Estes Stratocruiser picture looks like it has 3 fins?

Looking at the picture of the Estes Stratocruiser it appears to have three large fins, but the plans and pictures of finished models have four smaller fins. Was the "catalog" picture of a prototype that was changed at production?

I ask as I prefer the three fin look to the four one. If I got one I could just cut my own fins.

I went to their website, and I can see what you're saying. Looks like they changed it somewhere between prototype and plans. However the painting guide looks like it was still using the three fin version for the measured guide portion.



I've been known to modify a 4 finned rocket into a 3 finned rocket due to appearance (Estes Venus Probe), it looked a whole lot better with the reduction in the number of fins (three landing legs, four fins? Really?). If you ever decide to try one of those, you should seriously look into increasing it from a 18mm to a 24mm powered rocket though.

A lot of the catalog shots are not photographs of real constructed rockets. They are rendered computer models. It may just be they used an erroneous computer model for the rocket, and no one caught it.

I shot an email off to Christine today... Got a reply already...

…the Stratocruiser is a 4 fin rocket…the package image looks like it’s a 3 fin, but it’s really a 4 fin rocket…


Christine

Estes Customer Service

Click to expand...

Yep. It is a fine looking rocket as it is, and from what I have read here and other places it is a great flying rocket too, but if I get one I'll make it with three fins.