Estes - (Astron) Birdie (K-44 or #1244) Gallery

[JAL3]

Welcome to the Estes - (Astron) Birdie (K-44 or #1244) Gallery on TRF.

This gallery showcases the Estes - (Astron) Birdie (K-44 or #1244) and those rockets derived from it. Particularly appropriate in this thread are the following:


Estes: Birdie: K-44 or #1244
Estes: Birdie: TK-44 or #0844



as well as any upscales, downscales, clones, kitbashes or other derivative works. Even Goonies qualify!

[JAL3]

Estes (Astron) Birdie (K-44 or #1244) Basic Information.

http://www.rocketryforum.com/images/galleries/logos/estes.gif Estes Industries

MODEL NAME: Birdie Also known as: Astron Birdie

NUMBER: K-44 or #1244

Introduced: 1969
Final Year: 1972
Designer: Bill Simon

Type: Oddroc
Motor Mount: 1x18mm
Recovery: Tumble
Stages: 1
Length: 2.8"
Diameter: 2.6"
Span: 2.6"
Weight: 0.27 oz

Mfg. Description: You can change a badminton "bird" to a rocketeer's "bird" with this unusual kit...and watch it fly! (Estes 1969 Catalog)



Advertising Liveries

http://www.rocketryforum.com/images/galleries/liveries/estes-birdie%201244-1969%20cat%20livery.jpg Estes 1969 Catalog http://www.rocketryforum.com/images/galleries/liveries/estes-birdie%201244-1970%20cat%20livery.jpg Estes 1970 Catalog

http://www.rocketryforum.com/images/galleries/liveries/estes-birdie%201244-1971%20cat%20livery.jpg Estes 1971 Catalog




Face Card(s)

http://www.rocketryforum.com/images/galleries/liveries/estes-birdie%201244-facecard.jpg



First post in this thread featuring this rocket. (http://www.rocketryforum.com/showthread.php?p=155324#post155324)

See Also: LINKS
EMRR
RocketReviews (http://www.rocketreviews.com/birdie---estes-44-1969-1971.html)
Mfg. Page


If you have any additional information on this rocket and/or catalog photos please let us know.

[JAL3]

Estes (Mini Brute) Birdie (TK-44 or #0844) Basic Information.

http://www.rocketryforum.com/images/galleries/logos/estes.gif Estes Industries

MODEL NAME: Birdie Also known as: Mini Brute Birdie

NUMBER: TK-44 or #0844

Introduced: 1972
Final Year: 1973
Designer: Bill Simon

Type: Oddroc
Motor Mount: 1x13mm
Recovery: Tumble
Stages: 1
Length: 2.8"
Diameter: 2.6"
Span: 2.6"
Weight: 0.5 oz

Mfg. Description: Badminton goes "out of sight" when you launch your mini-engine powered Birdie. It's a standard plastic badminton shuttlecock with an engine mount...and it goes like no bird ever thought of going. (Estes 1972 Catalog)



Advertising Liveries

http://www.rocketryforum.com/images/galleries/liveries/estes-birdie%20tk44-1972%20cat%20livery.jpg Estes 1972 Catalog http://www.rocketryforum.com/images/galleries/liveries/estes-birdie%20tk44-1973%20cat%20livery.jpg Estes 1973 Catalog



Face Card(s)





First post in this thread featuring this rocket. (http://www.rocketryforum.com/showthread.php?p=155324#post155324)

See Also: LINKS
EMRR (http://archive.rocketreviews.com/reviews/all/oop_estes_birdie.shtml)
RocketReviews (http://www.rocketreviews.com/birdie---estes-tk-44-1972-1973.html)
Mfg. Page


If you have any additional information on this rocket and/or catalog photos please let us know.

[MarkII]

Well, someone had to get this gallery established. Here are pics of my Birdie clones. As you can see, the shuttlecock doesn't exactly match the one that Estes used. Despite much searching, I simply couldn't find any with plastic shirts that matched that particular design, and I'm not so sure that they are even being made anymore. So I did the best I could.

The red one is a clone of the original K-44 Astron Birdie, which was designed to be flown on 18mm x 45mm Series III motors. For its maiden flight, I thought that I could get away with using an unmodified A8-3 in it. I reasoned that the extra length was mostly just empty casing, with negligible weight, so I was pretty sure that it would work. A quite fierce loop off the launch rod, followed by a power prang demonstrated otherwise. Since then it has had successful flights on A10-3Ts placed in cut-down spent 18mm motors.

