What would you like to see from Semroc?

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Zeus-cat

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We had the usual Tuesday night build at eRockets/Semroc tonight. Mike (RocketRohde on YORF) showed Randy a thread he had started on YORF about what people want from Randy and Semroc. Randy was very interested in the comments. I told Randy I would do the same here and he was delighted. So here's your chance to tell the new Semroc gang what you would like to see.

So last week some of us helped unpack a few of the boxes shipped from Sheryl and Bruce. We unpacked, sorted, repacked and shelved more tubes and rocket parts than I would ever want to count. Big tubes, little tubes, long tubes, short tubes, tubes, tubes, tubes!!! And couplers, and whoosits and whatsits and all sorts of stuff. As a result, the Tuesday night build sessions are a lot more crowded than they used to be. The Semroc parts and tooling have really reduced the workspace for the club, but that means Semroc is that much closer to being up and running. Randy said the plan is to fire up one of the nose cone lathes this Thursday to see how it works.
 
I like the Retro-Repros, and almost any thing scale, some new SLS kits would be welcome too.
Gota have the Saturn IB
 
A second on bringing back the 1/70 Saturn 1B.

Actually, a replica of the 1/100 scale Saturn 1B would be nice, if possible.

FC
 
Centering rings for BT50 to BT60's I've been cutting my BT20 to BT60's to be able to keep making rockets... I'm nearly out of those too now. :y:
 
kind of like telling a kid in a candy store that he can have anything but, only one. I would suggest nose cones, such as an upscale alpha nose (bnc-70k). the bnc-55AM would be nice too.
Rex
 
kind of like telling a kid in a candy store that he can have anything but, only one. I would suggest nose cones, such as an upscale alpha nose (bnc-70k). the bnc-55AM would be nice too.
Rex

I'll take it a step further, Rex. If Estes isn't going to tap the potential, I'd like to see Semroc expand into plastic nose cones. In particular, a reissue of the original two-piece Citation PNC-60AH.
 
For me, it's all about parts. Sure I'll buy a few kits now and then, mostly Retro-Repros, but mostly I want the extensive nose cone inventory not just in the typical current BT Estes sizes but the historical ST sizes and others. So: nose cones of all shapes and sizes, body tubes of all shapes and sizes, and rings to put them together. When I say nose cones, I'm also including transitions and boat tails and such. I'm a fan of the 34" long body tube stock... I don't think "old SEMROC" had them but maybe I'm wrong. I think Totally Tubular had 'em as well as BMS.

I often bought pre-cut balsa fins for various clones as well as the special ring or other cardboard laser cut specialty parts for cloning... the extensive inventory SEMROC had (or maybe they quickly made them to order?) was awesome. Bring 'em back!

One other truly new thing that I would also like to see is for him to work out a deal with Estes to get the larger plastic cones in bulk from Estes and part them out one by one. Estes hasn't wanted to make bulk packs of one single cone type for example PNC-60AH (Der Red Max) or PNC-60RL (Vagabond). Some of these are hard to find for a typical onesy-twosy buyer. And balsa versions of these big cones are very pricey. While this might somewhat reduce his balsa cone business, it would also allow him to focus on other sizes/shapes.

I'll also state for the record that I don't mind a modest price increase if it helps keep SEMROC a going concern. I've missed having every part I could want at my fingertips; I want it to be back in business for good.

Marc
 
Wow! I could make a wish list a mile long. But...

What I would like to see is Randy take whatever time necessary to bring Semroc back to where it was before he acquired it. That is, an incredible selection of parts, lots of really neat kits, amazing resources, and awesome customer service. In short, bring back Semroc the way it was. Not saying I don't think Randy is planning this, but that's what I want. I want my candy store back! And I think that this is probably going to be a bigger undertaking than most folks expect.



After that, how about three limited edition rockets dedicated to Carl, Bruce, and Sheryl respectively?


And a faster website, please!
 
Short Ogive BT-80 Nose Cones, and maybe some Nose Cones that could be used to make Pershing and Seawolf Missiles.
 
