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John Brohm
05-20-2007, 07:12 PM
On the way home from today's PSC Launch, I stopped in at our local HS and discovered that the new Estes Tomahawk was in stock. So I picked one up; I'll be incorporating the relevant info into the lists in due course.

Having had a chance to peel the thing a part, a couple of observations:

- the airframe is in fact a new one (HBT-1800). Mine measured 1.800" (1.798" exactly, using the circumference method), which means that it is different than the Aerotech T-1.88 tube. It also means that Estes has tried to hit the 1/5 scale parameter spot on, and have done well with this in my opinion. The Estes HBT-1800 tube is exactly that, heavy duty, with a wall thickness of 0.031".

- for packaging reasons, Estes supplied the airframe in two pieces; means a mid-body seam to fill unfortunately.

- The nose is blow molded and includes the instrumentation section. The mold also includes representations of the fasteners and other fittings; really a reasonably well detailed part.

- the fins are also molded with the leading edge cap lines and fasteners.

- yes, the decal is waterslide, and looks like a good print.

- Fin Can: this is where I feel some compromises were taken. The fin can is a two piece styrene affair (like the Blue Ninja), but in its defence, its mold is also well detailed and includes things like molded representations of the fasteners. But the compromise is with the fins: they are short tabbed, and glue in exactly like the Blue Ninja. There will be sadness with this arrangement when the occasional hard landing occurs.

- And because it's another classic Estes two piece fin can, guess what we use as an engine retainer? Yep, that famous screw in Blue Ninja engine lock. Simple and effective yes; but not so scale.

All in all, I applaud Estes for this effort. In many ways, I feel they've listened, and have produced a reasonably well detailed, large scale kit (the thing will be large when built!). Apart from the noted compromises (which I imagine the more serious modelers will find a way to deal with), they've done a good job, and have introduced a new, heavy duty airframe tube in the process. We can hope that Estes will plan to find other uses for the new tube, and not have the thing become a one hit wonder. Photos following:

CPMcGraw
05-20-2007, 08:13 PM
On the way home from today's PSC Launch, I stopped in at our local HS and discovered that the new Estes Tomahawk was in stock. So I picked one up;...All in all, I applaud Estes for this effort. In many ways, I feel they've listened, and have produced a reasonably well detailed, large scale kit (the thing will be large when built!)...

Out of curiosity, what was the street price on that kit? I have not seen this one in our LHS yet.

Good to know there might actually be some positive changes at the Big E in the works. I wish them well if this proves to be the direction they take.

John Brohm
05-20-2007, 08:33 PM
Out of curiosity, what was the street price on that kit? I have not seen this one in our LHS yet...

Hi Craig;

$31.95. Don't know how this compares nationally. PSC members get a discount at our local store.

dwmzmm
05-21-2007, 09:19 AM
Best bet is to hope that Hobby Lobby will stock it and we rocketeers can purchase it during
their famous discount periods...

foose4string
05-21-2007, 06:09 PM
I stopped by my LHS and they had a few, 32 bucks. I'll wait until he sends out his one of his store coupons or I'll order online before I make the leap. It does look like a nice bag o' parts. I don't mind the plastic too much since it looks like they have a nice amount of detail to them. The plastic motor retaining cap is not such a great idea, but there might be ways around it. And of course, who's gonna turn down a nice nylon chute?

dwmzmm
05-21-2007, 09:10 PM
But, hey, I still have my CMR D-Region Tomahawk kit (in-the-bag) and, except for the plastic
nose cone (not sure if it's vacuformed or blowformed), this kit looks like a real builder's kit.
There's a tool of some sort included in the kit used to make the bolts details. I've talked to
some scale modeling experts and they've told me the CMR kit is an excellent scale model
of the D-Region Tomahawk...

rocketguy101
05-22-2007, 07:49 PM
I've talked to some scale modeling experts and they've told me the CMR kit is an excellent scale model of the D-Region Tomahawk...

Yes it is an excellent model, very difficult. I got mine in the 70s, started it, and put it aside when I started making the bolt head details w/ that tool. I picked it up a few years later (20 :D ) and finished it off. I didn't do it justice, but it is a cool looking bird.

Here is a shot on the pad:

http://www.geocities.com/rocketguy_101/images/DRegTomahawk.jpg

Here is a close-up of the fin area, showing my attempt at making the screw heads. As I said, I did not do this model justice, but I kept the tool and instructions--a clone is coming someday!

BTW the nose was vacu-formed as all (most?) CMR rockets.

dwmzmm
05-22-2007, 10:31 PM
Yes it is an excellent model, very difficult. I got mine in the 70s, started it, and put it aside when I started making the bolt head details w/ that tool. I picked it up a few years later (20 :D ) and finished it off. I didn't do it justice, but it is a cool looking bird.

Here is a shot on the pad:

http://www.geocities.com/rocketguy_101/images/DRegTomahawk.jpg

Here is a close-up of the fin area, showing my attempt at making the screw heads. As I said, I did not do this model justice, but I kept the tool and instructions--a clone is coming someday!

BTW the nose was vacu-formed as all (most?) CMR rockets.

Hey, that still looks pretty nice! Seeing your pics has me motivated to pull mine out and get started...(Hmm, I also have the K-36 Estes Saturn - V, Estes 1/70 Saturn 1-B, Centuri Space
Shuttle, etc., awaiting their turn for assembly...)

roguepink
05-26-2007, 03:15 AM
The fins didn't have any problems in flight testing. They have a wide base around the tab, good surface contact area. Also, I used a combination of regular CA glue and Tenax plastic weld. As has been argued elsewhere, the plastic tooling let us have control over the details. It does simplify things a bit, but the master builder can replace the plastic fins with balsa.

I personally would enjoy reworking the fins in balsa. I like the challenge.

Eagle3
05-26-2007, 08:47 AM
Thanks for the info RP and welcome. The latest releases from Estes have been excellent and show great promise for the future. I hope you are able to hang out here when you can. An insider's perspective is always nice to have. :)

snaquin
06-08-2007, 12:03 PM
FYI

How-To Classroom is in the works for this kit on Rocketry Planet.

http://www.rocketryplanet.com/forums/showthread.php?t=443

From what John Brohm has posted I have to agree that it appears to be a very nice kit. When I get one I'll have to look into the Tenax plastic weld that roguepink mentioned. Never tried that before.

.

CPMcGraw
06-08-2007, 12:41 PM
The fins didn't have any problems in flight testing. They have a wide base around the tab, good surface contact area. Also, I used a combination of regular CA glue and Tenax plastic weld. As has been argued elsewhere, the plastic tooling let us have control over the details. It does simplify things a bit, but the master builder can replace the plastic fins with balsa.

I personally would enjoy reworking the fins in balsa. I like the challenge.

RP,

Have you thought about a plastic-balsa-plastic composite build-up for those fins? Include the detail work onto very thin plastic 'skins' that are bonded to the balsa, then use the balsa for the structural attachments to the body tube.

Sort of a "best of both worlds" approach...