Estes Sweet Vee #2116

[Rustee]

I just picked this up in 100% new,mint condition. Anyone build one of these? What would one of these usually go for? I want to fly it but maybe it's fun just to look at it for a while-I might not find another one!

[tbzep]

I just picked this up in 100% new,mint condition. Anyone build one of these? What would one of these usually go for? I want to fly it but maybe it's fun just to look at it for a while-I might not find another one!

Nice find. It was designed for the discontinued E15-P motors which are slightly different in length to the current production E9-P motors. Be sure to modify it for the newer motors. :cool:

[Rustee]

Thanks for the tip,I have a new pack of E15-P's that was for my Strato Blaster. I better stock up! I could still lay my hands on some thankfully. Ooh,but once you cut the cellophane it's all over...

[Rustee]

Actually I have the D11-P's,sorry. I'll look for some of the E's .

[Phred]

E15s have not been available for some time, as they had a un nerving tendency to cato. Your choices these days are the ESTES E9, or the Aerotech E15 compisite motors.

Ph

[chanstevens]

The best motors to fly with, bar none, would be the Aerotech reloadables. DO NOT use the common 24/40 case--there's a special R/C case that's sealed at the front end, since R/C reloads have no delay or ejection. Hard to find--I went through Joe Pilot.com, though I understand Tower Hobbies carries them now as well.

The AT reloads come in some very nice varieties, with long slow burns.

If you're new to R/C, this is probably not a good first model, though, and even if you're experienced, I'd think about testing it out with a few flights on C6-0's to make sure it's trimmed right for boost. The C6 would be a comical lob, not much more than a hand toss, but would give you immediate feedback on whether it has pitch problems without enough oomph to wreck the model.

[barone]

I'm builing one .....well....started. I'm still trying to decide what RC stuff for it but the wings have been built up. It's a bit heavy but should make an interesting intry to RC rocketry. Picked mine up at a mom & pop shop when they were trying to get rid of most of the rocket stuff they had. They mainly deal in trains.

[chanstevens]

Don:

Check with Ryan W, but I'd think the strong recommendation for gear would be Berg 4L receiver (Tower Hobbies), Dymond D47 servos (http://www.rc-dymond.com/Radio_Electronics/servo.htm) and just about any decent 72 mhz transmitter (make sure you match channel to receiver, duh...don't ask me how I missed that once). The weight is not so much an issue as the range and getting decent torque. You could also go for higher end Spektrum 2.4 ghz stuff, eliminates the interference for the most part, but to me that's still a bit too much money for casual flying. Gear for something like this model should stay in the under $100 range.

--Chan Stevens

[tbzep]

Don:

Check with Ryan W, but I'd think the strong recommendation for gear would be Berg 4L receiver (Tower Hobbies), Dymond D47 servos (http://www.rc-dymond.com/Radio_Electronics/servo.htm) and just about any decent 72 mhz transmitter (make sure you match channel to receiver, duh...don't ask me how I missed that once). The weight is not so much an issue as the range and getting decent torque. You could also go for higher end Spektrum 2.4 ghz stuff, eliminates the interference for the most part, but to me that's still a bit too much money for casual flying. Gear for something like this model should stay in the under $100 range.

--Chan Stevens

I didn't realize Tower carried Berg now. I haven't flown any R/C stuff in several years. Back then, Berg was only available at a couple of places.

[DaveR]

..... Picked mine up at a mom & pop shop when they were trying to get rid of most of the rocket stuff they had. They mainly deal in trains.
Hey, I know that place. ;)

[Rustee]

I was all fired up to put a Spektrum system and an .049 on my Strato Blaster,even a brushless pusher too. This doesn't have room for a prop,but maybe a ducted fan with a Lipo. But I digress. That ho-made launch tower thing looks pretty scary,that's for sure!

[AKPilot]

The best motors to fly with, bar none, would be the Aerotech reloadables. DO NOT use the common 24/40 case--there's a special R/C case that's sealed at the front end, since R/C reloads have no delay or ejection. Hard to find--I went through Joe Pilot.com, though I understand Tower Hobbies carries them now as well.
l.


What case is this from AT? I wasn't aware that AT carried anything 24/plugged in cases. I checked out joepilot.com but couldn't find it there.


Btw, for this the built and flown the Estes Sweet Vee - whatchya think? Is it worth the $100 or so they're going for nowadays?

[pantherjon]

I think what Chan is referring to is the 32mm cases from AT...

[chanstevens]

What case is this from AT? I wasn't aware that AT carried anything 24/plugged in cases. I checked out joepilot.com but couldn't find it there.


Btw, for this the built and flown the Estes Sweet Vee - whatchya think? Is it worth the $100 or so they're going for nowadays?

Joe Pilot listing is here (http://www.joepilot.com/itemdesc.asp?ic=ARO91242&eq=&Tp=) and is an outstanding price for the case. The main difference between a regular case and this case is that this case is solid/sealed at the forward end, so nothing can escape. With a regular case, you have a problem trying to seal off the gasses from going out the forward end instead of the aft end/nozzle.

[gpoehlein]

What case is this from AT? I wasn't aware that AT carried anything 24/plugged in cases. I checked out joepilot.com but couldn't find it there.


Btw, for this the built and flown the Estes Sweet Vee - whatchya think? Is it worth the $100 or so they're going for nowadays?

The fourth item from the top:

http://www.redarrowhobbies.com/aerotech_rms_hardware.htm

Greg

[chanstevens]

I think what Chan is referring to is the 32mm cases from AT...

