Modifying the Estes Star Trek Enterprise for Flight

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BWP

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Has anyone ever launched the Estes Star Trek Enterprise rocket with a modification to reduce the size of the huge "stability probe"? We've flown one stock, and it flies fine, but looks bad. I would like to build another with any proven modification to reduce the size of or eliminate the "stability probe".

Any proven methods out there?
 
Has anyone ever launched the Estes Star Trek Enterprise rocket with a modification to reduce the size of the huge "stability probe"? We've flown one stock, and it flies fine, but looks bad. I would like to build another with any proven modification to reduce the size of or eliminate the "stability probe".

Any proven methods out there?


None in the 30+ years since this model first came out.
 
You could try what quest did for the 'E' version they had. Lots of nose
weight at the very front and clear fins on the warp nacelles
 
I'm sure Estes (at the time) put a lot of research and development into the design before settling with the long stability/recovery probe. It doesn't really look all that bad; I painted the nosecone of mine (built in the late 1970's) to
match with the anti-matter nacelles nosecones. The USS Enterprise still turns a lot of heads while on the pad and in flight....

Pics below by Warren Benson of NHRC during a club launch at JSC in December 2004....

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I think I'd try and replacing the probe with one made of something transparent...























...perhaps aluminium? ;)
 
Gee, why don't they still make cool rockets like that.:cry:
 
I think I'd try and replacing the probe with one made of something transparent...

Why not? Odd rocs often have clear fins for stabilty, why not a clear BT and nose cone?

You might even have a clear BT and a smaller rocket for a NC that the Enterprise is "chasing."
 
it'd be easier to paint the probe in Flat gull grey or ghost grey, then use clear tubing.
I fly a Phantom Stretch Alpha and Phantom Nike-Apache. Both REQUIRE an inner sleeve to save the outer bodytube from the Heat and soot. This works well but does take a bit more preflight and a lot more after flight cleaning;)
 
Thanks for the input. It gives me some good ideas to think about.

As for not making rockets like the Enterprise anymore, I guess we can be thankful for companies such as Semroc that do produce great retro products. That's one of the fun things about this hobby for me...building those models that were inspired during the space race and the pop culture of the time like the Star Ship Enterprise. It certainly is enjoyable to go back and relive the "golden age" of rocketry through those products, be it retro or actual.
 
I think models based on popular movies and tv shows need to have licenses
before they can be put on the market. That's one advantage Estes had/has
when it comes to this type of paperwork needed. Because of this, the model
can probably be on the market (as far as advertising in a catalog or other
publication) for a set period of time.
 
You might even have a clear BT and a smaller rocket for a NC that the Enterprise is "chasing."

A Tholian ship would make a nice aerodynamic target for the Enterprise to chase.
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it'd be easier to paint the probe in Flat gull grey or ghost grey, then use clear tubing.
I fly a Phantom Stretch Alpha and Phantom Nike-Apache. Both REQUIRE an inner sleeve to save the outer bodytube from the Heat and soot. This works well but does take a bit more preflight and a lot more after flight cleaning;)
Heat and soot are only an issue if you vent the ejection gas through the clear tubing. If the parachute was packed in a short piece of regular tubing near the saucer with a solid bulkhead, the clear tubing could just stick out the front like a payload bay. Its only purpose is to support the nose weight out away from the body for stability.


Another idea: Instead of clear tubing, how using a pair of rods to support the target ship?
- Carbon fiber rods would be very stiff and light-weight. They could be thin enough to be somewhat unobtrusive.
- Colored lucite rods would glow from within and look like phaser beams hitting the target.
- Orange fiberglass rods (used for lawn marking) would look a little like phasers. They are cheap and readily available at many hardware stores.
 
Try using a clear tube for the extension and a nose block at the bottom of that tube (front of the Enterprise). That will prevent a heat/soot problem. Then you can add blue LED's and paint the nose cone a neon blue and it'll look like the thing is firing phasers.. :)
 
Has anyone ever launched the Estes Star Trek Enterprise rocket with a modification to reduce the size of the huge "stability probe"? We've flown one stock, and it flies fine, but looks bad. I would like to build another with any proven modification to reduce the size of or eliminate the "stability probe".

Any proven methods out there?

"We can't change the laws of physics, captain"
 
Thanks for your input, jflis and BobCox. Great ideas.
 
Can another model of enterprise be built stable enough, but without the rocket-like long part at the nose of the ship?
 
Can another model of enterprise be built stable enough, but without the rocket-like long part at the nose of the ship?

Quest did it.

Cant find a link but it was the Enterprise-E with a very heavy metal weight incorporated in the forward portion of the saucer section which was segmented to eject as the nose cone.
 
That's a very difficult model for scratchbuild... but in Bulgaria there are no any stuff like Estes. I cant get a ready one, so I'll google a bit to see are there plans for scratchbuild in the net.
 
Quest did it.

Enterprise-E with a very heavy metal weight incorporated in the forward portion of the saucer section which was segmented to eject as the nose cone.

My son and I have that one and it rocks... I'm pretty surprised at how well it flies too... they really did a super design job.
 
I've seen two of these things in action. The first got stuck on the pad; my advice to anyone who gets one is to stick a proper launch lug into the hole where the launch rod is supposed to go, to reduce friction. The second did actually fly but weathercocked - there's a price to pay for having more weight in the saucer rather than less weight in an extended "probe"! Here's the second one, shortly after launch and shortly before weathercocking.

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