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65th Anniversary Estes Rocket
Probably not the best time to bring this up - we’re all at least a bit salty over Estes and their move to MAP - but they announced a 65th anniversary rocket on the company FB page this morning.
It doesn’t look like any past model to me, the body tube resembles the pre-finished pearl white tube from the last anniversary Alpha III, the decal is definitely an updated, redone version of the prior anniversary decal, obviously it looks like a two-staged rocket and the nose cone is either the PNC-50BB used on the Black Brant III, Skywriter and Crossfire ISX or the PNC-55BB from the #1958 Black Brant II - I’d lean towards the 50BB cone. The fins look a lot like the #2452 Athena’s fins. And it looks like the “booster” (if it is a two-stager) has a faux nozzle or screw on retainer. My guess? It’s a mashup of the anniversary Alpha pre-finished BT-50 body tube, the PNC-50BB cone, Athena-style fins with a new design BT-50 booster unit similar to the OOP BT-60/BT-55 E2X Boosters . Probably going be an E2X kit, roughly the size of the Crossfire plus the booster unit, 18mm powered, overall length around 18”. But that’s just a guess based on some quick clicking around so we’ll have to wait and see.
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John Scott B. NAR #102949/L1 |
#2
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I saw the FB ad too, and had the same reaction. Thanks. But no thanks.
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Lee Reep NAR 55948 Projects: Semroc Saturn 1B, Ken Foss Designs Mini Satellite Interceptor In the Paint Shop: Nothing! Too cold! Launch-Ready: Farside-X, Maxi Honest John, Super Scamp |
#3
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I received an invite to join some new "Estes Rocket Rewards Program." The email promised, "Join our rocket rewards below to be the first to know!" I'm not on Face Book anymore. I wonder if the email announcement is similar to the FB announcement. The picture of the rockets was darkened.
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-Wolfram v. Kiparski NAR 28643 - TRA 15520 MTMA Section #606 President |
#4
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This pricing strategy of Estes is the worst thing the company has done since they were ran by that toy company Yay-Hoo.
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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, TURMOIL, FIASCOS, and HAVOC ! |
#5
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Interesting.
Some thoughts: the 2452 Athena used a metallic blue Alpha III fin can. Those fins are more sharply swept. The pearlescent tubing used on the Alpha VI (60th Anniversary model) is also used, in longer form, in the Ghost Chaser. And yes, that nose cone/tail cone look like the Crossfire ISX/Black Brant parts. Since Alpha IV (40th Anniversary) and Alpha VI were E2X models that were essentially Alpha IIIs, it’s curious that this one looks like it might actually take a little more effort to build. But I don’t think it’s a two-stager just looking at it. The booster would be too short if the fins nested like the Checkmate.
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Bernard Cawley NAR 89040 L1 - Life Member SAM 0061 AMA 42160 KG7AIE |
#6
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You’re right, definitely not the same shape as the Athena/Alpha fins - I’m pleading lack of afternoon coffee for my mistake. But I still think it’s a two stager - if it’s 13mm powered that little booster looks to be big enough for an A10-0. If not the lower fins look out of whack and oddly placed. Though that could be from the angle of the rendering - IIRC both John Born and Bill Stine have said almost all the static pix of Estes rockets are computer generated - so the physical rocket could look a bit different than the CGI picture. Funny you should mention the Checkmate, I just finished mine last week and thought about flying it this morning in the park - decided to wait until the weekend so if we have decent weather I can fly it with my granddaughters. I didn’t care for the name so I rearranged the decal to spell MACHETE instead
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John Scott B. NAR #102949/L1 |
#7
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Checkmate is my current favorite way to use A10-0Ts and (and A3-6Ts). As with most Estes rockets, the projected altitude is optimistic. Reality is ~700 feet when flown A to A, which is still a satisfying flight on a model that size. The booster tumbles properly and the streamer on the sustainer is enough recovery system for all but the hardest surfaces. I had to order a couple more in the mad rush to buy before the MAP thing hit.
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Bernard Cawley NAR 89040 L1 - Life Member SAM 0061 AMA 42160 KG7AIE |
#8
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Dang it! Forgot to add those A10-0Ts to my Hobbylinc order…guess one pack will do till the next one.
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John Scott B. NAR #102949/L1 |
#9
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Well. According to John Boren I’m wrong about everything about this rocket…and he should know!
So my research continues…🧐
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John Scott B. NAR #102949/L1 |
#10
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Yes, he should.... Where did he respond? On Facebox?
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Bernard Cawley NAR 89040 L1 - Life Member SAM 0061 AMA 42160 KG7AIE |
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