SCALE - Aerobee Gallery

[JAL3]

Welcome to the Scale Aerobee Gallery on TRF.

This gallery showcases the Aerobee Sounding Rocket and those rockets derived from it. Particularly appropriate in this thread are the following:


Cosmodrome: Aerobee Hi:
Estes: Aerobee 300: K-17 or #1217
MMI: Aerobee Hi: #001-B
MMI: Aerobee Hi Deluxe: #001-A
MMI: Aerobee Hi Economy: #001-C
North Coast Rocketry: Aerobee Hi-Test: K-5
Rocket R&D: Aerobee Hi:
Semroc: Aerobee Hi: KV-2
Thrustline: Aerobee 300: TACL-013



as well as any upscales, downscales, clones, kitbashes or other derivative works. Even Goonies qualify!



American sounding rocket. In late 1945 James Van Allen was assigned by John Hopkins University to survey sounding rocket requirements for upper atmosphere research. The V-2 was found to be too heavy and complex. In 1946 Van Allen decided that what was needed was a small rocket, derived from the Aerojet Wac Corporal and the Bumblebee missile developed under a US Navy program. This combination of an Aerojet booster and a Bumblebee second stage was dubbed the Aerobee. Aerobees were launched for 53 m tall launch towers to provide the necessary stability until enough speed had been gained for the fins to be effective in controlling the rocket. Launch towers were built at White Sands, Fort Churchill, Wallops Island, and aboard the research ship USN Norton Sound. The Aerobee could take 68 kg to 130 km altitude.

[JAL3]

Cosmodrome Aerobee Hi Basic Information.

Cosmodrome Rocketry

MODEL NAME: Aerobee Hi Also known as:

NUMBER:

Introduced:
Final Year:
Designer: Mike Kruger

Type: Scale, 2 Stage
Motor Mount: 1x29mm/1x29mm
Recovery: Parachute/Parachute
Stages: 2
Length: 61.3"
Diameter: 2.63"
Span:
Weight: 27 oz

Mfg. Description: Balsa nose cones (2)
Two color self-adhesive decals
24" and 18" rip-stop nylon parachutes
F through H power
Through-the-wall fins
Motor retension on both stages (Cosmodrome 2012 Web Ad)

Advertising Liveries

Cosmodrome 2002 Web Ad Cosmodrome 2003 Web Ad Cosmodrome 2008 Web Ad

Cosmodrome 2012 Web Ad

Face Card(s)

Instruction Header(s)

First post in this thread featuring this rocket.

See Also: LINKS
EMRR
RocketReviews
Mfg. Page


If you have any additional information on this rocket and/or catalog photos please let us know.

[JAL3]

North Coast Rocketry Aerobee Hi-Test (K-5) Basic Information.

North Coast Rocketry (NCR)

MODEL NAME: Aerobee Hi-Test Also known as:

NUMBER: K-5

Introduced:
Final Year:
Designer:

Type: Scale, Upscale
Motor Mount: 1x29mm
Recovery: Parachute
Stages: 1
Length:
Diameter: 2.6"
Span:
Weight: 17 oz

Mfg. Description: The NCR AEROBEE HI-TEST is a scaled up version of the Model Missiles, Inc. (MMI) model rocket kit that was made famous during the late 1950's. This "grown-up" version should really light smiles on the faces of "old timers" around your flying field! (NCR 1986 Catalog)

Advertising Liveries

NCR 1986 Catalog NCR 1987 Catalog NCR 1987 Catalog Cover

NCR 1989 Catalog

Face Card(s)

[img][/img]

Instruction Header(s)

[img][/img]



First post in this thread featuring this rocket.

See Also: LINKS
EMRR
RocketReviews
Mfg. Page


If you have any additional information on this rocket and/or catalog photos please let us know.

[JAL3]

Semroc Aerobee Hi (KV-2) Basic Information.

Semroc Astronautics

MODEL NAME: Aerobee Hi Also known as:

NUMBER: KV-2

Introduced:
Final Year:
Designer:

Type: Scale, Clone
Motor Mount: 1x18mm
Recovery: Parachute
Stages: 1
Length: 14.0" (35.6 cm)
Diameter: 0.825" (2.1 cm)
Span: 3.2" (8.1 cm)
Weight: 0.8 oz (22.7 g)

Mfg. Description: 1958 Retro Repro (Semroc 2012 Web Ad)

Advertising Liveries

Semroc 2012 Web Ad

Face Card(s)

[img][/img]

Instruction Header(s)

[img][/img]



First post in this thread featuring this rocket.

See Also: LINKS
EMRR
RocketReviews
Mfg. Page


If you have any additional information on this rocket and/or catalog photos please let us know.

[JAL3]

Model Missiles Inc. Aerobee Hi (#001-B) Basic Information.

