Two new Estes kits: Baby Bertha & Skywriter

[sandman]

I am not too thrilled with the quality of my $30.00 digital camera so you guys are going to have to wait 'til I go to Meijer for some pics...sorry guys.

The two latest entries from Estes are such a hoot!!!

The Baby Bertha is a shortend version of the Big Bertha but still the same basic idea.
Four fins and a nose cone but just cute as a button!
All told just a simple constuction using all the basic techniques you learned a long time ago.

Just primed so far but looks adorable in basic underware...grey.

The Estes Skywriter is probably the ultimate dream rocket of every kid in (just boys really) grade school.
How many of us daydreamed of a #2 pencil as a rocket blasting off from our desktop during another boreing lecture....along with the wooshing sounds of the rocket under our breath.
Well, that is exactly what this is a big (BT-50) #2 pencil.
This model takes about an hour...including glue drying time...to build. No painting required either. Just a stick on "#2 Estes Skywriter decal".

Now really. This one cries out to be upscaled...maybe a BT-60 size with thin flats glued to the body tube for the real hexagon shape and a turned "cedar" nose cone for the smell.

Even the chutes are pre-built. but at $6.00 for each model, man, you can't beat 'em.

I'll post pics soon.

Estes has two real hit here!

sandman

 

[rstaff3]

Ralphco, maker of the famous Crayon banks, also maked pencil banks. Never seen one in the flesh or as a rocket.

 

[Jase]

I've seen a couple of pencil rockets at Whitakers. David Hash has built them, but they are very large and extremely cool!

He turned the noses out of pine (I think) to get the same grain look as a shapened pencil.

Here's a link to a pic: Pencil rocket

And another: standing next to

I saw an Estes Silver comet kit at the hobby shop here today and was pretty impressed. it was a nice looking kit. I don't know how old it is (if it is). I may have to put that one in my budget.

 

[Fishhead]

Grab that Silver Comet. It's a cool kit on it's own, but you can also use it to build a V-2 or any of it's variants. I had one picked out with my name on it, waited, then found it gone when I decided the time was right.

 

[Lee Reep]

Dittos on the Silver Comet -- grab it. I bought mine about 2-3 years ago, and I think it was discontinued in that timeframe.

Like most of my purchases over the past few years, it sits amongst a pile of other unbuilt kits. But at least I've got the stuff purchased for my retirement projects.

 

[Fishhead]

I had planned to use the Silver Comet to build a V-2 and was really bummed when it disappeared, but my spirits were lifted by the discovery of a dusty old V-2 kit in a local hobby shop. It's on the way to being a Wasserfall.

 

[sandman]

All in all I have to say that I am very impressed with the new kit offerings from Estes.

I look forward to many many more including the re-release of the new orbital Transport this fall.
By the way...don't buy the OT copies that the guy on Ebay is putting out. They are selling for over $30.00 and the re-released kit from Estes will retail for about $20.00.

OK, OK, the shock cords are still to short but that stuff is so cheap from my local fabric store it isn't even an issue to me. Just go buy a dozen yards of it.

sandman

 

[Dean]

I'll add my agreement on the Baby Bertha. I built it in an evening as a break from the larger projects and it goes together easy. I think it could become a good cub scout or school rocket; kind of a fatter, cuter version of the Alpha. The big fins should be easy for young modelers to glue up straight.

I'm still sanding mine and will paint it this weekend. Those big balsa fins do need a lot of filling to get smooth, if you're after a clean finish, but again they'd make a good "trainer" for a beginner. I've already ordered several more of these kits for the kids.

I've not built the Skywriter, but I have seen two of them fly and they really scoot; fast and straight!

What I like about the latest Estes kits is that they give beginners a good first experience with the hobby. It's tough to screw them up. I cringe when I see folks buying their kids expensive plastic kits like the Star Wars stuff that doesn't fly. My son recently built the Blue Ninja; a big D powered 4FNC. It looks good and flies great, and he's very proud of it. A nice way to get them hooked.

 

[sandman]

O.K. here is the picture i promised.

I'm not sure about this paint scheme yet. I was just experimenting.

What do you guys think.

I can always paint the whole think black. I won't put the decals (sticker) on until I'm sure.

sandman

 

[Lee Reep]

I'd do an Easter Egg paint job on the half that is white ...

 

[MarkABrown]

Originally posted by sandman
What do you guys think.

I like the paint job as it is.

 

[sandman]

The paint job is starting to grow on me.

I'll wait for the final consensus...and the paint to dry...before I put the decals on.

sandman

 

[sandman]

Here is a better pic taken in the sunlight.

sandman

 

[KermieD]

I was a little skeptical when you were describing it in chat last evening, but it really looks great!

 

[eugenefl]

I didn't really catch the paint scheme in the first picture, but I got it with the new one you posted. I definitely think you should stay with the scheme you have now. Look great!

 

[sandman]

O.K. guys, I'm convinced.

My wife thinks a Ying/Yang symbol would be appropriate.

sandman

 

[MartyAMC]

I purchased the Baby Bertha to complete a collection of the Baby Bertha, Big Bertha, and Super Big Bertha. It's a great kit, I finished it in a day and had it ready for our local SLRA launch last fall. My daughter Nadia, her friends Andrea and Eric had a drag race. The spectators loved it.

 

[trogdor]

MartyAMC - What about a cloned mini-Bertha??!

 

[MartyAMC]

What do you mean by cloned mini-bertha? Something smaller than the Baby Bertha?

 

[trogdor]

Hey a newbie! check out

Ninfinger Mini-Bertha 1982 catalog page

Always wanted one myself but never built one.. its on my clone list for the future!

 

[jflis]

yea (i beleive... th'wap me if i'm wrong... LOL)

the "baby bertha" is a short bertha, but a mini-bertha is a scalled down version of the original (eg: all dimentions are scalled down, not just the length)

has anyone ever done a mini-baby bertha??

 

[n3tjm]

Isn't the Baby Bertha a reincarnation of the Estes Rascal? I loved that rocket. Flew great with C6-7 motors.

 

[Rocketman248]

Just a few words on the Skywriter. This is without a doubt my favorite kit in my fleet. I have several L1 and L2 birds but this one is the best. I first picked one up at Wal Mart just for the heck of it. When I flew it the first time on an A8-3, I knew it was just begging for a C6-7. It was awesome. Almost out of sight and arrow straight. After about 30 flights I had to retire it(it kinda broke ). So it was back to Wal Mart for another one. I'm there all the time. I work in the Garden Center and Toys is right next to us. This time I lost in in a 100 foot rocket eating tree on it's second flight. So naturally I got another one. This time, first flight: Aerotech D21. It was through the clouds in less than a second. I recovered the nosecone with the streamer and broken shock cord still attached. I think the body is still coming down. It was worth it.

 

[trogdor]

n3tjm - Ya I think you're right! I was checking out old catalogs at ninfinger the other day and came across it....

https://www.ninfinger.org/~sven/rockets/nostalgia/90est24.html