So I browse around the Vendor section after being gone for a few weeks and I see "The End of Semroc". How can that be I ponder? I spend a thousand or more a year just on parts? The the roller coaster read begins. Initially head-scratching, then palpations, gnashing teeth, gathering of pitch-forks, and finally, from Carl, a very pleasant fluffy cloud upon which to settle back to Earth.

Whatever the agreement achieved I am very glad that Semroc will continue to be able to produce those models which bear resemblance to others names eithe living or dead. Insult to injury comes to mind but perhaps that is a rather over-used notion. Specific to this converation and recent history it seemed most appropriate. I can only hope that there was recognition that while the hobby market is quite broad, the rocketry segment has a rather limited appeal, and even within that segment there are more than enough sunsegmentation to enable several companies to exist in that marketspace. Very doubtful that Semroc would engage in plastic RTF kits replete with launchers et al, just as much the Hobbico/Cox/Estes woudl consider a built from cardstock and balsa Saturn 1B.

Their markets do not cross directly in terms of revenue, and one could equally well position that those who build and fly Semroc are potentially priming the pump for the Hobbico market. Someone has to demonstrate the education or fun, or whatever, that rocketry can be, to those with the not so facile hands yet financing parents that will buy the "Starter set". It is only by seeing the mastery of a craft that we then choose to endeavor to increase our own skills. I know watching someone fly a 1/70th Saturn 1B notched up the interest level when I was in my late teens, and they didn't have Semroc around to give them all the bits!

Glad tidings to Carl and kudos to Hobbico for permitting sense to prevail over corporate policy.

__________________
Gravity is a harsh mistress
SAM 002
NAR 91005
"The complexity of living is eminently favored to the simplicity of not."

Carl,

We met at NARAM-50 . . .

The solution should be fairly simple . . . Drop the Estes & Centuri stuff and simply clone the companies that are long gone . . . FSI, CMR, MPC, etc, etc, etc.

As for them "copyrighting" LITTLE JOE II's, NASA might have something to say about that . . . Just make the sacle models in different scales than ESTES does !

Dave Fitch
NAR 21628
Louisburg, NC

The problem with this is that some of us like the old rockets from Estes and Centuri and like to see them again.

Better that SEMROC produces kits from companies where there is no one around to sue him, than to have a few rocket kits and lose Carl !

Dave

We won't lose Carl. I'm sure ther will be a way for him to supply us with the rockets that Estes does not intend to re-introduce. As for the other companies that are now defunct I have not seen much that would excite me that I would like to see come back.

************************************************** ***************

Hmm . . . Think there might be a "battle" if SEMROC introduced a CINEROC ???

Anyway, I scanned back a few pages and was relieved to see that things were worked out . . .

Dave

Well,

They sorta did...it's a "Mini Omega" complete with artificial, fake, balsa, sorta' resembles
the original "Cineroc" on top of a shrunken Omega. I received one with my latest order; neat kit! Carl had one at NARAM with a camera installed IIRC. Neat!

Bob

__________________
illegitimi non carborundum

NAR# 54643 L-1

SAM# 043

AMA# 157091

VRCS# 154

A&P# 42x xx xxxx.

You did read about the last 10 pages of this thread, after Carl's announcement he and Estes have come to an amicable agreement and he will be allowed to continue to produce most of his product line under a licensing agreement with Estes?

If Estes was demanding an exorbitant royalty fee or slapping unreasonable restrictions on Semroc, I doubt the settlement would have been as "amicable."

Why drop the Estes and Centuri stuff if there's no real reason to do so?

Ahh, I see you did look back, so... uhh... never mind. LOL.

As I said a while back, the subject of this thread will cause mass confusion going forward. Carl should overcome the unwillingness of the moderator to close the thread by posting a "final post" making reference and LINK to a NEW THREAD with a discussion that follows with a new tone, all the great things that are happening after the new agreements are in place.

Just Jerry

former/reformed rmr denizon . . . .

Actually, all Carl has to do is edit his original post to indicate the situation has been resolved. I never did rmr, but know from other newsgroups that you could not do that there...

He may also be able to change the title of the thread?


Bill