Model Missiles, Inc. (MMI)

MODEL NAME: Aerobee Hi Also known as:

NUMBER: #001-B

Introduced: 1958
Final Year: 1961
Designer:

Type: Scale
Motor Mount:
Recovery:
Stages:
Length:
Diameter:
Span:
Weight:

Mfg. Description: DESC

Advertising Liveries

[img][/img]

Face Card(s)

[img][/img]

Instruction Header(s)

[img][/img]



First post in this thread featuring this rocket.

See Also: LINKS
EMRR
RocketReviews
Mfg. Page


If you have any additional information on this rocket and/or catalog photos please let us know.

[JAL3]

Model Missiles Inc. Aerobee Hi Deluxe (#001-A) Basic Information.

Model Missiles, Inc. (MMI)

MODEL NAME: Aerobee Hi Deluxe Also known as:

NUMBER: #001-A

Introduced: 1958
Final Year: 1961
Designer:

Type: Scale
Motor Mount:
Recovery: Parachute
Stages: 1
Length:
Diameter:
Span:
Weight:

Mfg. Description: DESC

Advertising Liveries

[img][/img]

Face Card(s)

[img][/img]

Instruction Header(s)

[img][/img]



First post in this thread featuring this rocket.

See Also: LINKS
EMRR
RocketReviews
Mfg. Page


If you have any additional information on this rocket and/or catalog photos please let us know.

[JAL3]

Model Missiles Inc. Aerobee Hi Economy (#001-C) Basic Information.

Model Missiles, Inc. (MMI)

MODEL NAME: Aerobee Hi Economy Also known as:

NUMBER: #001-C

Introduced: 1958
Final Year: 1961
Designer:

Type: Scale
Motor Mount:
Recovery: Parachute
Stages: 1
Length:
Diameter:
Span:
Weight:

Mfg. Description: DESC

Advertising Liveries

[img][/img]

Face Card(s)

[img][/img]

Instruction Header(s)

[img][/img]



First post in this thread featuring this rocket.

See Also: LINKS
EMRR
RocketReviews
Mfg. Page


If you have any additional information on this rocket and/or catalog photos please let us know.

[JAL3]

Thrustline Aerobee 300 (TACL-013) Basic Information.

Thrustline Aerospace

MODEL NAME: Aerobee 300 Also known as:

NUMBER: TACL-013

Introduced:
Final Year:
Designer:

Type: Scale, Clone
Motor Mount: 1x18mm
Recovery: Parachute
Stages: 1
Length:
Diameter:
Span:
Weight:

Mfg. Description: DESC

Advertising Liveries

Thrustline 2008 Web Ad

Face Card(s)

[img][/img]

Instruction Header(s)

[img][/img]



First post in this thread featuring this rocket.

See Also: LINKS
EMRR
RocketReviews
Mfg. Page


If you have any additional information on this rocket and/or catalog photos please let us know.

[JAL3]

Estes Aerobee 300 (K-17 or #1217) Basic Information.

Estes Industries

MODEL NAME: Aerobee 300 Also known as:

NUMBER: K-17 or #1217

Introduced: 1965
Final Year: 1978
Designer:

Type: Scale
Motor Mount: 1x18mm
Recovery: Parachute
Stages: 1
Length: 20"
Diameter: 1"
Span:
Weight: 0.85 oz

Mfg. Description: Easy to build scale model of a great sounding rocket. Gives top performance in flight after flight. Features parachute recovery for gentle landings, payload section for small specimens. Kit is complete with all parts and easy-to-follow instructions (but no engines). (Estes 1966 Catalog)

=====

1967 Catalog text identical to 1966 Catalog
1968 Catalog text identical to 1966 Catalog
1969 Catalog text identical to 1966 Catalog

Advertising Liveries

1966 Catalog 1967 Catalog 1968 Catalog 1969 Catalog

Face Card(s)

Instruction Header(s)

First post in this thread featuring this rocket.

See Also:
TRF Build Threads

TRF Applicable Threads

LINKS
EMRR
RocketReviews
Mfg. Page


If you have any additional information on this rocket and/or catalog photos please let us know.

[JAL3]

Rocket R&D Aerobee HI Basic Information.

Rocket R&D

MODEL NAME: Aerobee HI Also known as:

NUMBER:

Introduced:
Final Year:
Designer:

Type: Scale
Motor Mount: 1x54mm
Recovery: Parachute
Stages: 1
Length: 75"
Diameter: 4"
Span:
Weight:

Mfg. Description:

Advertising Liveries

2013 Performance Hobbies Web Ad

Face Card(s)

Instruction Header(s)

[img][/img]



First post in this thread featuring this rocket.

See Also:
TRF Build Threads

TRF Applicable Threads

LINKS
EMRR
RocketReviews
Mfg. Page


If you have any additional information on this rocket and/or catalog photos please let us know.

[Micromeister]

next PMC was a 1:40th Aerobee-HI
This model was just for fun and flys reasonably well for a Plastic Brick. it does not stage or use the launcher trailer for flight. It's just a fun build Micro PMC.


