Advertisement: estes mercury atlas

[Fred]

I would like to buy one of these. If you have one for sale please PM me.
Thanks
fred

 

[GlennW]

I don't have one for sale, but I just saw on ebay a couple of days ago there is one and IIRC it has not ended yet. As it happens I am building one right now, it's an awesome kit and I can't wait to finish and fly it, I'm about 85% done.

Good luck with it,
Glenn

 

[Planet Andy]

Fred I know you got yours on your Birthday. My cousin gave me Estes #2111 a couple of weeks ago...Don't think it's an original box...(unless it came in the Estes range box ) but the header card, paperwork, sealed parts bags, vacu-formed parts, body tube, foil sheet etc...seem intact. Seems he bought several of many kits years ago and is happy to pass some doubles on to me. I watched the recent ebay auctions go and I am aware how fortunate I am to have it bestowed upon me.

Andy

 

[dtomko]

Andy,

You are indeed fortunate!

It is the original box; the Mercury Atlas came in a range box with the header wrapped around the outside and then shrinkwrapped.

Makes a great carrying case

I got mine a bunch of years ago for $29.99 on ebay and that is a steal compared to what it goes for now.

Drew

 

[Planet Andy]

Thanks for clarifying that for me Drew, I thought it was just a generic range box that he had...Looks like something I'm gonna want to take the appropriate amount of time to build...by NERRF#4??? The "Master Series" moniker seems awfully intimidating.

Take Care,
Andy

 

[Fred]

Andy I cant think of a nicer guy to get it. Go hard man dont let the moniker intimidate Mine cost me 195USD including shipping. A little more expensive then the original. Oh well sometimes you get the bear yada yada
Cheers
fred

 

[dtomko]

Originally posted by Planet Andy
Thanks for clarifying that for me Drew, I thought it was just a generic range box that he had...Looks like something I'm gonna want to take the appropriate amount of time to build...by NERRF#4??? The "Master Series" moniker seems awfully intimidating.

Take Care,
Andy

I smell another drag race brewing for NERRF 4 Maybe this time we'll see an actual flight

Take your time with the vacuum formed parts. It's actually not all that difficult a build.

Two tips: make sure the BT is clean before you start applying the foil strips. Trust me, any specs will make bumps under the foil
Also, get some bare metal foil to cover the fairings. Estes doesn't give you enough foil to cover them and painting them silver doesn't quite match.

Drew

 

[Planet Andy]

Originally posted by fred22
Andy I cant think of a nicer guy to get it. Go hard man dont let the moniker intimidate Mine cost me 195USD including shipping. A little more expensive then the original. Oh well sometimes you get the bear yada yada
Cheers
fred

aw shucks Fred, Thank You...sometimes you should splurge on yourself...especially on your birthday...and you should have no regrets. I'm gonna arrange a gift subscription to Launch for my cousin as a token of my appreciation...

Originally posted by dtomko
I smell another drag race brewing for NERRF 4 Maybe this time we'll see an actual flight

Take your time with the vacuum formed parts. It's actually not all that difficult a build.

Two tips: make sure the BT is clean before you start applying the foil strips. Trust me, any specs will make bumps under the foil
Also, get some bare metal foil to cover the fairings. Estes doesn't give you enough foil to cover them and painting them silver doesn't quite match.

Drew

Well Drew, I will take these tips seriously, I consider you a Master builder with way more years of experience than myself...now if we can get them off the ground that would be icing on the cake.
Andy

 

[GlennW]

Whoa do you mean NERRF 3? That's the next one, unless you are planning on taking a year and a half to build it (like me). But even mine will be ready for NERRF 3, so who knows, maybe a triple Mercury Atlas drag race? I've never even seen one finished Atlas at a launch, 3 would be a sight to behold! Someone get a camera ready!

Wow Fred $195 for this? Inconceivable! I got mine last year on a ROL auction for $50 and I was the only bidder, guess I should count myself lucky.

Now Drew, about those fairings, in all the pictures I have studied in preparation for finishing this, the fairings don't look like they are supposed to match the area where you put the foil strips on. Looks like there is meant to be some contrast. I have already started painting the lower parts of the rocket with Testor's Metallic Silver and it looks pretty close to the real thing as far as I can tell, can you clarify what you mean?

Glenn

 

[Planet Andy]

Originally posted by GlennW
Whoa do you mean NERRF 3? That's the next one, unless you are planning on taking a year and a half to build it (like me). But even mine will be ready for NERRF 3, so who knows, maybe a triple Mercury Atlas drag race? I've never even seen one finished Atlas at a launch, 3 would be a sight to behold! Someone get a camera ready!

Wow Fred $195 for this? Inconceivable! I got mine last year on a ROL auction for $50 and I was the only bidder, guess I should count myself lucky.

Now Drew, about those fairings, in all the pictures I have studied in preparation for finishing this, the fairings don't look like they are supposed to match the area where you put the foil strips on. Looks like there is meant to be some contrast. I have already started painting the lower parts of the rocket with Testor's Metallic Silver and it looks pretty close to the real thing as far as I can tell, can you clarify what you mean?

Glenn

I actually do mean NERRF 4...that way if Drew shows up with his which will be a museum piece at NERRF 3 I can spare myself the humiliation and shame of mine being...eh not so perfect next to his But I repeat he's been doing this way longer than myself...I'll need to look at the pieces in the box for a few months probably and get a few less valuable/rare yet difficult builds under my belt before I get the guts to assemble it.
cheers all,
Andy

 

[dtomko]

D'oh! Andy's math was right; mine was wrong! You know I actually brought it to NERRF 2 but it never made it out of my car It will be with me for NERRF 3!

Glenn, I am trying to find a really clear photo; this is not really the best.

Basically the lower portion of the Atlas is silver, but not polished aluminum like the upper section. There's a line on the model, just at the top of the vacuum formed wrap. But the side fairings extend up past this line into the polished aluminum area. These sections (the upper parts of the side vacuum formed pieces) should also be shiny. You can see the top of the left fairing in the photo is very shiny.

Drew

 

[dtomko]

I used Bare Metal Foil on the upper sections of the fairings and spayed Testors Silver on the entire lower section. The real thing actually had several metallic shades to it.

Of course for a "flight" version we should spray off white on the upper BT to simulate the frost

Drew

 

[GlennW]

Hmm, looks like I could go either way with this after looking at some more photos. I may just take the lazy man's way out of this and do it as they suggest, I think it's close enough and I think the contrast emphasizes the detail which I like. I see you also went way beyond with the clear fin units, nice touch but again I don't think I'm gonna go the extra mile there either, I get crazy enough with these scale builds as it is and this one is already very involved without looking to make even more work, I just don't have the time.

I am planning to fly mine!

Glenn

 

[Fred]

"Wow Fred $195 for this? Inconceivable! I got mine last year on a ROL auction for $50 and I was the only bidder, guess I should count myself lucky."
Ya I have been folllowing this rocket on EBAY and it seemd to be going for about 100 to 200 dollars. A broad range i know. 20 dollars of my total is for shipping and not out of line givren where i live. I get tired of having to stay up till four in the morning adding quarters trying too get it. I definatley paid too much but there it is .
Cheers
fred

 

[Steve Fitton]

The lower skirt section and side fairings on Atlas should be a duller silver colour. The tank itself was a brilliant polished looking stainless steel, but the lower parts were ordinary aluminium. The Apogee book on Atlas shows some good colour picxtures of this, and there should be loads of pics online showing the different colours.