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ECayemberg
06-30-2009, 08:57 AM
I was able to pick up 10-15 rockets from a friend whose Dad built and flew rockets prior to his passing. He had two stints in rocketry, one in the late 60's to early 70's, then again in the 80's to early 90's. It was fairly easy to identify the variety of Estes and Centuri models with the exception of this one, which I have been unable to identify in any terms.

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f286/ECayemberg/DSC01164.jpg

The measured dimensions:
-Lower airframe: 1.325" OD x 16 5/8" length (Note: airframe most likely trimmed due to uneven cut on upper airframe.
-Balsa reducer: exposed portion: 1/16" straight, 1" tapered, total exposed length: 1-1/16"
-Payload airframe: 1.052" OD x 4-5/16"
-Nosecone: 4-17/32" length. Top 1" or so is rougher than the rest, length may have been shortened.
-Fins: 4" root chord, 2" tip chord, 3" semi-span. Fins were laminated together (top and bottom halves are mirrors of each other). Although not visible in the photo, there is a seamline, horizontal in orientation, along the centerline of the fins.

A few more thoughts: This rocket may be a combination of a pair of recycled rockets. I believe the lower airframe may be Estes BT-55 and the payload airframe may be ST-10. The nose and reducer fit the payload airframe well, but the reducer is a sloppy fit in the lower airframe (which would make sense if the reducer is a ST-13 to ST-10 reducer). The rocket has a 18mm mount, no engine hook. The shock cord was a paper mount of some sort, but has been ripped from the airframe prior to me receiving the rocket. The decal wraps do not reach around the entire circumference of the airframe, so must have been part of another kit or decal set. It has been stated that the gentlemen built only kits, never scratch built, which is consistent with every other model I received.

So, any ideas? Searches of the Semroc cross reference page, ninfinger, Estes/Centuri kit lists have left me stumped and confused. Please help o gurus of rocketry of yesteryears. :)

-Eric-

kurtschachner
06-30-2009, 10:07 AM
Ah yes, the old Zoombird (or was it the Buzzspace?) Produced for 4 hours only back in I think, 197-something. Or was it 198-something. Nevertheless, very rare and highly collectable. In fact I think it is the only one I've ever seen ;)

ECayemberg
06-30-2009, 10:47 AM
Kurt,

Thanks for the response. Any idea who would have produced such a bird for a mere 4 hours? I've never heard of a Zoombird or Buzzspace?!?!?

-Eric-

CPMcGraw
06-30-2009, 11:12 AM
I was able to pick up 10-15 rockets from a friend whose Dad built and flew rockets prior to his passing. He had two stints in rocketry, one in the late 60's to early 70's, then again in the 80's to early 90's. It was fairly easy to identify the variety of Estes and Centuri models with the exception of this one, which I have been unable to identify in any terms.

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f286/ECayemberg/DSC01164.jpg

The measured dimensions:
-Lower airframe: 1.325" OD x 16 5/8" length (Note: airframe most likely trimmed due to uneven cut on upper airframe.
-Balsa reducer: exposed portion: 1/16" straight, 1" tapered, total exposed length: 1-1/16"
-Payload airframe: 1.052" OD x 4-5/16"
-Nosecone: 4-17/32" length. Top 1" or so is rougher than the rest, length may have been shortened.
-Fins: 4" root chord, 2" tip chord, 3" semi-span. Fins were laminated together (top and bottom halves are mirrors of each other). Although not visible in the photo, there is a seamline, horizontal in orientation, along the centerline of the fins.

A few more thoughts: This rocket may be a combination of a pair of recycled rockets. I believe the lower airframe may be Estes BT-55 and the payload airframe may be ST-10. The nose and reducer fit the payload airframe well, but the reducer is a sloppy fit in the lower airframe (which would make sense if the reducer is a ST-13 to ST-10 reducer). The rocket has a 18mm mount, no engine hook. The shock cord was a paper mount of some sort, but has been ripped from the airframe prior to me receiving the rocket. The decal wraps do not reach around the entire circumference of the airframe, so must have been part of another kit or decal set. It has been stated that the gentlemen built only kits, never scratch built, which is consistent with every other model I received.

