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
  #51  
Old 12-13-2022, 01:18 PM
tdracer's Avatar
tdracer tdracer is offline
Scale Modeler Extrodinare
 
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: Everett, WA
Posts: 398
Default

I went ahead and purchased one of the Estes Falcons - basically just to add to my 1/100th static display. It does help demonstrate just how big the Falcon 9 is - as tall as the Saturn 1B, and simply dwarfs the Gemini-Titan (that's a really cool thing about same-scale displays - it dramatically demonstrates how things have changed over the years). It is a fairly nice and detailed model (although - unlike the Saturn V and 1B - I'm not as up to speed on the intricacies of the Falcon 9 to readily spot scale errors).
The box the Falcon 9 comes in is serious overkill - probably added ~10% to the price - and yet isn't suitable for displaying the model.


Quote:
Originally Posted by TigerHawk
I believe Matt Steele (NCR) is close to releasing their 1:125 Scale mid-powered SLS Kit and their sport Scale mid-powered Argo D-4 Javelin Kit.


That might interest me - after getting my high-power certs I've become less and less interested in anything with less than a 29mm mount.
Reply With Quote
  #52  
Old 12-13-2022, 03:00 PM
astronwolf's Avatar
astronwolf astronwolf is offline
Lost his Drifter
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Northeast Ohio
Posts: 1,277
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by TigerHawk
I believe Matt Steele (NCR) is close to releasing their 1:125 Scale mid-powered SLS Kit and their sport Scale mid-powered Argo D-4 Javelin Kit.


The Javelin has been out for a while, at least, you could order one.

https://northcoastrocketry.com/prod...ecember-15-2020
__________________
-Wolfram v. Kiparski
NAR 28643 - TRA 15520
MTMA Section #606 President
Reply With Quote
  #53  
Old 12-13-2022, 04:32 PM
Scott_650 Scott_650 is offline
Master Modeler
 
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 624
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by TigerHawk
I believe Matt Steele (NCR) is close to releasing their 1:125 Scale mid-powered SLS Kit and their sport Scale mid-powered Argo D-4 Javelin Kit.


Quote:
Originally Posted by astronwolf
The Javelin has been out for a while, at least, you could order one.

https://northcoastrocketry.com/prod...ecember-15-2020


Wolf - Tigerhawk is probably referring to the lower priced, “semi-scale” version of the Argo-Javelin that Matt has talked about since the $500 kit was released.

I know it makes more sense marketing and sales -wise but of all the future products Matt has spoken of since NARCON and last year’s NARAM I wish we were seeing the rerelease of the NCR 4” kits - especially the Quasar
__________________
John Scott B.

NAR #102949/L1
Reply With Quote
  #54  
Old 01-25-2023, 12:54 PM
luke strawwalker's Avatar
luke strawwalker luke strawwalker is offline
BAR
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Needville and Shiner, TX
Posts: 6,134
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by astronwolf
My experience with these scale RTF offerings from Estes is limited to the Saturn V. It was kind of fun to fly, but the C6-3 doesn't boost it very well. The first flight was familiar sort of under-powered looping flight that had me imagining $50 worth of small plastic bits for me to pick up, but the parachute came out after a 1-2 heart pounding seconds. I never bothered to burn one of those Quest motors to see if it flew any better. I flew it twice and now it sits among all the other clutter on my work bench.

What did I expect? Pretty much what I got. I'll fly it again sometime. I still have some leftover D21 motors. For the $50 price tag, I think I would pass. I didn't get the SLS or Blue Origin because, even though the subject matter is very interesting, the execution is probably more of the same "RTF" experience. That doesn't mean at all that these products "suck" or that they are "a rip off." They just don't offer the kind of rocketry experience that I look for in model rocketry.

