Ye Olde Rocket Forum

Ye Olde Rocket Forum (http://www.oldrocketforum.com/index.php)
-   Kit Collecting (http://www.oldrocketforum.com/forumdisplay.php?f=3)
-   -   Mini Tri-Pak with Resin Nose Cones (http://www.oldrocketforum.com/showthread.php?t=16729)

bernomatic 07-18-2017 09:02 PM

Mini Tri-Pak with Resin Nose Cones
 
I just acquired an Estes Tri Pak #0866 (Star Seeker, S.C.R.A.M. and Sting Ray). Something seemed a little amiss. I was under the impression that this kit used two piece plastic blow molded nose cones. The kit I received, un-opened, has three resin cast nose cones. I thought someone may have opened, replaced and resealed the kit, but with a bit of wiggling the pieces back and forth in the package, I got a view of the directions which showed a one piece nose cone.

Does anyone have any further information on this? Thanks

Newbomb Turk 07-18-2017 09:08 PM

I won a range box a while back on ebay which contained sundry other items. Included was an opened mini-tri pack. The stuff looked to be 80s vintage, and the nose cones are resin as noted in the instructions. I don't recall ever seeing resin nose cones anywhere else.
So no, I can offer no help, just a similar experience.

Doug Sams 07-18-2017 09:56 PM

Quote:
Originally Posted by bernomatic
I just acquired an Estes Tri Pak #0866 (Star Seeker, S.C.R.A.M. and Sting Ray). Something seemed a little amiss. I was under the impression that this kit used two piece plastic blow molded nose cones. The kit I received, un-opened, has three resin cast nose cones. I thought someone may have opened, replaced and resealed the kit, but with a bit of wiggling the pieces back and forth in the package, I got a view of the directions which showed a one piece nose cone.

Does anyone have any further information on this? Thanks
I built the 2-stage Sting Ray years ago. I just found the remaining two kits in a gallon freezer bag on my work bench. There's a Scout III in the bag with them :)

The two remaining BT5 nosecones - same shape as the Sting Ray (and also the Quark) - have open bottoms with mating plugs. The material feels and sounds like plastic - styrene - but has a translucent appearance - it's not as white as typical styrene nosecones. But that may simply be a pigment issue and not indicative of a different material. That said,. the translucence makes them look like resin, albeit white and not amber.

These will be perfect projects to build with my grandsons in a couple years :)

Doug

.

LeeR 07-18-2017 10:29 PM

I hate it when stuff gets lost on my workbench for years. :p

bernomatic 07-18-2017 11:36 PM

4 Attachment(s)
Quote:
Originally Posted by Doug Sams
I built the 2-stage Sting Ray years ago. I just found the remaining two kits in a gallon freezer bag on my work bench. There's a Scout III in the bag with them :)

The two remaining BT5 nosecones - same shape as the Sting Ray (and also the Quark) - have open bottoms with mating plugs. The material feels and sounds like plastic - styrene - but has a translucent appearance - it's not as white as typical styrene nosecones. But that may simply be a pigment issue and not indicative of a different material. That said,. the translucence makes them look like resin, albeit white and not amber.

These will be perfect projects to build with my grandsons in a couple years :)

Doug

.


These appear to be one piece cast with flashing around the seam lines. They are lightweight, so I am not certain if they are solid. The instructions also show them as being one piece, so I am fairly certain they were not a switch. And if they are, whoever went to the trouble of resealing the bag could probably get a job at the CIA.

Doug Sams 07-19-2017 07:47 AM

Quote:
Originally Posted by bernomatic
These appear to be one piece cast with flashing around the seam lines. They are lightweight, so I am not certain if they are solid. The instructions also show them as being one piece, so I am fairly certain they were not a switch. And if they are, whoever went to the trouble of resealing the bag could probably get a job at the CIA.
I think they are stock, but, no doubt, the color is surely unusual. Your instructions clearly show them as one-piece with a screw-eye. My instructions show the shock cord tied to the plug glued into the nosecone. So there was clearly a component change (with accompanying instructions update) at some point.

I don't see any indication of date on my papers, but they came as two separate documents. Pages 1-4 (11"x17", folded) are doc # 82446A while pages 5-6 are 82445 which seems to imply a change at some point. The nosecone pics are at the top of page 3. If I get a chance later, I can scan them if desired.

Doug

.

Doug Sams 07-19-2017 07:54 AM

Quote:
Originally Posted by LeeR
I hate it when stuff gets lost on my workbench for years. :p
It's bad. I keep waiting for one of the TV crews from Hoarders to show up :)

Doug

.

bernomatic 07-19-2017 01:11 PM

Now I am reluctant to open the kit up and examine it. If this is a rare kit, I may have just gotten the deal of the decade. ;)

ghrocketman 07-19-2017 02:21 PM

It's not rare.
ALL the mini-tri-pak kits I have ever seen had resin-like cones including the one I built.

Doug Sams 07-19-2017 03:24 PM

Quote:
Originally Posted by ghrocketman
It's not rare.
ALL the mini-tri-pak kits I have ever seen had resin-like cones including the one I built.
Maybe mine is the rare one. But it's too late to sell it on eBay :)

Doug

.


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 02:08 AM.

Powered by: vBulletin Version 3.0.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.