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Old 02-26-2011, 10:56 PM
Initiator001 Initiator001 is offline
Too Many Initiators is Never Enough
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: San Diego, CA
Posts: 2,394
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While the Pro Series launch pad and controller had some obvious thought put into them, the initial Pro Series kits were at best 'also-rans'.

I ordered one of each kit as soon as they were available. From looking at the kits, Estes worked with what they knew to create them. There was nothing very advanced in their design or constrution.

The Impulse and Maxi-Force were 2.5" in diameter and used clusters of two and three D12 motors, respectively. The fins were die-cut balsa with spruce strips which were to be cut and fitted to the edges of the fins. The centering rings were thick die-cut (lite?) plywood which were poorly formed. The nose cone was nicely made blow molded plastic.

The Patriot model became available many months after the first two kits. Three inches in diameter it featured a cluster of four D12 motors. To cut down on weight/mass, the fins were made up of balsa ribs and sheeted with heavy paper. As I recall, the aft plate on the model was made of aluminum (I can't remember).

Builders of the Patriot soon discovered that the model would weigh well over one pound when painted, decalled and loaded to fly. When one NAR Section newsletter contacted Estes about this, the reply was just don't apply the decals or paint it and the weight will be under a pound!

Thanks to the established Estes distribution system, these Pro Series products ended up in many hobby shops but it never appeared to me that they sold very well.

Two more Pro Series kits would be released, the Terrier/Sandhawk and Jayhawk, both scale models. These models were listed as being able to be flown with E15 and E30 motors. The impression at the time was that these motors would be composite propellant but when an E15 motor was released it used black-powder propellant. The three initial Pro Series kits would be later modified to use the E15 BP motor.

The Pro Series products were last featured in the 1996 Estes catalog. By then, Estes had bought North Coast Rocketry which would eventually produce large model rocket kits powered by composite motors. However, that story is best left to more knowledgeable peeople (Matt, Chas?).

So, there you have it. I hope you enjoyed this bit of history from my perspective.
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