Pro Series II going away?

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BBowmaster said:
Exclusive to Hobby Lobby? That seems odd. They’re not as big a distributor as Meijer or Walmart. Also seems a bit of a slap in the face to the faithful small hobby shops who have carried Estes for decades.
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We don't have a Meijer anywhere near us, and the Walmarts don't carry rocket stuff at all here anymore. So yay Hobby Lobby.
 
Pics from a club member who is trying out the new offerings

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Estes was really late to the Midpower market. They have tried multiple times.
That being said, I really liked the Mega Mosquito and Big Red Max. Glad I bought them before the disappeared.

It seems part of the trouble is NAR and Tripoli are 2 different groups (that don't mix much).

I love them ALL. From my 1st rocket (Centuri Astro-1) to Apollo 17 to Space Shuttle, I love em. I don't think I will ever outgrow rockets, but I digress.

My real fear is Estes will discontinue 29mm BP engines.
 
Lynn McCall said:
Estes was really late to the Midpower market. They have tried multiple times.

My real fear is Estes will discontinue 29mm BP engines.
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As a person who has recently returned to rocketry, this is the problem that I see with Estes mid-power and 29mm BP efforts:

There is no clear labeling of rockets and the corresponding engine sizes that apply to that rocket. It's not easy, even after doing some close reading, to determine which Estes engines fit each model kit. The 29mm engines should have been labeled PSII clearly on the package. If they make another PSII effort, they need to do a better job of marketing and package design to promote those engines. I only hear people raving about the performance of the 29mm engines in properly-sized (and weighted) Estes rockets, such as the Star Orbiter. I'm hoping to see more midpower rockets like that (perhaps based on classic designs), with clearer marketing and package design.
 
Arent E16s abd F15s in the black packs that say "Pro Series II"? And doesn't each estes rocket have its list of recommended motors on the face card/box?

Admittedly I havent looked at that info specifically in awhile
 
Nytrunner said:
Arent E16s abd F15s in the black packs that say "Pro Series II"? And doesn't each estes rocket have its list of recommended motors on the face card/box?
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You are correct... it does say Pro Series II in the upper right of the engine pack. I didn’t think it was on the package.
 
Have we confirmed if Hobby Lobby is stopping carrying the 29mm motors? If so, that'll put the knife in them for me. No other local vendors carry them and I ain't paying hazmat for them. I've already consigned my upscale Quinstar to shelf-queen status because I have no source for F15-0 motors anymore (HL stopped carrying those a while ago).

I actually wonder how Estes can reasonably sell those motors, if not through HL. I imagine hazmat shipping is a great deterrent to mail-order purchases of these.

Fortunately there are plenty of good non-hazmat single-use E and F motors from Aerotech.
 
I'm sure they still sell quite a few Estes 29mm engines at the various hobby shops across the country. Do you have any local hobby shops nearby? If yes, even if they don't currently stock the engines, perhaps they will if you tell them that you buy some from them every so often.
 
BRS Hobbies said:
I'm sure they still sell quite a few Estes 29mm engines at the various hobby shops across the country. Do you have any local hobby shops nearby? If yes, even if they don't currently stock the engines, perhaps they will if you tell them that you buy some from them every so often.
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None within reach that sell them. Nearest hobby shop doesn't carry them because *he* doesn't want to pay hazmat.
 
Like it was said above, you have to pool funds and pay Haz-Mat as a group. If you won’t or can’t, you will do without. This is not something Estes does for money. It is required .
 
The Estes Pro Series builder kits were a way to get exposed to the next level of rocketry with a minimal amount of effort. Following the Partizon instructions with basic materials lead me to one of the most prized and handsome performers in my fleet. Launching with the least amount of extras and an E motor made it a low and slow park flyer. With electronics and a high power 29mm motor, the same thin wall tubing withstood huge pressures way beyond what it was intended for with no issues. Check out the following build thread for a comparison with a similar but more substantial HP rocket. I'm glad I picked up a few extra PSII kits as they were being phased out.

https://www.rocketryforum.com/threads/loc-vulcanite-vs-estes-partizon-build-challenge.66012/
 
Mr G said:
The Estes Pro Series builder kits were a way to get exposed to the next level of rocketry with a minimal amount of effort. Following the Partizon instructions with basic materials lead me to one of the most prized and handsome performers in my fleet. Launching with the least amount of extras and an E motor made it a low and slow park flyer. With electronics and a high power 29mm motor, the same thin wall tubing withstood huge pressures way beyond what it was intended for with no issues. Check out the following build thread for a comparison with a similar but more substantial HP rocket. I'm glad I picked up a few extra PSII kits as they were being phased out.

https://www.rocketryforum.com/threads/loc-vulcanite-vs-estes-partizon-build-challenge.66012/
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best.thread.ever!! Loved reading through that comparison and was very impressed by both rockets. The LOC took a real beating and kept on trying and the Estes really performed way above and beyond (literally).

Thanks for digging up that thread.
 
Hope for Estes Pro Series...
I noticed the Super Big Bertha uses 29mm motors. It's listed on the recommended engines.

I am thinking of doing a comparison of the Super Big Bertha and a scratch built with Loc parts.
 
Lynn McCall said:
Hope for Estes Pro Series...
I noticed the Super Big Bertha uses 29mm motors. It's listed on the recommended engines.

I am thinking of doing a comparison of the Super Big Bertha and a scratch built with Loc parts.
Click to expand...

The extra weight would probably equal enough extra strength for bigger motors - but then you’d lose the option of flying on 24mm BP with an adapter. Mine flies really nice on an Estes 24mm BP D12-3. Great for smaller fields or windy days.

All depends on what you’re going to do with the rocket.
 
Scott_650 said:
The extra weight would probably equal enough extra strength for bigger motors - but then you’d lose the option of flying on 24mm BP with an adapter. Mine flies really nice on an Estes 24mm BP D12-3. Great for smaller fields or windy days.
Click to expand...

There is a simple solution . . . Temporarily reinforce the rocket . . . ( D motors - G motors )

Get a 34" long "C80-34" BT-60 Coupler Stock from Balsa Machining Service ( BMS ) . . . for $9.00

https://www.balsamachining.com

Cut the coupler to the necessary length ( from the top of the motor mount to near the top of the body tube, allowing enough room for the nose cone shoulder to slide into place. ) , Epoxy a "loop" to the inside of the coupler to allow it to be removed from the rocket for BP motor flights . . . Sand the coupler to allow an easy "sliding-fit" and go fly !

Dave F.
 

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