Ye Olde Rocket Forum - View Single Post

Quote:

Originally Posted by gpoehlein

Y'know, I've always considered the Phantom (1207):

http://www.ninfinger.org/rockets/ca...74/74est32.html

to be an unofficial member of the Alpha family. It is the same shape as the Alpha III - same nose cone and fin can only molded in clear plastic. Of course, by this logic, I suppose the Quasar is also an unofficial member as well - it's really just a stretched version of the Alpha III with clipped fins:

http://www.ninfinger.org/rockets/ca...75/75est12.html

Quote:

Originally Posted by chrism

Would you include Colossus--a streched version of Maxi Alpha 3??

You've both caught on to my quiz question. To recap: in either the 1979 and 1980 Estes catalogs, how many Alpha models do you count?

I count at least 5 and possibly 6.

Alpha
Alpha III
Maxi Alpha
Maxi Alpha III
K-07B Phantom (Clear Alpha), and possibly
Colossus (stretched Maxi Alpha III)

I briefly considered the Quasar, but decided that the clipped fins kept it out of the family. The Alpha and its kin use oblique trapezoid fins; the Quasar used clipped trapezoid fins. The two shapes are related, but that doesn't make rockets that have either one related. It might be more accurate to call the Quasar an upscaled Mark.