Eses Birdie Build

[SCIGS30]

Here is an Estes Birdie....I think. I bought this with a box of rocket and model parts. This could have just been someone cloning the Birdie, but oh well looks like the real one to me. The Engine Tube is 2.75 inches long and I don't know if that is the right tube. The tube slides into the Birdie and there are little pins up by the head that hold the engine tube nice and tight but the tube extends by 1/8 out the bottom. There are 2 Shuttle cocks and both are in pretty good condition with a little yellowing and the Green stripe is a little cracked. The rings, Lunch Lug and Bt. look old also. There is no header card or instructions. Before I start I just want to make sure I have the right parts.

 

[hcmbanjo]

Here is an Estes Birdie....I think. I bought this with a box of rocket and model parts. This could have just been someone cloning the Birdie, but oh well looks like the real one to me. The Engine Tube is 2.75 inches long and I don't know if that is the right tube. The tube slides into the Birdie and there are little pins up by the head that hold the engine tube nice and tight but the tube extends by 1/8 out the bottom. There are 2 Shuttle cocks and both are in pretty good condition with a little yellowing and the Green stripe is a little cracked. The rings, Lunch Lug and Bt. look old also. There is no header card or instructions. Before I start I just want to make sure I have the right parts.

With the spiral ribs down the side and the pins inside the nose, it's an original Birdie.
But the motor mount tube seems long.
The Birdie was built to fly with the Series III engines, at 1 3/4" long.
Later redesigned for the 1 3/4" long "T" engines.
Instructions are here:
https://www.spacemodeling.org/JimZ/k-44.htm

The Birdie was a favorite for me and my family in the early 1970s.
I just bagged up 35 Odd'l Rockets Birdie kits last night!

 

[SCIGS30]

The instructions say it is a Bt-20J, and that is what I have since it is 2 3/4 inch.

 

[UrbanKnight]

The Birdie was a favorite for me and my family in the early 1970s.
I just bagged up 35 Odd'l Rockets Birdie kits last night!

I'm going to order one soon to launch for my students, since the UP! Cup can't take A engines. The only reason it wasn't in my most recent order is that Jon Rocket is out of them at the moment.

 

[Micromeister]

Loved flying my original Birdie from back in the day but was never very pleased with the decent rate after kicking out the engine casing.

My second attempt "birdie" scratch build added a good amount of clay in the nose & under the upper skirt allowing the model to fly on 1/2A6-2 to C6-5's. To help the heavier clay laddened Birdie recovery safely, a motor casing retention kevlar shockcord was anchored to the birdie head that keeps the casing with the model breaking up the balastic fall slowing the decent to more of a Bounce recovery. This Birdie is still flying.

Dollar stores ususally have larger all plastic birds. the can be converted to fly on single D12's with a drag out chute recovery. This Yellow one just had to be called "Dee Big Bird". Great demo bird for youth and grade school groups.

 

[SCIGS30]

Micro, did the original come with the Bt-20J tube that is 2 3/4 inches long? Because the one I have does and the body tube sticks out by 1/8 of an inch or so.

 

[caveduck]

Hi!
The parts you have do look to be correct for an original version ("Series III" shorty 18mm motors) K-44 birdie. These only appeared in the 1969-1970-1971 catalogs, after which it was converted to 13mm mini-motors and became the TK-44 (later the #0844). It definitely used a full BT-20J. But I'm doubtful about whether you have an original made-by-Estes K-44; it would have had instructions inside the bag and I think (somebody chime in if they know for sure) there might have been only one RA-2060 instead of the pair that you have. I still remember building mine 40+ years ago (ouch).

 

[Micromeister]

Micro, did the original come with the Bt-20J tube that is 2 3/4 inches long? Because the one I have does and the body tube sticks out by 1/8 of an inch or so.

the orgianl did in fact have the tube sticking out the back just a tad. if you look closely at the old b&w photo you can just see it. Since the model is designed to kick the motor casing anyway I was never quite sure why the tube was allowed to extend. I shortened the BT-20 motor tube in my later version, didn't make any difference in flight but does allow the "Birdie" to sit flat on it's tail on display.

Agree with caveduck; My 1971 built bird (bought in fall of 1970) had only a single RA-2060 centering ring & full size BT-20J motor tube.

 

[SCIGS30]

I doubt this is not an original because it does not have the instructions or face-card. But some of the pictures I have seen of the early Birdie do have 2 20/60 rings.