The green one is based on plans for the TK-44 Birdie Mini Brute. This variation was introduced shortly after Estes Industries phased out the Series III motors and replaced them with the 13mm x 45mm Series IV "T" motors (aka Mini Brute motors) that continue to be produced to this day. In Bill Simon's designs for the Astron and Mini-Brute Birdies, the RA-2060 and RA-560 centering rings fit into the plastic skirt just aft of the large vent openings, which blocked the airflow at that point. I decided that for my build, I would insert a cardstock shroud inside the skirt ahead of the centering ring, in order to fill in the vents and streamline the air flow somewhat. I still had to cut an opening in it for the launch lug, though. My closed-skirt TK-44 clone does fly appreciably higher than my vented-skirt K-44 clone, but other factors may contribute to that. I suppose that I'll have to construct another TK-44 that does not deviate from the original design, and then fly them together to make a more reliable comparison. The streamline Birdie also comes back in at a somewhat higher speed too, though. But even then, it's velocity seems to be far slower than that of a batted (racquet-impelled) shuttlecock.

Both Birdies are incredibly stable, even in a breeze. They boost straight up, and at apogee, they eject their motors. (A3-2Ts are just about perfect. A10-3Ts eject a little late, but still fire while the Birdie is way, way up there.) Then they fly straight back down, with little to no drift. I have become accustomed to seeing mine strike the blast deflector on the pad after coming back home from 300+ feet. They don't do that every time, but they do it often enough. The Birdies and their ejected motors hit the ground nearly simultaneously.

.

[UPscaler]

I want one :cry:


Braden

[Micromeister]

Had a Birdie back in the dark ages, don't really remember if it was an Estes "Kit" birdie or built from the estes mag pages? Do remember it was a fun flyin birdie.

During the late 80's I cloned a new Birdie with whatever Shuttlecock I could find. doing a little altering I decided to up the nose weight a little to allow this one to fly on 1/2A thur C6 motors this also got me to thinking about teathering the spent casing to a 30" long 100lb kevlar shockcord to help break up the streamline decent a bit with that extra mass. Works well with the sockline sort of mashed into the clay nose weight outside the motor tube.

During a trip to one of the Dollar stores I discovered these Much larger all plastic shuttle cocks. came in a 3 pack in Red, Blue and Yellow. Well they just Screamed for a D12 so yellow became a Big Birdie... Ah..Big Bird. Hummm....some googlie eyes and a carved beak later we had "Dee Big Bird". Complete with drag out 8 or 10 inch Chute in a small T4 tube with plug beside the main motor tube it works like a champ. Dee Big Bird has become a favorite School demo flying model that always gets a great response.

[hcmbanjo]

I want one :cry:
Braden

How many do you want?
www.oddlrockets.com

The Birdie is always a great first launch of the day. The kids love it!
The Birdie kits are available from www.jonrocket.com.

[MarkII]

I had previously cloned an Astron Birdie, but for my Mini Brute version, I wanted to try to enhance the aerodynamics. So I added a cowling just under the open quills at the base of the "feathers." To add a bit of color, I used neon green poster board. I also added a neon green cover onto the back of the centering ring and a wrap on the end of the motor tube. I know how to create paper shrouds, but I did this one through trial and fit. I tried to get it to fit snugly under the plastic, with no gaps. I did that as well when I cut the slot for the launch lug. I attached the cowling to the front of the motor mount before gluing the mount in. I have no idea how much help, if any, it gives to the flight performance, since I have not made a conventional one to use for comparison. I'll probably do that over the winter. It does get very high, very fast (for a plastic shuttlecock) and it certainly looks a bit less draggy.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-0uyJZZmnpXI/Tq3xB5ExbcI/AAAAAAAABNs/CXDpkCoOdnQ/s421/Little%252520Green%252520Birdie%2525201-1.JPG..
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-RKTjoPi4YsM/Tq3xk_fZj0I/AAAAAAAABNw/7CpJcCjBWi8/s420/Little%252520Green%252520Birdie%2525202.JPG

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-mkwIJ76hv9k/Tq3vZGK2bTI/AAAAAAAABNM/S4-OqhNqbMI/s512/Mini%252520Brute%252520Birdie.JPG


.Post copied to gallery with permission