The Understated Estes Alpha.

Woody's Workshop said:

As such a popular and excellent fly the Alpha is, it boggles my mind why Estes never made a mini engine version.
This is something I'm going to have to resolve.
Since my theme this year is in the mini engine category.

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Clone one! Want me to scale it for you?

An Alpha using a BT 20 airframe would only be 9-7/32" tall. The nose cone would be 2-1/16" exposed length. An A-10 would give that a nice ride. You're on your own with finding or tailoring the nose cone.

I was thinking a BT-5 and have you turn me a nose cone Gary.
Up for it. PM price

I built a BT-20 Sprint using a Semroc nose cone; it wasn't identical, but close enough to suit me. I called it Dash (as in, a short Sprint).

I built a BT-60 super Alpha last year to fly on 38mm, motors. I'll tell you what that thing would jump off the pad on the G-67 redline motor.
I had four flights on it,with a total altitude of over 16K, One of the fins cracked on the last flight. The next one I'm thinking of just doing a 29mm mount that way I can do tabs on the fins and get some better filets on it. I love how it would fly on the aerotech motors so straight.
I've got a video of it flying on a G-50 if you guys would like to see it? I know this was all about the low power models, But I had to say something, It's such a good flying rocket.

Nice looking Dash, what did you use for the tail cone?

By all means, post the link to the Vid!
I got 2 Supers and 1 Maxi in the build pile for this winter.
I'm stuck in the mini this year. Cheap to fly, small fields, lotsa fun for the whole family.
Even my mom at 89 likes to watch. Even though she can't see much anymore except us run across the field.

Woody's Workshop said:

Nice looking Dash, what did you use for the tail cone?

By all means, post the link to the Vid!
I got 2 Supers and 1 Maxi in the build pile for this winter.
I'm stuck in the mini this year. Cheap to fly, small fields, lotsa fun for the whole family.
Even my mom at 89 likes to watch. Even though she can't see much anymore except us run across the field.

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I think it's all good when it comes to rockets. I find myself at the Launches watching all the rockets fly. I've got the video uploading now on Vimeo.

Woody's Workshop said:

Nice looking Dash, what did you use for the tail cone?

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110# paper, and my Shroud Calculator:

https://rocketry.gonnerman.org/shroudcalc.html

Solomoriah said:

110# paper, and my Shroud Calculator:

https://rocketry.gonnerman.org/shroudcalc.html

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Thank You Kindly, always nice to find something useful.
I hope others mark the site for future use.
3-2-1...

Estesbasher said:

I think it's all good when it comes to rockets. I find myself at the Launches watching all the rockets fly. I've got the video uploading now on Vimeo.

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Make sure you post the link please.

Here's the video.[video=vimeo;133410129]https://vimeo.com/133410129[/video] You can here the chute pop @ the 25second mark.

With all this Alpha talk, I decided to throw an Alpha kit into an order I just placed. My old one is still great fun to fly but it would be nice to have one finished to a higher standard for club launches.

A long time back, I posted a BT-5 wrap for a micro Alpha - search for wrap rockets are variants of that (I think it is in the archive - it was that long ago). It was built using a 220 Swift nose cone and cardstock fins. I put a micromaxx mount in it and made it nose blow recovery, but you could fly it on a 1/4A like the mosquito if you aren't afraid of owing it!

Woody's Workshop said:

I was thinking a BT-5 and have you turn me a nose cone Gary.
Up for it. PM price

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I honestly don't want to get folks in the habit of having me turn parts for them. If I do it for you then BillyJoeRocket Bob will want one and then I get in a trap. Nah. It's so small anyway, you could hand shape one. Or go with a plastic one. JonRocket has a 5 pack for $2.50. The nose is 1.5" exposed area. The tube would be 4-5/16" long and I can send you a fin pattern via email. I think I still have it. Your real name John E. A.?

Overeasy123, where did you get that Fat Boy? Had an old one, or ebay, or is there a clone I don't know about?

shreadvector said:

The Alpha is nostalgic, but it is very, very short. It comes from the long ago era before flameproof wadding when "parachute protectors" were used. Therefore, the very short body tube was not an issue. in our modern era od flameproof wadding, the Alpha body tube is just annoyingly short. Yes, it still works, but you must teach beginners how to fold the parachute very carefully so that it will fit in the tiny length of tube available after installing the proper amount of wadding and still easily open up.