So, any ideas? Searches of the Semroc cross reference page, ninfinger, Estes/Centuri kit lists have left me stumped and confused. Please help o gurus of rocketry of yesteryears. :)

-Eric-

Eric,

I think I can start out with the identification process here. This is a Heinz-57 design. It is not a true kit from either Estes or Centuri, but is just as you are already thinking -- a combination of recycled parts. Your friend's dad clearly had an eye for what looked good, BTW. That rocket could pass for a kit today.

Your description of the fins being two pieces each told me where they came from. The Estes kit "Sky-Hi", #1365, used those fins. In that kit, they remained split, as the lower sections were attached to a booster and the upper sections were attached to the sustainer. The builder applied strips of balsa to the fins to look like "wing fences", and I suspect to keep them aligned.

The diameter measurement on the upper "payload" section may be a combination of the tube and paint layers. Centuri ST-10 is 1.04" OD, and you called out 1.052".

If the nose cone was shortened, the only stock cone it could have been to begin with was the BC-107, which was 5.3" long. The SEMROC equivalent today is the BC-1052 which is 5.2" long. Likely candidates for this contribution would include the Centuri "Astro-1", "Astrobee 350", and "Arcon".

The payload tube was probably taken from one of these kits after a failed recovery, representing whatever was undamaged. It's an odd length compared to stock catalog lengths. That would also account for why the nose cone was shortened.

The transition is also an odd length, but could have been custom-turned. Did your friend's dad own or use a lathe? Would also account for the work on the nose cone.

The lower tube measures out as BT-55, and judging by the decal at the top of this tube, probably started out as the Estes "Avenger", #K-38. The decal may have come from the later version of the "Avenger", kit #1238.

Given that the builder had these decals laying around, he may have built the kits but not finished them (finish, as in priming, painting, and applying decals) before flying them.

Attached below is a modern RockSim simulation file for this design. The performance numbers are not that bad. It's a nice model for sport flying, something that could be flown in nearly any decent schoolyard.

Hope this helps!

CPMcGraw
06-30-2009, 11:31 AM
Ah yes, the old Zoombird (or was it the Buzzspace?) Produced for 4 hours only back in I think, 197-something. Or was it 198-something. Nevertheless, very rare and highly collectable. In fact I think it is the only one I've ever seen ;)

Zoombird and Buzzspace...

Wasn't that company called "Night Flight Rocketry" (or just "Fly-By-Night" Rocketry???) :eek:

Maybe I'm thinking about "Flower-Power Rocketry"... He'll take you up, he'll bring you down,
He'll plant your feet back on the ground... :D

kurtschachner
06-30-2009, 12:03 PM
Zoombird and Buzzspace...

Wasn't that company called "Night Flight Rocketry" (or just "Fly-By-Night" Rocketry???) :eek:

Maybe I'm thinking about "Flower-Power Rocketry"... He'll take you up, he'll bring you down,
He'll plant your feet back on the ground... :D

You could get it via mail order only and you had to have a coupon that was handed out at the 1979 Cheap Trick Houston concert.

Oooh, I'm gonna burn for this one. Sorry EV. I don't know what came over me to be so mean this early in the week.

ECayemberg
06-30-2009, 01:39 PM
Craig,

Fantastic info! An unpainted Estes Avenger was included in the group of kits, so the source of the decal would make sense. The Sky-Hi fins makes sense, although the JimZ fin pattern dims match the tip chord, but not the root chord, span, or grain direction, and the catalog shows die cut fins. The balsa reducer is very cleanly turned; something you'd expect out of one of big two instead of a one off part; agreed it doesn't really match anything.

Kurt, I think you're a little too close to the Illinois border; they rubbing off on ya?

Should get a chance to fly the mystery bird this Friday. B3, B4, B6 or C5 "maiden" flight.

-Eric-