Ye Olde Rocket Forum

Go Back   Ye Olde Rocket Forum > Weather-Cocked > Current Kit Talk
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 03-07-2019, 02:35 PM
j.a.duke j.a.duke is offline
Intermediate Rocketeer
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Massachusetts
Posts: 89
Default The Phantom returns!

I was browsing the newly released 2019 Estes catalog and there’s a whole page (92) with the newly re-released Phantom (1207).

My wonderful wife tracked down a mint in package Phantom (then many years OOP) for Christmas in 2011 or 12.

I don’t recall if it has the cutaway engine. I haven’t built it. In fact, I’m not sure where it is right now.

Cheers,
Jon
__________________
BAR 2007
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 03-07-2019, 04:54 PM
BEC's Avatar
BEC BEC is offline
Master Modeler
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Auburn, Washington
Posts: 3,643
Default

Your older one will have a cutaway engine of sorts....a vacuformed part and half of an engine casing (some assembly required).

I’m really looking forward to the new release in part to see how the new cutaway engine is done (hopefully better). I’m also more than a little curious of that nose cone in the picture - it looks to be a different shape than the prior one (which is just an Alpha III/IV/VΙ nose cone molded in clear plastic).

I’d love to know when they will be available even though I have three of the older ones - two built up and one in the bag. The built ones both had one fin broken off some time before I got them (as kits), but CA at least gets ‘em back on easily enough. I also replaced the supplied 4-inch lengths of PST-50 with 5.5-inch ones so that they're the same size as an Alpha III instead of being so stubby. Nice to see the new 1207 has also adopted that approach, it appears.
__________________
Bernard Cawley
NAR 89040 L1 - Life Member
SAM 0061
AMA 42160
KG7AIE

Last edited by BEC : 03-07-2019 at 05:30 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 03-07-2019, 05:01 PM
tbzep's Avatar
tbzep tbzep is offline
Dazed and Confused
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: TN
Posts: 11,610
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by BEC
Your older one will have a cutaway engine of sorts....a vacuformed part and half of an engine casing (some assembly required).

And painting. At least there's no sanding!



.
__________________
I love sanding.
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 03-07-2019, 05:39 PM
ghrocketman's Avatar
ghrocketman ghrocketman is offline
President, MAYHEM AGITATORS, Inc.
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Nunya Bizznuss, Michigan
Posts: 13,443
Default

I'm going to have to buy one to FLY to ruin the tubing with the ejection charge.
Made an ugly orange mess in the tube of the one I launched in 8th grade with a B14-5.
__________________
When in doubt, WHACK the GAS and DITCH the brake !!!

Yes, there is such a thing as NORMAL
, if you have to ask what is "NORMAL" , you probably aren't !

Failure may not be an OPTION, but it is ALWAYS a POSSIBILITY.
ALL systems are GO for MAYHEM, CHAOS, and HAVOC !
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 03-08-2019, 10:06 PM
dwmzmm's Avatar
dwmzmm dwmzmm is offline
Master Modeler
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Katy, TX
Posts: 2,345
Default

I have the original "earlier" Phantom model; always take it with me when doing demonstrations and/or assisting in Scout launches. Draws a lot of attention; everyone (especially the adults) want to get pictures of it.
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:  web19.jpg
Views: 119
Size:  24.8 KB  
__________________
Dave, NAR # 21853 SR.
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 03-09-2019, 07:21 AM
ghrocketman's Avatar
ghrocketman ghrocketman is offline
President, MAYHEM AGITATORS, Inc.
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Nunya Bizznuss, Michigan
Posts: 13,443
Default

That's not the earliest Phantom, but definitely the style I launched.
__________________
When in doubt, WHACK the GAS and DITCH the brake !!!

Yes, there is such a thing as NORMAL
, if you have to ask what is "NORMAL" , you probably aren't !

