I'm currently designing a 3D model of the PNC-55AO nose cone that the Goblin uses. I have looked at a picture of the original kit (#K-55)

https://www.worthpoint.com/worthope...free-1736285235

and noticed that the nose cone in that kit has a slightly different shape from the one used in kits today. -

Has the 55AO changed over the years?

I don't think it ever was consciously changed. It was probably just from wear on the grinding surfaces, like has been discussed with the Arcas/Cherokee-D BNC-55AC nose cone. I'm sure they modeled the plastic molds after the more recent worn versions of the balsa cones.

__________________
I love sanding.

The original Goblin had a BNC-55AO balsa nose cone....so it may well have a slightly different shape. Maybe I can get myself motivated to dig out my Goblins and we can do a comparison - original balsa nose cone, balsa repro from the Semroc Goblin repro, and the blow-molded nose cone in the current Estes version.....

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

That would be awesome to see a side-by-side comparison of the two! If the original is different I will take the time out do make a 3D design and post it along wit the newer version.

I think you would have to find a very early one to see much difference in profile from a late one or a PNC version.

__________________
I love sanding.

Take a look at the K-55 kit
https://www.worthpoint.com/worthope...cket-1796976314
and the current production kit
https://brickseek.com/p/estes-gobli...del-kit/4679930

and see if you notice the difference.

I did some digging but for some reason I can't come up with my reissue Estes Goblin with the plastic nose cone. Here are my original Goblin (which was built but unfinished for over 30 years) and one built from the Semroc repro kit which was released just after eRockets bought Semroc. Nose cone closeup is in the same order - original BNC-55AO on left, Semroc interpretation on the right.

Attached Thumbnails

   

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

generally the plastic cones took the shape of the ideal shape of the balsa cones; i.e. the ones made with a new set of grinders. The PNC60L was the exception, I guess because they wanted a shorter shape for the Goonies, and if they were gonna make a big run of molded nose cones, might as well use them for the Big Bertha as well.


FOREHEAD SLAP! Giving this thread a slight turn: While I was looking up things in old catalogs. I found something that I had never noticed before! For two years '75 and '76 (though they put a 'cancelled' mark through the one in the '76 catalog) Estes listed a PLASTIC version of the K-27 Honest John nose cone. To my knowledge there was never a plastic version of this though they sold the kit through 1979. The nose cone had a 71xxx part number, which was similar to the part number for the PNC-50K (which, I think we decided was the Alpha III nose cone, correct?) and all the plastic nose cones then available.

Who was at Estes then other than Al Packer that could tell us what the heck was going on at Estes during that time?!

__________________
Roy
nar12605

The PNC—50K was the nose cone for the Alpha III. It wasn’t too bad. The worst crime against faithful Estes customers was the “DRM” cone (PNC-60H) used in he Super Alpha kit!



Here is my turned replacement next to the kit’s nose cone.

Attached Thumbnails

 

__________________
Lee Reep
NAR 55948

Projects: Semroc Saturn 1B
In the Paint Shop:
Launch-Ready:KFD Mini Satellite Interceptor

The original balsa cone was fine, except that they used a tube that was too short, so when they replaced it with a plastic cone, the AH variation actually, to me, made the kit look at least proportionally correct. The way they should have gone was a 1" longer tube, topped by a PNC-60NA (from the Warp II/LoadStar, Patriot, etc.)

__________________
Roy
nar12605