[Recycle] Wreck to retro!

Last year my Estes Wizard core sampled hard, unwrapping part of the body tube and popping off a fin. I listed it as RIP in my logbook but I kept the parts around. This summer has been a low-build one so I wanted a fun project to inject myself with some building energy. I noticed that about 7" of the body tube was serviceable, so I decided to recycle my broken Wizard into a "close enough" clone of a classic out-of production Estes rocket.

Here is what was left of my Wizard (minus the streamer).


The sticker came off with minimum residue. I then cut down the BT to 7".


The "T-Bag" was removed with my hobby knife and sand paper.


The other two fins were removed. Different ones will be attached after I sand the BT a bit and ready it for a new paint job.


Can anyone guess what rocket I am building here?

The Tea-bagger? (just kidding here....I have no idea...)

Astron Mark?

Cookie the Dog's Owner said:

Astron Mark?

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Close! The Mark has a shorter BT.

This fresh hand-cut fin (Mmmmm!) should give it away.

Sky Hook!

Rocket86 said:

Sky Hook!

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Yes!

I am planning to paint it in it's traditional red, white and black. This will be my first time painting a spiral on a BT. I hope I don't mess it up!

Somewhere I had it in my head that the Sky Hook was a BT-50. Must be conflating it with something else.

Cookie the Dog's Owner said:

Somewhere I had it in my head that the Sky Hook was a BT-50. Must be conflating it with something else.

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Maybe you were thinking of the Sky Hook II from Semroc?

The original Astron Sky Hook was BT-30. The Wizard is BT-20 which is close enough.

Looking at my paint supplies, I might forgo the traditional paint scheme and go with something black and orange. I am getting ahead of myself though, I have lots of body tube sanding to do!

Sky Hook is an awesome flyer! Can't wait to see it!


Launching rockets (or missiles in my case) is so easy a chimp could do it. Read a step, do a step, eat a banana.

Sent from my iPad Air using Rocketry Forum.

Fins are on! Even though it looks fugly after I sanded it down, that classic shape sure is pretty!

Classic design!


Launching rockets (or missiles in my case) is so easy a chimp could do it. Read a step, do a step, eat a banana.

Sent from my iPad Air using Rocketry Forum.

It's going to be great!

I finally painted it and added a 2"X20" crepe streamer. I have some A8-5 motors and I hope to launch it soon!

Wiazrds never Die...They just shape shift and keep on a flyin.

My daughter won a Semroc Skyhook kit at one of our clubs drawings for kids who participate in a Launch event and launch a rocket. She launched my ancient Estes Courier (kit 1911). We built here Skyhook and she flew it at the next event and had a blast. They fly beautifully, only problem is even the poly-chutes they come with are hard to stuff in that short tube, and I over did the dog barf and it failed to deploy the melted chute just popped the NC out, minor damage broken fin. Definitely go with a mylar 8 to 12 inch parachute.

I launched it today for it's first flight and it was soooo smoooth! It ascended to a great altitude on an A8-5 and came down perfectly on it's streamer. I think that it flies better than as a Wizard!