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Phred
10-23-2007, 03:47 PM
I purchased a box full of built up rockets from the 1980's-1990s today. Even though these are a bit newer than what I usually like, the guy works the local garage sales, and I want him to bring his rocket finds to me. In the attached picture are:

Alpha 3, Mini Shuttle, Airborne Surveillance Missile , Scout II, Scamp,Sting Ray, Antares,Black Brant, Nova Payloader, Searcher, Sizzler, Ranger, Scrambler 2, Space Shuttle Columbia, Nebulon Warrior, Firecat, Shuttle Stack, Marauder, and Star Seeker.

All of the rockets are flyable except the following: Scrambler 2 has no nosecone, the Sizzler has a wicked (terminal?) zipper, and the Ranger has had the tube crushed, but I may try to save it.

No old motors .... :(

A neat pile o' rockets....

Ph

mojo1986
10-23-2007, 04:16 PM
Fred................nice lot. I have bought a few such on Ebay over the years (though none as large as that one). I buy them when they have restorable old rockets (you can usually tell when they are old from some of the other items that are in the lot, such as an Electrolaunch). I really enjoy the challenge of breathing new life into some of these old birds that I had (or wished I had) as a kid. The ones that I don't restore are taken to the launch field for demonstration launches and are often given away to kids who attend. A really inexpensive way to make a kid's day!

Joe

Gus
10-24-2007, 12:39 AM
Fred,

Nice lot.

I just ordered some Mars Lander decals from you for a similar restoration project of mine. I never used to have any interest in built rockets until I got a truly beat up Estes K-22 V-2 with some other stuff I bought. I don't know what prompted me to want to restore it but it was surprisingly satisfying bringing it back to life. A very different kind of challenge from building new kits, or repairing my own damaged rockets. I've now done the same with several others and find them as gratifying to fly as my own original builds.

Phred
10-24-2007, 06:23 AM
Hey, I understand.... the Ranger in the photo has had the tube crushed. It appears to have been stepped on.... Rather than parting it out, I just ordered coupler stock from BMS to shove down it's throat and re-round it! It is D powered, so that shoukd not affect performance.

Phred

barone
10-24-2007, 07:14 AM
Hey, I understand.... the Ranger in the photo has had the tube crushed. It appears to have been stepped on.... Rather than parting it out, I just ordered coupler stock from BMS to shove down it's throat and re-round it! It is D powered, so that shoukd not affect performance.

Phred
Yeah....gotta love that coupler stock from BMS...... :D

ghrocketman
10-24-2007, 09:37 AM
I think the Scrambler:2 and the Marauder used the same nose cone....possibly you could "share" it.

Phred
10-24-2007, 09:41 AM
Yes, I have found out tahtthey do. However,a s the NC is extremely close to the currently available black PNC60 ogive, I just popped one on and it looks great!

Ph

Green Dragon
10-24-2007, 05:32 PM
I'm jealous ... ;) .. nice lot of mid-late 80's stuff there. ( how come I never find anything liek that, only garage sale rockets I found in 30+ years was a Sat8urn V and a 1227 HoJOP ( lady said they had dozens in the AM, I got the last 2 :(

anyways, few comments ( did you expect less :p )

- the Firecat in there is one of the long - lost plans not posted anyplace online, so basic dimensions / fin tracing ,etc would be great

- Love the Scrambler 2, I have a clone done except paint, printed the decals on white and clear paper, hoping to cut the white sections to apply over the clear, will post how it works out ( this is one I might have asked about decals fror, so now you own the kit, lol :-)

- Sizzler would be real easy to splice at the balc paint joint, cut it off, tie some kevlar around a coupler and splice in new piece, paint black .

- The Marauder is the one I need a decal for - you might recall , might not, had ordered Marauder decals off your site, and got the old Cold-Power Marauder ( ala Polaris ) decals.
need the roll pattern on the transition from the Marauder you have in your hands ( lost payload now rebuilt, but no decal ) .

All in all a good find, vintage or not, I'd love to find same, few birds in there I have in the que or already cloned, and they appear well-done, too .

