I'm trying to identify a little 3FNC rocket kit that I built many, many years ago. I have very fond memories of it because it was the very first rocket that my [then] fiancée launched. Unfortunately it suffered a major loss of structural integrity at apogee when the ejection charge blew it apart.

The rocket was about the size of an Estes Mosquito (and may in fact have been one), but as I remember it the body tube was actually clear plastic and the fins were intended to be glued in place to a strip of self-adhesive paper that was first wrapped around the rear of the body tube. It was small enough to feature "tumble recovery", but as I mentioned, the force of the ejection charge not only ejected the spent engine casing but also blew out the balsa nose cone and apparently contributed to the loss of one or more fins.

Any ideas as to the kit manufacturer and model name? I'd like to be able to replace it or clone it "for old time's sake".

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John

Was CAR-ACF# S 337
Was NAR# 91049
Was SAM# 0323

Life begins when the countdown reaches zero!

Sounds like an Astron Streak.

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Bill Eichelberger
NAR 79563

http://wallyum.blogspot.com/

I miss being SAM 0058

Build floor: Centuri Design Contest F-150 Hurricane Estes - Low Boom SST Semroc - Marauder, Shrike, SST Shuttle

In paint: Canaroc Starfighter Scorpion Estes F-22 Air Superiority Fighter, Multi-Roc, Solar Sailer II Semroc Cyber III

Ready to fly: Estes - Solar Sailer II Semroc - Earmark, Groonie Der V 1/2

__________________
Bill Eichelberger
NAR 79563

http://wallyum.blogspot.com/

I miss being SAM 0058

Build floor: Centuri Design Contest F-150 Hurricane Estes - Low Boom SST Semroc - Marauder, Shrike, SST Shuttle

In paint: Canaroc Starfighter Scorpion Estes F-22 Air Superiority Fighter, Multi-Roc, Solar Sailer II Semroc Cyber III

Ready to fly: Estes - Solar Sailer II Semroc - Earmark, Groonie Der V 1/2

A more easily-recoverable clone of the Estes Streak could use BT-20 tubing and a BT-20A nose cone (which is the same as the BT-10A--its shoulder diameter and outer diameter are just tiny fractions of an inch different from those of the BT-20A). A 13 mm mini motor mount could eject itself out the rear of the model (retained by a length of Kevlar cord), and a streamer could be attached to the motor mount tube, being "accordion-folded" around the motor mount tube for flight.

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Black Shire--Draft horse in human form, model rocketeer, occasional mystic, and writer, see:
http://www.lulu.com/content/paperba...an-form/8075185
http://www.lulu.com/product/cd/what...of-2%29/6122050
http://www.lulu.com/product/cd/what...of-2%29/6126511
All of my book proceeds go to the Northcote Heavy Horse Centre www.northcotehorses.com.
NAR #54895 SR

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SAM # 0011

As mentioned, the rocket in question is the Astron Streak. It used a tube made of spiral-wound mylar, which is why it could hold up to, and didn't immediately melt from the heat of the ejection charge.

Though I'm not offering it, I have enough of this tubing for two, maybe three, clones of the Streak. At standard engine size, it is large enough to be seen. Much easier than with the current crop of mini-motor featherweights (mosquito, quark, and 220 Swift), and unlike those featherweights, it *would* tend to slow down after ejection and tumble a bit. And if it didn't tumble and stayed stable, its relative density (compared to, say, the Quark) assured it would hit with maybe the same force as a badmitton birdie.

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Roy
nar12605

Or less, especially if you hollowed out the nose cone, which was a common technique back then. Once a Streak that had been prepped that way had ejected its motor it truly was featherlight, or at least it seemed so. When my Birdies fall from a couple hundred feet up they hit with enough force to be noticeable, but probably not enough to really hurt if you were struck with one. If they hit pavement, they bounce pretty high.

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SAM # 0011

That's it!! As soon as I clicked on the plans it was like I was transported back in time to when I first built it. After all these decades I can now vaguely recall even my trying to decide whether I should build it "sport" or "competition". Thanks so much for identifying it, for documenting it and giving some great hints for cloning it!!

__________________
John

Was CAR-ACF# S 337
Was NAR# 91049
Was SAM# 0323

Life begins when the countdown reaches zero!

Pardon me while I wax nostalgic for a moment -- Aw, the fun we could have for "Just 50¢"! (OK, plus the cost of a motor or two.) Thems was the days!

__________________
John

Was CAR-ACF# S 337
Was NAR# 91049
Was SAM# 0323

Life begins when the countdown reaches zero!

Speaking of which, Semroc Astronautics (see: www.semroc.com ) has all of the Streak's parts except the BT-10 mylar tubing (BT-20 kraft paper tubing is a "drop-in replacement" for BT-10--plus the fins and nose cone can be glued directly to BT-20 tubes).

__________________
Black Shire--Draft horse in human form, model rocketeer, occasional mystic, and writer, see:
http://www.lulu.com/content/paperba...an-form/8075185
http://www.lulu.com/product/cd/what...of-2%29/6122050
http://www.lulu.com/product/cd/what...of-2%29/6126511
All of my book proceeds go to the Northcote Heavy Horse Centre www.northcotehorses.com.
NAR #54895 SR