Estes Mosquito decals

[Green Dragon]

well, honestly, this is just an excuse to show off my newest finished rocket, but what the heck :-)

question part : regarding the mini brute bugs on the Mosquito - does anyone know when those actually shipped with the bug decals ?

I have never seen one, going back to my first mosquito kit, probabally around 1979.

I have seen a few pics of ones witht he bugs,but always figured someone used the Screamer or other decals,until i saw them on Jim Z's .

show and tell part - what got me thinking on this.....

just finished the Mosquito this afternoon ( old vintage original, that had strak-style fins that were 'rough' , so made new 'correct' 1/6" basswood fins, broke off the old ones and rebuilt it.

My wife saw it and says ' it's sooo cuuuteee... ' and said I had to paint it a 'cute' color, not yellow and balc ( noting my original was yellow and green, our high school colors ;-) .

so... see phtoo for details, original paint scheme, but in purple and white, with color matched custom purple 'bugs' .

hate to admit she's right, but I kind of like it :-)

~ AL

[A Fish Named Wallyum]

Where did you scare up the bug decal? The ones on the Screamer are in pretty rough shape.

[Green Dragon]

Where did you scare up the bug decal? The ones on the Screamer are in pretty rough shape.

Bill,

I got those from Jim Z's , from the Mosquito plan .

redrrew them (to the best of my amateur ability, lol ) in Illustrator and printed on my HP inkjet on papilio paper.
coated the paper with the testor's decal maker spray - the best - highly reccomended, and works great on Phred's decals as well ( no reaction as he warns will happen with krylon, and DID happen with my tango Papa decals on my Cherokee D, applied em fine, but Krylon clear top coat wrinkeld / bubbled them some :-(

anyways, if you just need a couple bugs, drop me a note direct, with an address, as I did print out a couple extras in basic black, not sure if they're sized exact as the Screamer ones, but should be close.

~ AL

[Phred]

Nice job Al!!

I am not sure that bugs were ever included in this kit, as it was ESTES $1.00 for a looong time....

Ph

[CPMcGraw]

... regarding the mini brute bugs on the Mosquito - does anyone know when those actually shipped with the bug decals ? ~ AL

From 1973 through 1979, according to the catalog images. The bug disappeared in the 1980 catalog. It was also NOT on the model in the earlier 1972 catalog, which was the year it was introduced.

Does this mean the decals actually shipped with every kit? No, obviously. But these were the years the catalog pages showed the bug on the fin, so those kits that did come with the decal would have been produced during this time frame.

[Arley Davis]

The Mini Brute (Bug Decal) came out on some other rockets of that time period, for example the Kit # 803 Mini Bertha has the same decal, It was also a mini Brute rocket.

[Green Dragon]

Nice job Al!!

I am not sure that bugs were ever included in this kit, as it was ESTES $1.00 for a looong time....

Ph

that's what i thought , is it never included the decal, and the catalog photos were just 'spruced up' - ala the Apogee II, Farside, etc which also did not have decals.

then saw the plans at jim Z's and it shows a decal scan ( that I used for the bugs), does nto appear to be a screamer decal or other substitution, just two bugs and a black stripe.

so ,maybe some DID include that ?

any 'old timers' / collectors ever see one with the decal ?

~ AL

[Arley Davis]

Uncle Mikes Rocket Shack has some of the original Mesquite’s for sale. And in my own experience I do not thank it ever came with any decals, and since it was a Mini Brute someone took the decal from another Mini Brute rocket and added it to the Misquito.

http://www.unclemikesrocketshack.com/Estes_And_Clones_Of.html