New Stuff From Estes

[Ltvscout]

Remember, you saw it here first!

Here are the new offerings from Estes. The pictures will be in the order of the listings below.

#1894 Sky Hawker RTF
Skill Level: Ready-To-Fly
Length: 16.5 in.
Diameter: 0.98 in.
Weight: 1.48 oz.

#2123 Eggscaliber
Skill Level 2
Length: 20.25 in.
Diameter: 1.35 in.
Weight (Empty): 2.6 oz.
This skill level 2 kit with laser cut fins launches an egg, or any other fun
payload.
Includes adapters to launch with Estes B, C, D, or E model rocket engines.

#2145 Porta-Pot Shot
Skill Level: 1
Length: 8.0 in.
Diameter: 3.25 in.
Weight: 4.2 oz.
The Porta-Pot Shot comes with a molded foam body, detailed plastic roof,
clear plastic fins,
and white streamer(you know what this looks like coming down).
Recommended Engines: B4-2, B6-2, C6-3

#2146 Rock-it Stone Age Flyer
Skill Level: 1
Length: 19.25 in.
Diameter: 2.6 in.
Weight: 5.3 oz.
Laser cut fins, a pre-shaped nose cone, and water transfer decals.
Recommended Engines: C11-3, D12-3, D12-5

#2168 Metalizer
Skill Level: E2X
Length: 22.5 in.
Diameter: 1.35 in.
Weight: 2.4 oz.

#1485 Nitro Mini Launch Set
Skill Level: E2X
Length: 5.25 in.Engines: 1/4A3-3T, 1/2A3-2T, A3-4T, A10-3T

[Eagle3]

*yawn* I sure hope something better is planned for later this year.

[JRThro]

#2168 Metalizer
Skill Level: E2X
Length: 22.5 in.
Diameter: 1.35 in.
Weight: 2.4 oz.
Isn't that Metalizer just a silver Chrome Dome(s) with a silver body?

[CPMcGraw]

Remember, you saw it here first!

(Wishful sounds of strangulation...)

"Let me squeeze the seeds out of yer Adam's Apple!!!"

Gads! The only one that shows even the remotest trace of originality is the Rock-It; everything else is a re-hash of old parts, or just another re-naming spree. What does Estes have as a research group these days? A room with a hundred chimps sitting at a hundred typewriters? No, sorry. That would be a slam against the chimps...

Are we to believe that the people who buy the lion's share of rocketry items really go in for such shlock as this?

Eeeuuuuuwwwwww!

[CPMcGraw]

Isn't that Metalizer just a silver Chrome Dome(s) with a silver body?

That's what the picture looks like to me.

Next version of this ARF to be released will be the (gold) Foiled Again!:p

[JRThro]

(Wishful sounds of strangulation...)

"Let me squeeze the seeds out of yer Adam's Apple!!!"

Gads! The only one that shows even the remotest trace of originality is the Rock-It; everything else is a re-hash of old parts, or just another re-naming spree. What does Estes have as a research group these days? A room with a hundred chimps sitting at a hundred typewriters? No, sorry. That would be a slam against the chimps...

Are we to believe that the people who buy the lion's share of rocketry items really go in for such shlock as this?

Eeeuuuuuwwwwww!
Speaking as someone who knew absolutely NOTHING about model rocketry until June of 2004, the people who buy the lion's share of rocketry items probably have no idea that anything else exists, or ever *did* exist. They don't know that a rocket is just a re-hash of old parts or just an old rocket with a new name. It's *all* new to them. On at least a weekly basis, I'm introduced to a rocket I've never seen before, via this forum or TRF or EMRR, etc. It's still mostly all new to me, too.

I mean, the NAR only has about 4000 members at present, and even if we multiply that by as much as 10 to get what's probably an overblown estimate of the number of active, experienced model rocketeers, that's still only 40,000 people. Out of a total US population of over 275 million, 40,000 people isn't much of a market if Estes is going after volume sales. Which they probably are.

[snaquin]

#2123 Eggscaliber

That looks like the Venus Probe capsule on the top. Could win first place in an ugly rocket contest.

[tbzep]

Those are aweful. The Porta-Pot Shot is kinda neat for bathroom humor (pun intended), but that is it. The rest of the stuff belongs inside a real Porta-Potty.

[A Fish Named Wallyum]

#2123 Eggscaliber

That looks like the Venus Probe capsule on the top. Could win first place in an ugly rocket contest.

Unless the SDI Satellite showed up. ;)

[ghrocketman]

This sucks !
Typical Estes crap lineup that has been steadily heading into the toilet over the last 20+ years.
I expect to see the engine lineup further eroded this year to boot, with no new offerings added (of course).
We seriously need another BP engine provider other than Estes and Quest....Quest offers nothing Estes does not have, thus I see no point in them offering ANY engines anyways.
I'd really like to see Semroc re-introduce their former line of BP engines they produced in the 60's/70's to compliment their kit line.

Engines I see as likely to be scrapped by Estes:
B4-2
B4-4

While I like the longer burn of the B4 over the B6 engine, the B6 is more versatile and I would gladly see them go if they would replace them with something more useful such as a core/port burning B, C, or D offering (which I doubt will EVER happen by ESTES).
Even the return of the A8-0 would be welcome over the current offerings so that one could fly 2 stage models in small fields with some hope of recovery. The current booster offerings absolutely STINK with the C6-0 and D12-0; I would have rather seen the C6-0 discontinued over the B6-0; of course Quest had to discontinue it the same year..... :( :mad: :mad:

[PaulK]

Thanks for posting the pics Scott. I was really hoping the Rock-It would resemble a rock better, but at least it has water-slide decals. I wonder how well waterslides would stick to textured paint? There should be some good kit-bash possibilities with this one (pun intended).

-Paul

[A Fish Named Wallyum]

I wonder how well waterslides would stick to textured paint?
-Paul

Decal Set has helped me in that situation in the past. I think that as long as the textured paint is sprayed with a clear coat, Decal Set would make it snug right in there.