Ye Olde Rocket Forum

Go Back   Ye Olde Rocket Forum > The Golden Age of Model Rocketry > Kit Collecting
User Name
Password
Auctions Register FAQ Members List Calendar Today's Posts Search Mark Forums Read


Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
  #1  
Old 08-07-2013, 04:57 PM
Blushingmule's Avatar
Blushingmule Blushingmule is offline
Where'd it go?
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Mississippi
Posts: 580
Default An older Astron Alpha

Hi gents and ladies...

I nabbed a '60s Astron Alpha from e-Bastad. Opened but with original 'chute,
TR-1, updated centering rings for the motor mount (the earlier ones were thin
paper) and all patterns, etc.

Have the parts to build 3 from Semroc, this one will be fun and only flown w/
1/2 A & A's...

Bob
p.s. The Alpha was my 1st. back in '68...Dad & I launched it at the UOG sport field
in the evening...swish pop and it vanished literally as the Sun settled.
__________________
illegitimi non carborundum

NAR# 54643 L-1

SAM# 043

AMA# 157091

VRCS# 154

A&P# 42x xx xxxx.
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 08-07-2013, 05:07 PM
A Fish Named Wallyum A Fish Named Wallyum is offline
BP Mafia
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Ft. Thomas, KY
Posts: 8,596
Default

The Alpha was the first rocket I lost. I got it with a starter set as a 15th birthday present. Built it Friday night, painted it on Saturday with gloss white spray paint and red and black brush paint, and flew it on Sunday, still tacky, at the parking lot above the soccer field at NKU. It went straight up on a C6-5, popped the chute, and rode the breeze to the woods as Mom, Dave, Jen and I watched. A few years later NKU turned that strip of woods into a parking lot, and I'd think of the Alpha when I parked there.
__________________
Bill Eichelberger
NAR 79563

http://wallyum.blogspot.com/

I miss being SAM 0058

Build floor: Centuri Design Contest F-150 Hurricane Estes - Low Boom SST Semroc - Gee'Hod, Shrike, SST Shuttle

In paint: Canaroc Starfighter Scorpion Estes F-22 Air Superiority Fighter, Solar Sailer II Semroc Cyber III

Ready to fly: Estes - Multi-Roc, Solar Sailer II Semroc - Earmark, Snake Jumper
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 08-07-2013, 08:56 PM
blackshire's Avatar
blackshire blackshire is offline
Master Modeler
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Fairbanks, Alaska
Posts: 6,507
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Blushingmule
Hi gents and ladies...

I nabbed a '60s Astron Alpha from e-Bastad. Opened but with original 'chute,
TR-1, updated centering rings for the motor mount (the earlier ones were thin
paper) and all patterns, etc.

Have the parts to build 3 from Semroc, this one will be fun and only flown w/
1/2 A & A's...

Bob
p.s. The Alpha was my 1st. back in '68...Dad & I launched it at the UOG sport field
in the evening...swish pop and it vanished literally as the Sun settled.
That is fab! Does it have the fin planform shown here (see: http://www.ninfinger.org/rockets/no...a/69estp50.html ) in the Estes "Model Rocketry Manual" (the yellow-pages section of the 1968 and 1969 Estes catalogs)? A few years ago here on YORF, there was a discussion about changes to the Alpha's fin planform that have occurred over the years. (I imagine the thin centering rings used in the very earliest Alpha kits were the same ones used [glued to JT-50 stage couplers] in the Astron Farside kit.)
__________________
Black Shire--Draft horse in human form, model rocketeer, occasional mystic, and writer, see:
http://www.lulu.com/content/paperba...an-form/8075185
http://www.lulu.com/product/cd/what...of-2%29/6122050
http://www.lulu.com/product/cd/what...of-2%29/6126511
All of my book proceeds go to the Northcote Heavy Horse Centre www.northcotehorses.com.
NAR #54895 SR
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 08-07-2013, 10:17 PM
A Fish Named Wallyum A Fish Named Wallyum is offline
BP Mafia
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Ft. Thomas, KY
Posts: 8,596
Default

Since we're on the subject......
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Est...ea#ht_74wt_1330
This is kinda cool.
__________________
Bill Eichelberger
NAR 79563

http://wallyum.blogspot.com/

I miss being SAM 0058

Build floor: Centuri Design Contest F-150 Hurricane Estes - Low Boom SST Semroc - Gee'Hod, Shrike, SST Shuttle

In paint: Canaroc Starfighter Scorpion Estes F-22 Air Superiority Fighter, Solar Sailer II Semroc Cyber III

Ready to fly: Estes - Multi-Roc, Solar Sailer II Semroc - Earmark, Snake Jumper
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 08-07-2013, 11:24 PM
BEC's Avatar
BEC BEC is offline
Master Modeler
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Auburn, Washington
Posts: 3,643
Default

It'll be interesting to see if he gets his $100 or more.
__________________
Bernard Cawley
NAR 89040 L1 - Life Member
SAM 0061
AMA 42160
KG7AIE
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 08-08-2013, 02:51 PM
A Fish Named Wallyum A Fish Named Wallyum is offline
BP Mafia
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Ft. Thomas, KY
Posts: 8,596
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by BEC
It'll be interesting to see if he gets his $100 or more.

