Estes 1969 Saturn V Status

[rkoenn]

I have a question about this 1969 kit. I built one soon after they were released way back then and recall if fondly. Is this re-release of the "1969" kit really the Estes kit with some enhancements or the Centuri kit? For those who know the Estes kit featured embossed paper wrap ons and no vacuformed parts. You also had to cut the tunnel lines out of the wrap ons and glue styrene plastic parts for the tunnels and fuel lines. It probably didn't look as good as the bit later Centuri kit but I would dare say the embossed wrap ons were more to scale than the exaggerated vacuformed wrap ons. Also the non-flight worthy F1 engine bells were hard styrene and not vacuformed either. So just curious if anyone knows. Thanks.

 

[K'Tesh]

I have a question about this 1969 kit. I built one soon after they were released way back then and recall if fondly. Is this re-release of the "1969" kit really the Estes kit with some enhancements or the Centuri kit? For those who know the Estes kit featured embossed paper wrap ons and no vacuformed parts. You also had to cut the tunnel lines out of the wrap ons and glue styrene plastic parts for the tunnels and fuel lines. It probably didn't look as good as the bit later Centuri kit but I would dare say the embossed wrap ons were more to scale than the exaggerated vacuformed wrap ons. Also the non-flight worthy F1 engine bells were hard styrene and not vacuformed either. So just curious if anyone knows. Thanks.

Here's what JumpJet said over on FB

This version of the Saturn V has all new vacuum formed wraps that were used on the Apollo 11 mission. The fins are injected molded just like those used on the last release. The LEM transition is now a blow molded unit with detail molded in. The third stage that connects to the top of this LEM transition is now completely wrapped in a detailed vacuum formed wrap. The capsule and tower is completely new with more detail and super easy to assemble. The five display F1 engines are new as well and have less parts to assemble. The one thing that hasn't changes is that its still going to be a pain to mask and paint all the black areas.

 

[hutch]

Sigh. Estes will not shlp to Canada, so I must wait until another retailer has them in stock. AC Supply, or Canadian Rocket Store, or Apogee, or one of the many other retailers that ship to Canada.

Shipping to Canada is not "rocket science". Pretty simple, really.

 

[shreadvector]

Sigh. Estes will not shlp to Canada, so I must wait until another retailer has them in stock. AC Supply, or Canadian Rocket Store, or Apogee, or one of the many other retailers that ship to Canada.

Shipping to Canada is not "rocket science". Pretty simple, really.

You should hire Art Vandelay.

 

[Homer_S]

Q: The service module appears more detailed than is present on the original version, has any improvement been made here?



Homer

 

[DeltaVee]

It was showing as on sale today at the Estes website this AM (I'm on EST). It is sold out already...

 

[shreadvector]

It was showing as on sale today at the Estes website this AM (I'm on EST). It is sold out already...

Not available online at this point in time. Website changed.
https://www.estesrockets.com/coming-soon/001969-saturn-v-1

500 in hobby shops (now - if they ordered them and if you have a hobby shop that actually exists).

On the Estes website in January.

Maybe the website will change again and this info will be superseded?

 

[shreadvector]

500

 

[DeltaVee]

Well I did manage to put in an order for one while it was still available. It hasn't been rescinded yet (hoping it wasn't an error!)

 

[samb]

Well I did manage to put in an order for one while it was still available. It hasn't been rescinded yet (hoping it wasn't an error!)

I’ll be curious to hear what shipping date you get on your order. The website now says 500 going to hobby stores across the USA and availability on the Estes website will be January 2019.

[edit] Oops, just like shread said a couple of hours before me.

 

[samb]

500

Brilliant! The pinnacle of The Original Series.

 

[ToneDeafJunior]

Damnit. They are out of stock already.

 

[dhbarr]

I take one day off from Rocketry. Bah!

