Apogee HP Nike-Hercules Kit

[lakeroadster]

Cluster the E16s Maybe, that would be a weak baby G64. Then have an F15 that has less thrust then the E16 push the upper stage of my $600 rocket?

Like the Late Paul Harrell would say, "You Be The Judge"

Have you see the pics and video of Zepher on a G64 fallin' from the rail?

My comments are based on Apogee's specification's.​

​

YMMV (And it's $500 ish)​

 

[Art Upton]

(And it's $500 ish)​

It will be $600 when you add building supplies

 

[lakeroadster]

It will be $600 when you add building supplies

Sure... that's fair. Likely more than that for HP / electronics for ignition for the upper stage and to deploy the chute.​

 

[Art Upton]

You can get an Egg Timer Quantum kit for $40 that will stage and toss the chute at apogee. They can air start also.

 

[WillMarchant]

Congrats to William Merchant, wherever you are. You won the drawing for the free kit from Apogee!
(As seen on Tim's Friday rocksim video.)

Interesting way of picking the winner. I'm wondering (not complaining) if odds were truly the same for all, or if having a first name at the end of the alphabet increased your odds. I don't remember enough of my statistics class to figure that out. But I'm sure it's close enough.

But no matter, congrats to Mr Bill! Post pics and video when you're done with it!

Thanks! I’m finishing an Apogee TTV so that might be a good segue.

 

[ljwilley]

 

[ljwilley]

View attachment 682361

They posted this on their youtube channel; I'm honestly not sure what they were thinking!

 

[Capt. Eric]

They posted this on their youtube channel; I'm honestly not sure what they were thinking!

Sales not going well and it's a turkey? (Which I don't really believe)
It's a prized/impressive bird?
Something to be thankful for?

 

[ShadowSpire48]

_

 

[hball55]

Maybe not a turkey but definitely a bad egg. Still wondering what they were smoking when they decided to make this kit. Did they honestly think they would make back the money they spent on the molds and stuff?

To me, that means it should be a great purchase for someone with bulging pockets and nothing else to spend it on.

I’m getting out of rocketry, but that might not stop me from buying it just for something to do (building it). That’s been my problem all along, building them and not flying them.

 

[Initiator001]

Maybe not a turkey but definitely a bad egg. Still wondering what they were smoking when they decided to make this kit. Did they honestly think they would make back the money they spent on the molds and stuff?

It's a beautiful model. I saw it at NARAM-65.

When you own a hobby rocket company you can decide products to be released.
While the Nike-Hercules seems like a vanity project I expect it will be kept in the product line for a long time and will eventually become a profitable product.

 

[ep29030]

To me, that means it should be a great purchase for someone with bulging pockets and nothing else to spend it on.

I’m getting out of rocketry, but that might not stop me from buying it just for something to do (building it). That’s been my problem all along, building them and not flying them.

Hey, nothing wrong with building more, flying less. Some people enjoy the build process the most, and if that is you, then go for it. I tend to do more building than flying, too. But that doesn’t stop me from going to launches and helping others to fly their kits, no matter how poorly finished they might be

 

[ljwilley]

Even if this rocket does not become profitable, I don't think apogee components will regret selling it. Tim seems very proud of it.

 

[Capt. Eric]

Even if this rocket does not become profitable, I don't think apogee components will regret selling it. Tim seems very proud of it.

It doesn't have to sell out in the first month to be successful. If it takes a year to go through his first 100 kits, that might be ok. Long term, it'll probably be fine. It is also a good "brand ambassador" for Apogee. A show piece rather than a profit center. Something to aspire to.

It's a cool rocket that I'd love to build. I wish it was priced lower in my price range. Kit, electronics, supplies, and motors - your first flight will cost about $700. And it's not something I could fly every month. But I wish them luck with it. I look forward to seeing it somewhere, sometime.

 

[neil_w]

And it's not something I could fly every month.

I can't imagine anyone would *want* to fly something like that every month. Seems like more of a special-occasion flyer, and full-time display piece.

 

[SamW]

Why is a cardboard rocket 500$? I'll bet money he got it souced from China just like his fiberglass level 2 kit. He'd rather support Chinese products than American made. I will never shop with apogee again.

 

[311stylie]

I can't imagine anyone would *want* to fly something like that every month. Seems like more of a special-occasion flyer, and full-time display piece.

I agree. For that price, and now after seeing a few of the build videos, it is a detailed, intricate, and very delicate model rocket. For $500 I would be very hesitant to stuff motors in it and press the yeet button. But building it and displaying would be awesome. Just not for that price.

 

[neil_w]

Why is a cardboard rocket 500$?

Whether it is worth the $500 asking price is a question worthy of debate, but reducing it to simply "a cardboard rocket" is ridiculous.

I'll bet money he got it souced from China just like his fiberglass level 2 kit. He'd rather support Chinese products than American made. I will never shop with apogee again.

Suggestion: don't shop at Apogee, and click the "Ignore" button at the top of this thread.

 

[hball55]

It doesn't have to sell out in the first month to be successful. If it takes a year to go through his first 100 kits, that might be ok. Long term, it'll probably be fine. It is also a good "brand ambassador" for Apogee. A show piece rather than a profit center. Something to aspire to.

It's a cool rocket that I'd love to build. I wish it was priced lower in my price range. Kit, electronics, supplies, and motors - your first flight will cost about $700. And it's not something I could fly every month. But I wish them luck with it. I look forward to seeing it somewhere, sometime.

Tim should be very proud, it looks awesome. I will be heading to Apogee come January.

 

[ShadowSpire48]

It's a beautiful model. I saw it at NARAM-65.

