Did anyone fly the "Porta-Pot Shot?"

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ewomack

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While rummaging through old Estes catalogs, I came across a rather surprising one in the 2006 catalog. A Porta-Potty rocket called "The Porta Pot Shot." It looks like a somewhat vulgar version of Squirrel Works's Metropolitan Police Call Box kit. Seeing that the Porta-Potty kit only appeared in a few catalogs, I'm guessing that it wasn't a great hit, but I had no involvement with rocketry at the time so I have no idea. In any case, it looks like it's reached "collector's item" status now.

Some links:
Rocket Review
Rocket Reviews
Estes Video
Another Launch video
Rocketry Forum Thread from 2006
 
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I have two, one still in the package and one built.
The Porta-Pot-Shot is what it is...a flying brick. That said, it's still a lot of fun to fly. The body is made out of Styrofoam and has clear plastic fins. Inside there isn't much room for the recovery gear and trying to jam a small12" plastic chute in there is a pain. In the "nose cone" ie. the roof of the porta pot there are four or five pats of Estes clay weight. With all that weight, small chute ( I guess earlier releases had a white "toilet paper" looking streamer and a chute) the thin plastic fins take a beating, mine have all been glued back on several times. Over all it flies pretty good on a C6-3 (I plan to try a Qjet C or D the next time it flies) although, due to it's rarity and fragile nature it only comes out on special occasions.

Kits and stuff 004.JPG 480.JPG

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Flown one, have one in the bag.

Awesome idea, apologies to Estes but horrendous execution. Another heavy, draggy rocket that desperately needed a 24mm motor mount, incredibly underpowered on an 18mm C. Right up there with Venus Probe, ExoSkell (both of which I have built with 24mm mounts and they work GREAT WITH THEM) , the MIRV (would have been perfect with a 24 mm booster, but no good way i could find to do it) and the Outlander, which I have in the bag because I haven’t decided how to do it with 24mm Mount although I have seen some designs.

Also would have been a perfect model for rear ejection (not just because it fits with the theme, but that too!). As designed, not only too heavy and draggy but too little room for wadding and a chute.

If they would totally revamp this kit for rear eject with a 24mm Mount (I doubt Estes would build something 18mm and RECOMMEND QJet motors) I think this would be a good seller,

I think before Covid hit us @cwbullet was seeing how much interest there was in doing a 3D print version.
 
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I thought you were talking about this one....
Wow, looks like that could carry a "pottynaut".

If they would totally revamp this kit for rear eject with a 24mm Mount (I doubt Estes would build something 18mm and RECOMMEND QJet motors) I think this would be a good seller,
Being a kid and family oriented company, don't think a re-issue is happening in the era of PC.
 
Flown one, have one in the bag.

Awesome idea, apologies to Estes but horrendous execution. Another heavy, draggy rocket that desperately needed a 24mm motor mount, incredibly underpowered on an 18mm C. Right up there with Venus Probe, ExoSkell (both of which I have built with 24mm mounts and they work GREAT WITH THEM) , the MIRV (would have been perfect with a 24 mm booster, but no good way i could find to do it) and the Outlander, which I have in the bag because I haven’t decided how to do it with 24mm Mount although I have seen some designs.

Also would have been a perfect model for rear ejection (not just because it fits with the theme, but that too!). As designed, not only too heavy and draggy but too little room for wadding and a chute.

If they would totally revamp this kit for rear eject with a 24mm Mount (I doubt Estes would build something 18mm and RECOMMEND QJet motors) I think this would be a good seller,

I think before Covid hit us @cwbullet was seeing how much interest there was in doing a 3D print version.
Slightly disagree the Venus Probe and its ugly cousin Exoskell are borderline under powered. Flew nice on C6 but yeah a little more oomph would be nice maybe the new C5's. With a D you need a large field to recover both pieces..as usual I lost the rocket to a tree and the alien is now stuck here on earth
 
I remember when this was out but I wasn't really interested in it. I assumed it was inspired by Ky Michaelson's porta-potty rocket that was featured on Rocket Challenge. (The earlier Discovery Channel miniseries from 2003 that wasn't horribly stupid.)
 
Thanks for the info on this strange rocket. It sounds like it received mixed reviews. Judging by the Estes catalogs, it didn't last too long anyway. I was completely out of rockets at the time and so completely missed it. It doesn't sound like I may have missed too much.

Then there's the "Mega-Mosquito..." :p
 
No, I saw it but never bothered with it. Turns out I like Goonys, but I draw the line at Poopys.
 
OMG you all have drawn me back into the rocketry community with this.

Hi. I designed this kit.

As one of you guessed, indeed it happened that one day the boss says to the R&D shop “I saw this porta potty rocket. I want one. Go make one.”

So I spent a couple of weeks working prototypes and concepts and whatever and came up with a design with a crazy side door ejection with an occupant that would come down on their own streamer.

“hat’s too expensive and complicated. Make it easier.”

ooooookay.

A lot of compromises later and what you see made it to the stores.

For what I was asked to work with, I’m happy the darn thing flew at all.

It flew much better on a D engine.

I’m delighted people are still talking about this one!
 
OMG you all have drawn me back into the rocketry community with this.

Hi. I designed this kit.

As one of you guessed, indeed it happened that one day the boss says to the R&D shop “I saw this porta potty rocket. I want one. Go make one.”

So I spent a couple of weeks working prototypes and concepts and whatever and came up with a design with a crazy side door ejection with an occupant that would come down on their own streamer.

“hat’s too expensive and complicated. Make it easier.”

ooooookay.

A lot of compromises later and what you see made it to the stores.

For what I was asked to work with, I’m happy the darn thing flew at all.

It flew much better on a D engine.

I’m delighted people are still talking about this one!
It is a fun looking rocket and a great name.

it would be fun to see a revamped version which would ironically both fly well and thematically work well with rear ejection,
 
Saw one fly twice at a WSR launch - the C5-3 seemed the best. Beth, design us a larger, sturdier version (24mm) with a "bailout" figure - naturally the streamer should be blue! I'll bet one of the vendors on the site with laser capability could knock one out in thin ply and basswood quarter-rounds or something.

Cheers / Robert
 
Honestly, I have not done any rocket design since I left there in 2007. I’ve barely even flown any. I’ve taught a couple of kids rocketry classes though.

But now I’m thinking something in a rustic outhouse! 😆 Maybe I’ll sketch up some ideas soon.
Have you seen the Fliskits ACME Spitfire? That build style immediately jumped into my head when you mentioned a rustic outhouse.
 
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