ShieldWolf
05-28-2005, 06:08 PM
There are many methods to cloning the classics. One way is to decide what model you wish to clone, and proceed to gather the parts and information needed to reproduce it. This method is great if you have a specific model in mind.
Another method is when you have a specific part, such as a nose cone, and decide to clone a model that used that part. Maybe you bought a Designers Special and want to know what to do with that really odd looking nose cone, or maybe all that you recovered of that last rocket that got stuck in the "Rocket-Eating Tree" was the nose cone, or maybe you picked up one of the nose cone assortments at the local hobby shop. This is the method I'm detailing here.
I recently picked up a pack of Estes NC-55 nose cones. I was hoping for an assortment, but this pack contained 4 of the same. Oh well, I'll work with these.
For those of you who are not aware of it, the nose cones in these packs aren't identified, other than by what body tube they'll fit. In this case BT-55. To identify the cones, I downloaded the Estes Nose Cone Pictures located at http://www.rocketshoppe.com/info/Nose_Cones.pdf Make sure that you save a copy of this so you won't have to download it again. Comparing my nose cone with the pictures convinced me that I had 4 PNC-55AC's.
Now that I knew what nose cones I had, I wanted to find out what models used those cones, so I downloaded the Estes Nose Cone Reference List located at http://www.rocketshoppe.com/info/Estes_Nose_Cone_Reference_sm.pdf Again, save a copy. Browsing the list showed that the PNC-55AC's had been used on several models, including the #1247 Cherokee D, the #1270 Nike X, the #1360 Tartar, the #1972 Bullpup 12D, and a few others. The balsa version of this cone, the BNC-55AC, was also used on the K-47 Cherokee D and the K-26 and #1226 Arcas. The plastic nose cone should work fine in place of the balsa nose cone, but you'll want to do a swing test to make sure before your first launch.
Now that I have a list of kits that used this cone, it's time to see what plans are available to allow me to recreate, or clone, some of these. There are several sources for these plans, but one of my favorites is JimZ Rocket Plans at http://www.dars.org/jimz/rp00.htm This may take a while to load if this is your first time here, or you are on a slow connection. Be patient, it's worth it. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the Estes emblem. You'll be taken to a page of Estes Industries Rocket Kit Plans. These are arranged by model number in a tabular layout.
The Cherokee D is a classic kit that I know I want to clone, so I'll scroll down the list until I find #1247, which is the plastic nose cone version. With most models, you will have the choice of downloading each page of the instructions individually. With some, you will be given the choice of downloading a PDF. If you're just browsing, and aren't positive that you want to download the plans for a particular model, the non PDF pages open quicker and let you see a picture of the model. If you do want the plans, I prefer saving the PDF's to my hard drive, rather than trying to view them online.
In this case, I don't see a PDF for the Cherokee D, so I will go to the standard plans page here http://www.dars.org/jimz/k-47.htm In this case, plans for both versions are on the same page. This is nice, as it allows us to compare the original and the newer style instructions. Each of these pages is a thumbnail that links to a larger tiff image. Unless I just want to view one page, I like to right click on an image and "save as". When given the choice of where to save, I like to create a new folder to save to, with the name of the model, Cherokee D in this case. With the Cherokee D, there is a fin pattern, and 2 different decal sheets for those of you who wish to print your own. With some models thier will also be a picture of a ruler, a compass and calipers. This is a link to body tube measurements and will save you from the next step.
Once I downloaded the plans, I checked the parts list to find out that the body tube was a BT-55 part #30382. Well, I already knew it was a BT-55, because that's what my nose cones fit. What I really need to know is the length of that body tube. This is where the list located here http://www.ninfinger.org/~sven/rockets/body_tubes.html comes in handy. Except that in this case, our body tube is not listed. This may mean that it uses a full length 18" body tube, or it just may mean that it hasn't been added to the list. (Before moving on, scroll to the bottom of the page and check to see what thickness of balsa fin stock you'll need. In the case of the Cherokee D it's BF-47, which should be 1/8" thick.)
There are a couple of ways to verify the body tube length. Checking Ye Olde Rocket Plans here http://www.oldrocketplans.com/estes.htm is a good start, although it doesn't turn up a listing for the Cherokee D. Ye Olde Rocket Shoppe BAR & Cloning Links here http://www.rocketshoppe.com/bar_links.htm provides a list of helpful links that may provide the information we need. Another great source of information is The Rocketry Forum located at http://www.rocketryforum.com/ Don't hop in and ask a question without doing a search first. In this case a search for "Estes Cherokee-D length" turned up one thread which gave us a length of 16.35" for the balsa nose cone version and 18" for the plastic nose cone version.
If we hadn't found an answer after doing a search, then we would have posted a new thread in the appropriate section, either Low-Powered Rocketry or Scratch Built. Use a clear title, such as "Need Cherokee D tube length". Too general of a title, such as "Question", or "Need Length" or "Cherokee D" may or may not receive an anwer.