Well, since the 32mm stuff is basically OOP these days, I was referring more specifically to the 24mm R/C reload case, which supports D7, E12, E6 and E7. The 32mm stuff is listed in the catalog, but from what I've heard is pretty tough to get. The R/C reload cases, in general, are subject to very spotty availability.

There's also a cool F23 that includes a 15 second smoke trail (for skywriting?), but I think that one's for the 32mm case, not the 24.

--Chan Stevens

[tbzep]

Well, since the 32mm stuff is basically OOP these days, I was referring more specifically to the 24mm R/C reload case, which supports D7, E12, E6 and E7. The 32mm stuff is listed in the catalog, but from what I've heard is pretty tough to get. The R/C reload cases, in general, are subject to very spotty availability.

There's also a cool F23 that includes a 15 second smoke trail (for skywriting?), but I think that one's for the 32mm case, not the 24.

--Chan Stevens

I wonder where George G. gets his 32mm reloads? I bet he's been Aerotech's best customer for them over the last few years.

[AKPilot]

Looks like a fun kit, but not sure if the going price is worth it ($100). Especially with the remake of the AT Phoenix coming out.

[chanstevens]

I wonder where George G. gets his 32mm reloads? I bet he's been Aerotech's best customer for them over the last few years.

I think it's the case that's been scarce, not the reloads, even though they're still included in the AT catalog. If memory serves, the issue was somethinglike Rouse-Tech didn't want to deal with the low-volume runs, and so AT had to source them on their own, and only did so once in a great while. After a run, plenty in the market until inventories are run down, and then they become scarce for a while until enough demand builds up to support another run. I was last looking for one when there were none around, in part to go with a Sweet Vee I picked up.

[AKPilot]

Chan what's your thoughts on the price being around $100. Seems steep, as it holds no sentimental value to me.


Didn't realize the fuse was plastic on the Sweet Vee. I thought it was going to be more of a craftsman style kit, with balsa for fuse and boom.

[chanstevens]

I'm not much of an expert in terms of RCRG's, but dabbled quite a bit last year in preparation for D-BG at NARAM, and am getting back into it again without the stress of having to perform well. From my dabblings then, I can say that for $100, you can get a number of decent nearly finished "kits" from the DLG world that are not too bad to modify by addng a pod for rocket powered flight. Most gurus I have spoken to strongly believe that a fixed pod RG is better/easier than a pop pod BG.

$100 for a Sweet Vee is a decent price as a collectible, not a great price, mainly due to the scarcity of the product. $100 for a rocket glider is not a bad price either, but $100 for a Sweet Vee as a rocket glider is a poor choice compared to alternatives. The main advantage I could see to a Sweet Vee is that you can build it and fly it using just the directions, and other than some adventures in learning RC in general, it won't be too bad. Building a converted HLG instead, you'd get a much better performing aircraft for the same money, but would have to deviate from the build/instructions to get there. Fine if you know what you're doing or are following someone else's plan, not so fine as in my case where I did not know what I was doing.

My two cents' on best candidates out there to convert--a Blue Arrow Venus, an Art Hobby Colibri VM, or a Fireworks [forget the name...]. The Blue Arrow is a bit lighter than Colibri, and has a great how-to thread over on RCgroups, but is a fair amount of work. The Colibri is heavier, beautiful wing, not much work, but no handy how-to's out there. The Fireworks is best flyer of the bunch, more expensive (maybe $180-200), not sure there are any how-to's, but I know a very talented 8-year old girl that converted one in the hotel at NARAM Sunday night while her dad was sleeping, flew it fine the next day, and it did not sound like much work or complex work.

I jumped right into a Colibri, wrecked it pretty badly on my own, have since repaired it and am working with a couple gurus for advice on getting it airborne. In retrospect, I wish I had built/flown a Sweet Vee first as a trainer, then moved to a higher performer like the OOP 'Cuda, then taken on something like a decent conversion (Colibri, Venus, etc.). I just didn't have the time and money to invest in that robust a learning process before NARAM.

[barone]

Paying $100 for the Sweet Vee is good. I can't remember what they originally sold for but I'm thinking like $115. Now, that's looking at it strictly from a collectors point of view. The Sweet Vee I'm building was picked up for only $60 (local mom and pop that looked like they were getting out of rockets). Like Chan said, if you're looking for a flyer, you could probably get something cheaper (probably not as cool looking). BMS Archie sells for $35. You can buy the radio equipment from them also for another $149.

[TedCochran55409]

FWIW, I build a Sweet Vee a couple years ago and have been using it to learn RC, from scratch. (Yeah, as Chan said, it isn't the easiest way to do that, but I'm a stubborn cuss). I fly it on E6 and E7 motors. Got the case from BMS, and some of the reloads, too.

I pranged it pretty good at NARAM, but it's rebuilt and ready to go again.

Ditch the mechanical mixer; I used a Hitec Neon radio kit, which does mixing in the transmitter. I built a little wooden sled for the two servos, which are way smaller than what the kit was designed for, so you'll need nose weight.

I wouldn't try flying it on a C motor. You can hand toss it from the top of a hill to get the basic trim down, then launch it on a D11-P to get a short boost. I did one flight that way, and switched immediately to E7s.

As a novice, the biggest thing for me is learning to recognize the attitude and to not get into control reversal. Flying the little electric AirHog RC planes helped quite a bit.