Original Estes Pro Series?

I was out of rocketry when these appeared and disappeared. I'd like the opportunity to build and fly these. Does anyone know where I could locate the plans for these? I've googled them by name and product number with no success.

www.estes.com
go to customer service
on the right, look for plans.
look up your kit #
If not there, look under the "online catelog"
and find the year they were made.
Discription will give you the basics.

Yeah. Went to www.estesrockets.com first. The kits aren't listed. Last catalogue was 1996.

Kruegon said:

Yeah. Went to www.estesrockets.com first. The kits aren't listed. Last catalogue was 1996.

Click to expand...

Sorry wrong answer...

Not sure where you are looking try here >> https://www.estesrockets.com/customer-service/full-catalog/

Here is another link - full of plans >> https://www.spacemodeling.org/jimz/estes.htm

should be able to find all 5 listed in the '94 catalog.
Terrier Sandhawk #2083
Jayhawk # 2085
Impulse # 2064
Maxiforce # 2065
Patriot # 2066
you will have to go to both the Jimz site and ye olde rocket plans; https://www.oldrocketplans.com/ to find all on the plans/instructions. note that; the north coast rockets used 28mm motors, and that most of the parts for the patriot can be ordered from Estes as they are used for the leviathan (which is also handy if you need parts for a big daddy ).
Rex

Yes I went to the instructions page first. Again, they weren't listed. I only found the Patriot on JimZ.

Kruegon said:

Yes I went to the instructions page first. Again, they weren't listed. I only found the Patriot on JimZ.

Click to expand...

I've got both the Terrier/Sandhawk and the Jayhawk. If you don't turn these up by tomorrow, I'll see if I can scan them for you.

[EDIT] or I could just turn up the links...

https://plans.rocketshoppe.com/estes/est2083/est2083.pdf

https://plans.rocketshoppe.com/estes/est2085/est2085.htm

https://plans.rocketshoppe.com/estes/est2065/est2065.htm

https://www.spacemodeling.org/jimz/est2066.htm

I own them all but the Patriot. My Impulse is an inch or two shorter and has a new fin the Maxi Force got a wicked zipper, now fixed and my Sand Hawk is with out a fin never found it! And the Jayhawk is worn a bit but still in good shape.

TA

If you are interested in the original Estes Pro Series kits and products from the 1990s I posted a 'history' over on YORF:

https://forums.rocketshoppe.com/showthread.php?t=8736

I consider myself to be the 'Godfather' of the original Estes Pro Series kits. :wink:

Anybody got a OpenRocket or Rocksim for the Pro Series Patriot missle? I would really love to have one?

not exactly, mine is missing few things. it doesn't have the boat tail, or the cluster motor mount(single 29mm). it also doesn't have cardstock fins(it has balsa cores). I would say that mine is more like a down scaled Mad cow 4" patriot than a Northcoast patriot cluster. it does however use the 'NC patriot nose cone and body tubes.
Rex

Those were great kits. Only the Jayhawk and Terrier/sandhawk would be difficult to clone, but they do show up on eBay periodically, usually go for $100 or so.

Initiator001 said:

If you are interested in the original Estes Pro Series kits and products from the 1990s I posted a 'history' over on YORF:

https://forums.rocketshoppe.com/showthread.php?t=8736

I consider myself to be the 'Godfather' of the original Estes Pro Series kits. :wink:

Click to expand...

I'd say you have a valid claim with that Optima/F32 flight. Tell us another story Bob!

dpower said:

Those were great kits. Only the Jayhawk and Terrier/sandhawk would be difficult to clone, but they do show up on eBay periodically, usually go for $100 or so.

Click to expand...

The Jayhawk not so much if you can find the nose cone, and you could probably modify a V2/Phoenix cone to work. The rest of the rocket can be made from common stuff (though I suppose the underbelly tube could tricky w/o the vac formed part).

I agree about the Terrier/Sandhawk though. The Terrier booster is a 1.8" tube and the fins, fin can, transition, and nose cone are all unique. I think some of the parts may have been used elsewhere though. Mine is sort of apart on my bench at the moment due problems with both motor mounts...

Ok. I've located the plans for 4 of the 5. The patriot is missing the scan for the upper fuselage decal. Haven't downloaded the others yet. Seems plans for the impulse are still MIA.

dpower said:

Those were great kits. Only the Jayhawk and Terrier/sandhawk would be difficult to clone, but they do show up on eBay periodically, usually go for $100 or so.

Click to expand...

Of course, you could try adapting my OR nosecone to a 3D printing program (or just make one yourself using a lathe).

EXPjawa said:

The Jayhawk not so much if you can find the nose cone, and you could probably modify a V2/Phoenix cone to work. The rest of the rocket can be made from common stuff (though I suppose the underbelly tube could tricky w/o the vac formed part).

Click to expand...

A Jayhawk is not difficult to build/clone at all. The nose cone can be duplicated by a few vendors here (Semroc used to carry the exact nose cone, and BMS can replicate one). The Body Tube is basically a ST-20 (again, Semroc). The tail cone can be created easily...all you need is the diameters of the ends and length of the cone. The avionics 'tunnel' can be created out of layered balsa. None of it is difficult...all of the shapes are pretty straight forward.