Ye Olde Rocketry Forum is, of course, also a good place to seek answers, especially for the person wanting to clone an old classic, or something from one of the lesser known companies.
Randal
Another method is when you have a specific part, such as a nose cone, and decide to clone a model that used that part. Maybe you bought a Designers Special and want to know what to do with that really odd looking nose cone, or maybe all that you recovered of that last rocket that got stuck in the "Rocket-Eating Tree" was the nose cone, or maybe you picked up one of the nose cone assortments at the local hobby shop. This is the method I'm detailing here.
I recently picked up a pack of Estes NC-55 nose cones. I was hoping for an assortment, but this pack contained 4 of the same. Oh well, I'll work with these.
For those of you who are not aware of it, the nose cones in these packs aren't identified, other than by what body tube they'll fit. In this case BT-55. To identify the cones, I downloaded the Estes Nose Cone Pictures located at http://www.rocketshoppe.com/info/Nose_Cones.pdf Make sure that you save a copy of this so you won't have to download it again. Comparing my nose cone with the pictures convinced me that I had 4 PNC-55AC's.
Now that I knew what nose cones I had, I wanted to find out what models used those cones, so I downloaded the Estes Nose Cone Reference List located at http://www.rocketshoppe.com/info/Estes_Nose_Cone_Reference_sm.pdf Again, save a copy. Browsing the list showed that the PNC-55AC's had been used on several models, including the #1247 Cherokee D, the #1270 Nike X, the #1360 Tartar, the #1972 Bullpup 12D, and a few others. The balsa version of this cone, the BNC-55AC, was also used on the K-47 Cherokee D and the K-26 and #1226 Arcas. The plastic nose cone should work fine in place of the balsa nose cone, but you'll want to do a swing test to make sure before your first launch.
Now that I have a list of kits that used this cone, it's time to see what plans are available to allow me to recreate, or clone, some of these. There are several sources for these plans, but one of my favorites is JimZ Rocket Plans at http://www.dars.org/jimz/rp00.htm This may take a while to load if this is your first time here, or you are on a slow connection. Be patient, it's worth it. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the Estes emblem. You'll be taken to a page of Estes Industries Rocket Kit Plans. These are arranged by model number in a tabular layout.
The Cherokee D is a classic kit that I know I want to clone, so I'll scroll down the list until I find #1247, which is the plastic nose cone version. With most models, you will have the choice of downloading each page of the instructions individually. With some, you will be given the choice of downloading a PDF. If you're just browsing, and aren't positive that you want to download the plans for a particular model, the non PDF pages open quicker and let you see a picture of the model. If you do want the plans, I prefer saving the PDF's to my hard drive, rather than trying to view them online.
In this case, I don't see a PDF for the Cherokee D, so I will go to the standard plans page here http://www.dars.org/jimz/k-47.htm In this case, plans for both versions are on the same page. This is nice, as it allows us to compare the original and the newer style instructions. Each of these pages is a thumbnail that links to a larger tiff image. Unless I just want to view one page, I like to right click on an image and "save as". When given the choice of where to save, I like to create a new folder to save to, with the name of the model, Cherokee D in this case. With the Cherokee D, there is a fin pattern, and 2 different decal sheets for those of you who wish to print your own. With some models thier will also be a picture of a ruler, a compass and calipers. This is a link to body tube measurements and will save you from the next step.
Once I downloaded the plans, I checked the parts list to find out that the body tube was a BT-55 part #30382. Well, I already knew it was a BT-55, because that's what my nose cones fit. What I really need to know is the length of that body tube. This is where the list located here http://www.ninfinger.org/~sven/rockets/body_tubes.html comes in handy. Except that in this case, our body tube is not listed. This may mean that it uses a full length 18" body tube, or it just may mean that it hasn't been added to the list. (Before moving on, scroll to the bottom of the page and check to see what thickness of balsa fin stock you'll need. In the case of the Cherokee D it's BF-47, which should be 1/8" thick.)
There are a couple of ways to verify the body tube length. Checking Ye Olde Rocket Plans here http://www.oldrocketplans.com/estes.htm is a good start, although it doesn't turn up a listing for the Cherokee D. Ye Olde Rocket Shoppe BAR & Cloning Links here http://www.rocketshoppe.com/bar_links.htm provides a list of helpful links that may provide the information we need. Another great source of information is The Rocketry Forum located at http://www.rocketryforum.com/ Don't hop in and ask a question without doing a search first. In this case a search for "Estes Cherokee-D length" turned up one thread which gave us a length of 16.35" for the balsa nose cone version and 18" for the plastic nose cone version.
If we hadn't found an answer after doing a search, then we would have posted a new thread in the appropriate section, either Low-Powered Rocketry or Scratch Built. Use a clear title, such as "Need Cherokee D tube length". Too general of a title, such as "Question", or "Need Length" or "Cherokee D" may or may not receive an anwer.
Ye Olde Rocketry Forum is, of course, also a good place to seek answers, especially for the person wanting to clone an old classic, or something from one of the lesser known companies.
Randal