I've had a Semroc 1B build sell for much higher than that. Twice.

I've also sold them for lower than that.

The market can be funny.

__________________
Never trust an atom. They make up everything.

4 out of 3 people struggle with math.

Chemically, alcohol IS a solution.

NAR# 94042
SAM# 0078

I don't know what it is about the clear plastic material Estes uses that make it so brittle. Most of the Phantom kits I have seen in hobby shops have at least one broken fin.


Bill

I believe that the brittleness of transparent plastics has to do with the nature of the material. The transparent styrene plastics that I have seen over the years have all been brittle. The thinness of the the stuff used does not help with brittleness at all. The clear plastic tubing that Estes, Semroc, et al. have used is butyrate, IIRC.

__________________
'Til next time,

Mike Toelle

NAR 31692 L1

SAM 0373

Yeah, it certainly seems to be a different type of plastic than say the typical styrene or such. I think the AstroCam black plastic fin unit was a more typical styrene (probably), and this clear plastic used on the G-T kit doesn't seem to be the same stuff.

__________________
Earl L. Cagle, Jr.
NAR# 29523
TRA# 962
SAM# 73
Owner/Producer
Point 39 Productions

Rocket-Brained Since 1970

The newer Gemini-Titan's fin unit is styrene. The fin unit was used on several other kits, including the Beta Launch Vehicle (2054) and Bailout (2070). The tabs on the fin unit could have a bit thicker. I have two clear units with a broken tab on them from normal landings.

The older Gemini-Titan (K-21) and Thor-Agena B (K-28) used butyrate plastic sheets for the DIY clear plastic fin unit. The real trick is finding clear fin material thin and strong enough to make really durable fins, compared to wood and opaque plastics.

__________________
'Til next time,

Mike Toelle

NAR 31692 L1

SAM 0373

Earl, I'll give you $300 for it!

__________________
Scott D. Hansen
Ye Olde Rocket Shoppe - Your One Stop BAR Shoppe!
Ye Olde Rocket Plans - OOP Rocket Plans From 38 Companies!
Ye Olde Rocket Forum
WOOSH NAR Section #558

Looks like you may have to get in line!

Seriously, I don't know what I'll do with it....toss it back into one of the kit storage containers I guess. I have way too many kits now with precious little time to build them. I have no particular attraction to the kit nor any real desire to build it. I'm more into the vintage Centuri builds, so I doubt I'd ever do anything with it.

But, according to the last one or two that have sold on ebay, that figure is in the ballpark, which I find so hard to believe for such a relatively simple kit. But, different kits appeal to different people, so to each his own.

I think Chas Russell mentioned above he had an unopened one, so that may be the 'collector's' kit to go after.

On a similar thought, do you have scans for this kit? I might could do that for you before I put it back away.

Jus' let me know.

Earl

__________________
Earl L. Cagle, Jr.
NAR# 29523
TRA# 962
SAM# 73
Owner/Producer
Point 39 Productions

Rocket-Brained Since 1970

Not quite complete.

http://www.spacemodeling.org/JimZ/est1978.htm

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I was of course being facetious. It's barely worth 1/5th of that. I already have a couple of these MIB, so no need for any extras.

I have these plans online here along with the decals:

http://www.oldrocketplans.com/estes/est1978/est1978.htm

But, I do need a scan of the header card and of the templates. Maybe you could trace a fin on a piece of paper and scan that as well.

Thanks, Earl.

__________________
Scott D. Hansen
Ye Olde Rocket Shoppe - Your One Stop BAR Shoppe!
Ye Olde Rocket Plans - OOP Rocket Plans From 38 Companies!
Ye Olde Rocket Forum
WOOSH NAR Section #558

Oh, I know....I was just tossin' a bit of the same back at ya there.

My initial head scratching over the values this kit was hitting on eBay was the reason I started this thread to begin with: I simply could not understand the interest it was garnering on eBay, so I posted here to see if maybe *I* was missing something about the attraction of this kit.

I'll see what I can do on the scans....I've got a fair amount of other stuff I could scan too when I can get the time to add to your 'vault'.

Now, if you want to see another 'flakey' one, check out the person on eBay who has an Estes Space Shuttle kit with a starting bid of $200 and a 'Buy It Now' of $500. THERE'S the bargain of the week right there!

__________________
Earl L. Cagle, Jr.
NAR# 29523
TRA# 962
SAM# 73
Owner/Producer
Point 39 Productions

Rocket-Brained Since 1970