it used the blow molded PNC-50Y nose cone.

Greg

It also resembles the "Athena" that was released last year, before the transition.

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