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  #1  
Old 05-21-2013, 04:29 PM
Neal Miller Neal Miller is offline
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Default Mid 60's Engine Date Codes ?

I have some Mid 60's Estes Model Rocket Engines with a three letter date code.
Does anyone know how to translate these codes ? The two engines at the bottom are some of the last pound-second engines made in 1968. the A.8.3 & the B.8.4 engines are from some-where after 1963, ( the mailing tubes had a zip code). note the two different codes on the A.8.3 engines . These Engines are from before my time in Model Rocketry so any help would be appreciated.
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Old 05-21-2013, 05:21 PM
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Look around the motor case, there should be a date like the one you see on the motor pictured on the bottom right.
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Old 05-21-2013, 05:28 PM
Neal Miller Neal Miller is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mwtoelle
Look around the motor case, there should be a date like the one you see on the motor pictured on the bottom right.


These motors do not have that type of dating system only the three letter code.
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Old 05-21-2013, 05:41 PM
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Interesting that you show some English-designated motors (B.8-0s from 1968), I actually have some fired C6-0 and C6-7 casings from April 1968. Probably, the records of the date codes on the older motors have probably become lost over the years.
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Old 05-21-2013, 06:14 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Neal Miller
These motors do not have that type of dating system only the three letter code.



I have a couple of 'red' tubes of Estes motors that have similar codes. I don't know how to decipher them either. My guess would be from '65 or '66 based on some pieced together info from some other things that were with the motors, but that really is just a guess.

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Old 05-21-2013, 06:30 PM
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Kaplow said that the coding started in 1976 and before that, they all had dates. He's like Sheldon when it comes to being wrong.
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Old 05-21-2013, 06:37 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tbzep
Kaplow said that the coding started in 1976 and before that, they all had dates. He's like Sheldon when it comes to being wrong.


Welp, there ain't nuthin' but them funny codes on these motors, very similar to the ones in the photo by the original poster. Kaplow is a little off on his statement.


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Old 05-21-2013, 06:43 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Earl
Kaplow is a little off on his statement.
Earl


Eliminate those last three words and you've got it nailed!

BTW, just so folks won't accuse me of making it up:
http://www.oldrocketforum.com/showp...347&postcount=3

As you can see, he does mention the "cryptic date code" of pre-metric motors, but it's fun to mess with folks every now and then.
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Old 05-21-2013, 07:05 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tbzep
Eliminate those last three words and you've got it nailed!

BTW, just so folks won't accuse me of making it up:
http://www.oldrocketforum.com/showp...347&postcount=3

As you can see, he does mention the "cryptic date code" of pre-metric motors, but it's fun to mess with folks every now and then.



Here's a shot of some of the ones I have. The code is a bit hard to read (I've juiced up the contrast on this photo to make it a bit more readable), but it is "PRU".

Earl
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Old 05-21-2013, 07:14 PM
Neal Miller Neal Miller is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Earl
I have a couple of 'red' tubes of Estes motors that have similar codes. I don't know how to decipher them either. My guess would be from '65 or '66 based on some pieced together info from some other things that were with the motors, but that really is just a guess.

Earl


Earl, I would guess along with you on the 1965-1966 Dating.
Here are the facts I have about the motors In my picture : 1, the A.8.3 motors came in a red tube with a postal label with a zip code. ( 1963 or later) the motor instructions in the tube had
a Model Rocket Safety Code that was up-dated in 1965. in both the 1966 Catalog and on the engine instruction sheet there are depictions of Model Rocket Motors with the three letter
code.

So unless we should hear from one of the real Model Rocket Authority's we may never know.
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