Just to clarify my previous post... PARTS!!! We Need Parts! So many projects, so few parts!
 
snip... What I would like to see is Randy take whatever time necessary to bring Semroc back to where it was before he acquired it. That is, an incredible selection of parts, lots of really neat kits, amazing resources, and awesome customer service. In short, bring back Semroc the way it was.

And a faster website, please!
That would work for me. That and any Centuri rockets, Deci-Scale's and/or Retro-Repro's of any sort. I always liked that Carl released new kits periodically throughout the year.
 
Would be nice if Randy picked up the rights to the R&R Model Aircraft boost gliders Gamma Star and Delta Star... They stopped production and were looking to sell the production rights.
 
Centuri Retro-repros!
How about the alien scoutship flying saucer and the Satellite Killer?
Thunder-Hawk/Bird/ROC (or Mean-Machine)
SR-71, Jayhawk in D-engine size
the fighter jet series
 
I am pretty sure Carl had a Saturn V in the development pipeline at one time, but it never made it to release.

I believe Estes may have re-released the 2157 kit at one point in the process which may have derailed a Semroc Sat V release.

The 1/100 Sat V and Sat 1B kits are problematic because they require a lot of molded plastic trim parts -- or finely cut balsa parts -- which kicks the kits into a whole new cost stratosphere.

Whether embossed paper or cardstock wraps could be a good subsitute, would take somebody more knowledgeable than me in manufacturing and production costs to figure out.
 
On obtaining Semroc, did Randy also gain rights from Estes to replicate current kits, and future kits?
If not, that could be a big problem. I would like to hear from Randy on this.

I'd like to see the Super Vega. I have the regular Vega to build.
And some upscales of current cateloged kits.
 
Semroc was just about perfect before...I want parts and the retro kits again.

Dave
 
On obtaining Semroc, did Randy also gain rights from Estes to replicate current kits, and future kits?
If not, that could be a big problem. I would like to hear from Randy on this.

I'd like to see the Super Vega. I have the regular Vega to build.
And some upscales of current cateloged kits.

I would guess Randy will make an announcement soon on which retro kits he plans to return to the lineup. Obviously he knows more than any of us what the Estes-SEMROC licensing arrangements entail.

I would think SEMROC under RB would have rights to continue offering the retro kits Semroc had in stock at the time of Carl's passing.

I don't know exactly how the procedure for adding new kits worked (or works) but I believe SEMROC had to get the go-ahead from Estes that they did not plan to return a particular kit to the active lineup for a certain period of years, and then could begin introduction and then production. Estes occasionally does return "classic" kits to the lineup and obviously they don't want SEMROC releases conflicting with that.

The arrangement would certainly seem to be beneficial to Estes in that they still realized a nominal licensing fee for products (deleted kits) they had no intention of producing for the foreseeable future, and also of course the completed kits become (mostly) users of Estes motors.
 
I want to see Semroc back up to full production so I can get the ''bits'' needed for a build I'll prolly never build. I've got parts for planed rockets that have been gathering dust for a few years. Shame on me!
Seriously though I'd like to see them add Centering/Cluster rings & BT/Coupler bulkheads for the Estes PS II 2''/2.5'' airframes. Many 4'' rockets scale down nicely to the 2.5'' PS II parts with very little fudging. The lite ply parts for the 3'' airframe are are well established though other vendors, but it would be nice for Semroc to add them too for 1 stop shopping.
 
The 1/100 Sat V and Sat 1B kits are problematic because they require a lot of molded plastic trim parts -- or finely cut balsa parts -- which kicks the kits into a whole new cost stratosphere.

Whether embossed paper or cardstock wraps could be a good subsitute, would take somebody more knowledgeable than me in manufacturing and production costs to figure out.

I've made a Saturn 1b made from strictly SEMROC parts up to the escape tower.

DSCF5741 - Copy.jpg


All I ask for is More Scale parts ! like the ones that appear on the SAM page.
 
Anti-Gravity Ascension Engines.
I fully realize that the above item is a long shot but if anybody can do it, it would be Randy.
After all, he’s brought Semroc back from “OOP”.

More realistically, “Trident”, Blue Bird Zero” “Bandit” and “Orion”. These are a few of my favorite things. . .That I did not get in time.
 
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