Estes: Most "Repurpose" of Kit Name?
 

Which estes kit has used a "like" Name but been a different design most often over the years?

The only one I can think of right off the bat is the Loadstar.

Randy
www.vernarockets.com

There is also the Magician and Estes re-used the Laser Lance name as it was originally Centauri's Buck Rogers kit.

There have been at least three called "Sizzler" and two called "Athena" the latter not counting the Centuri rocket of the same name. The latest uses of both are RTFs. I'm sure there are others.....

The Sizzler.

I talked to Christine and Mary at Estes about this years ago.

Their reasoning is for copyright. If they keep using the name they keep the rights to it.

Found two different vagabonds as well.....a harder question is which airframe has been renamed the most times.... :D

Well.....how much variation in the airframe will you accept for the purposes of that question?

For example, the current Estes Make-It-Take-It is an E2X version of the RTF Hijinks. The RTF Athena is the same model save for the body is one inch longer. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see other names on the combo of the Alpha III fin can and the PNC-50YP nose cone with some length of BT-50 between 'em as you go back more than a couple of years - I just don't know what they would be called as there is about a 30 year gap in my knowledge of Estes rocket names. If the nose cone can be different then the Alpha III itself is another variant (the original). The Alpha IV is an Alpha III wearing a different livery. If we can change materials there are the original Alpha (in several subtle variations and some not so) as well as the Alpha II (an educator's version).

You do know that the original Estes Vagabond is the original Centuri Astro 1? Then Estes redesigned the Vagabond and kept the name.

Jonathan

The Sizzler is the one Estes is most interested in keeping alive, because they have the rights to the name, much the Mattel's chagrin. If you remember the Mattel Sizzler race cars, you will know why Estes collected a royalty from Mattel for use of the name. Estes can only keep the rights if there is a current product (within about 3 years, IIRC) using the name, so that is what they do. It doesn't matter what the design looks like, it just matters that the name is used.

Matt

Ahh! I thought that Estes Vagabon design rang a bell....


Earl