But there will be lots of filling and sanding....

FC

FastCargo said:

A Jayhawk is not difficult to build/clone at all. The nose cone can be duplicated by a few vendors here (Semroc used to carry the exact nose cone, and BMS can replicate one). The Body Tube is basically a ST-20 (again, Semroc). The tail cone can be created easily...all you need is the diameters of the ends and length of the cone. The avionics 'tunnel' can be created out of layered balsa. None of it is difficult...all of the shapes are pretty straight forward.

But there will be lots of filling and sanding....

FC

Click to expand...

My original Estes Pro Series Jayhawk still has the vacuum formed parts still on the sheet. If I only had a way of making a mold of it, and then vacuum forming them myself (to get the parts needed for the clone).

K'Tesh said:

[EDIT] or I could just turn up the links...

https://plans.rocketshoppe.com/estes/est2083/est2083.pdf

https://plans.rocketshoppe.com/estes/est2085/est2085.htm

https://plans.rocketshoppe.com/estes/est2065/est2065.htm

https://www.spacemodeling.org/jimz/est2066.htm

Click to expand...

Instruction sheets aren't "plans."

FastCargo said:

The Body Tube is basically a ST-20 (again, Semroc).

Click to expand...

BMS sells ST-20, but you buy real live Estes 2.0" tubing directly from Estes. They sell the nose cone too.
https://www.estesrockets.com/rockets/pro-series/parts/030615-pro-series-iitm-2-od-body-tube

astronwolf said:

Instruction sheets aren't "plans."

Click to expand...

Wow. Let's split hairs on wording. It was good enough for Vernon Estes to call them plans. It's good enough for me.

To be fair though, plans (to any outsider) implies dimensional information. I'd fully agree that the instruction sheets are very helpful - and occasionally they do include tube lengths and fin sizes - but without having those things, they are not "plans" by an engineering or architectural definition. But add in fin patterns (like typical on JimZ site) and you're on to something...

astronwolf said:

Instruction sheets aren't "plans."

Click to expand...

Kruegon said:

Wow. Let's split hairs on wording. It was good enough for Vernon Estes to call them plans. It's good enough for me.

Click to expand...

And I didn't use the word "plans" in the text of my message, the websites did.

Instructions or Plans from Estes all have Part Numbers Associated with them.
Right now, the exact length of body tubes are unknown due to Semrock Site being unavailable.
When it comes back up, when you go to "Body Tubes" under the "Full Catelog", click on the first sub-category of BT's and print it out.
That's what I did years ago. Back when dial up was all you could get. And was sperastic back then.
It covers all the sizes of BT's in dia. and length and highly detailed.
Another reason Semroc is flown prowdly by me.

I have the plastic Transition for the Terrier Sandhawk.

Perhaps not from the Estes site, but here's the Estes BT info compiled. I keep the list close at hand too.

https://www.ninfinger.org/rockets/body_tubes.html

So does anyone have the Pro Series Impulse "instructions" and parts list available? It's a long road to getting these finished. Seriously hoping I can clone them easily.

FastCargo said:

A Jayhawk is not difficult to build/clone at all. The nose cone can be duplicated by a few vendors here (Semroc used to carry the exact nose cone, and BMS can replicate one). The Body Tube is basically a ST-20 (again, Semroc). The tail cone can be created easily...all you need is the diameters of the ends and length of the cone. The avionics 'tunnel' can be created out of layered balsa. None of it is difficult...all of the shapes are pretty straight forward.

But there will be lots of filling and sanding....

FC

Click to expand...

The Pro Series Jayhawk used 2.5" tubing, and has a plastic NC 11.75" long shoulder to tip, with molded in scale details. It could be cloned, but there would be a number of handmade pieces if the goal is to get the same scale and detail of the original kit.

Kruegon, if you want any measurements or closeup photos, just ask.

I'm going to be working on them very soon. I will definitely need all the parts measurements if I'm going to clone it. I'll get it all together this coming week. I greatly appreciate your offer to measure for me. I'm going to have to take you up on it.

dpower said:

The Pro Series Jayhawk used 2.5" tubing, and has a plastic NC 11.75" long shoulder to tip, with molded in scale details. It could be cloned, but there would be a number of handmade pieces if the goal is to get the same scale and detail of the original kit.

Kruegon, if you want any measurements or closeup photos, just ask.

Click to expand...

I have one and have flown it several times (adapted for more modern 24mm cases) and pulled it down from display just to prove it was what I said...

And sure enough...I was wrong. Damn it!

Yep, dpower is correct on the tube size and dimensions. For some reason, I thought it was a ST-20 based model.

Which is not the same as the old Centuri Jayhawk Magnum. In any case, though it might take a little work to modify a balsa nose cone for the 'fiddly bits', it is still pretty easy to do overall if you have decent cutting and sanding skills.

Which makes me wonder if to try to make an exact clone of the Estes Pro Series version, or just make the Centuri Jayhawk Magnum version, since it would be slightly bigger and use a more common BT.

FC