 

[Scott_650]

According to John Boren on the NAR Facebook page Estes had a number of the plastic parts sets air freighted to Penrose - there’s a picture floating around of Estes employees filling the kit boxes - so they could send out the 500 kits they promised to their distributors. They put the leftover kits (above the 500) on the Estes website which were sold out very quickly. By January their normal supply chain process will kick in and according to John “there will be plenty of Saturns to go around”.

IIRC the 2157 Saturn was readily available for at least a couple years hopefully it’ll be the same for the 1969 version.

 

[DeltaVee]

Damnit. They are out of stock already.

They were out of stock definitely by Dec. 4, 2:00 PM EST... probably earlier!!! I put my order in around 9:00 AM after wringing my hands about buying it and not waiting for AC Supply (I'd known since about 8:00 am when, on a lark I hit the Estes web site while at work going through my email... shame on me)

I checked with Estes Customer support *just* to be sure it wasn't some web-site glitch and that it only looked like it was available a few hours later (the order confirmation did come in at 9:30 AM). I was reassured that in fact it was for sale.

 

[afadeev]

They were out of stock definitely by Dec. 4, 2:00 PM EST... probably earlier!!! I put my order in around 9:00 AM after wringing my hands about buying it and not waiting for AC Supply (I'd known since about 8:00 am when, on a lark I hit the Estes web site while at work going through my email... shame on me)

I can wait till Jan, especially given the AC's discount level !
Plenty of other rockets to build until then.

a

 

[DeltaVee]

I can wait till Jan, especially given the AC's discount level !
Plenty of other rockets to build until then.

a

Yes, I was weak (head bowed in shame), and let my desire overcome my basic cheapness! But there is one "win" here... I was able to get free shipping... which is always nice.

 

[samb]

Feel no shame DeltaVee ! You were in the right place at the right time and you made the tough call. You’re gonna be in the select group who got their Estes 50th Anniversary Saturn V in 2018 !

 

[DeltaVee]

Feel no shame DeltaVee ! You were in the right place at the right time and you made the tough call. You’re gonna be in the select group who got their Estes 50th Anniversary Saturn V in 2018 !

Thanks for the encouragment, samb! All I have to do now is explain it to my wife. I have one partially built 1236 Saturn V (my brother's) one *unbuilt* K36 (which shows the dual id, 1236/K36) (mine, purchased around 1982-3), and the reason why it's unbuilt: the one I'm currently working on which is my mostly built, about to be painted Centuri Satun V purchased sometime between 1972/75. I JUST attached the basswood tunnels to it THIS year. It did take 20+ years for me to get around to building/finishing my AT astrobee d beyond the motor mount stage!

Perhaps I can get a cameo on "American Hoarders"

 

[Homer_S]

Thanks for the encouragment, samb! All I have to do now is explain it to my wife. I have one partially built 1236 Saturn V (my brother's) one *unbuilt* K36 (which shows the dual id, 1236/K36) (mine, purchased around 1982-3), and the reason why it's unbuilt: the one I'm currently working on which is my mostly built, about to be painted Centuri Satun V purchased sometime between 1972/75. I JUST attached the basswood tunnels to it THIS year. It did take 20+ years for me to get around to building/finishing my AT astrobee d beyond the motor mount stage!

Perhaps I can get a cameo on "American Hoarders"

Time to start reproducing this montage with your fleet!

Homer

 

[shreadvector]

Hey hey what do you say?

 

[samb]

Thanks for the encouragment, samb! All I have to do now is explain it to my wife....

Nothing any decent TRF enabler wouldn’t do. . As far as your wife goes, amateur marriage counseling ain’t my bag. My solution is something shiny and expensive for her under the Christmas tree. YMMV

 

[rkoenn]

Here's what JumpJet said over on FB[/QUO
Thank you, I kind of figured that but the extra detail done in plastic and that does make it sound very nice. While my flying is minimal these days this will probably be one of my rare flying rocket purchases. I also need to get one of their Little Joe 1s.

