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View Full Version : Needed........Estes Plastic Nose Cone


mojo1986
05-29-2007, 10:34 AM
My Satellite Interceptor lawn darted last weekend and I have decided to repair it. The nose cone was badly damaged and needs to be replaced. Does anybody know what kits contained the nose cone for the Satellite Interceptor so that I can widen my search? The cone was a 2-piece affair which included a tail cone. The Estes part number is PNC-50BB or 71027. I believe this part was also used in the Estes Black Brant III, but for all I know it may have been used in several other kits as well. Hoping to pick one up for a reasonable price on Ebay if possible. Thanks in advance for any help anyone can give.

Joe

PS................all my other launches were great, including an Estes V-2 and an old Estes Birdie that I had never previously launched. The Birdie spins in flight so it is very stable and gives great straight up flights. And the bonus is the easy recovery, because it ejects the engine and just drops right straight down again.

ghrocketman
05-29-2007, 10:56 AM
Besides the Estes BB III, the Estes Stiletto used the same nose/tail cone set as the Sat. Interceptor.
Contact Caleb at PD Rocketry for one of these; I know they currently clone this kit.

Ltvscout
05-29-2007, 11:45 AM
My Satellite Interceptor lawn darted last weekend and I have decided to repair it. The nose cone was badly damaged and needs to be replaced. Does anybody know what kits contained the nose cone for the Satellite Interceptor so that I can widen my search? The cone was a 2-piece affair which included a tail cone. The Estes part number is PNC-50BB or 71027. I believe this part was also used in the Estes Black Brant III, but for all I know it may have been used in several other kits as well. Hoping to pick one up for a reasonable price on Ebay if possible. Thanks in advance for any help anyone can give.

Joe,

The Estes Nose Cone Reference lists that I have on this page will give you all the info you need.

http://www.rocketshoppe.com/tips.htm

CPMcGraw
05-29-2007, 12:24 PM
My Satellite Interceptor lawn darted last weekend and I have decided to repair it. The nose cone was badly damaged and needs to be replaced. Does anybody know what kits contained the nose cone for the Satellite Interceptor so that I can widen my search? The cone was a 2-piece affair which included a tail cone. The Estes part number is PNC-50BB or 71027. I believe this part was also used in the Estes Black Brant III, but for all I know it may have been used in several other kits as well. Hoping to pick one up for a reasonable price on Ebay if possible. Thanks in advance for any help anyone can give.

Joe

PS................all my other launches were great, including an Estes V-2 and an old Estes Birdie that I had never previously launched. The Birdie spins in flight so it is very stable and gives great straight up flights. And the bonus is the easy recovery, because it ejects the engine and just drops right straight down again.

Joe,

The Estes Nose Cone Reference lists that I have on this page will give you all the info you need.

http://www.rocketshoppe.com/tips.htm

Joe,

The quickest way to grab the 50BB cone is to pick up the Estes #2 Skywriter kit. You can probably find one of these in Wally World for about $9 in the "Launchables" packaging. This one is the one-piece version, but it still has the conical forward section and a straight-sided extension before the shoulder like the original.

If plastic is not absolutely necessary, Carl has a balsa version on the SEMROC website. This was the cone originally used in the Citation Starship Vega.

A Fish Named Wallyum
05-29-2007, 07:02 PM
My Satellite Interceptor lawn darted last weekend and I have decided to repair it. The nose cone was badly damaged and needs to be replaced. Does anybody know what kits contained the nose cone for the Satellite Interceptor so that I can widen my search? The cone was a 2-piece affair which included a tail cone. The Estes part number is PNC-50BB or 71027. I believe this part was also used in the Estes Black Brant III, but for all I know it may have been used in several other kits as well. Hoping to pick one up for a reasonable price on Ebay if possible. Thanks in advance for any help anyone can give.

Joe

PS................all my other launches were great, including an Estes V-2 and an old Estes Birdie that I had never previously launched. The Birdie spins in flight so it is very stable and gives great straight up flights. And the bonus is the easy recovery, because it ejects the engine and just drops right straight down again.

Man, are you lucky. Hobby Lobby generally has Skywriters for around $7. If you can't find one, I've got a spare.

mojo1986
05-31-2007, 06:10 AM
Thanks guys for all your help. I hadn't realised that the Sky Writer contained the same cone...............I have a couple of those kits lying around here. So, problem solved! Now if I could only find a tail cone (it was ruined a couple of years back..............heat damage, I was lucky to get it removed without ruining the rocket) I could bring the old bird back to its former glory. By the way, Scott, that link you gave me is super useful! Thanks again to all!

Joe

Ltvscout
05-31-2007, 08:33 AM
By the way, Scott, that link you gave me is super useful! Thanks again to all!
No problem, Joe. Glad to help.

ghrocketman
05-31-2007, 09:48 AM
I think you could probably get the tailcone from PD Rocketry as well.
They currently offer a clone kit of the Satellite Interceptor

A Fish Named Wallyum
05-31-2007, 01:45 PM
Thanks guys for all your help. I hadn't realised that the Sky Writer contained the same cone...............I have a couple of those kits lying around here. So, problem solved! Now if I could only find a tail cone (it was ruined a couple of years back..............heat damage, I was lucky to get it removed without ruining the rocket) I could bring the old bird back to its former glory. By the way, Scott, that link you gave me is super useful! Thanks again to all!

Joe

The tail cone was considered to be a "display only" part. It was made to slip out for flight, not be glued in. ;)

Tau Zero
05-31-2007, 11:29 PM
By the way, Scott, that link you gave me is super useful!He's our man. :cool:

(over-the-top announcer's voice) "Scott Hansen *is*... SUPER *USEFUL*..." :eek: ;) :D


There ya go, buddy. :rolleyes: :p


Cheers,

mojo1986
06-01-2007, 07:13 AM
Hey, Bill...............I was surprised at your comment about the tail cone being for display only, so I went back and checked my old instructions. Sure enough, display only! Couldn't believe it! Obviously I decided way back then that I could fly 'er with the tail cone in place. Maybe because I had previously built the Estes Black Brant III (what a great flyer that one was!) and with that kit you DO glue in the nozzle. So I must have decided to do it the same way. Gee, I actually had trouble with the BB III as well and eventually had to remove the tail cone from that one as well!

Joe

ghrocketman
06-01-2007, 03:05 PM
I used to fly my Satellite Interceptor with it in place.
I may have only flown it about 5-6 times though.
Not sure why it would melt as 100% of the engine exhaust was at least 3/16" below the bottom of the plastic.

mojo1986
06-02-2007, 07:36 AM
Oh yeah, they can melt (well, at least soften and distort). In both cases when it happened to me I believe it was the result of residual heat from a hot engine casing. At the time I just accepted it and never investigated the reason why it happened..............so I don't know what engines I used. Had to be Estes though, and I suspect a long burn high impulse like a C6-7. It could have been some other reason, my memory is sketchy. I wonder if this problem had anything to do with Estes recommending the nozzle for 'display only' in the Satellite Interceptor??

Joe