2016 Estes Catalog

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This release of the Saturn V is the same as the release six years ago. The only difference is this one should have a two piece injection molded plastic fins instead of the two piece vacuum formed fins. I don't know about you but the vacuum form fins are a pain to assemble and bend or break to easily. Also I believe extra capsules will be purchased and sold separately on the Estes web site for those who need or will need new ones for replacing lost of damaged capsules\towers.


John Boren

Will the fins be solid like the E2X kits?
 
WILDMAN should be proud !

Looks like his line inspired some Estes rockets instead of vice versa .

IMHO the Indicator lower fins remind me of a Vindicator and the SuperNova is reminiscent of the Shredder .

Kenny
 
Looks like his line inspired some Estes rockets instead of vice versa .

Sorry but I seldom go to other company rocket sites to see what they are offering for this very reason. By the way the Super Nova is a bring back from 20 plus years ago. Was Wildman around back then?

John Boren
 
IMHO the Indicator lower fins remind me of a Vindicator and the SuperNova is reminiscent of the Shredder .

Sorry but I seldom go to other company rocket sites to see what they are offering for this very reason. By the way the Super Nova is a bring back from 20 plus years ago. Was Wildman around back then?


LMAO. First thing I thought when I saw the shredder was "Supernova".


Built mid90's (yes yes eagle eyes, it's about 6" shorter than it should be....)

24600004479_5b010b9a62_o.jpg


I'll be picking up another....and I may finally get some scale stuff.....
 
The star orbiter fins kind of look like the Wilman space cowboy's fins.
 
The Centuri kit has been out for about three years now I believe.


John Boren
 
I have two of the 2157 kits. Definitely wouldn't mind doing away with the vac form fins. That's actually where I am stuck on both builds.

I've got two of them also. Would love to not have to do them for my Saturn Vs. I just did eight of those vacuformed fins for the Saturn 1B ... :)
 
I've got two of them also. Would love to not have to do them for my Saturn Vs. I just did eight of those vacuformed fins for the Saturn 1B ... :)

Me too, and the big HoJo. Still have nightmares about the Ib fins although they look great when done. A fin set separately available that I could fit to my 2157 kit would be awesome!
 
Me too, and the big HoJo. Still have nightmares about the Ib fins although they look great when done. A fin set separately available that I could fit to my 2157 kit would be awesome!

Flyfalcons,
I ripped the fins off my Maxi HoJo 20 some years ago, and vowed I'd add new fins "right away" ... :) I guess I should make that a winter project. The Saturn 1B was a fun build. I just finished it a few weeks ago, and need a few nice warm days to get it done. In this photo it is just dry-fitted. It is painted in several sub assemblies.

image.jpg
 
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...and it is a fine looking kit. I really like mine, though I probably wish it had a 24mm mount (it's a wee bit slow off the rod for my taste).

Thanks guys, the reason I asked is because last week before I saw the new catalog , I put this together with some help from an old rtr I had.
And here I thought I had an original idea-
I had to have seen it somewhere in my travels..... :facepalm:
junk parts project 2  2-2016.jpg
 
Looks completely different then a Centuri to me. Looks like you are using a BT56 plastic fin unit going to a BT50 Upper body tube. Fins are completely different looking as well. I say you paint this model in your own style and no one would think of comparing the two models with each other.

After 60 plus years of rockets being produced by all the rocket companies out there it is very difficult to design a model these days that doesn't have something in common with a design in the past.


John Boren
 
The Saturn V kit I build about 5ish years ago was early in my learning curve and I didn't even bother with the fins and tower. I paid for the Moldin' Oldies Cone and Fairings set and paid almost as much for them as I did for the kit. And then I never flew it because I didn't have enough experience to not put in the retainer ring which limits it to a D motor. The extra weight of the molded parts would mean the small D, which was already marginal, would probably not be enough. Low and slow would be great - only if the low was high enough not to crash.

I'm looking forward to getting the new Saturn V and spending more time on it. I think the tower and fins are no longer beyond my abilities to build. Also, I want to cut out 4 of the Ullage motors on the wraps so that it will have only 4 like Apollo 11 had.
 
...I want to cut out 4 of the Ullage motors on the wraps so that it will have only 4 like Apollo 11 had.

You've hit on one of the reasons that I prefer the late '80s #2001 "hybrid" version of the Saturn V to the more current version. The plastic detail parts (such as the ullage motors) are painted and applied separately, allowing the builder the opportunity to customize their model to a specific flight without resorting to major surgery. It's also much easier to mask and paint the roll patterns without these parts in the way.

Having said that, the current Saturn V model builds up into a beautiful model, and I'm thrilled that it is coming back!

If anyone is interested in exploring the differences between the various Saturn V vehicles, John Duncan's Apollo Saturn reference page is highly recommended!

https://www.apollosaturn.com

James
 
E15-4 or E20-4 (same motor with different labels) or E30-4. They are the size of a D12.

The Saturn V kit I build about 5ish years ago was early in my learning curve and I didn't even bother with the fins and tower. I paid for the Moldin' Oldies Cone and Fairings set and paid almost as much for them as I did for the kit. And then I never flew it because I didn't have enough experience to not put in the retainer ring which limits it to a D motor. The extra weight of the molded parts would mean the small D, which was already marginal, would probably not be enough. Low and slow would be great - only if the low was high enough not to crash.