Failure may not be an OPTION, but it is ALWAYS a POSSIBILITY.
ALL systems are GO for MAYHEM, CHAOS, and HAVOC !
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 03-13-2019, 09:36 AM
blackshire's Avatar
blackshire blackshire is offline
Master Modeler
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Fairbanks, Alaska
Posts: 6,507
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by dwmzmm
I have the original "earlier" Phantom model; always take it with me when doing demonstrations and/or assisting in Scout launches. Draws a lot of attention; everyone (especially the adults) want to get pictures of it.
*Stretches, flexes cloven hooves, combs grayish-white beard against nearby bush, taps horn against it to discharge magical flux* It's an earlier Astron Phantom, but not the earliest; ^here^ http://www.ninfinger.org/rockets/ca...63/63est10.html is the earliest (1963 Estes catalog) listing of the earliest version of the Astron Phantom (which last appeared in the Fall 1971 catalog: http://www.ninfinger.org/rockets/ca...2/712est50.html ). The "Alpha III-like Phantom" made its debut in the 1972 catalog: http://www.ninfinger.org/rockets/no...a/72est060.html . (Interestingly, it looked longer than the later "Alpha III-like Phantom" kits [it was 12.6" long], and the Alpha III kit--as listed in the same 1972 catalog [see: http://www.ninfinger.org/rockets/no...a/72est012.html ]--was 12.25" long, actually 0.35" *shorter* than the Phantom. That was apparently the 'standard' later Phantom's length, though, as a 'randomly-selected' citation, in the 1987 catalog, also listed its length as 12.6" [see: http://www.ninfinger.org/rockets/ca...87/87est60.html ].)
__________________
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
  #8  
Old 03-13-2019, 10:07 AM
blackshire's Avatar
blackshire blackshire is offline
Master Modeler
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Fairbanks, Alaska
Posts: 6,507
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by BEC
Your older one will have a cutaway engine of sorts....a vacuformed part and half of an engine casing (some assembly required).

I’m really looking forward to the new release in part to see how the new cutaway engine is done (hopefully better). I’m also more than a little curious of that nose cone in the picture - it looks to be a different shape than the prior one (which is just an Alpha III/IV/VΙ nose cone molded in clear plastic).

I’d love to know when they will be available even though I have three of the older ones - two built up and one in the bag. The built ones both had one fin broken off some time before I got them (as kits), but CA at least gets ‘em back on easily enough. I also replaced the supplied 4-inch lengths of PST-50 with 5.5-inch ones so that they're the same size as an Alpha III instead of being so stubby. Nice to see the new 1207 has also adopted that approach, it appears.
At the risk of possibly involving you in another "intellectually-addictive, Sisyphean task" :-) , I wonder if this second, "Alpha III-like," BT-50 size Phantom (the original Astron Phantom used the 0.736" diameter [BT-20 size] clear plastic payload tubing) used the same fin unit (or fin planform) as the Alpha III, or a different one. BUT:

(NOTE: As Miss Emily Latella [spelling?], Gilda Radner's character on "Saturday Night Live," was famous for saying [after giving disjointed editorial comments], "Never mind." :-) The 1974 Estes Custom Parts Catalog lists the Quasar, Alpha III, and Phantom plastic fin units *here* http://www.ninfinger.org/rockets/cu...tnose.html#fins , and the Alpha III and Phantom ones have identical dimensions. [The listings also indicate how much of the trailing tip--a triangular-cut piece--should be cut off to recreate a Quasar fin unit from an Alpha III one, if desired; a 0.313" triangular piece should be cut from each fin's trailing tip to make a Quasar one.])
__________________
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
  #9  
Old 03-13-2019, 10:39 AM
BEC's Avatar
BEC BEC is offline
Master Modeler
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Auburn, Washington
Posts: 3,643
Default

All three examples of the 1207 Phantom I have in my possession use parts which are dimensionally identical to the Alpha III fin can and nose cone.

A goodly chunk - I don't know right now the specifics - of the 1207 Phantom's run had a 4 inch piece of PST-50 for the body tube. This again includes all three examples I have. However the catalog height dimension was never changed when the kits did. You're suggesting that perhaps the initial 1207s had a 6-inch-long piece of PST-50 which would make that model the same size as the current Alpha VI and the nameless Alpha III sibling in the 5302 Rocket Science Starter Set.

For the two 1207s I've built, as I've mentioned before, I substituted a 5.5-inch-long section of PST-50 so that they're the same size as an Alpha III/IV.
__________________
Bernard Cawley
NAR 89040 L1 - Life Member
SAM 0061
AMA 42160
KG7AIE
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 03-13-2019, 12:18 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 BEC
All three examples of the 1207 Phantom I have in my possession use parts which are dimensionally identical to the Alpha III fin can and nose cone.

A goodly chunk - I don't know right now the specifics - of the 1207 Phantom's run had a 4 inch piece of PST-50 for the body tube. This again includes all three examples I have. However the catalog height dimension was never changed when the kits did. You're suggesting that perhaps the initial 1207s had a 6-inch-long piece of PST-50 which would make that model the same size as the current Alpha VI and the nameless Alpha III sibling in the 5302 Rocket Science Starter Set.

For the two 1207s I've built, as I've mentioned before, I substituted a 5.5-inch-long section of PST-50 so that they're the same size as an Alpha III/IV.
Ah--so some of the 1207 Phantom kits *were* shorter (some of the ones in catalog pictures did look noticeably shorter).
__________________
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
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 02:01 AM.


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