~ AL

Phred
10-25-2007, 09:38 AM
I ALMOST really like the Maurauder.... the basic design is interesting, the decals are sorta Centuri-like.... but those fins!! Ugh!! Just a plank cut at an angle? What the heck were they thinking??? :confused: :confused:

http://www.ninfinger.org/~sven/rockets/catalogs/estes85/85est24.html

The Sizzler not only has a zipper, but a big bend/crunch just above the fins. I haven't done it yet, but I may trash it.

The best part is that the guy I bought them from works all of the local garage sales with two buddies... they are all 3 now looking for rocket stuff for me, while I am at home!


Phred

maricopasem
10-25-2007, 10:23 AM
- the Firecat in there is one of the long - lost plans not posted anyplace online, so basic dimensions / fin tracing ,etc would be great
Actually. . . . .

http://plans.rocketshoppe.com/estes/est1378/est1378.htm

Green Dragon
10-25-2007, 11:51 AM
Actually. . . . .

http://plans.rocketshoppe.com/estes/est1378/est1378.htm

OOPS, my bad....

was the other Estes use of that ex-centuri cone that is long MIA - the Harpoon .

Might have to take a stab at the Firecat, sort of Centuri - nostalgis vibe to it.

~ AL

Green Dragon
10-25-2007, 11:54 AM
I ALMOST really like the Maurauder.... the basic design is interesting, the decals are sorta Centuri-like.... but those fins!! Ugh!! Just a plank cut at an angle? What the heck were they thinking??? :confused: :confused:

http://www.ninfinger.org/~sven/rockets/catalogs/estes85/85est24.html

The Sizzler not only has a zipper, but a big bend/crunch just above the fins. I haven't done it yet, but I may trash it.

The best part is that the guy I bought them from works all of the local garage sales with two buddies... they are all 3 now looking for rocket stuff for me, while I am at home!


Phred

Actually the Marader is the same fins as used on the Cyclone ( not sure kit # offhand ), that used up the last of the Centuri NC-132's . ( and much worse looking desing than the Marauder, IMHO ) . ( if you do the decals, let us / me know :)

Looking at your pic again, the Sizzler has fins the wrong way ( grain parallel to the BT ), so might be good to scrap fro the cone and motor mount .

~ AL

.. still frowning he never finds any goodies like that.... lol ...

ghrocketman
10-25-2007, 11:54 AM
Agree with the comment about the Marauder fins....they are a PLANK cut an angle.....BOOOOOOORRRRRRIINNNGGGGGGGG !

CPMcGraw
10-25-2007, 12:31 PM
Agree with the comment about the Marauder fins....they are a PLANK cut an angle.....BOOOOOOORRRRRRIINNNGGGGGGGG !

Not to mention they are very prone to breakage on landing. I've had two Marauders, one an original kit, the other a scrap bin clone, and both have suffered fin breakage on their first flights.

barone
10-25-2007, 12:36 PM
Not to mention they are very prone to breakage on landing. I've had two Marauders, one an original kit, the other a scrap bin clone, and both have suffered fin breakage on their first flights.
I didn't have any problems with the fins on my Marauder.........of course, it landed in a pond... :o

Phred
10-29-2007, 01:59 PM
Update: The Scrambler 2 now has a proper nosecome, the Searcher had a crunched forward section, but a 4" length of BT-5 coupler rammed in did the trick! I received my BT-55 coupler stock from BMS, and after a bit of cleaning (The inside of the damaged tube), and some peeling of the coupler stock, I was able to straighten out the Ranger. The Sizzler is still a crunched, zippered mess....

The Shuttle stack has been cleaned up and moved to our local Hobbytown as part of my NAR section's rocket display.

Ph

CharlaineC
11-23-2007, 04:59 AM
Your so lucky you now have the alpha III that I once had as a child to bad mine went the way of the dog. ( chomp chomp chomp.) after a great launch. never found that one again. have a blast with it.

barone
11-23-2007, 10:57 AM
Your so lucky you now have the alpha III that I once had as a child to bad mine went the way of the dog. ( chomp chomp chomp.) after a great launch. never found that one again. have a blast with it.
There are or were some Alpha IIIs up for bid on EBay. Looked like they were going cheap...

CharlaineC
11-23-2007, 11:06 AM
just found one of the old red white kits witht he red porta pad as well hope to win it.