Estes Super Alpha Nose cone Question

[Astronot]

Is it just me, or an optical illusion, but I see a different nose cone profile in person versus the picture on the package. The one I have built doesn't really seem to have the same lines as the original Alpha or Alpha III. Does anyone else feel this way?
Don't get me wrong. I still think it's a great looking rocket. But an Alpha, may be a stretch.

In other news...

I just finished putting the striping on my Sky Hook and Sky Hook 2. Who out there thinks I should leave the Semroc decal off of the Sky Hook 2? Does anyone know who originally up scaled this model? Was it Carl McLawhorn of Semroc or someone else?

As a side inquisitation (I know that's not proper English, just playful)... What was the original paint color for the body and booster of the Omega/Cineroc? Was it Gloss white or Flat White?

I personally think Flat White looks better and looks more Retro.

Thanks,
David

 

[T-Rex]

Many of us noted this. As I understand it, when the kit originally came out, it contained a balsa nose that was an upscale of the original. At some point the nose was replaced with a plastic one. Some of the kits (mine included) contained a note stating there was a world wide shortage of balsa which resulted in the substitution. It went on to say that while it was a slightly different shape, flight characteristics would not be affected. If you want a true alpha shaped nose, they are available, made from balsa, from Semroc and Balsa Machine.

 

[rstaff3]

Ditto here. Here are 2 references how other people modified the kit: Bill Eichelberger replaced the stock cone with a balsa one from Semroc, and Chris Michielssen modified another cone to match the classic Alpha profile. In the end, I didn't feel like changing it so I'll live with the non-scale plastic one.

 

[BEC]

The early kits did have a balsa cone that was closer to, but not an exact scale up of either the original BNC-50K or the later blow-molded plastic cone used in current Alpha kits. Semroc does offer an exact scale up BNC-60K, and my Super Alpha is wearing one of those now after I had a D-10's ejection charge kill the shock cord in my model. When the nose cone (and AlitmeterOne) were found a year and half later they were a bit worse for the wear.

Semroc also has a BNC-60KP, which is a scale up of the Alpha III nose cone shape.

More recent Super Alphas have a plastic nose cone that's even further off.

I have one balsa cone Super Alpha kit in my stash as well as my flyer.

 

[Buzzard]

I second the use of the SEMROC BNC-60K nose cone to replace the plastic one. Attached is my Super Alpha with the SEMROC replacement cone finished in Alpha III vinyl decals from another rocketer who donated them. That is me missing a picture with my cell phone. Thanks to the DARS website for the pic.
I have three more kits with the balsa cones and a local hobby shop had one a few months back.
SEMROC lost Carl last August and son Bruce has been hospitalized, so they could use any support you can give them.

Chas

 

[Rex R]

lol my super alpha has a nose that feels like a rock in balsa clothing, it weighs in at 50g .
Rex

 

[Astronot]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I think I will hit up Semroc for the correct nose cone.

Nice pic Buzzard. That super Alpha looks awesome. My very first rocket was the Red and White Alpha III.

Does anyone have any input on the Sky Hook 2 or the question I posed about the Omega/Cineroc rocket?

David

 

[o1d_dude]

lol my super alpha has a nose that feels like a rock in balsa clothing, it weighs in at 50g .
Rex

My Super Alpha has a similar balsa nosecone. It was the reason I picked that particular kit from among the selection available.

I modified my Super Alpha with a 24mm motor tube and and didn't need any nose weight. It flies beautifully.

 

[Rex R]

they fly quite nicely on Ds don't they .
Rex

 

[Astronot]

I finally finished my Estes Super Alpha. I deviated from the Estes supplied color scheme. Here's a picture of it.

David

 

[RoyAtl]

Is it just me, or an optical illusion, but I see a different nose cone profile in person versus the picture on the package. The one I have built doesn't really seem to have the same lines as the original Alpha or Alpha III. Does anyone else feel this way?
Don't get me wrong. I still think it's a great looking rocket. But an Alpha, may be a stretch.

In other news...

I just finished putting the striping on my Sky Hook and Sky Hook 2. Who out there thinks I should leave the Semroc decal off of the Sky Hook 2? Does anyone know who originally up scaled this model? Was it Carl McLawhorn of Semroc or someone else?

As a side inquisitation (I know that's not proper English, just playful)... What was the original paint color for the body and booster of the Omega/Cineroc? Was it Gloss white or Flat White?

I personally think Flat White looks better and looks more Retro.

Thanks,
David

This is the first I've seen of this thread, and even though you've finished the rocket, I'll reply to it anyway....

The Super Alpha "suggests" the outline of the original Alpha. There are a couple of things that make it not a true upscale. Fortunately, the fins are not one of them. They are properly scaled for a BT-60 tube. The first problem is that the body tube is about an inch too short (1.637/0.976 = 1.677; 1.677 * 7.75" = 12.99" The Super Alpha tube is just under 12"). The second problem is the shape of the nose cone. The original Super Alpha nose was indeed a balsa cone, not shaped at all like the original Alpha nose cone and not quite the shape of the current Alpha nose cone, either. They replaced it with the PNC-60AH cone, which is the nose shape that originally appeared on the Astron Omega in 1969-70 (though I don't know for sure, I think they had the Omega ready in '69, but not the Cineroc, so they stocked the nose cone, but didn't release the kit until the Cineroc was ready in 1970).

Anyway, if you wanted to make a closer to scale upscale of the Alpha, you would swap out the current tube for one that is about an inch longer, and you would swap out the nose cone for the one that is in the current U.S.Army Patriot kit or the LoadStar II kit. That nose cone is closer to the shape of the current Alpha nose cone. I'm going to do that with one of the Super Alpha kits that I got during the Christmas sale.

I actually like the shape of the current Super Alpha. The longer nose cone makes the rocket almost the correct length.

As for the Sky Hook, The original didn't have any logo on it, so use the Semroc decal or not. I would, only to honor Carl.

As for paints on the Omega, we always used model airplane dope in the old days, which always ended up a bit semi-gloss. When we wanted to paint with flat paints (like on scale models) we used Testors enamels, or flat clear coats, or later, art store arcrylics (as per G. Harry Stine). I generally didn't like flat paints, as they attracted dirt and grime.

Today, there are good semi-gloss clear coats. I'd try to find one of those.

 

[SolarYellow]

Anyway, if you wanted to make a closer to scale upscale of the Alpha, you would swap out the current tube for one that is about an inch longer, and you would swap out the nose cone for the one that is in the current U.S.Army Patriot kit or the LoadStar II kit. That nose cone is closer to the shape of the current Alpha nose cone.

Yup.

Designation	p/n	BT #	base dia., in.	length of cone, in	length of cone, mm	fineness ratio, overall
PNC-50 kit - Alpha		BT-50	0.976​	2.717​	69​	2.78​
PNC-60NA (Patriot, Curvilinear kits)	072057	BT-60	1.637​	4.685​	119​	2.86​