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Jeff Walther
09-16-2008, 06:37 PM
Do any of you know a source for the Estes PNC-60B, P/N 071015 nose cone? It was used in the D.A.R.T. (kit #1981) which was in the 1987 and 1988 Estes catalog. It was also used on the SCUD-B (kit #1340) and Mach-2 (kit #1379).

I've emailed Estes and am awaiting a reply, but figured I'd check here. I've also used the contact links on a couple of the likely suspects such as BRS Hobbies and Flits Kits (sp.?).

I would like to clone the D.A.R.T.

Jeff Walther
09-16-2008, 06:39 PM
Ah, just got a reply back from Christine at Estes. The part number isn't found in their system. Considering it's from a 20-year-old model, I'm not too surprised. Gee, how did 20 years sneak by since I bought and flew that model?

Mark II
09-16-2008, 08:15 PM
Ahh, the D.A.R.T.! I have been longing to clone this one, too. :D You might be able to get Gordon at Roachworks (http://roachwerksmachining.com.istemp.com/) to turn a custom balsa (or hardwood) version of the nose cone for you. I have never seen one of these cones "in the flesh," but, judging from catalog pictures, it looks like it is just a fat conical shape with several concentric grooves cut into it.

Mark \\.

tbzep
09-16-2008, 08:36 PM
Gordon posted a thread about turning some Scud nosecones a while back. Bill, aka A Fish Named Wallyum, aka Fishhead built a D.A.R.T.

Search for "Scud" and you will find both threads. Bill's thread title has something to do with ugly rockets.

sandman
09-16-2008, 10:16 PM
I didn't even have to look far.

Just clicked on the file labeled "SCUD". :D

Obviously the one labels BT-60 is for a BT-60.

The other one didn't get labeled but it's for a BT-70 version. I'll have to fix that.

Jeff Walther
09-17-2008, 04:31 PM
Wow. I thought this was going to be one of those futile searches, which one nevertheless engages in because you never know. Wow. Thank you, gentlemen. Email sent to Sandman (Gordon?) at Roachwerks.

As mentioned in the thread referenced a few posts up, the D.A.R.T. is a bit ugly, but it has a very satisfying flight profile, especially for a small field. Plus I painted mine flat black with orange fins and cone instead of the standard color scheme.

The best place I've found to fly in Austin, TX is Burnet Middle School and it's still too small for anything which will really go. We managed to lose a streamer recovery bird with an A3-4T there last weekend. Of course, it was a tiny little BT-5 based model. Still, I wouldn't want to try to fly something like a Midget there, given that A10-0Ts are the only thing available for boosters these days. Nor would I launch anything with a C engine there unless it was pretty weighty.

Anyway, that's wandering afield. Point is, the D.A.R.T. is a good model for the field convenient to us, but the one I have has sentimental value and I'm not very comfortable risking it. So I'd like to make a near identical model I can take out and fly without (much) worry.

sandman
09-17-2008, 04:46 PM
Scale is my first passion but if you have to make a D.A.R.T... OK, go ahead. :rolleyes:

dwmzmm
09-17-2008, 05:20 PM
Wow. I thought this was going to be one of those futile searches, which one nevertheless engages in because you never know. Wow. Thank you, gentlemen. Email sent to Sandman (Gordon?) at Roachwerks.

As mentioned in the thread referenced a few posts up, the D.A.R.T. is a bit ugly, but it has a very satisfying flight profile, especially for a small field. Plus I painted mine flat black with orange fins and cone instead of the standard color scheme.

The best place I've found to fly in Austin, TX is Burnet Middle School and it's still too small for anything which will really go. We managed to lose a streamer recovery bird with an A3-4T there last weekend. Of course, it was a tiny little BT-5 based model. Still, I wouldn't want to try to fly something like a Midget there, given that A10-0Ts are the only thing available for boosters these days. Nor would I launch anything with a C engine there unless it was pretty weighty.

Anyway, that's wandering afield. Point is, the D.A.R.T. is a good model for the field convenient to us, but the one I have has sentimental value and I'm not very comfortable risking it. So I'd like to make a near identical model I can take out and fly without (much) worry.

Hey Jeff, you can always come down to Needville and fly with us (Challenger 498 NAR
Section)! :D

Jeff Walther
09-18-2008, 11:56 AM
Hey Jeff, you can always come down to Needville and fly with us (Challenger 498 NAR
Section)! :D


Thank you, Dave. It took me a few minutes to decipher the sentence (having some unprecedented vertigo today). If I still lived in League City, and assuming I wasn't under water, I would take you up on that.

There is an Austin Area Rocketry Group (Section 585 NAR) which I'm thinking about joining. They appear to have access to a couple of large fields. At least their web page discusses launching larger engined models such as 'M'. My experience does not extend past 'D'. But if I'm reading their page right, the large fields are only available for use during their monthly scheduled launch. That still leaves me looking for a good field when I want to take my son out for some weekend or evening launches.

AARG's site also mentions a park in Round Rock. I'll need to check that out and a coworker said there's an RC plane/rocket park in south Austin, which I've never heard of.

Most of the parks in Austin are full of pesky trees. The tree huggers like them, but they're inconvenient for rocketry.

dwmzmm
09-18-2008, 03:45 PM
Thank you, Dave. It took me a few minutes to decipher the sentence (having some unprecedented vertigo today). If I still lived in League City, and assuming I wasn't under water, I would take you up on that.

