I was digging though my Citation stuff last night, and I see I have a chrome Quasar that is complete except it is missing the chrome nosecone.

Does anyone have a chromed Quasar nosecone in their partsbox I could buy... or trade for decals?

Phred

__________________
Just some guy.....

GET GOONY!!

If you can't find an original, you may want to consider having an Alpha III nose chromed. The folks at Chrome Tech USA could probably do it. I haven't done business with them, but I do know that they've been around a while.

Chrome Tech USA

Mike Fields

I have contacted Chrome Tech in the past. It would cost $40-50 to chrome a fin unit and cone!

PH

__________________
Just some guy.....

GET GOONY!!

Try contacting a local jeweler. Many, if not most, know how to electroplate items. Plastic can be electroplated, but it has to be "painted" first with a special coating to make it conductive. The paint isn't cheap. Neither are the electrodes used to supply the chrome. A quote of $40 sounds about right, if maybe low.

A can of Plasticote Chrome is a lot less expensive, and actually produces a good result if care is taken...

__________________
Craig McGraw

BARCLONE Rocketry -- http://barclone.rocketshoppe.com
BARCLONE Blogsite -- http://barclone.wordpress.com
BARCLONE Forum -- BARCLONE Forum

BARs helping BARs

SAM 0044
AMA 352635

Except out here in California. The Citation kits came without motors and there was a special sticker over the picture of the motors on the side of the box.

This was before the change in the fireworks code. Back then, you had to have a permit to buy ANY model rocket motors and they had to be purchased by an adult.

Bob

That makes no sense. You can buy a whole Chrome Dome kit for less than $10. I realize there's an economy-of-scale thing going on with production rocket kits, but that's a HUGE cost difference. Maybe Chrome Tech needs to look at their efficiency.

Mike Fields

Chrome Tech is a "Fred in the shed" type of operation, much like my own decal company. I have dealt with them for years, and his quality is excellent. His 'bread and butter' is the rechroming of model car bumpers from old kits, and a model rocket nosecon or tailcone is a relatively gigantic part to chrome compared to his regular fare. Basically I got the impression that his quote had the "I do not want to do this job, but I will if you pay through the nose for it" sort of ring to it....

Oh well.

That is why I am now searching for a forlorn Quasar nosecone.....

Fred

__________________
Just some guy.....

GET GOONY!!

When I look at the Citation catalog and the pictures of the boxed kits, the first thing that comes to my mind is "special holiday gift-giving packaging." That impression is strengthened by the fact that they were distributed to department stores. (I don't know, they probably found their way onto the shelves of big toy stores like FAO Schwartz, too.) And then, the fact that they only had a short run suggests to me that they were put together for one holiday season, maybe two. The silver/gold/black theme in the catalog, packaging and even on some of the rockets themselves also suggests Christmas/Hannukah. And then there is the fact that they were put together in all-in-one packages, similar to the way that starter sets are packaged today. The simplified labeling also fits this scenario; the labeling isn't for the intended recipient - it is for the parent/gift giver who is buying the package with the intention of making it a gift. Such marketing techniques are quite common - you see many producers put out boxed sets of their products every year for gift-giving. They do this to make the product look appealing in the store shelves, to make it easy to wrap (which adds another element to the product's appeal to a buyer) and to make it look impressive when it is unwrapped. It is not unusual for a manufacturer of toys/consumer goods/etc. to mount a big campaign like the Citation line for just one holiday season; such companies plan their whole marketing year around that one quarter. One successful holiday season has a huge impact on such a company's bottom line for the entire year, and makes it more attractive to investors in the following year. The fact that the Citation line came and went so fast may have been entirely deliberate.

Mark Kulka

__________________
SAM # 0011

The Estes Citation line (Along with the Centuri Stellar series) were an attempt to distribute/sell model rockets through more mainstream channels. This required the use of more colorful packaging.

Had the mainstream department store sales of the Citation line been successful, it would have continued and had additional products added to the line (Probably ).

It was an idea that never caught on. The remaining kit parts were repackaged in bags and the kits sold through the standard hobby channels for many years. The kits did see changes in colors and components until each one was discontinued.

While they definately would have made a nice Christmas present, I think Damon would have been happy if the kits sold in even half the quantity they were hoping!

Bob

And you know that this is true because...?

MK

__________________
SAM # 0011