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New Estes Scale Kit ?
In the near future I need to start on a new scale model for Estes. Right now I’m thinking of a Military style rocket but it could turn out to be a new Space style rocket. Most likely it will have a single 24mm motor mount for our E12 motor.
I was just wondering what you would prefer for those that purchase kits instead of scratch building. Molded plastic scale shaped fins or thin sheet balsa fins where you either leave it flat or layer sheets together for a thicker fin which then pretty much forces you to shape the fins like our 7240 Honest John kit has you do. Paper transitions or blow molded or injection molded plastic transition. Wood conduits along the sides of the body that need to be shaped by you or molded plastic conduits. If it’s a multi stage model in real life, with fins on both stages would you prefer the model to actually stage, be a one piece model or maybe be flexible enough in its design to allow the modeler to make it a multi stage model with some extra design work that they need to come up with. Do you have any suggestions on a scale model you would like to see? John Boren |
#2
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A British Aerospace Rapier, moulded parts, not paper.
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Enjoy life, it has an expiration date. |
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I prefer models that are a challenge.
If it keeps the price down - I'll take the time to shape fins and seal wood conduits. I do prefer blow molded or plastic transitions over card stock transitions tho - Single stage is better. I would hate to put all the time into a detailed booster just to have it blackened and burnt after a couple flights. (By the way, thanks for changing out the vacu-form fins on the newest Saturn V!)
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Hans "Chris" Michielssen Old/New NAR # 19086 SR www.oddlrockets.com www.modelrocketbuilding.blogspot.com http://www.nar.org/educational-reso...ing-techniques/ Your results may vary "Nose cones roll, be careful with that." Every spaceman needs a ray gun. Look out - I'm the Meister Shyster! |
#4
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I would like to see either a Vostok or Soyuz. In a 1/70 to 1/48 scale. ESTES could put all the parts in one kit to build one of the two rockets offered. A two in one kit. This is a scale rocket that there's a lot of reference material available and still used today to ferry astronauts to the space station. |
#5
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Hi John, thanks for opportunity to weigh in on this. Quote:
I don't mind shaping them myself as long as it's not to complex like the dorsal fins on a Standard Missile Quote:
Plastic Quote:
If they're just half round like on the LTV Scout then plastic. The wood ones tend to warp. Quote:
I can't think of many military multistage missiles that would be easy to accurately model and stage without a lot of nose weight. Producing it as a single stage is fine with me as it would still give me the opportunity to build it staged myself. Quote:
Terrier (BW or BT) Talos Typhon Standard Missile Nike Ajax Nike Hercules Nike Zeus I'll think of some more later.....
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Quando Omni Flunkus Moritati |
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John,
One of the most sought after previous Estes scale kits is the LTV Scout. I think an F12 version with plastic parts would be great. Any of the manned stuff Estes hasn't done in a while upscaled to F12 power and size would also be great: Gemini Titan, Titan 2, Mercury Atlas. Overall, what I like best from Estes are the scale kits with lots of texture and plastic parts that are really difficult to replicate in balsa or paper. Thanks for asking our opinions, Steve |
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I'm at odds with the currently available selection of balsa finishing techniques (I so miss sanding sealer these days), so I'm tending to lean toward fibre or molded plastic fins. Actually, built-up fibre fins would be pretty cool! Heavy, but cool.
Paper transitions are fine if they keep costs down. I like to build, so I'm fine with them, especially if the seam is joined by a backing strip rather than a simple overlap. Molded transitions look better, though, with no gaps to worry about. Still, I think I lean towards paper transitions unless there is some really cool detailing on a molded transition. Because dowel grain is relatively fine (compared to balsa), I enjoy shaping conduits because I like to build. Also, I trust the bonding between wood and paper much more than plastic to paper. I lean toward shaped wood or built-up fibre for conduits. I like the multi-stage option idea. I'd probably stick to a stock single-stage build, but I know that some builders will go out of their way to make the extra effort to make a multi-stage version. Come to think of it, if I really liked the design, I'd buy a couple and build both ways. For a suggestion... hmm.... I'd be most enthusiastic about the ones that I haven't seen much (or any) of such as Soyuz, N-1, Proton, H2B, Titan 4B, Ariane 4, CZ-7, LVM3-X/CARE. For military, I'd suggest the Snark (though thats tending toward the Estes Conquest), P-270 Moskit and Mu-S3II. Of these, I really like the H2B, LVM3-X/CARE and P-270 Moskit. They don't look like easy shapes, though, but not as crazy as the N-1. |
#8
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Vanguard
X-17 Atlas-Able Diamant Any of the Delta variants |
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This, absolutely! Once the initial investment in plastic tooling for a Scout is made, there are multiple variants that could reuse the resulting parts. The parts could also be leveraged for a line of quick-build sport kits. James |
#10
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How about a upscale version of the Centuri Fireflash?
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