Bummer. That booster is definitely smaller diameter than the Big Bertha.
Looks to be BT-55 Booster and BT-50 orbiter unfortunately.
R/C could be done, but the elevon servos will have to be mounted in the middle of each wing, which is ugly.

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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.

gh, I think the upscale Estes Mars Snooper is a BT-55, but was hoping they’d make it at least a BT-60 size. Oh well maybe next time.

I wish they would have upscaled the Mars Snooper II like Qmodeling did with spring-loaded legs instead of the original Mars Snooper.

__________________
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.

Anyone know when Estes will release their new upscale Mars Snooper?

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If the Sky is the Limit, then,
why is there Footsteps on the Moon?
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I saw the latest upscale Orbital Transport at eRockets 2 weeks ago. They are still working on it and adding some details to it. They are doing some 3D printed parts for it. The main problem is not the cost of balsa, it’s the availability. I know Randy has had a order with SIG for at least a year and a half and no balsa. It’s the weight of balsa used for rockets that is the problem. Semroc uses a certain weight of balsa and none has been available. Now if you want balsa that weights more than oak, no problem. I use 3” x 3” x 36” balsa for noses for my square rockets just like Semroc. I have a balsa board like that that weights 4 pounds. Semroc needs them to weigh about 1 pound.

Carl was a truly unbelievable example of a wonderful human being. He helped me out greatly when I started NewWay. I literally can’t say enough good things about him. He had a soft spot for rocketry. He helped out everyone he could. I think he spent every waking hour making rocket stuff. After his passing, Randy at eRockets stepped up and bought Semroc. Randy has a love for rocketry like Carl did, but they approached it differently. Carl seemed to approach it with keeping everyone happy with lots of rocket kits and parts, never seemingly to worry about the money part of it. Randy’s business is different. He looks at the analytics and goes from there. If an item isn’t selling after a couple of years, it doesn’t make good business sense to continue to make and stock it. Estes doesn’t still make every kit they’ve ever made and if they did, there would have never been a need for Semroc. Carl spoiled the industry by being over the top kind and there won’t be another like him, but Randy is doing a good job running the business, just different than Carl was. ERockets/Semroc have a bunch of things going on and new stuff coming along. There will probably be some old kits returning as well. I certainly miss Carl and his legacy, but I’m glad Randy is keeping it going at Semroc. Just my 2 cents.

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Rick Randol
NAR #28062, ROCI Section #625
http://www.newwayspacemodels.com
http://www.indyrockets.org
“NewWay Space Models-We Cornered Model Rocketry”

We were all extremely lucky to have Carl involved in the Rocketry Hobby.
He definitely put Hobby first and Business sscond.

__________________
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.

Help may be on the way. I'm following Sig on FB and they're posting weekly updates on the company, which is under new ownership. They just received 26,000 cu. ft. of balsa from their supplier in Ecuador.

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A dark night in a city that knows how to keep its secrets. But high above the quiet streets on the 12th floor of the Acme Building, one man is still trying to find the answers to life's persistent questions. Guy Noir, Private Eye.

Sounds like a lot, but Sig distributes to hobby shops that I'm sure are low or have none in stock. It will go out about as fast as they can cut and sort it.

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I love sanding.

Thanks for the report. Hopefully they can revive the Pro/SLS line. There is hole in the kit market for mid-power upscales of fun classic designs (Orbital Transport, Mars Snooper(I and II), Starship Vega, etc.). Of course there is the business risk, as I would expect these kits to be expensive. Good luck to you and eRockets.

The catalog page just says “Summer 2021” so any day after 1 June but before 1 September 😉

I’m looking forward to the new Snooper - I keep saying “no more kits!” then stuff keeps coming out that I just have to try! Like the MMX kits, motors and launch rod adapter that showed up on the doorstep the other day...