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  #21  
Old 11-13-2009, 04:55 AM
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Estes released so many exotic designs over the years - how is a person supposed to pick just 20? If we limit the choices to ones that we have actually built (or even just bought), as opposed to having just seen them in a catalog, then the list will be much shorter, or you'll hear from fewer people, including me.

I could have included the WFSP in my post. I considered doing that, but then I started thinking about why I would include some but not others in my list. Estes released so many exotic designs over the years, but to tell the truth, I never built any of them (because I wasn't building any rockets at all during nearly all of those years). So when I look back at all of the exotics that Estes released, I feel that they all look good to me (well, most anyway). And since I never built or owned hardly any of them (I have a couple now), it is hard for me to name my "favorites."

BTW, I think that #2191 is a real exotic design, too.

I'm surprised that more people didn't mention the #1372 Alien Explorer. That kit and the USS Andromeda are right at the top of my list of the most exotic designs that Estes ever released. I'm also surprised that no one has mentioned the #2120 Venus Probe or the #2163 Exoskell. Regarding these last two, do kits that feature a lot of molded plastic count?

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  #22  
Old 11-13-2009, 05:48 AM
gerryfortin gerryfortin is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by STRMan
The Andromeda would take all top 20 positions for me. My absolute favorite model.


Support for the Andromeda is building as one of the top exotic kits based on the last three posts. Personally, I like the Andromeda as one of the showcase Estes designs.

No one responded to the question concerning the Orion Starfighter / Torellian Invader combo kit or the World Federation Star Prober. Have any forum members ever built these models? Even with the size of my kit collection, I do not own these two kits and believe they are quite rare. Were the kits too exotic in 1980 and lacked interest at the time. I hope someone can share insight on this topic.
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  #23  
Old 11-13-2009, 06:42 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ghrocketman
jeffy,
Ram Jet ?
Am I mistaken on this one ?
I thought that was the ugly thing that was just a tube and fins with an ugly reduced-diameter ramjet cone.
Was there some sort of fantasy/sci-fi RamJet I missed ?

Oh, all right. Perhaps NOT the Ram jet. It's been 20 years since I've seen one.
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  #24  
Old 11-13-2009, 09:15 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gerryfortin
Support for the Andromeda is building as one of the top exotic kits based on the last three posts. Personally, I like the Andromeda as one of the showcase Estes designs.

No one responded to the question concerning the Orion Starfighter / Torellian Invader combo kit or the World Federation Star Prober. Have any forum members ever built these models? Even with the size of my kit collection, I do not own these two kits and believe they are quite rare. Were the kits too exotic in 1980 and lacked interest at the time. I hope someone can share insight on this topic.


PDR released the WFSP and the OS/TI as kits, and I bought both. Unfortunately, I have not built either yet. These were Estes-released after my initial days as a rocketeer, so I never built any of the originals. I really don't want to afford them now, as they have gotten rather pricey. Especially, the OS/Ti combo. It IS quite rare in the original packaging. and extremely expensive, at least from my perspective.
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  #25  
Old 11-13-2009, 12:46 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gerryfortin
Support for the Andromeda is building as one of the top exotic kits based on the last three posts. Personally, I like the Andromeda as one of the showcase Estes designs.

No one responded to the question concerning the Orion Starfighter / Torellian Invader combo kit or the World Federation Star Prober. Have any forum members ever built these models? Even with the size of my kit collection, I do not own these two kits and believe they are quite rare. Were the kits too exotic in 1980 and lacked interest at the time. I hope someone can share insight on this topic.


I'm working on the starfighter pair decals and should have them finished next week.

The Andromeda is one of my favorites but didn't get into my pics earlier.
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  #26  
Old 11-13-2009, 05:24 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sandman
The Andromeda is one of my favorites but didn't get into my pics earlier.
Sweet, especially since that pic is of an SS Cassiopia (which, BTW, is also a super-cool design).
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  #27  
Old 11-13-2009, 05:57 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DeanHFox
Sweet, especially since that pic is of an SS Cassiopia (which, BTW, is also a super-cool design).


DOHHHH!

I clicked on the wrong pic.
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  #28  
Old 11-13-2009, 05:58 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gerryfortin
No one responded to the question concerning the Orion Starfighter / Torellian Invader combo kit or the World Federation Star Prober. Have any forum members ever built these models? Even with the size of my kit collection, I do not own these two kits and believe they are quite rare. Were the kits too exotic in 1980 and lacked interest at the time. I hope someone can share insight on this topic.
So many others to mention, that they probably just haven't come up yet. So I'll get the ball rolling: Yes, I like all three designs. In fact, I wanted to clone the WFSP awhile back, but the scan at YORP is too low-res. And I think that the Orion Starfighter and Torellian Invader are both extremely cool. If I had been buying rocket kits back in the early '80's, I would have grabbed those in a heartbeat.

But getting back to a design I mentioned earlier, I see the #1372 Alien Explorer as the perfect complement to the #1273 USS Andromeda. They are similar in length, diameter, fin span and design theme. Just imagine the drag race! If you like the Andromeda, I can't see how you wouldn't also like the AE. I think that this pair represents two of the coolest designs that Estes ever did.

Actually, let's make that drag race a three-way by throwing in the FlisKits Night Whisper.

MarkII
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  #29  
Old 11-13-2009, 06:04 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark II
If you like the Andromeda, I can't see how you wouldn't also like the AE.


It never appealed to me because of the puke green color. If it had come out before the Andromeda and was done in black, it might the more popular of the two. I understand them not doing it in black after the Andromeda because they would be too similar. Seems like the designers could have found a more appealing color than puke green, though.
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  #30  
Old 11-13-2009, 06:20 PM
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Also, your list simply won't have any legitimacy unless the #2016 Explorer Aquarius is right up there near the top.

Also the #2034 DST should be somewhere on that list. As well as the #2053 Black Hawk.

And what, no love out there for the #1203 Freaky Flyer?

MarkII
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