Neither has Aerotech . . .

Aerotech announced the new 4” Initiator at NARAM. Not a rocket I particularly am interested in but it does look impressive.

Not true.
Aerotech introduced the Arreauxbee-Hi just a year or so ago.
https://www.siriusrocketry.biz/isho...ee-hi-1879.html

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I like the unusual, the off beat, the avant-garde. No 3/4 FNC for me!

That would be cool. Here is the first second of the graph, zoomed in on the acceleration data, of the same flight.

Attached Thumbnails

 

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

Wow . . . an "ARREAUX" with different fins, slightly longer tubes, and a different paint scheme . . . Not exactly a "new kit" .

Aerotech has been "stuck" with the same overpriced, plastic-finned, snap-together "kits" for decades .

Ask yourself this . . . Why doesn't Aerotech have a line of HPR kits ?

Dave F.

As someone who made motors and kits at the same time and knowing Gary well, I can tell you he was singularly focused on the motor. The main reason he came out with kits as well, was getting the Enertek assets and offering mass market kits to go with mass market motors.

In the early days he had Ace and U.S. Rockets servicing the kit needs. Later LOC Precision gained popularity and has lived on forever since. Since Ron got started by making large nose cone molds and his best friend was the only tube guy, he was perfectly situated to dominate that.

You will also note the AT kit packaging is an afterthought. Compare that to how either a U.S. Rockets or LOC larger kit is packaged. Highest shipping efficiency.

So he got both Enertek and Enerjet out of bankruptcy.

If Estes or Madcow came out with a scale or sport scale kit based on an existing design would that not be, by definition, a new kit? The Arreauxbee-Hi is based on the Aerobee-Hi sounding rocket, so yes, it is a new kit. I stand by my previous assertion: Not true.

Aerotech has been "stuck" with the same overpriced, plastic-finned, snap-together "kits" for decades .

Yup, and they've been selling them for decades.
And people have been buying them for decades.
Or is it your assertion that American consumers are a bunch of idiots that don't know enough to shop around? I think not.
If a manufacturer put out an overpriced product with inferior parts and design against stiff competition they would not last a year in the marketplace, much less decades.

Ask yourself this . . . Why doesn't Aerotech have a line of HPR kits ?

Hmmmm…..Let me guess....
1. They don't need to
2. The demographics don't support the effort: More profitable to cater to the large majority of flyers who don't fly HP.
3. But of course, if you have some kind of secret insider information as to why Aerotech does not, then by all means please enlighten us.

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I like the unusual, the off beat, the avant-garde. No 3/4 FNC for me!

Actually, Jerry Irvine's answers seem to directly address the issues the best . . .

Well, since you asked . . .

Dave F.

If you follow this story closely a few names recur. Gary Rosenfield, Lee Piester, Paul Hans, Enerjet (Brown, Wait, Damon, et al
).