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  #11  
Old 02-20-2011, 04:13 PM
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Mark II Mark II is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by UPscaler
So I used his hang tag dating info, which revealed that black hang tag was used from 1982-1985. So, these kits are between 25 and 28 years old (excluding 2011). They say right on the face card, K-56 #1256. Which makes me believe I can't exclude it from being the K-kit line.
When someone talks about a K-series Alpha III, to me the kit in question is from the 1971-74 period. The Alpha III was released early in the "Damon era," but the "K" number indicates that it was developed during the "Vern" era (1960s). Estes Industries' parts numbering system was revamped following the sale of the company to Damon; they dropped the "K" system for kits in favor of the much-more-flexible four-digit all-numerical system. Kits that were still in production that had originally bore K numbers were given numbers beginning with "12" followed by a two-digit version of their K number. (The #### system has its own limitations, though.) Thus the Scout (K-1) was redesignated as kit #1201. The K-56 Alpha III became kit# 1256. Damon also started rapidly phasing out the "Astron" name at the same time.

When Craig mentions that YORP is still seeking original plans for the K-56 Alpha III, I interpret "original" to mean plans from the kits that only bore the K-56 designation (no four digit kit number). He can clarify this for us, though. Your Alpha III kits are certainly vintage and collectible, and obviously they have appreciated in value. They just aren't "original" K-56 kits, though.

Craig: I remember when the Alpha III was released. The first 1971 Estes catalog was the last one of the four that I received during my "early" model rocketry period. (The others were the 1967, 68 and 69 catalogs. I missed getting the 1970 catalog because we moved to another state that year, so this was the first I heard of the new "Mighty D" motors, too.) The Alpha III was the very first E2X kit, and the only one to ever carry a K number. I was offended by the fact that it had a plastic nose cone and a plastic, one-piece fin can. I mean, what was the world coming to? What ever happened to craftsmanship? Now I think of the Alpha III as one cool kit and I sorely miss the one I had (from the 1406 starter set (purchased in 2004) that floated away one day on a C6-7.

The second 1971 catalog was identical to the version that I had, but it announced the brand-new 13mm Series IV Mini Brute motors and the initial Mini Brute line of kits. I remained totally unaware of those motors and kits for the next 33 years. I had missed them by just a few months.
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  #12  
Old 02-20-2011, 04:35 PM
zog139 zog139 is offline
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Heres a picture of my "Maxi-Alpha-3" finished like the #1256 in red and white along with some other club member goodies
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  #13  
Old 02-20-2011, 04:54 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by zog139
Heres a picture of my "Maxi-Alpha-3" finished like the #1256 in red and white along with some other club member goodies


Jim, what is that weird little rocket up front in your photo???

Joe

PS..................beautiful work on the big Alpha III, by the way.
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  #14  
Old 02-20-2011, 05:36 PM
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blackshire blackshire is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mojo1986
Jim, what is that weird little rocket up front in your photo???

Joe

-SNIP-
It's an Asteroid Probe (Product Number: MR9200), made by Starlight Model Rockets (see: http://www.starlightrocketry.com/Rocket_Kits.html ). It's about halfway down the "screen-page," the first kit shown in their Skill Level 2 section.
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Last edited by blackshire : 02-20-2011 at 05:42 PM. Reason: This ol' hoss done forgot somethin'.
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  #15  
Old 02-20-2011, 06:05 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark II
-SNIP- When Craig mentions that YORP is still seeking original plans for the K-56 Alpha III, I interpret "original" to mean plans from the kits that only bore the K-56 designation (no four digit kit number). He can clarify this for us, though. Your Alpha III kits are certainly vintage and collectible, and obviously they have appreciated in value. They just aren't "original" K-56 kits, though.-SNIP-
My first Alpha III was bought in the mid-1970s. It did not have the 711-PTA-2050A plastic adapter that was listed in the Alpha III Plastic Replacement Parts "box" *only* in the "regular" 1971 Estes catalog and in the Fall 1971 Estes catalog (which introduced the Series IV 13 mm mini motors), but my kit's instruction sheet did include a photograph of the original "decal-less" Alpha III paint scheme (see: http://www.ninfinger.org/rockets/ca...1/711est16.html ) even though the kit did come with the now-familiar front and rear black roll pattern decals. Mike Hellmund, who built the catalog photo models, might be able to shed light on what the 711-PTA-2050A plastic adapter really was and what it looked like.
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Last edited by blackshire : 02-20-2011 at 06:06 PM. Reason: This ol' hoss done forgot somethin'.
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  #16  
Old 02-20-2011, 10:44 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark II
...When Craig mentions that YORP is still seeking original plans for the K-56 Alpha III, I interpret "original" to mean plans from the kits that only bore the K-56 designation (no four digit kit number). He can clarify this for us, though.


In the case of the Alpha III, I think we would be looking for the oldest production version available. This is a model that is still "in production", having never been OOP since it was released, so we really have two directions to pursue. One is to establish a "first generation" plan set; second is to create a full "pedigree" of all versions in their release order.

Quote:
Your Alpha III kits are certainly vintage and collectible, and obviously they have appreciated in value. They just aren't "original" K-56 kits, though.


They're "transition era" kits. It would be a good addition to the list (for historical completeness), and Scott H would be the final arbitrator in the matter, but we would still be looking for that one "earlier" version.
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  #17  
Old 02-21-2011, 01:02 AM
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Good point, Craig. Trying to represent a kit with as long of a history as the Alpha III with just a single set of plans can miss much of its story. The Alpha III is very important and historically significant, not only as an E2X kit but as a model rocketry kit in general. It would be a candidate for a future model rocketry Hall of Fame if one was ever created.
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