New Designer's Special

[gpoehlein]

Well, I was at my LHS a couple days ago, and he had one of the new Designer's Special. Well, I bought one. All I can say is - wow!

This one is very nicely done, unlike the previous incarnation. Two each of the popular BT sizes up th BT-60 (no BT-56), four transitions (two of them ar one inch long BT-20 to BT-50 transitions - X-Ray, baby). There are two nose cones for each size, including the new PNC-55 that works for the Goblin and Bandit, and a new PNC-50K version that is injection molded but uses the inside cap like the PNC-50YR. When I get a chance, I'll take a pic of this nose cone side-by-side with a PNC-50K (Alpha III) and the PNC-50KA (new Alpha). The centering rings are all laser cut, and there are a bunch of couplers, motor tubes, adapter rings (the ones that double as motor blocks) and even one of the orange D to E motor adapter. There are a lot of rockets that will come out of this one! :D

Greg

[Ltvscout]

So, instead of it being a SPEB (Spare Parts Elimination Box), this one actually has usable components?

[gpoehlein]

So, instead of it being a SPEB (Spare Parts Elimination Box), this one actually has usable components?

Very much so. Admittedly, it is a bit pricey ($80), but since you can build as many as 8 to 10 rockets from it (there are 10 nose cones and 10 body tubes), that works out to $8 to $10 per rocket, so it ain't really a bad deal at all.

Greg

[ghrocketman]

That price seems way out of line. 50 maybe but 80 ? No way.
That's over the street price of a Saturn V kit !
Price all the parts individually at Semroc and the cost would probably be around $80 and it would be quality balsa cones/transitions that actually cost some $$ to produce. For plastics that cost maybe 10 cents each ? No way.
Half off with a HL coupon ? Ok.

Then again, I think more than $5 for a pak of any BP 18mm engines is outrageous and should have PLENTY of profit margin if sold correctly.

[Royatl]

Well, I was at my LHS a couple days ago, and he had one of the new Designer's Special. Well, I bought one. All I can say is - wow!

This one is very nicely done, unlike the previous incarnation. Two each of the popular BT sizes up th BT-60 (no BT-56), four transitions (two of them ar one inch long BT-20 to BT-50 transitions - X-Ray, baby). There are two nose cones for each size, including the new PNC-55 that works for the Goblin and Bandit, and a new PNC-50K version that is injection molded but uses the inside cap like the PNC-50YR. When I get a chance, I'll take a pic of this nose cone side-by-side with a PNC-50K (Alpha III) and the PNC-50KA (new Alpha). The centering rings are all laser cut, and there are a bunch of couplers, motor tubes, adapter rings (the ones that double as motor blocks) and even one of the orange D to E motor adapter. There are a lot of rockets that will come out of this one! :D

Greg

So it sounds more like the original designers specials (and the original boxed Designers Special) than the Barry Tunick, "throw in whatever random piece of junk we can't use anymore" version.

[chadrog]

How's the balsa?

[Doug Sams]

That price seems way out of line. 50 maybe but 80 ? No way. Yeah, 80 sounds kinda high to me, too. Heck, I thought 40 was high when I bought my last one in 1999 ;) But it was a wonderful experience!!!! Many of those childhood notions were finally realized in the weeks after purchasing that box of parts. I was a kid all over again. And that made the box worth many times the 40 bucks I paid for it.

While there were certainly some leftovers in the kit, there were still plenty of good parts to build with. After that, I found much greater value in buying bulk parts from Totally Tubular and later from BMS and Semroc. But that Designer's Special I bought in 1999 helped unleash a lifetime of pent up, unrequited creativity!

As for the 80 bucks today, I suspect that's a mom-n-pop hobby store price, and that it can be had for quite a bit less on line or, as GH noted, with a 40% off HL coupon. That will certainly make it a better value.

Or folks can still go to Semroc or BMS and roll their own. I imagine that is still the best value.

Doug

.

[Scott6060842]

A designers special at my local Hobby Lobby? I'm not going to hold my breath and wait for it. Mine carrys the same old (mostly stuff I don't want) and almost never changes or gets anything new.

... but AC Supply has them for $47.99

[Doug Sams]

[My Hobby Lobby] carrys the same old (mostly stuff I don't want) and almost never changes or gets anything new. Yeah, I've noticed that, too. I keep looking for E12's, but no luck. And that includes three or four Dallas-Plano-Frisco area stores. They do have some composites, tho, so there's some indication that eventually they'll add the newer BP motors <fingers crossed>

I'm thinking about putting together an AC Supply order, but will definitely need some partners to help defray the hazmat adder.

