Estes Shuttle Columbia

[jeffyjeep]

Has anyone built the Estes Shuttle Columbia #1385? Is the airframe vacu-formed plastic like the orbiter in the #1284?

[jadebox]

Has anyone built the Estes Shuttle Columbia #1385? Is the airframe vacu-formed plastic like the orbiter in the #1284?

No, it's a cardboard body tube and balsa type of kit. You can read a review with photos at:

http://www.rocketreviews.com/estes-space-shuttle-columbia-matt-gillard.html

-- Roger

[Randy]

We've built 1 and consider it the better of the two. Makes for a nice sci-fi modification.

My favorite was the Centuri version.

Randy
www.vernarockets.com

[jharding58]

There are cardstock side panels to square up the payload bay and the wing root. The NC and RCS pods are moulded. It also retains the motor and uses a parachute.

http://www.oldrocketplans.com/estes/est1385/est1385.htm

[jeffyjeep]

Ah, so! I was wondering how the sides were made flat. Thanks.

[AcroRay]

I remember the Centuri one! I won one of them in a Centuri catalog contest. It was either the one where you had to answer what the Blackbird's hull was made from, or identify photos of flying saucers from classic sci-fi films. ("Bamboo Saucer" was the really tough one, I thought.)

Anyhow, sorry to drift off topic....

[tbzep]

or identify photos of flying saucers from classic sci-fi films. ("Bamboo Saucer" was the really tough one, I thought.)

The flying saucer contest was from the 1979 catalog, but I don't remember "Bamboo Saucer". In a similar vein, the Summer 1978 Centuri Rocket Times had funny captions for still shots from Close Encounters. "Whad'm I bid for this ol' rocket and launcher?" "Model Rocketry is fun!" Clicky (http://www.ninfinger.org/rockets/catalogs/centuriRT78SpringSummer/78SpringSummercenRT4.jpg)

[Earl]

The flying saucer contest was from the 1979 catalog, but I don't remember "Bamboo Saucer". In a similar vein, the Summer 1978 Centuri Rocket Times had funny captions for still shots from Close Encounters. "Whad'm I bid for this ol' rocket and launcher?" "Model Rocketry is fun!" Clicky (http://www.ninfinger.org/rockets/catalogs/centuriRT78SpringSummer/78SpringSummercenRT4.jpg)


Yes, I remember that Close Encounters 'send up' in the Summer '78 Rocket Times....actually, pretty funny. They did a similar layout (as I recall) sometime earlier with stills from Star Wars (probably around fall of '77 would be my guess). I think they picked on Carrie Fisher's hairdo and Chewbaca's 'walking carpet' suit.

I never won any of the Centuri contests. I entered several....thought for SURE I was gonna win one in late '76 which required naming a number of X-planes parked on the tarmac at Edwards...a classic photo.....and I knew 'em all. I got my entry back in right away and in my relatively young mind at the time, I thought I was a shoe-in to win one of T-Bird kits they were giving away to the first 10 to name all aircraft correctly (or some number of winners....forget exactly how many).

I suspected in hindsight that my 'knowledge' of those aircraft names weren't so special afterall and that probably HUNDREDS of correct entries had been received. Ahh.....the misguided positive thinking of a 13 year old.....

I did get selected in one catalog in '77 or '78 for the CAT member section of the catalog. My scraggly-haired photo hooking up my first rocket was the photo that was printed. Geez, I think back now and wonder if I EVER used a comb in my hair as a kid....

Earl

[tbzep]

I did get selected in one catalog in '77 or '78 for the CAT member section of the catalog. My scraggly-haired photo hooking up my first rocket was the photo that was printed. Geez, I think back now and wonder if I EVER used a comb in my hair as a kid....
Earl

Farrah Fawcett Majors...

:D

[Earl]

Farrah Fawcett Majors...

:D


Oh, gawd, I forgot about THAT part of it!! Well, with my aforementioned aversion to hair combing and the also aforementioned 'misguided positive thinking', my chances of THAT date ever coming true were pretty slim, indeed!

But, at the time of my CAT application, she was about the hottest thing going (again, to a misguided, positive-thinking 14 year old boy) and there were more things to dream about at the time besides JUST rockets!

It's good to chuckle over the past though. Thanks for that posting! I haven't seen that in years (though I have a couple of those catalogs packed away in some of my 'old' stuff somewhere).

