I never had this kit back in the day but recently picked up a non-Citation version of the kit (rainbow hang tag).

I was wondering for those who might be more up on the history of the Citation kits and their follow-on linage, when did they stop having the chrome nose and tail pieces and when did the fins tips stop being pre-clipped.

I knew the one I was getting was not chromed and I could tell the plastic fin can tips were not clipped, as they continued to be shown in the Estes catalog as clipped throughout the run of this kit.

Best I can tell, looking at catalog images, maybe only the initial "Citation" versions came with chromed noses and fin units. Catalog images from about '75 on show non-chromed versions. But it appears the catalog images never changed to show non-clipped fin tips. And there is no step in the instructions that direct you to actually clip the fin tips.

My kit came with the "Citation" instruction sheet (though as mentioned above, my kit is not a Citation version...it is a bagged rainbow hang tag kit). In looking at Jimz site, I see there was apparently a later set of instructions for the Quasar that shows a non-clipped fin can in the instructions, but I did not see any indications there for clipping the fin tips either. (Link to Jimz plans: http://www.spacemodeling.org/jimz/e...ar/est0650.pdf).

So...just curious if anyone knows some of the timeline details of chrome to non-chrome and clipped fin can to non-clipped fin can.

Thanks,

Earl

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Earl L. Cagle, Jr.
NAR# 29523
TRA# 962
SAM# 73
Owner/Producer
Point 39 Productions

Rocket-Brained Since 1970

Your research concurs with mine. The catalog showed the clipped fins all the way through the last year in 1984. I've seen examples that weren't clipped, but have no idea when they stopped. 1974 was the last catalog year it had the silver fin can and NC.

As for personal experience with the Quasar, I liked all varieties of it in the catalog, but never bought one. It began and ended life costing more than the Alpha III, but for the most of its run, had the same catalog price.

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I love sanding.

The Citation version of the Quasar was available 1973-1974.

The non-Citation version was available 1975-1984.

I bought, built and flew an original Citation Quasar back in the 1970s.
I still have it.

I also have a sealed Citation Quasar in the box that I picked up at the NARAM-50 auction.

About fifteen years ago I made a clone of the non-Citation Quasar.

I kinda like the Quasar.

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Bob
S.A.M. # 0014

Thanks Tim and Bob for your posts. Much appreciated.

So Bob, are you indicating then that the chromed fin can and nose cone and clipped fin can both ended with the he Citation version?

I kinda wondered whether that might be the case, but, as stated above, the catalog images showed clipped fins for the entire run of the kit...all the way through ‘84. The chrome stopped though after the ‘74 catalog image. So, it is not really easy to know exactly when the clipped fin can stopped.

Earl

__________________
Earl L. Cagle, Jr.
NAR# 29523
TRA# 962
SAM# 73
Owner/Producer
Point 39 Productions

Rocket-Brained Since 1970

My understanding is that Estes had many more of the wrap-around Quasar body tube decals than the chrome-plated fins and nose cones. At some point they ran out of the chrome-plated parts. Perhaps there were bagged Quasar kits which had the chrome-plated parts? I don't know. It would be a good collector's item if these existed.

The Citation line was not successful in it's original purpose (Product for mass-market retailers) so the kits were downgraded from boxes to bags and had other cost cutting measures applied. In the case of the Quasar the Alpha III fin cans no longer had the tips cut off (Estes had a jig to hold the fin can and cut off the fin tips but it was a manual operation). In addition, the chrome-plating was eliminated.

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Bob
S.A.M. # 0014

My first rocket kits were the Bagged Quasar and Bagged Patriot.
The Quasar had a white nose cone and white non-clipped fin can.
Both purchased on the same day in June of 1977 at Toys-R-Us.
Neither mentioned "Citation" anything on the face cards, but both did on the instructions.

The one difference in the Patriot was a white two piece molded nose cone. The Citation ones had black plastic cones.

In my opinion the chrome plated cone and chrome clipped fin version look about 1000x better. Without those, it just looks like a goofy extended length Alpha III.

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