There is an Austin Area Rocketry Group (Section 585 NAR) which I'm thinking about joining. They appear to have access to a couple of large fields. At least their web page discusses launching larger engined models such as 'M'. My experience does not extend past 'D'. But if I'm reading their page right, the large fields are only available for use during their monthly scheduled launch. That still leaves me looking for a good field when I want to take my son out for some weekend or evening launches.

AARG's site also mentions a park in Round Rock. I'll need to check that out and a coworker said there's an RC plane/rocket park in south Austin, which I've never heard of.

Most of the parks in Austin are full of pesky trees. The tree huggers like them, but they're inconvenient for rocketry.

Jeff, the AARG is a SUPERB model rocket club & NAR Section. Very well organized with a lot
of very experienced members, including veterans of the Internats and NARAM (among others). I think they regularly fly from two, maybe three launch sites, so you'll be well
covered by joining and flying with them. Keep in touch and let us know how things work out. :)

duobob
09-19-2008, 01:23 PM
Hi Jeff
I have one of those around here if I can find it! It's a molding oldies clone and will need a little work on the seam I got a few from him before his move awhile ago and his mold was geting worn out so he threw in a couple extras. Also I belive Sirius Rocketry bought out his stuff so they may have one as well. Let me know if you still need one and I'll try to find it.
Bob

sandman
09-19-2008, 02:41 PM
Bob, too late.

I already made Jeff three of them and they are on the way. Shipped this morning. :D

Mark II
09-19-2008, 04:13 PM
Jeff, the AARG is a SUPERB model rocket club & NAR Section. Very well organized with a lot
of very experienced members, including veterans of the Internats and NARAM (among others). I think they regularly fly from two, maybe three launch sites, so you'll be well
covered by joining and flying with them. Keep in touch and let us know how things work out. :)
An embarrassment of riches! Ostentatious wealth, compared to what some of us have to work with! :rolleyes: ;)

Mark \\.

Jeff Walther
09-23-2008, 06:36 PM
Bob, too late.

I already made Jeff three of them and they are on the way. Shipped this morning. :D

And arrived yesterday (Monday). Thank you!

Let's see, I posted my search on the 16th and I had the cones in hand by the 22nd. That's pretty good for an item I didn't think I'd be able to find at all. :-)

Bob, I did check out Sirius's website. I remember finding an empty category for either parts or nose cones in particular. For some reason I can't even find that today. Do you have to email them to ask about parts? I wouldn't mind doing so except I'm not so seriously looking any more--more curious.

Is "molding oldies clone" a reference to an out of business company? I'm only recently returned to the hobby so sometimes these things fly over my head.

Mark II
09-26-2008, 07:13 PM
[...]
Is "molding oldies clone" a reference to an out of business company? I'm only recently returned to the hobby so sometimes these things fly over my head.
Wow, that question has been just left hanging out there for 3 days with no response? (I have an excuse - I have been out of town and just got back.)

Moldin' Oldies (http://www.moldinoldies.com/OldSite/index.html) was a small online business run by Mike Schmidt. He provided hand-cast resin reproductions of classic, out-of-production nose cones of yore. His resin castings were always high quality, and his business was often the only affordable source for many of these nose cone shapes. I don't think that it ever saw a real high volume of business, but Moldin' Oldies was an absolutely essential resource for any "serious" cloner (pun intended ;) ). Mike announced awhile back that he was temporarily shutting down MO while he relocated. Former customers, current customers, and people (like me) who were interested in becoming future customers all wished him well, and waited. And... nothing. Finally, Dave Miller announced that Moldin' Oldies had become part of Sirius Rocketry (http://www.moldinoldies.com/), and much rejoicing ensued. Sirius Rocketry (http://www.siriusrocketry.com/) is a highly respected vendor and kit-maker (if you haven't done so already, check out the S.S. Cestris (http://www.siriusrocketry.com/SSCestris.htm)!), so this partnership bodes very well, indeed.

Mark \\.

Jeff Walther
10-01-2008, 10:18 PM
Wow, that question has been just left hanging out there for 3 days with no response? (I have an excuse - I have been out of town and just got back.)
.

Thank you, Mark. I have taken a quick look at their site. I will look in more detail when I put together a parts order. First, I need to gather up all the bits and pieces in boxes in my parents' attic/house and see what I have left over from the 70s. I had a lot of parts...

Doug Sams
10-04-2008, 08:13 PM
Do any of you know a source for the Estes PNC-60B, P/N 071015 nose cone? It was used in the D.A.R.T. (kit #1981) which was in the 1987 and 1988 Estes catalog. It was also used on the SCUD-B (kit #1340) and Mach-2 (kit #1379).

I've emailed Estes and am awaiting a reply, but figured I'd check here. I've also used the contact links on a couple of the likely suspects such as BRS Hobbies and Flits Kits (sp.?).

I would like to clone the D.A.R.T.Jeff,

Sandman's got you covered now, so it's probably a moot point, but I did see a D.A.R.T kit, nib, for sale at the DARS meeting today. John Bittner was asking 30 dollars. Let me know if you're interested, and I'll try to get his email.

Doug

.

Jeff Walther
10-04-2008, 10:26 PM
Thankyou, Doug. I'm covered. I have three nose cones and the other necessary bits and pieces. For some reason I can't explain I have a set of fins already cut out for the D.A.R.T. I was sorting through random pieces of balsa and thought, gee this looks like a fin, and before I knew it I had pulled out three fully cut fins for the thing. I don't have any other spare parts specifically for it (such as BT-60 cut to length) so I don't know what I was thinking when I made that set of fins. It must have been close to 20 years ago.