I don't think it's unreasonable, but you'd have to be someone with a strong yen for the Alpha. I think he might have been better off starting the bidding a little lower.
__________________
Bill Eichelberger
NAR 79563

http://wallyum.blogspot.com/

I miss being SAM 0058

Build floor: Centuri Design Contest F-150 Hurricane Estes - Low Boom SST Semroc - Gee'Hod, Shrike, SST Shuttle

In paint: Canaroc Starfighter Scorpion Estes F-22 Air Superiority Fighter, Solar Sailer II Semroc Cyber III

Ready to fly: Estes - Multi-Roc, Solar Sailer II Semroc - Earmark, Snake Jumper
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 08-08-2013, 04:06 PM
gpoehlein's Avatar
gpoehlein gpoehlein is offline
Paper Rocketeer
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Evansville, Indiana
Posts: 1,181
Default

Yeah - the Alpha was my very first rocket I ever built. I've always loved it - simple and classic. Still a great flyer - I built one of the newer plastic nosed units, but I recently started a new one using a balsa nose from Semroc - the plastic nose cone just isn't the right shape compared to the BNC-50K.
__________________
Greg Poehlein

Member of Launch Crue - http://launchcrue.org/

Hint #1: Do not use magician's flash paper for recovery wadding!

Hint #2: Clean your shoes after flyin' in that cow pasture - that ain't no dirt clod on the sole!
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 08-08-2013, 08:28 AM
Blushingmule's Avatar
Blushingmule Blushingmule is offline
Where'd it go?
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Mississippi
Posts: 580
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by blackshire
Does it have the fin planform shown here (see: http://www.ninfinger.org/rockets/no...a/69estp50.html ) in the Estes "Model Rocketry Manual" (the yellow-pages section of the 1968 and 1969 Estes catalogs)?


Yes. I just checked the fin pattern against the page in a catalog. Also, I recently received
some of Gordy's pre-Damon decals

Bob
__________________
illegitimi non carborundum

NAR# 54643 L-1

SAM# 043

AMA# 157091

VRCS# 154

A&P# 42x xx xxxx.
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 08-08-2013, 11:56 PM
blackshire's Avatar
blackshire blackshire is offline
Master Modeler
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Fairbanks, Alaska
Posts: 6,507
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Blushingmule
Yes. I just checked the fin pattern against the page in a catalog. Also, I recently received
some of Gordy's pre-Damon decals

Bob
Thank you. I didn't know the Alpha had any decals before the Damon era--I'd always thought the red and white decor scheme in the 1968 and 1969 Estes catalogs (1 red fin, red nose cone, red stripe, white body tube & 2 white fins) was masked & painted (like the Astron Mark's decor scheme, which included cradle marks or checkerboard fins, depending on the instructions-suggested decor scheme chosen). Also:

That's a nice Alpha kit "family grouping" in Bill's posting, but the eBay seller's starting bid of $96 does seem a bit steep...
__________________
Black Shire--Draft horse in human form, model rocketeer, occasional mystic, and writer, see:
http://www.lulu.com/content/paperba...an-form/8075185
http://www.lulu.com/product/cd/what...of-2%29/6122050
http://www.lulu.com/product/cd/what...of-2%29/6126511
All of my book proceeds go to the Northcote Heavy Horse Centre www.northcotehorses.com.
NAR #54895 SR

Last edited by blackshire : 08-08-2013 at 11:59 PM. Reason: This ol' hoss done forgot somethin'.
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 08-09-2013, 12:33 AM
A Fish Named Wallyum A Fish Named Wallyum is offline
BP Mafia
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Ft. Thomas, KY
Posts: 8,596
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by blackshire
Thank you. I didn't know the Alpha had any decals before the Damon era--I'd always thought the red and white decor scheme in the 1968 and 1969 Estes catalogs (1 red fin, red nose cone, red stripe, white body tube & 2 white fins) was masked & painted (like the Astron Mark's decor scheme, which included cradle marks or checkerboard fins, depending on the instructions-suggested decor scheme chosen).

They didn't. They were created based on a catalog picture. Pretty cool set if you ask me. There's a Big Bertha set that was created the same way, and possibly an Astron Cobra set.
__________________
Bill Eichelberger
NAR 79563

http://wallyum.blogspot.com/

I miss being SAM 0058

Build floor: Centuri Design Contest F-150 Hurricane Estes - Low Boom SST Semroc - Gee'Hod, Shrike, SST Shuttle

In paint: Canaroc Starfighter Scorpion Estes F-22 Air Superiority Fighter, Solar Sailer II Semroc Cyber III

Ready to fly: Estes - Multi-Roc, Solar Sailer II Semroc - Earmark, Snake Jumper
Reply With Quote
Reply


Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 05:23 PM.


Powered by: vBulletin Version 3.0.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Ye Olde Rocket Shoppe © 1998-2024