Estes - Wizard (#1292) Gallery

[Captain Ron]

Fresh paint job, replaced the short 14" nylon streamer for a 30" crepe paper streamer. Check out the airfoil I put into the fins!

 

[Horaryelrod100]

On my top 5 favorite kits from Estes. Simple and basic, but looks fast even at an idle. Took a shot sittin with it's cousin, "Zinger"

 

[Leo]

1978 Estes Wizard that came with a balsa nose cone:

 

[Captain Ron]

I bought my first Wizard around 1981 and mine came with a plastic nose cone and a 30" streamer. I painted it the same colors as the catalog. the first thing I noticed about the new Wizard is the fins are narrower than the original fins. Im not sure if thats a improvement on performance but Its not quite 100% the same as the one I had as a kid. I only used A8-3's on mine back then. I cant imagine using a C6 engine!

 

[Bone Daddy]

These Wizards look great.

I too have been smitten by this little rocket. I've seen them at club launches and agree that they just look fast. I have seen them flown on a C motor and they are very fast.

I just bought 24 of them - less than $2.00 each - during the Boy Scout clearance sale. One will be my first non scratch built rocket. Then all bets are off.

 

[Micromeister]

Wizards are great little flyers.

 

[Bone Daddy]

One of my Boy Scout Sale Wizards.

I built it pretty much stock except for a few mods:

- I glassed the body and fins

- 29mm motor mount just in case I ever want to fly her with something bigger than a C.

- replaced the rubber band shockcord with 30 ft of 1/2 tubular nylon to prevent the dreaded Estes dent to the plastic nosecone

- zipperless design

- replaced cheap flagging tape streamer with a 24" nylon chute

- used epoxy throughout the build including fillets

Can't wait to fly her at tomorrow's club launch.

 

[bradycros]

One of my Boy Scout Sale Wizards.

I built it pretty much stock except for a few mods:

- I glassed the body and fins
- 29mm motor mount just in case I ever want to fly her with something bigger than a C.

- replaced the rubber band shockcord with 30 ft of 1/2 tubular nylon to prevent the dreaded Estes dent to the plastic nosecone

- zipperless design

- replaced cheap flagging tape streamer with a 24" nylon chute

- used epoxy throughout the build including fillets

Can't wait to fly her at tomorrow's club launch.

That's a slick trick! You have to tell us why you glassed a BT-20.
And a 29 mm motor mount? That had to be done magicly. What's up with that?
You got 30 ft of 1/2 tubular nylon and a 24 inch parachute to fit into that size tube.
All of that from one of your Boy Scout Sale Wizards. You da man Bones.

 

[UPscaler]

That's a slick trick! You have to tell us why you glassed a BT-20.
And a 29 mm motor mount? That had to be done magicly. What's up with that?
You got 30 ft of 1/2 tubular nylon and a 24 inch parachute to fit into that size tube.
All of that from one of your Boy Scout Sale Wizards. You da man Bones.

Upscale?



Braden

 

[Captain Ron]

29mm mount in a Estes wizard? :surprised:

 

[Bone Daddy]

I built my Wizard with the intent to launch her on a C6-5 and not expecting to see her again. She flew like a ticked off banshee off the pad. One second on the pad, next second gone. Heard a pop and actually saw the streamer for a second before I lost sight of her. Everything went exactly as planned. One screeching fast, high altitude flight then gone. Then, I suddenly realized, I really liked that little rocket and maybe I should have used an A8-3.

It was a windy day and I figured she probably drifted pretty far, so I set out looking for her. No luck. I figured that with all the people flying and all the rockets being flown, some one would find her. I looked out for her each time I set out to retrieve a rocket. She was the second flight of the day at 10:00 or so. 4:00 the range was shutting down and she was never found.

So, RIP my little friend. You will always be fondly remembered.

(What me overbuild? Never.)

 

[Rex R]

one can get almost the same effect by using an E20 in a big bertha ...I did get mine back however.

 

[bradycros]

I built my Wizard with the intent to launch her on a C6-5 and not expecting to see her again. She flew like a ticked off banshee off the pad. One second on the pad, next second gone. Heard a pop and actually saw the streamer for a second before I lost sight of her. Everything went exactly as planned. One screeching fast, high altitude flight then gone. Then, I suddenly realized, I really liked that little rocket and maybe I should have used an A8-3.

It was a windy day and I figured she probably drifted pretty far, so I set out looking for her. No luck. I figured that with all the people flying and all the rockets being flown, some one would find her. I looked out for her each time I set out to retrieve a rocket. She was the second flight of the day at 10:00 or so. 4:00 the range was shutting down and she was never found.

So, RIP my little friend. You will always be fondly remembered.

(What me overbuild? Never.)

So, you never got a chance to use that magic 29 mm motor mount, bummer dude.

 

[Bone Daddy]

My next Wizard is Glitz 1. It will be flown as a 2 stage bird at this Saturday's DARS launch. The booster is my generic all purpose BT-20 booster. It makes any BT-20 rocket a 2 stage rocket.