BTW, what year WAS that anyway? I never can recall if it was '77 or '78....I know it was still when the Centuri catalog was still in the newspaper format before they went back to their more standard size with the '79 catalog.

Earl

[tbzep]

BTW, what year WAS that anyway?
1978 Catalog #2 (http://www.ninfinger.org/rockets/catalogs/centuri78-2/782cen30.html)

[Earl]

1978 Catalog #2 (http://www.ninfinger.org/rockets/catalogs/centuri78-2/782cen30.html)


Thanks for the link....that's easier than diggin' it out of an old musty storage box somewhere.

Here's a couple of pics of one of my current vintage builds, which is the Centuri shuttle introduced in early 1980, if memory serves. The 'built' photo is just after the first coat of paint (with completed display nozzle assembly in place). This was an eBay buy several months ago. Working on a vintage Long Tom, Excalibur, and Centurion as well.

Was trying to have the shuttle done in time for the 30th anniversary of STS-1 on April 12th, but I'm not sure I can get the final paint on by then with enough time for a good cure before applying the stick-on decals. I can tell those 30 year old pressure sensitive decals are gonna be a bit of trick (even with spray adhesive) to stick properly and long-term to the model. We'll see.

Earl

[jharding58]

I am pretty sure that there is at least a couple of people that could translate those press on to waterslides. There is one I know of that is expert...

[Earl]

I am pretty sure that there is at least a couple of people that could translate those press on to waterslides. There is one I know of that is expert...

Yeah, I suspect that would not be too much of a problem to do...I made scans of the self-adhesive sticker sheet before any of them were removed (the one sticker for the display nozzles unit has been taken off....that's how I know they're gonna be a bit of challenge maybe...) in the event I have to 're-create' them in some form or fashion to finish the model.

In general however, I'm a vintage kit 'purist' to some degree, and I try my 'bestest' to build the kit with all the original parts that came with kit, save for the shock cord(s) and parachute tape discs. I figure it would be a bit silly to risk a nice vintage kit by using ancient shock cord and old un-sticky tape discs, because I do fly these vintage builds at least once....it ain't a true rocket (to me) till its made at least one flight.

So, I'm gonna try my darndest to use the sticker/decal set that came with the kit, if at all possible.

I have had good success however with the old Centuri self-adhesive shock cord mounts (the foil mounts) in these old kits (the self-adhesive on them has generally dried out totally to the point where the original backing material simply has fallen off) by using a thin base of carpenter's glue followed by some spray adhesive before installing inside the body tube. So far, I've not had one installed that way pull back out.

Earl

[sandman]

Thanks for the link....that's easier than diggin' it out of an old musty storage box somewhere.

Here's a couple of pics of one of my current vintage builds, which is the Centuri shuttle introduced in early 1980, if memory serves. The 'built' photo is just after the first coat of paint (with completed display nozzle assembly in place). This was an eBay buy several months ago. Working on a vintage Long Tom, Excalibur, and Centurion as well.

Was trying to have the shuttle done in time for the 30th anniversary of STS-1 on April 12th, but I'm not sure I can get the final paint on by then with enough time for a good cure before applying the stick-on decals. I can tell those 30 year old pressure sensitive decals are gonna be a bit of trick (even with spray adhesive) to stick properly and long-term to the model. We'll see.

Earl

I have the Estes Space Shuttle decals up on my site listed alphabetically under "Space Shuttle" kit #1284 and kit #1385

It's in the "classic Waterslide decals" Estes classic decals.

It's the same as the Estes decals but improved with a few "extra details added.

Note that there are two shuttle decals.

One set is for the full stack set #1284 and one is for the Space Shuttle Columbia #1385.

They are identical except they are slightly different scales.

[jeffyjeep]

I have most major assembly completed on the Shuttle Columbia. What interests me is that there's only one elevon on one wing. Does this give it a spiral ascent?

[jharding58]

Yes indeed. An attempt to have the flight vertical instead of horizontal.

[jeffyjeep]

An attempt? I wonder what it really does! :D

[jharding58]

At some point there is the transition from theoretical to practical. It usually takes a few volts.
It will be interesting to see if it shares the same profound pitch program of its' foam brother.

[kevinj]

No. I've flown both.

The trouble with the foam brick is it really needs a D21 or D13 reload.

The build up version has a roll from the one elevon so while not arrow straight, it does take a vertical path.

kj