I'm looking forward to getting the new Saturn V and spending more time on it. I think the tower and fins are no longer beyond my abilities to build. Also, I want to cut out 4 of the Ullage motors on the wraps so that it will have only 4 like Apollo 11 had.
 
So I was pretty excited when I heard "Shuttle" as I thought finally Estes was coming out with a new version of the scale full stack. Slightly disappointed when I saw that's not what this is but I must say a pretty cool design nonetheless that I would still consider building. Having said that, I still dream of a larger more improved version of the Estes kit# 1284 which I built and still fly!

Glenn
 
Having said that, I still dream of a larger more improved version of the Estes kit# 1284 which I built and still fly!

Yep, I dream of that too. An awesome dream.

l7g24VV.jpg


Ironically I never built the original kit, because it was too small. That is why my first shuttle stack was scratchbuilt at 1/110 scale using BT-55 SRB's and a modified Ajax Detergent can for the ET tube.

Heck, for the 1/45 Little Joe, I wasn't even dreaming that one. IIRC there was a rumor from many years back that the old original Centuri mold was broken, so that ended that dream. Yet, here it is, with the old mold being used for the Apollo parts.

- George Gassaway
 
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I've got two of them also. Would love to not have to do them for my Saturn Vs. I just did eight of those vacuformed fins for the Saturn 1B ... :)

They are multiplying in my basement! I have THREE of the 2157 kits, not two ... :facepalm:
 
So I was pretty excited when I heard "Shuttle" as I thought finally Estes was coming out with a new version of the scale full stack. Slightly disappointed when I saw that's not what this is but I must say a pretty cool design nonetheless that I would still consider building. Having said that, I still dream of a larger more improved version of the Estes kit# 1284 which I built and still fly!

Glenn

@GlennW +1
 
On the Saturn V, I'd think it would be a fairly straightforward mod to install a 29mm motor tube at the bottom of the motor/stuffer tube assembly to allow use of F motors. A couple of 5055 adapter rings should do the trick.

You'd have to widen the motor mount hole in the bottom centering ring from 24-29 mm, but that shouldn't be much problem with a Dremel.
 
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Not easy to enlarge the hole diameter with a Dremel (or anything else) from 24mm to fit a 29mm tube, and still have the centering rings, uh….. centered. I know I could not do that.

Here’s a link for how I make custom centering rings. Arc-scribing. Often I make rings using .04” thick styrene plastic. Other times, for engine mount rings, I make them out of thin plywood, like 1/32”. And 1/32” ply would be perfect for making custom rings to fit a 29mm tube inside of a BT-60.

https://georgesrockets.com/GRP/Articles/CentRings/Rings.htm

SingleScribetool.gif


DualScribeTool.gif



If someone wants to put a 29mm mount into the 1/45 Little Joe-II, it would be necessary to cut custom rings (and add nose weight!). Same method can be used for that. I did that for a 1/22 scale 7” diameter Little Joe-II long ago (G25 and six C6’s, capable of I45 and six D12’s but it crashed before I got to try more power).

7engineCluster.gif


See the article link above for how to do arc-scribing, and how to use a sandwich method to fabricate thicker, sturdier, yet lightweight rings.

- George Gassaway
 
@JumpJet

Do you have a video (or pictures) of the Space Shuttle prototype's flight?
 
@JumpJet

In looking at the website, and the catalog, I noticed the images of the Porta Pad E are both of the old style (without the stand-offs), and the PPE's instructions on the website are still for the old version (again not showing the stand-offs).
 
Not easy to enlarge the hole diameter with a Dremel (or anything else) from 24mm to fit a 29mm tube, and still have the centering rings, uh….. centered. I know I could not do that.

Here’s a link for how I make custom centering rings. Arc-scribing. Often I make rings using .04” thick styrene plastic. Other times, for engine mount rings, I make them out of thin plywood, like 1/32”. And 1/32” ply would be perfect for making custom rings to fit a 29mm tube inside of a BT-60.

https://georgesrockets.com/GRP/Articles/CentRings/Rings.htm

SingleScribetool.gif


DualScribeTool.gif



If someone wants to put a 29mm mount into the 1/45 Little Joe-II, it would be necessary to cut custom rings (and add nose weight!). Same method can be used for that. I did that for a 1/22 scale 7” diameter Little Joe-II long ago (G25 and six C6’s, capable of I45 and six D12’s but it crashed before I got to try more power).

7engineCluster.gif


See the article link above for how to do arc-scribing, and how to use a sandwich method to fabricate thicker, sturdier, yet lightweight rings.

- George Gassaway

Thank you for sharing that George.
 
Not easy to enlarge the hole diameter with a Dremel (or anything else) from 24mm to fit a 29mm tube, and still have the centering rings, uh….. centered. I know I could not do that.

This is why everyone should have access to a laser cutter. It will absolutely change the way you approach everything in this hobby.

Real world, hobby-grade cutters will be here soon, making this a reality.

James
 
This is why everyone should have access to a laser cutter. It will absolutely change the way you approach everything in this hobby.

Real world, hobby-grade cutters will be here soon, making this a reality.

James

I can see it now... In the newest Addams Family movie... Wednesday and Pugsly playing with their own laser cutters.
 
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