Post copied with permission

[Micromeister]

Another of those early 1990-91 NorthCoast Rockety (Matte Steel) HP models coverted to 3-D12 clustered BP flying was the Aerobee-Hi Test. another 2.6" dia heavy tube semi-Scale of the famous NRL research sounding rocket.

This one has special meaning for me as my parents (both mom and Dad) were directly involved with this Naval Research Lab project. While this model isn't a very close scale model, it was good enough in most respects to make them both smile.
A really decent flying model on 3 D12-5 or on still air days can go with -7's


Post moved to extant thread

[bjphoenix]

This is semi-scale for the Aerobee-Hi. I built a booster too. I'm not sure if the combination would be stable, or if it would even be stable as a single stage, but I never intended to fly it anyway. The toughest styling element of the Aerobee is the very long nose cone. In the old days Estes made a rubber nose cone that was long enough, and they made a parallel wound tube thicker than their other tubes that this cone fit, called the BT30. I inherited a cone and BT30 from my brother in law and built the rocket to match. These parts probably date back almost to 1960.

[RoyAtl]

This is semi-scale for the Aerobee-Hi. I built a booster too. I'm not sure if the combination would be stable, or if it would even be stable as a single stage, but I never intended to fly it anyway. The toughest styling element of the Aerobee is the very long nose cone. In the old days Estes made a rubber nose cone that was long enough, and they made a parallel wound tube thicker than their other tubes that this cone fit, called the BT30. I inherited a cone and BT30 from my brother in law and built the rocket to match. These parts probably date back almost to 1960.

In the old days, these were the parts of the original Model Missiles Incorporated Aerobee-Hi kit, the first model rocket kit ever manufactured. When MMI went out of biz, Vern Estes bought the parts -- or maybe they still owed him for making motors for them -- and sold them as BT-40. BT-30 was a slightly smaller tube that Vern started his kit biz with. His wife Gleda rolled the initial batches herself.

So you've got a slightly valuable rocket there. Original MMI kits go for $300-400 today! Yours would be a worth a lot less than that, since it is built, and wasn't built from a kit, but a lot of people would hate to hear that you flew it and lost it.

[JAL3]

This is semi-scale for the Aerobee-Hi. I built a booster too. I'm not sure if the combination would be stable, or if it would even be stable as a single stage, but I never intended to fly it anyway. The toughest styling element of the Aerobee is the very long nose cone. In the old days Estes made a rubber nose cone that was long enough, and they made a parallel wound tube thicker than their other tubes that this cone fit, called the BT30. I inherited a cone and BT30 from my brother in law and built the rocket to match. These parts probably date back almost to 1960.

Is this an Estes or an MMI or something else?

[bjphoenix]

Is this an Estes or an MMI or something else?

I thought the parts came from Estes, but I got them from my brother in law's stash of parts. I got them somewhere around 1966 and guessed that he got them around 4 or 5 years before that.

[JAL3]

I thought the parts came from Estes, but I got them from my brother in law's stash of parts. I got them somewhere around 1966 and guessed that he got them around 4 or 5 years before that.

OK. I'll leave it as a scratch.

Thanks for the contributions.

[Micromeister]

A very nicely done re-issue of G. Harry Stines MMI Aerobee-Hi kit was one of the special products sold at Naram-50.
Makes a very nice flying "Days of OLD" replica of an important model (and Real Vehicle) from the Beginning of both Model and Real rocketry

[KHamel]

The Semroc version. Fun build has flown a couple of times on A8-5s. My guess is it would fly out of sight on a C6.

Picture is a little out of focus.





.

[foamy]

[JAL3]

It looks great.

Can we get some information as to the make or is it a scratch?

[foamy]

Sorry John, I should have mentioned that it is the Retro-Repro of Model Missiles Aerobee-Hi made by Semroc. An excellent kit of typically high quality.

[StefanJ]

Paint Question:

I'm just finishing a AAA Model Aviation Fuels Aerobee-Hi.

The decals are for NRL-41.

I've seen photos for several "rounds" of this rocket, but not specifically NRL-41.

Is the MMI / Semroc paint job fairly accurate? That is, the nose cone and the top bit of body tube are silver?

I've seen photos (I think of NRL-42) where the top bit of body tube is white.

The kit instructions are amusingly broad: "paint the body white, silver, or yellow".

Here are some photos:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/stefan_...in/photostream

http://www.flickr.com/photos/stefan_...n/photostream/

[dr wogz]

Thrustline also intended an Aerobee Hi 2-stager.

I was lucky enough to get the beta test model. But then 'life' took over.

The booster required a slight redesign to alter the weight, so that it woudl tumble. Glide more like... The original came in ballistic & core sampled! the CAD dwg shows the motor moved rearward.. (Rockets in CAD are soo much fun!!)

I've flown it a few times..