Estes Announces 1/45 Little Joe II !!!!

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The good rocketry news just keeps on flowing! Count me in!

I wonder what other kits could use that capsule... :drool:

Cheers,
Michael
 
The good rocketry news just keeps on flowing! Count me in!

I wonder what other kits could use that capsule... :drool:

Cheers,
Michael

Yes! plus longer versions of the tube would make the Mercury Atlas!!! Take the capsule from the MR kit and... ooooohhh...maybe more good surprises coming????
 
The good rocketry news just keeps on flowing! Count me in!

I wonder what other kits could use that capsule... :drool:

Cheers,
Michael

Assuming you could get the correct size tubes and other components, you could build a 1/45 scale Saturn 1B or Saturn V although I'm sure those would be massive.:wink:
 
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I wonder if they are using the old Century tooling?
 
I wonder if they are using the old Century tooling?


The only thing that is the same with this Version and the older Centuri version is the Capsule. This version has a Vacuum Form corrugated Wrap for the lower body tube. The fins are two piece injection molded plastic. All the detail pieces that get glued to the corrugated wrap are molded plastic. The engine nozzles are two piece molded plastic and have the rubber booties molded into them. Attached are a few images of a model I through together for test flying. It takes about 5 hours to build. I didn't use any primer or putty, just shot a coat of white paint and then silver. The nozzles should be painted black and white and the escape tower needs some black color as well but since this model was build to be test flown and then most likely thrown away, why bother. The HARDEST part to build on this model is putting on the decals. The finished weight is going to be more like 8.5 or so ounces with 1.5 ounces of this being clay in the nose. I hope to see a lot of these being used for sport scale events at NARAM.

John Boren

LJ1.jpg

LJ2.jpg

LJ3.jpg
 
Just awesome. Put me down for one... or three.
 
Assuming you could get the correct size tubes and other components, you could build a 1/45 scale Saturn 1B or Saturn V although I'm sure those would be massive.:wink:


Your Saturn V would be 8-1 tall and 8.8 inches diameter.
 
John if you want to throw that thing away into a cardboard box with my address on it then just let me know. Think about the environment and polar bears and recycle it :)
 
WOW, what a nice surprise!

I've two Centuri versions, one of them under construction but seeing the Estes version I think I'm going to have to get me one or two of them! Very nice!
 
The good rocketry news just keeps on flowing! Count me in!

I wonder what other kits could use that capsule... :drool:

Cheers,
Michael

Estes likely wouldn't do it, but that capsule would be nice sitting atop a big Saturn 1B. :eek:
 
The only thing that is the same with this Version and the older Centuri version is the Capsule. This version has a Vacuum Form corrugated Wrap for the lower body tube. The fins are two piece injection molded plastic. All the detail pieces that get glued to the corrugated wrap are molded plastic. The engine nozzles are two piece molded plastic and have the rubber booties molded into them. Attached are a few images of a model I through together for test flying. It takes about 5 hours to build. I didn't use any primer or putty, just shot a coat of white paint and then silver. The nozzles should be painted black and white and the escape tower needs some black color as well but since this model was build to be test flown and then most likely thrown away, why bother. The HARDEST part to build on this model is putting on the decals. The finished weight is going to be more like 8.5 or so ounces with 1.5 ounces of this being clay in the nose. I hope to see a lot of these being used for sport scale events at NARAM.

John Boren

This this is awesome. This takes the Semroc Little Joe II off my to-buy list (which is now missing from eRockets site anyway) and supersedes it...
 
That is one of the most exciting kit announcements from Estes in a long time.

Apollo-_Little_Joe_II_Liftoff_(December_8,_1964)_-_cropped[1].jpg

Greg
 
Yeah, I did that with the Mercury Redstone and ended up getting my order 6 months after everybody else was getting theirs from other sources

Same here, especially disappointing considering that Hobbico owns Estes. You would think that Tower would be the first to get a batch.
 
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Well, it's official: Hell has frozen over. I wonder who will be first to mod it for a four motor cluster (al a the Centuri kit of old)?

Very cool news.
 
Yep, cluster mod time!!

I think I heard the capsule will be available separately. I'm sure JumpJet can confirm...
 
The only thing that is the same with this Version and the older Centuri version is the Capsule. This version has a Vacuum Form corrugated Wrap for the lower body tube. The fins are two piece injection molded plastic. All the detail pieces that get glued to the corrugated wrap are molded plastic. The engine nozzles are two piece molded plastic and have the rubber booties molded into them. Attached are a few images of a model I through together for test flying. It takes about 5 hours to build. I didn't use any primer or putty, just shot a coat of white paint and then silver. The nozzles should be painted black and white and the escape tower needs some black color as well but since this model was build to be test flown and then most likely thrown away, why bother. The HARDEST part to build on this model is putting on the decals. The finished weight is going to be more like 8.5 or so ounces with 1.5 ounces of this being clay in the nose. I hope to see a lot of these being used for sport scale events at NARAM.

John Boren

Any recommendations or cautions on how to glue the VF plastic parts down?

Thanks!
Jim
 
Yep, cluster mod time!!

If you go with a cluster of motors in the center you would have to get ride of the 6 nozzles down there. Now since a BT-5 body tube just happens to fit inside each of the 6 nozzles, you could have a cluster of 6 mini engines with a 24mm core motor.


John Boren
 
If you go with a cluster of motors in the center you would have to get ride of the 6 nozzles down there. Now since a BT-5 body tube just happens to fit inside each of the 6 nozzles, you could have a cluster of 6 mini engines with a 24mm core motor.


John Boren

Exactly what I was wondering. This is going to be cool. If you have any extra prototypes put one in with the Honest John I just ordered. LOL
 
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