When you own a hobby rocket company you can decide products to be released.
While the Nike-Hercules seems like a vanity project I expect it will be kept in the product line for a long time and will eventually become a profitable product.

It’s the product of an old man going through a midlife crisis. Why do people still praise Apogee? You pay $20-$30 more for a kit from them compared to straight from the manufacturer and their build videos are hilarious. I thought LOC’s videos were bad (super glue to build a bumblebee anyone?) but Apogee’s videos contradict themselves almost constantly. Rocksim is also outdated and broken which they don’t seem to care about judging at how Rocksim 10 was received and OpenRocket does 99% of it for free.

 

[SamW]

Whether it is worth the $500 asking price is a question worthy of debate, but reducing it to simply "a cardboard rocket" is ridiculous.

Suggestion: don't shop at Apogee, and click the "Ignore" button at the top of this thread.

What would you call it? Plastic and cardboard? You seem a little hurt with my reply. I guess you missed the part where I said I won't be buying anything from them. I learned that lesson years ago with them. Sorry if i hurt your feelings.

 

[vcp]

Congrats to William Merchant, wherever you are. You won the drawing for the free kit from Apogee!
(As seen on Tim's Friday rocksim video.)

Interesting way of picking the winner. I'm wondering (not complaining) if odds were truly the same for all, or if having a first name at the end of the alphabet increased your odds. I don't remember enough of my statistics class to figure that out. But I'm sure it's close enough.

But no matter, congrats to Mr Bill! Post pics and video when you're done with it!

I didn't like Prob&Stat, but I did the math:

If your first name starts with ~WXYZ, you had a 1-in-12 chance of winning.
If your first name starts with ~STUV, you had a 1-in-60 chance of winning.
Everyone else had a 1-in-300 chance of winning.

I'm not complaining either. I blame my mother. (Or rather, I blame Gary Cooper - he was a very popular actor in the '50's.)

 

[Capt. Eric]

I didn't like Prob&Stat, but I did the math:

If your first name starts with ~WXYZ, you had a 1-in-12 chance of winning.
If your first name starts with ~STUV, you had a 1-in-60 chance of winning.
Everyone else had a 1-in-300 chance of winning.

I'm not complaining either. I blame my mother. (Or rather, I blame Gary Cooper - he was a very popular actor in the '50's.)

Gary Cooper must have been quite the heartthrob. My father-in-law is "Gary" for the same reason.

 

[Art Upton]

nteresting way of picking the winner. I'm wondering (not complaining) if odds were truly the same for all, or if having a first name at the end of the alphabet increased your odds

What was the interesting way to pick the winner ?

 

[vcp]

What was the interesting way to pick the winner ?

From a list of 211 entered contestants, listed in order of first name, he used a phone 'spinner' app to select the number of the winner, one digit at a time. First spin 0, 1, or 2. That first spin was a 2. So that left only numbers 200-211 remaining. Second spin for second digit 0 or 1; that spin was a 1, leaving only numbers 210-211 remaining. Third spin for 0 or 1, I believe was 0, making the winner #210.

I think that's right, wouldn't swear it. And now that I write that out I think my math was off, but close.

 

[bad_idea]

From a list of 211 entered contestants, listed in order of first name, he used a phone 'spinner' app to select the number of the winner, one digit at a time. First spin 0, 1, or 2. That first spin was a 2. So that left only numbers 200-211 remaining. Second spin for second digit 0 or 1; that spin was a 1, leaving only numbers 210-211 remaining. Third spin for 0 or 1, I believe was 0, making the winner #210.

I think that's right, wouldn't swear it. And now that I write that out I think my math was off, but close.

Good grief, even for people with no programming or scripting experience any spreadsheet program can pick a random value from an arbitrary number of entrants. Oh well, I wasn't expecting to win anyway.

 

[Mward]

Good grief, even for people with no programming or scripting experience any spreadsheet program can pick a random value from an arbitrary number of entrants. Oh well, I wasn't expecting to win anyway.

No one expects, er, the Apogee Inquisition! Our weapon is avarice and in-stock notifications. Our two weapons are avarice and in-stock notifications, and cool kits. Our three weapons are....oh you get it.

At least William is have it painted all pretty... Hey, v-Narcon is coming up.... The Saturn 1 painting workshop almost made me buy a horse trailer.

- Matt

 

[MikeT]

What would you call it? Plastic and cardboard? You seem a little hurt with my reply. I guess you missed the part where I said I won't be buying anything from them. I learned that lesson years ago with them. Sorry if i hurt your feelings.

Wow not a happy camper are you?

 

[vcp]

From a list of 211 entered contestants, listed in order of first name, he used a phone 'spinner' app to select the number of the winner, one digit at a time. First spin 0, 1, or 2. That first spin was a 2. So that left only numbers 200-211 remaining. Second spin for second digit 0 or 1; that spin was a 1, leaving only numbers 210-211 remaining. Third spin for 0 or 1, I believe was 0, making the winner #210.

I think that's right, wouldn't swear it. And now that I write that out I think my math was off, but close.

Once again, I'm not complaining about the result, but the details were bugging me, so I worked it out the probabilities exactly; pretty much what I said before. PM me if you actually want to see the result.

 

[Capt. Eric]

Once again, I'm not complaining about the result, but the details were bugging me, so I worked it out the probabilities exactly; pretty much what I said before. PM me if you actually want to see the result.

Yeah, your numbers are what I get also. Some of that class came back to me after thinking it over a bit.

I tend to think about silly stuff like this between "real" thoughts throughout my day. I wouldn't say it bothered me, but Tim's method did pop out at me that it might not be equal odds for each name. So that got me to wondering. And to thinking.