An auction on eBay just ended. An Estes LTV Scout, in an open bag, for $131.27.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/30178727582...K%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

You've got to be kidding me . . . .

Now, I know there've been several posts about the difficulty cloning this one but Holy Smokes, it's time. When Scout prices approach Saturn 1b prices we have identified a Supply and Demand bottleneck.

I know there are some Scout fans around here. Anybody built a different size? Since the winning bid was about five times my maximum bid, I'm looking for other options. Suggestions?

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NAR 79743
NARTrek Silver
I miss being SAM 062

Awaiting First Launch: Too numerous to count
Finishing: Zooch Saturn V; Alway/Nau BioArcas; Estes Expedition; TLP Standard
Repair/Rescue: Cherokee-D (2); Centuri Nike-Smoke; MX-774
On the Bench: 2650;
Dream Stage: 1/39.37 R-7

I recently had a partial kit end at a rather ridiculous price due to a bidding war. Guess what? Never got paid... Just because this one ended where it did doesn't mean anyone paid that price.

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www.wooshrocketry.org NAR Sec. 558
Look us up on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/guytogo75?feature=mhee
unstable by design

I refuse to pay insane prices for so-called 'collectable' kits no matter how rare as I intend to build them.
That price for a LTV Scout is uber-ridiculous.
Yes it has several unique parts that are next to impossible to clone, but they produced a BOATLOAD of those over about an EIGHT YEAR production run.
I would not pay over $75 for a SEALED PRISTINE 'collector' example, let alone an OPENED builder kit.

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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 !

You could make a silicone mold of the part and sell foam pieces to make it true scale.

Not sure if Estes would sale a remake of this kit for the price you were willing to pay. And NO it's not something on my to do list since the tooling for the cone doesn't exits any more.


John Boren

This seems to be a recurring theme post Tunik.

Tax deductions!

I personally wonder if they were destroyed or simply stored and declared recycled. Molds are complicated and heavy.

Jerry

Well, I should have known . . . .

It turns out that Carl, rest his soul, was way ahead: Randy has the Semroc balsa LTV Scout nose cone and the subtle upper balsa transition (BT-55 to BT-56). What he doesn't have is the lower transition or apparently, a body tube for the first stage, which by my math should be a BT-65. In a wonderful example of symmetry, the transition would be BT-65 to BT-56 and 2.125 inches long. Of course, I'd need a 15. 6 inch BT-65 and while I can find it in clear plastic, I cannot find it in Kraft paper.

If anybody has a lead on Kraft paper BT-65 or what would be Series 17 in the Centuri system?

Or I could do what Estes did and use a BT-60.

So maybe a Scout clone isn't that far off and it should be under the $50 price point even at retail for the parts. I bought the stuff Randy had, I'll keep you posted.


By the way, he has Mars Landers in stock, in case you wanted to build one inspired by The Martian.

__________________
NAR 79743
NARTrek Silver
I miss being SAM 062

Awaiting First Launch: Too numerous to count
Finishing: Zooch Saturn V; Alway/Nau BioArcas; Estes Expedition; TLP Standard
Repair/Rescue: Cherokee-D (2); Centuri Nike-Smoke; MX-774
On the Bench: 2650;
Dream Stage: 1/39.37 R-7

Those were the parts I designed and had Carl make me for my LTV Scout kit.

It looks like Randy found the file.

I have a pdf of the rest of the model available.

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"I'm a sandman. I've never killed anyone. I terminate runners when their time is up." Logan from "Logan's Run"

http://sandmandecals.com/

he has the Mars Lander back in stock?

Semroc can make those custom tubes on a trivial basis.

BTW, who wants to make a full scale Scout?