So now here is the Falcon 9, another injection molded RTF product that seems to offer the same "RTF" experience. Having recent experience with these kinds of models combined the inflated price tag sticks in my craw. Triple the price? Clearly there is something different here. I finally read Thomas Beach's product review in the Nov/Dec 2022 issue of Sport Rocketry. I was hoping that his review might reveal that there might be more than meets the eye here. But no. "The flight was stable and the model landed near the launch pads..." The model does have a cardboard inner lining, which is nice. Thomas had a photo of the 1:100 Falcon 9 displayed with other 1:100 scale models, and it was a pretty sight. This is probably the best use for the Falcon 9 - a display model. It is a very good looking scale model. I'm sure that Estes and SpaceX will sell all of them.

The clear plastic fin unit that comes with the Saturn V is available separately from Estes, and makes for a ready-made clear fin unit for any modeler who wants to build finless scale models. That's a nice spinoff from these RTF products. I imagined using one to build a sport scale Thor missile.


Agree... not really interested in RTF at this point. I'd rather scratch build, and considering kit prices, that's mostly what I do. I'll get around to my own Falcon 9 at some point.

I got in on the special price they had on the Estes Saturn V years ago ($99 bucks IIRC) and ended up with two-- the one they sent the morons delivered it and left it on the front steps in a full-on monsoon rain-- we were in Indiana and my nephew who was living with us at the time called me after work when he got home and finally saw it, asked what to do... I had him bring it in, open the box, and stand all the tubes up over the heater vents in various parts of the house to dry them out. I called whomever I bought it from that was doing the specials at the time and they sent me another kit free, which was delivered PROPERLY. I managed to salvage the one with little/no apparent damage, the tubes were dry when we got home a week later as they'd had plenty of heater cycles blowing warm air up the tubes to dry. Who knows about the longevity though...

Anyway, not really interested in RTF. Not really interested in ANY rocket at $150 bucks +, I know my craftsmanship skills and I can do better at a lower price in the end, even if it takes me longer... Oh well...
__________________
The X-87B Cruise Basselope-- THE Ultimate Weapon in the arsenal of Homeland Security and only $52 million per round!
Reply With Quote
  #55  
Old 01-25-2023, 01:18 PM
luke strawwalker's Avatar
luke strawwalker luke strawwalker is offline
BAR
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Needville and Shiner, TX
Posts: 6,134
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by tdracer
I went ahead and purchased one of the Estes Falcons - basically just to add to my 1/100th static display. It does help demonstrate just how big the Falcon 9 is - as tall as the Saturn 1B, and simply dwarfs the Gemini-Titan (that's a really cool thing about same-scale displays - it dramatically demonstrates how things have changed over the years). It is a fairly nice and detailed model (although - unlike the Saturn V and 1B - I'm not as up to speed on the intricacies of the Falcon 9 to readily spot scale errors).
The box the Falcon 9 comes in is serious overkill - probably added ~10% to the price - and yet isn't suitable for displaying the model.


Makes sense, since the Falcon 9 is basically a modern reincarnation of the Saturn I-B... if they had replaced the Saturn IB's "Cluster's last stand" of 8 Redstone size tanks surrounding a Jupiter size tank first stage with a 260 inch diameter stage using a single LOX and RP-1 tank similar to Saturn V, with the intertank, and kept using the S-IVB for the upper stage, it would have been rather similar to Falcon 9... only using 8 H-1 engines instead of 9 Merlins on the first stage, and a single hydrogen burning J-2S instead of the kerosene burning Merlin Vac engine on the Falcon 9. The liftoff thrust is similar and with a hydrogen powered upper stage the performance capability to orbit would be similar. BUT the Falcon 9 wasn't built for all-out maximum performance, it was designed for lowest-cost, particularly on the second stage which is thrown away, and for reuse on the first stage. Having a kerosene upper stage, while it hits the performance capability somewhat, is MUCH easier than messing with liquid hydrogen and reduces the size of the rocket, plus it greatly simplifies the GSE servicing the rocket and filling its propellant tanks. Plus if they wanted to switch to a hydrogen burning upper stage at some point it would give a nice performance increase due to the added specific impulse of hydrogen propellant over kerosene.
__________________
The X-87B Cruise Basselope-- THE Ultimate Weapon in the arsenal of Homeland Security and only $52 million per round!
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 05:45 PM.


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