I'm a hog

[Rustee]

If one's good,at least three is better! Fresh off the shelf,in crisp,glistening packages....

[Quasar]

Nah, I wouldn't call three of anything hoggish. I have 75 vintage Estes checkerboard parachutes. Now that's being a hog. However, I did restrain myself and didn't bid on the last two that I saw on eBay.

[Rustee]

I only have one,a 20" Centuri that I bought just to collect. Have you found some of the older parachutes disintegrate? I have a couple that are in 90's kits that are NG! Chinese ones,maybe they died of lead poisoning...

[Rocket Doctor]

I have a flying Pig rocket, does that count?

FYI
I was in competition with Rougepink over that one...

[Shreadvector]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ima_Hogg

[Rocket Doctor]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ima_Hogg



Good one Fred......

Have you seen the Wendy's TV commercial for their fresh cooked bacon used on their sandwiches? Where everyone in the office goes Hog Wild........

[Quasar]

I only have one,a 20" Centuri that I bought just to collect. Have you found some of the older parachutes disintegrate? I have a couple that are in 90's kits that are NG! Chinese ones,maybe they died of lead poisoning...

Personally, I've never had any 'chute quality problems. Only "end user" problems. :rolleyes:

[Rustee]

Ah,I was wondering why you needed 75 of them...zing!

[Mark II]

I'm a hog Well, if you are feeling guilty, I would be glad to take one off of your hands...

I just want to help to ease your conscience. ;)

MarkII

[Rocket Doctor]

Personally, I've never had any 'chute quality problems. Only "end user" problems. :rolleyes:


The problems that I have had in the past is with the chutes that open upon IMPACT.......OUCH.

[snuggles]

I have a few old Estes and Centuri parachutes that I still use.
They just look neat.
Every once in a while, I'll have a chute deploy after impact.
I call that the Wile-E- Coyote recovery system.

[jetlag]

Especially fun when the rocket is sticking out of the ground and ejects the BT upwards in all the smoke and fire :rolleyes:
Good one, Snuggles!

[Rustee]

Ya know,I've had tangled chutes but never an actual failure,I must be lucky. BTW,when I said I needed at least three Broadswords,I meant I actually have seven. You just can't beat it,it's huge,a classic design,easy to build and you can put a regular D in it or a wicked RMS...what's not to like?

[Mark II]

You have fine taste in rockets, Russ. I couldn't agree more - the Super Big Bertha/Broadsword (virtually identical kits, just varying in decor) is a superb design. I have had a clone of it in my build queue for awhile, while I dither over which version to construct. The decor of the SBB is clean, uncomplicated, distinctive and easy to reproduce. Repro water-slide versions of its decals are readily available. I'm not sure if the color scheme and decal of the Broadsword appeals to everyone's taste, but I like it - a lot. Recreating that gradient fade from black to red certainly appears to be daunting (I have never attempted to paint anything like that) but if it can be pulled off, wow, what an effect!

The big problem with cloning the Broadsword is the decal, though. I don't know of anyone who makes a reproduction of this huge decal; I believe that the original is vinyl and is the self-stick type. (Can you verify this, Russ?) I'm not sure if that is because of the size - it may be too large to print as a water-slide version on an Alps printer, or if it doesn't appeal to some due to the perception that it is gaudy. I happen to like it, though; I think that it perfectly complements the fade paint scheme. If the size is the issue, then perhaps someone could create a true vinyl decal (as opposed to a sticker) of it.

The Super Big Bertha's color scheme, nice as it is, seems to me to be a model rocket/mid power rocket decor. The Broadsword, although every bit the same as the SBB under the skin, looks to me like it has higher aspirations. The combination of the decal pattern and the paint scheme reminds me of the kind of automotive-style decor that you see on many high power rockets. I think that it is a big reason why it appeals to me. But while you see clones of the Super Big Bertha occasionally, you never see one of the Broadsword.

MarkII

[Rustee]

Hey,yes the decal is self-adhesive. Here's what it looks like assembled,next to a Big Bertha. I did a fade job on a Manace about a decade ago,I could show you but they're all over 1Meg in size. Still got two though!

[sandman]

I have the decal. Yes, I can fit it onto a standard sheet...barely!

Sorry but it isn't up on my web site yet.

I'll try to put it on this weekend.

[o1d_dude]

Rustee, I just looked at the image of the BB and SBB/BS in your post and have a question.

Doesn't the SBB/BS come with square fillets for the fins?

There is a Broadsword hanging from the ceiling at my LHS and it has the square fillets.

Just curious as I'm looking to build a clone.

[sandman]

The Broadsword decals are now posted on the site.

Go to "Estes classic waterslide decals"

Scroll down to "Broadsword".

Just click on "add to cart"!

[MKP]

Rustee, I just looked at the image of the BB and SBB/BS in your post and have a question.

Doesn't the SBB/BS come with square fillets for the fins?

There is a Broadsword hanging from the ceiling at my LHS and it has the square fillets.

Just curious as I'm looking to build a clone.

My Super Big Bertha also has the square balsa added to the fillets. Don't see 'um on Rustee's though.

[Rocketcrab]

OK, I know it's probably just me, but as much as I liked the Super Big Bertha, it didn't like me. I bought and built one as soon as it came out [1992?], and I flew it a couple of times on D12's...then it lawn darted. OK, I used it as a test bed for some of the new 18mm RMS motors that were coming out at that time. Same result. Lots of interior BT for that 18mm ejection charge. Fast forward to 2006, and I built another one from my stash. Aha! I've learned from the past, and beefed up the BT-50 motor mount tube, installed a liner to the BT-80 [aka the tube from some Christmas wrapping paper], and off we go...until flight #1, on a D12, and the ejection charge fries the motor mount tube again. GRRRR......it's 6th and last flight was at NARAM-51 on a D15-4RMS. Great boost, no chute, lawn dart. Motor mount trashed. I salvaged the fins and nose cone, used some leftover BT-80 I had laying around, a Sunward 1 x 24/ 4 x 18 motor mount kit and voila! - The Iludium Q-36 Explosive Space Modulator was born! Hope to fly her the day after Thanksgiving! :chuckle:

[Mark II]

The Broadsword decals are now posted on the site.

Go to "Estes classic waterslide decals"

Scroll down to "Broadsword".

Just click on "add to cart"!Hot dang!! :D

Once I have that, I'll finally be able to defeat anyone who tries to tell me, "None shall pass." ;) Or at least battle them to a draw. :chuckle:

NarkII