#11
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Indeed, I keep a photocopy of the "BIG BERTHA: Estes Industries Rocket Plan No. 13" sheet on hand to remind me of those halcyon days. The B4-2 or B6-4 engine was held in place by "wrapping tape tightly all the way around the outside of the engine holder tube, overlapping from the tube to the exposed part of the engine." What could be simpler?
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John Was CAR-ACF# S 337 Was NAR# 91049 Was SAM# 0323 Life begins when the countdown reaches zero! |
#12
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In fact, that's the technique I use to avoid 'friction fitting' whenever it is even reasonably possible (unless stability or fin configuration completely obstruct it). I set the motor block at a point where it will leave about 1/2" of motor casing exposed, then run a 'sleeve' of tape around it to hold the motor in. When you want to change motors, peel the sleeve of tape off and slide it out. No more pushing, pulling, yanking, tugging or jerking to get the motor out -- and no more crumpled motor tubes. Back to the main thread, I didn't say the Bertha should get an 'asterisk' to in any way denigrate its longevity as a kit -- in fact, the 'asterisk' would be there to signify the Bertha design had actually been in the Estes product line longer than the name 'Big Bertha' itself. At any rate I am gonna buy a couple more Berthas next year for its golden anniversary. |
#13
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In that light - agreed. BTW, the Fry's sale that has been written about here in another thread happens to include Big Bertha kits at $9.99. I've picked up four so far.....
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Bernard Cawley NAR 89040 L1 - Life Member SAM 0061 AMA 42160 KG7AIE |
#14
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#15
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There apparently was no Estes catalog for 1965 — or at least neither the Estes site nor Ninfinger has one — but the entire lineup for 1966 was
K-1 Astron Scout K-2 Astron Mark K-3 Astron Space Plane K-4 Astron Streak K-5 Astron Apogee II K-6 Astron Ranger K-7 Astron Phantom K-8 Astron Sky Hook K-9 Astron Spaceman K-10 Astron Cobra K-11 WAC Corporal K-12 Astron Farside Standard Model K-12X Astron Farside Large Payload Model K-13 Astron Falcon K-14 Astron Drifter K-15 Astron Sprite K-16 Delta K-17 Aerobee 300 K-18 X-Ray K-19 Astron Invader K-20 Mars Snooper K-21 Gemini-Titan K-22 V-2 K-23 Big Bertha Big Bertha's the only one that's been in every catalog since then. The item number changed in 1975, along with all the other K- and TK- items, becoming 1223. In 1986 it changed again to 1948 and the kit was described as "Newly updated with new decor, gigantic decal and die-cut fins". Other similar modifications along the way haven't been accompanied by an item number change; as of the 2014 catalog it's still 1948. 2000 was the bottleneck year. By my count there were only 26 non RTF, non E2X kits in the catalog — down from 59 in the previous (1998) catalog — but item 1948 was one of them.
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Rich Holmes Camillus, NY Secretary / newsletter editor Syracuse Rocket Club http://richsrockets.wordpress.com |
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