 

[DeltaVee]

The thing (besides the detail on the LM transition) that really sold me was the photo closeup on the inside cover of the last issue of Sprocketry. It looked to me like the detailed of the conduits on the S-IC/S-II interstage were far more accurate than the simplistic ones originally in the vacu-form wrap (I'm hoping this is the case anyway and not just a photo of a prototype that doesn't quite fully translate into reality). The original K36 plastic parts were far better in terms of close up detail than the vacu-form wraps. Frankly I didn't mind trimming the estes wrappers and I'm pretty sure the depth of the corrugations were likely much closer to actual scale. If you used matte paints it didn't even drown them out...

 

[Bear Friedrichs]

Is this the cluster engine or the "D" engine arrangement?
FWIW, we flew a S-V inside the Houston Astrodome , New Years Eve, 1969, on national TV. The kit still had a cluster set up. We modified it for a "D" engine. Mr Estes made us some special "D" motors that blew the charge at 180'. (Max altitude was 208', or we would hit the girders in the roof.) We also launched a dozen rockets, six from each goal line, aimed to cross paths over the 50 yard line. Special motors in those also. Mr. Estes was at one goal line, and Leroy Piester, the head of Centuri was at the other goal line. Six were Alphas, with balsa fins, and six were a comparable Centuri rockets, whose name I forget. We made the cover of Model Rocket News on some issue in 1970, with the S-V leaving the pad, which was a pseudo Pad-39 launch tower. Also, for what it is worth, the head guy at the Astrodomain in Houston, was a gentleman named Paul Haney. As you know, he was the former voice of Mission Control for NASA during the Gemini days. He was kind of into rockets. We gave him a large Centuri Little Joe II, that flew on a "D" engine. We launched it in the Astrodome as a proof of concept idea. The ejection charge went off at apogee and the chock cord and capsule went around a girder. It stayed in the roof for years, and we had to get another Little Joe II for Paul.

 

[Sawdustdad]

Says not available from Estes until Jan 2019...

"Limited availability (500) at hobby stores across the U.S. NOW! Contact your local retailer. Available on Estes website in January 2019. "

 

[shreadvector]

Is this the cluster engine or the "D" engine arrangement?
FWIW, we flew a S-V inside the Houston Astrodome , New Years Eve, 1969, on national TV. The kit still had a cluster set up. We modified it for a "D" engine. Mr Estes made us some special "D" motors that blew the charge at 180'. (Max altitude was 208', or we would hit the girders in the roof.) We also launched a dozen rockets, six from each goal line, aimed to cross paths over the 50 yard line. Special motors in those also. Mr. Estes was at one goal line, and Leroy Piester, the head of Centuri was at the other goal line. Six were Alphas, with balsa fins, and six were a comparable Centuri rockets, whose name I forget. We made the cover of Model Rocket News on some issue in 1970, with the S-V leaving the pad, which was a pseudo Pad-39 launch tower. Also, for what it is worth, the head guy at the Astrodomain in Houston, was a gentleman named Paul Haney. As you know, he was the former voice of Mission Control for NASA during the Gemini days. He was kind of into rockets. We gave him a large Centuri Little Joe II, that flew on a "D" engine. We launched it in the Astrodome as a proof of concept idea. The ejection charge went off at apogee and the chock cord and capsule went around a girder. It stayed in the roof for years, and we had to get another Little Joe II for Paul.

https://www.ninfinger.org/rockets/ModelRocketry/Model_Rocketry_v02n06_03-70.pdf

 

[DeltaVee]

I’ll be curious to hear what shipping date you get on your order. The website now says 500 going to hobby stores across the USA and availability on the Estes website will be January 2019.

[edit] Oops, just like shread said a couple of hours before me.

I got notification of shipment today with expected delivery on the 13th

 

[Homer_S]

I got notification of shipment today with expected delivery on the 13th

New product unboxing video?

Homer

 

[DeltaVee]

New product unboxing video?

Homer

I've never done one of these... I'll think about it although I'll need to tidy up the place... could take months!