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I doubt I'm the only one who has this problem.
A while ago, I bought an Estes STM-012, but before I left the store, I noticed that it had a creased body tube (on the non-fin end), so it couldn't be hidden below a fin. I returned it on the spot. I bought my 2nd STM-012, and unlike the first time, I found the problem AFTER I opened it, so I don't think I can return it.
This STM-012 is partially flattened on the ends. I thought I could straighten out the damaged areas by using the tube coupler and the engine mount. Then I opened the kit... The nosecone and tube coupler pressed a flat space into the sides of both body tubes (and creased one of them), and the tube coupler itself is out of round (flattened on one end). If you look in the photos below, the angle should be flat along the length of the body tubes (no shadows), but you can see a shadow showing the flattened spots.
So, the coupler's a wash, as are both body tubes. I noticed that in all the STM-012's I've looked at, that they have had the flattened ends problems (some worse than others). These rockets are packed into a bag too small for two full length BT-60 body tubes and a BT-60 nosecone. Estes needs to use a bigger bag, AND/OR use a bigger bag with cardboard reinforcements (like the old Mean Machine).
The manufacture date is: 06/05/12
A while ago, I bought an Estes STM-012, but before I left the store, I noticed that it had a creased body tube (on the non-fin end), so it couldn't be hidden below a fin. I returned it on the spot. I bought my 2nd STM-012, and unlike the first time, I found the problem AFTER I opened it, so I don't think I can return it.
This STM-012 is partially flattened on the ends. I thought I could straighten out the damaged areas by using the tube coupler and the engine mount. Then I opened the kit... The nosecone and tube coupler pressed a flat space into the sides of both body tubes (and creased one of them), and the tube coupler itself is out of round (flattened on one end). If you look in the photos below, the angle should be flat along the length of the body tubes (no shadows), but you can see a shadow showing the flattened spots.
So, the coupler's a wash, as are both body tubes. I noticed that in all the STM-012's I've looked at, that they have had the flattened ends problems (some worse than others). These rockets are packed into a bag too small for two full length BT-60 body tubes and a BT-60 nosecone. Estes needs to use a bigger bag, AND/OR use a bigger bag with cardboard reinforcements (like the old Mean Machine).
The manufacture date is: 06/05/12