Doug

.

[A Fish Named Wallyum]

Yeah, 80 sounds kinda high to me, too. Heck, I thought 40 was high when I bought my last one in 1999 ;) But it was a wonderful experience!!!! Many of those childhood notions were finally realized in the weeks after purchasing that box of parts. I was a kid all over again. And that made the box worth many times the 40 bucks I paid for it.

While there were certainly some leftovers in the kit, there were still plenty of good parts to build with. After that, I found much greater value in buying bulk parts from Totally Tubular and later from BMS and Semroc. But that Designer's Special I bought in 1999 helped unleash a lifetime of pent up, unrequited creativity!


Ditto mine in 2001. It wasn't the same box as the Tunick version, but the contents had a certain stench of leftoverness. That said, it did help me discover cloning by including all of the parts for an Avenger, and scratchbuilding with the Greyhawk nose cone that became my Marauder. Never did do anything with the SDI Satellite "cone".

[jeffyjeep]

A designers special at my local Hobby Lobby? I'm not going to hold my breath and wait for it. Mine carrys the same old (mostly stuff I don't want) and almost never changes or gets anything new.

... but AC Supply has them for $47.99
Yeah, $80 is too high. So, the solution may be to buy two of them from AC and another item to put the order over $100 and get free shipping.

[jetlag]

Yeah, I've noticed that, too. I keep looking for E12's, but no luck. And that includes three or four Dallas-Plano-Frisco area stores. They do have some composites, tho, so there's some indication that eventually they'll add the newer BP motors <fingers crossed>

I'm thinking about putting together an AC Supply order, but will definitely need some partners to help defray the hazmat adder.

Doug

.

Doug,
The Hobbylinc hazmat fee is MUCH more reasonable.
Take a look...

http://www.hobbylinc.com/e_model_rocket_engines

Allen

[Doug Sams]

Doug,
The Hobbylinc hazmat fee is MUCH more reasonable.
Take a look...

http://www.hobbylinc.com/e_model_rocket_engines

AllenThanks, Allen. I checked them out. Interestingly, it appears their hazmat handling is a mess. They list non-hazmat E20's as hazmat, but then only charge "$6.29USPS - Hazmat: 3rd Class Ground" which really isn't the hazmat we're talking about.

They list the E12's the same way, but no mention of hazmat for the E9's which should be categorized the same way. Both these motors should only be shipped hazmat via UPS or Fedex, but not USPS. Both these exceed the 30g propellant limit for using USPS while the E20's do not.

So, while it's tempting to partake of this opportunity, it kinda bugs me that professional rocket motor resellers can't figure out hazmat. As I recall, this is what killed an Atlanta based hobby vendor a few years ago (Valueland?). The story I heard was that they got busted for shipping stuff wrong and that the fines pretty much put them out of business.

Doug

.

[jetlag]

Thanks, Allen. I checked them out. Interestingly, it appears their hazmat handling is a mess. They list non-hazmat E20's as hazmat, but then only charge "$6.29USPS - Hazmat: 3rd Class Ground" which really isn't the hazmat we're talking about.

They list the E12's the same way, but no mention of hazmat for the E9's which should be categorized the same way. Both these motors should only be shipped hazmat via UPS or Fedex, but not USPS. Both these exceed the 30g propellant limit for using USPS while the E20's do not.

So, while it's tempting to partake of this opportunity, it kinda bugs me that professional rocket motor resellers can't figure out hazmat. As I recall, this is what killed an Atlanta based hobby vendor a few years ago (Valueland?). The story I heard was that they got busted for shipping stuff wrong and that the fines pretty much put them out of business.

Doug

.

Doug,
I've been buying engines from them for years, and all they have ever charged me is the $6.29 (or thereabouts).
We are so used to getting shafted on the 'Hazmat fee,' I think the $6.29 appears a bit surprising.
My E's come with the appropriate paperwork and everything from Hobbylinc.
All appears legit.

Allen

[pdooley]

ok, i feel better now.
i bought a DS around 2002 or 03, and it was horrible.
i thought i was just being picky, but others here apparently share the same feelings.

this new one sounds promising. however like some others said, $80 is too high.

[chadrog]

Keep in mind that eighty bucks is the MSRP, not nessassarily what you will pay for it at the retailers - it's considerably less from hobbylinc.
http://www.hobbylinc.com/htm/est/est1980.htm