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Hmm.. I've never had any problem with the Alpha vis parachute and wadding. In fact, the Alpha was spacious compared to most other parachute rockets of that era. And the Alpha was designed/released in 1966-67, long after wadding was introduced (first cotton, then paper).

Zeroignite said:

Overeasy123, where did you get that Fat Boy? Had an old one, or ebay, or is there a clone I don't know about?

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These Fat Boys are both probably of '98 Vintage. They're both a Meijer Score, Builder's Kits in the Clamshell that were priced down to $4 or so. As Balsa Airplanes exist "In the Bones," these Boys have probably been "On the Sticks" for 5 years. You can see the Gray Model has a 3/16" LL, and is set for 24mm Power. I'll keep plowin' through, eh? Stock paint job on the white one.

Whoa, does that 2X Semi-Gloss White cover fantastically! Even the Insects cooperated, save for one little Orangish Dusty-Mite. I'll knock him down after the White cures, and mask for Semi-Gloss Black Details.

Don't ya hate it when you're buildin' a Six-Pack of Alphas, after/during a Sixer of Busch Light, and you somehow manage to misalign all 6 LLs with all 6 Engine Hooks? It sure stews my Mashed Potatoes!

Overeasy123 said:

Don't ya hate it when you're buildin' a Six-Pack of Alphas, after/during a Sixer of Busch Light, and you somehow manage to misalign all 6 LLs with all 6 Engine Hooks? It sure stews my Mashed Potatoes!

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At least you remembered the lugs! :headbang: If I had a nickel for every time I forgot those......anyway....Busch Lite? I like me some Busch too, but that "lite" crap is....well, yuckers!!!

Gary Byrum said:

At least you remembered the lugs! :headbang: If I had a nickel for every time I forgot those......anyway....Busch Lite? I like me some Busch too, but that "lite" crap is....well, yuckers!!!

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I'm a Cheap Date, Gary. A 2-Pack of D12-5s, and...

*toasts a Pilsner Flute of Sour Miller Lite*

Overeasy123 said:

I'm a Cheap Date, Gary. A 2-Pack of D12-5s, and...

*toasts a Pilsner Flute of Sour Miller Lite*

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I guess it's, what ever blows your dress up. D12-3's for me.

Gary Byrum said:

I honestly don't want to get folks in the habit of having me turn parts for them. If I do it for you then BillyJoeRocket Bob will want one and then I get in a trap. Nah. It's so small anyway, you could hand shape one. Or go with a plastic one. JonRocket has a 5 pack for $2.50. The nose is 1.5" exposed area. The tube would be 4-5/16" long and I can send you a fin pattern via email. I think I still have it. Your real name John E. A.?

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I understand Gary. I still have all my parts boxed up. I know I have at least a dozen bt-5 nose cones, plastic though.
Yea, JEA is correct. I think you have my email already.

The nose cone I used on the Dash was a Semroc BC-20B. eRockets has it in stock for #2.39 each. It's not exactly the same profile as the Alpha, but it's not far enough off to prevent you from recognizing a mini Alpha with this cone.

https://www.erockets.biz/semroc-balsa-nose-cone-bt-20-1-7-elliptical/

... okay, so I did some math.

The Alpha had a BT-50H body tube, which was 7.75" long. I figure the scaling factor from BT-50 to BT-20 is about 75%, so that makes for a 5.8" long BT-20 tube. The BNC-50K nose cone from the Alpha was 2.75" long, so the downscale should be just a hair more than 2" long (but 2" seems close enough).

The Semroc BNC-20LS cone is 2.0" long, and while not a pure ogive it's actually pretty close shape-wise. If I wanted to make a mini Alpha, I'd probably use that cone.

Three Supra-Alphas! The ones with those Really Dense, Heavy Nose Cones! Looking to get 'em all in 2X Semi-Gloss White.

Dressed in a base of 2X Semi-Gloss White. After I knock down the mistakes by wet sanding, I'll mask for '73 Black Details.

Damn! I had no idea how many Alpha fanatics were out there!

First kit I built as a kid, first (sometimes only) rocket to go up each time out. Love the Alpha!

You stick with what works!

Oh yeah, I love me some Alphas!