We often have a few young girls at our launches. The idea behind the pink with sparkles design is that if one of the girls recovers it, they can keep it. With a B6-0 to a 1/2A6-2, I figure there is a pretty good chance of getting it back.

Edit: Will post followup on recovery or lack there of, Saturday.

 

[Captain Ron]

Thats really cool. A two stage wizard though? what are the odds of getting it back after an otherwise very impressive flight?

 

[mwtoelle]

Thats really cool. A two stage wizard though? what are the odds of getting it back after an otherwise very impressive flight?

Probably about the same as getting an Apogee II or Taser Twin back on the same motor combo. I would not fly either one on a C6-0/C6-7. A B6-0/A8-5 is about the largest motor combination that I would fly with either one of those two rockets or a two-stage Wizard.

 

[Bone Daddy]

Glitz 1 flew today at the monthly DARS launch as both a 2 stage and single rocket.

First flight was a B6-0 to a 1/2A6-2. I approached a family and asked if it was OK for one of the girls to help recover the rocket. Victoria volunteered and was told she could keep it if she recovered it.

Beautiful straight flight. Just about out of sight. Clear skies and a 30" fluorescent pink streamer made recovery easy.

The rocket was flown twice more as a single stage on a A8-5 and a B6-4 before the girls took it home.

I am now an official Wizard fan boy. I love this little rocket. This is the little rocket that could and did.

Next step is a dedicated 2nd stage designed for the Wizard.

 

[BEC]

I've been contemplating ordering a box of these on the Boy Scout sale....and reading through this thread has me just about convinced to do it. Lots of fun appears to be had.....

 

[Bone Daddy]

BEC, just go for it. There is too much fun to be had with this marvelous miniature missile. Just ordered 2 more 12 packs myself.

At $2.00 a pop, how can you go wrong?

 

[cwbullet]

You can not go wrong at that price.

 

[Leo]

Because of this thread I thought I'd give my Wizard it's maiden flight today.

Here the Wizard on the launch pad on an Estes B6-4:

Boost straight as an arrow however at ejection a fin got snapped off :

I have to make a new fin and I hope get the Wizard repaired and looking as before.

 

[Bone Daddy]

Here's my Wizi Smoke.

Built stock except for elastic shock cord delete. Kevlar cord will be threaded through the body before the motor is inserted, then taped around the end of the motor protruding from the rear of the rocket.

With sealed fins, primer and paint this one comes in at 16.5 grams, sans recovery.

 

[HemiLess]

My Estes Wizard, decided to use the same paint scheme I had as a kid. Only wish I had the same decals.

 

[Bone Daddy]

Built stock except for shock cord delete and one fin swept forward.

 

[BEC]

BEC, just go for it. There is too much fun to be had with this marvelous miniature missile. Just ordered 2 more 12 packs myself.

At $2.00 a pop, how can you go wrong?

It's two weeks later, but I did just go for it. My fourth order to the BSA included a box of Wizards.....

 

[cwbullet]

Love this rocket. It is a great starter rocket and an even better kit to mod.

 

[Bone Daddy]

Flew my three Wizards this past weekend. All for the first time. All on A8-3s. A perfect day to fly with little wind and clear skies.

The Wizter is my newest build. It flew first. As its name implies, it was built to spin on the way up. Flew straight as an arrow with some spin, but not as much as I was expecting. Next one will be built for more spin. A fin broke off on landing which really surprised me. She had a nice long streamer.

Next up was the Wizi Smoke followed by the Wizard Space Plane. Both flew straight and high. Both were recovered by a 12" chute with a spill hole.

I really love, bordering on obsessed with, this rocket.

Bones

Edit: When I was a kid, I had a Centuri Twister. The Wizter was built with that memory in mind.

 

[pokerace721]

Flew my three Wizards this past weekend. All for the first time. All on A8-3s. A perfect day to fly with little wind and clear skies.

The Wizter is my newest build. It flew first. As its name implies, it was built to spin on the way up. Flew straight as an arrow with some spin, but not as much as I was expecting. Next one will be built for more spin. A fin broke off on landing which really surprised me. She had a nice long streamer.

Next up was the Wizi Smoke followed by the Wizard Space Plane. Both flew straight and high. Both were recovered by a 12" chute with a spill hole.

I really love, bordering on obsessed with, this rocket.

Bones

why not just put some fin tabs on it...a little more work, but you will probably get the results you are looking for?

 

[Leo]

I repaired my Estes Wizard. I think you can hardly notice that a fin has been replaced.

 

[Bone Daddy]

Hey Leo

Your repair looks great and you can't tell it was ever broken off.

I've started flying my Wizards with 12" chute with big spill holes. I had a fin snap off even with a 30" (75cm) streamer as recommended in the instructions.

I have a new Wizard I'm going to post later today.

Bones