I'm not sure I've ever just laid it all out here....I keep meaning to write that all-in-one chronology, as it will be fairly lengthy. I know I've mentioned in various threads both the nose cone variations (three - or four if you count the years that it might have come with an Alpha III nose cone) and the fins (two major variations, and neither of them the shape in the yellow handbook section of some late 1960s catalogs).

I need to do that.

Considering the Alpha was the first kit that used the tri-fold shock cord mount and the first one to use the quick-change engine hook the way it did (using the same hook in the tumble recovery Sprite doesn't count for me), it really is historically significant, not to mention the second-longest-running-in-contiuous-production model rocket kit (after Big Bertha), having first appeared in late 1965 in MRN.

__________________
Bernard Cawley
NAR 89040 L1 - Life Member
SAM 0061
AMA 42160
KG7AIE

If you didn't cover all of them, you covered most of the Alpha variants (if you POD--Print-On-Demand--published the complete Alpha work [lulu.com and createspace.com are both good POD publishers], I'd buy it).

__________________
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

Comrades:

New rescue! An Estes Aerobee 300 from the early to mid-70's with issues. Body tube was torn on top on the seam for an inch or two; The conduits weren't on straight; the fins were way undersized; there was no shock cord; it appeared to be brush painted with a number of runs; payload bay transition was badly dinged; none of the balsa was sealed. Unfortunately, the as-received picture is missing.

First picture shows the initial work. The top 4.75" was removed and replaced with a 5.5" piece to bring the total tube length to a closer-to-scale 13.15". I used Rockets of the World as a source. A Kevlar leader was threaded through the coupler under one of the conduits so it wouldn't show. The lower launch lug which was next to the fin, has been removed.

The second picture shows the tube drying in my Estes Fin Marking Guide angle thingy.

Third picture shows the conduits as removed and reglued to the new tube; all were straightened and one was extended to the new top of the tube. The lower launch lug has been relocated and reglued. The upper lug was saved and will be use in a future restoration.

Fourth picture shows the fins trimmed and with the addition of balsa caps and filler to bring the fin size up to kit size. I got the fin template from JimZ's site and used it. The top end was primed and sanded. The fin-mounted telemetry antennae were cut from basswood, pushed into place and then superglued. All the fins were give three coats of sealer and then sanded. Also shown is the work on the payload bay including the addition of the small tubes at the top just under the nose cone. The nose and transition were sealed before painting.

Just need some more primer on the fin section.

Attached Thumbnails

       

__________________
NAR 79743
NARTrek Silver
I miss being SAM 062

Awaiting First Launch: Too numerous to count
Finishing: Zooch Saturn V; Alway/Nau BioArcas; Estes Expedition; TLP Standard
Repair/Rescue: Cherokee-D (2); Centuri Nike-Smoke; MX-774
On the Bench: 2650;
Dream Stage: 1/39.37 R-7

I miss the days of finding uncared for or abandoned birds on eBay. I haven't seen a whole lot lately.

__________________
Bill Eichelberger
NAR 79563

http://wallyum.blogspot.com/

I miss being SAM 0058

Build floor: Estes - Low Boom SST Semroc - Marauder, Shrike, SST Shuttle

In paint: Canaroc - Starfighter Scorpion Centuri - Mini Dactyl Estes - F-22 Air Superiority Fighter, Multi-Roc, Solar Sailer II, Xarconian Cruiser Semroc - Cyber III

Ready to fly: Estes - Solar Sailer II Semroc - Earmark

Fine Work Mark!
I think it takes far more work, craftsmanship and patients to restore than to build from kits, or even scratch. And a greater sense of accomplishment.
The reason's are many, and that who have done so DO know difficulties and rewards.
Do you plan to fly this one Mark?

Oh, it will certainly fly, as soon as they open the parks again. We are having a huge Covid outbreak here and we're on lockdown at least through the end of this week.

I agree with Bill, pretty slim pickings on eBay lately. This one is part of a large lot I negotiated for from a seller on eBay right before the virus hit in March. It was from the estate of a deceased Boeing engineer. The listing lady insisted that they all be sold together, so I received 16 rescues, old motors and a ton of paper ephemera from 1969-1976. The Alpha and Sandhawk from a few posts back are part of this lot. The lot represents at least a couple of years of rescues for me. Some of the rockets don't need anything more than a new shock cord; some of them, like this Aerobee, need a bunch of work.

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__________________
NAR 79743
NARTrek Silver
I miss being SAM 062

Awaiting First Launch: Too numerous to count
Finishing: Zooch Saturn V; Alway/Nau BioArcas; Estes Expedition; TLP Standard
Repair/Rescue: Cherokee-D (2); Centuri Nike-Smoke; MX-774
On the Bench: 2650;
Dream Stage: 1/39.37 R-7

That's a cool lineup. Someday if this forum outlasts me, the pic that will be posted will be a hillside filled with rockets and a request for help to fix the work the butcher did on these poor defenseless kits.

__________________
Bill Eichelberger
NAR 79563

http://wallyum.blogspot.com/

I miss being SAM 0058

Build floor: Estes - Low Boom SST Semroc - Marauder, Shrike, SST Shuttle

In paint: Canaroc - Starfighter Scorpion Centuri - Mini Dactyl Estes - F-22 Air Superiority Fighter, Multi-Roc, Solar Sailer II, Xarconian Cruiser Semroc - Cyber III

Ready to fly: Estes - Solar Sailer II Semroc - Earmark

It definitely does take far more work to restore TRASHILY built birds.
That's why I never do it unless it is something really rare or has rare unavailable parts.

__________________
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 !

Comrades:

Here it is on the paint stick under the blazing Texas sun this morning. It is ready for launch.

Paint is Dupli-color black primer, Rustoleum flat white with a Dupli-color red primer stripe. The fin was first, followed by the stripe with the white layer last. The whole thing got a light coat of Tree Top Flat Acrylic. No markings but I am going to learn decal-making this winter.

I added the little tubes to the payload bay with cut down toothpicks. The parachute repair was unusual in that the sticky strips the original builder used many years ago were still holding the shrouds tightly, except for one. I was able to peel it off relatively intact and using some fancy-schmancy, super-thin, double-sided tape from SWMBO's vast scrapbooking hoard, I was able to reuse it, stronger than ever. I untangled the shrouds, attached the parachute to the elastic section and declared this one ready to go.

As soon as they let us go back to the parks, it will fly.


I confess that I'm intrigued by the idea of making a scale gap-staged booster, as I now have a couple of Aerobees in this BT-50 size. I'll have to think about it . . . .

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__________________
NAR 79743
NARTrek Silver
I miss being SAM 062

Awaiting First Launch: Too numerous to count
Finishing: Zooch Saturn V; Alway/Nau BioArcas; Estes Expedition; TLP Standard
Repair/Rescue: Cherokee-D (2); Centuri Nike-Smoke; MX-774
On the Bench: 2650;
Dream Stage: 1/39.37 R-7

Congratulations on a nice build. I love to see old rockets refurbished and launched again. Looks excellent!