Estes 2024 Summer-Fall New Products Catalog

[SolarYellow]

Proceeds go to the Gleda scholarship fund, per John Boren, who saw it on Facebook.

https://www.rocketryforum.com/threa...-rocketry-sales-and-deals.189561/post-2672150

 

[Azamiryou]

Proceeds go to the Gleda scholarship fund, per John Boren, who saw it on Facebook.

According to the Estes product page, the proceeds benefit the NAR.

 

[Art Upton]

Says 10 in Stock...Tempting...

 

[Bruiser]

I first saw the Glenda May on facebook. I saw the price and I thought "Cool, they've snuck in a new PSII that no one saw coming". Then I read down further and saw the size and was, err, disappointed. Come on Optima; we need a new PSII.

-Bob

 

[Back_at_it]

Beautiful design, love the tribute to Glenda and understand the donations to NAR but not at $75.

 

[Initiator001]

Says 10 in Stock...Tempting...

View attachment 681578

When I ordered one it said 12 in stock.

Arriving Saturday...

 

[Art Upton]

When I ordered one it said 12 in stock.

Arriving Saturday...

I still have one of the generic 2-tube 2.5" PSII kits with no facecard in the bag left. I could make one if I wanted. I will hold out for awhile

I painted and got the decals on the other one to look like a Cherokee, just need to apply them. Those kits used Argent fins you can put backwards or forwards.

 

[SolarYellow]

I painted and got the decals on the other one to look like a Cherokee, just need to apply them. Those kits used Argent fins you can put backwards or forwards.

For me, the distinctive thing about the Cherokee is the Arcas nose cone. Anything with a tangent ogive, not secant, just doesn't look right. Likewise, an "Arcas" with a tangent nose cone isn't.

 

[DocSeuss]

When I ordered one it said 12 in stock.

Arriving Saturday...

Funny, when I ordered there were 11.

 

[bad_idea]

Funny, when I ordered there were 11.

I meant to tag you when I saw the note above about Chris' but got busy with something else and forgot. Glad you saw it!

 

[Papa Elf]

I hope someone accidentally puts my address down when ordering one of them Optima's

 

[SolarYellow]

I hope someone accidentally puts my address down when ordering one of them Optima's

The tubes and NC are cheap if you don't need decals. Launch Lab has 2.5-inch/29mm CRs in stock again.

 

[Back_at_it]

Estes is off their rocket again. 16" long BT50 rocket for $40.


https://estesrockets.com/?fbclid=Iw...QLxJXDPZUBasN5M-Ww_aem_XbER7ahzSgA87O2j1zkQWQ

 

[BEC]

Estes is off their rocket again. 16" long BT50 rocket for $40.


https://estesrockets.com/?fbclid=Iw...QLxJXDPZUBasN5M-Ww_aem_XbER7ahzSgA87O2j1zkQWQ

Yeah. As much as I love the Constellation, this is borderline crazy.

AND, in the instructions is a completely nonsense way of attaching the nose block to the payload tube. I wish I knew who was doing instructions at Estes these days so I could ask "what the heck were you thinking??"

 

[Scott_650]

Estes is off their rocket again. 16" long BT50 rocket for $40.


https://estesrockets.com/?fbclid=Iw...QLxJXDPZUBasN5M-Ww_aem_XbER7ahzSgA87O2j1zkQWQ

Eh, an easy clone if someone really wants a Constellation - though if I were going to do that I'd go up a bit with a BT-55 tube - but assuming the production run is small and the cone is balsa (it's still higher than I'd ever pay but) not a ludicrous price for a boxed kit aimed at collectors and completists. Though ASP's BT55 Neo Mighty at $25 is a much better value for a clear payload section kit. Not being a collector or a completist I have no problem letting those folks buy as many Constellations as they care for.

Bernard is right, that's a screwy way to do the nose block/payload tube setup. Just because the original was done with tape strips and plastic model cement doesn't mean the repro has to be!

 

[BEC]

It is a balsa nose cone. I checked that with John Boren when I first saw that new products catalog. I was hoping that there was going to be a new blow-molded nose cone in the shape of the 50X, but it's balsa.

The tape strip thing works, but not putting the strips on the balsa parts. They're supposed to be on the inside of the clear tube so you can use wood glue to join the nose block to the payload tube. They are unnecessary on the nose cone (unless its fit is too loose, I suppose). These days I would use an RC-56 equivalent or Beacon Foam- or Fabri-Tac to make that joint without tape strips (which will eventually age and come loose).

I built a Constellation from the Semroc reproduction and have a couple more of them in my kit stash so I don't need this one. The price is rather off-putting. The main reason I wanted to buy one or two of the Estes reissues is that Estes tends to use much firmer wood for fins than Semroc did, and if one does the Constellation fins up right with the full airfoil they're pretty fragile when made with soft, light wood. Laser-cut firm wood could be an improvement from a durability standpoint without being too much of a pain to hand cut like the original.

 

[bad_idea]

Any bets on what the remaining 9 days of the Estes 12-days will bring?

 

[neil_w]

Any bets on what the remaining 9 days of the Estes 12-days will bring?

9 different sizes of Red Max

 

[Capt. Eric]

9 different sizes of Red Max

I already have 6!
(13mm thru 4")

 

[Bluegrass Rocket]

To me it feels like there has been a definite shift at Estes. For most of us lifer rocketeers, we still enjoy a special deal, a little more for your buck. Giving you the “deal” to spend crazy amounts on simple rockets isn’t what we are looking for. My 2 cents.

 

[SolarYellow]

I did spend $100 on tubing, couplers, and nose cones using my Launch2024 code. I think it was a good call, as two of the SKUs are now listed as OOS.

 

[bad_idea]

I did spend $100 on tubing, couplers, and nose cones using my Launch2024 code. I think it was a good call, as two of the SKUs are now listed as OOS.

Including one I had been waiting to buy before you cleaned it out.

 

[SCIGS30]

It was not too long ago that Estes was part of the Hobbico BK, some of us were worried about the future of this great company. Sure, kits are pricey these days but so is everything else. Maybe back in 2020 this kit would have sold for 20 bucks, but now just double the price of everything. My model planes and rockets are a cheap hobby when compared to what other hobbies my friends have. I have no problem supporting a great company and will be happy to spend 40 bucks for hours of enjoyment.

 

[Art Upton]

Yeah. As much as I love the Constellation, this is borderline crazy.

AND, in the instructions is a completely nonsense way of attaching the nose block to the payload tube. I wish I knew who was doing instructions at Estes these days so I could ask "what the heck were you thinking??"

Well, that was how Estes had you glue to plastic clear payloads all the days of my past life

You put self adhesive strips on and glued to those. Today, I don't glue them. I use electrical tape on the Outside to hold the nose block and nose cone to the payload tube with masking tape on the inside for friction fit as well

 

[BEC]

Art,

What I was commenting on was what is in the new instructions which show putting the tape strips on the nose block (and nose cone) and then gluing the nose block in with plastic cement!



What you recall is the right way to do it.


I use an RC-56 equivalent or a Beacon adhesive for wood to plastic joints now.

 

[Ronz Rocketz]

Art,

What I was commenting on was what is in the new instructions which show putting the tape strips on the nose block (and nose cone) and then gluing the nose block in with plastic cement!

View attachment 681997

What you recall is the right way to do it.

View attachment 681998
I use an RC-56 equivalent or a Beacon adhesive for wood to plastic joints now.

Sounds like a good question for John Boren.

 

[BEC]

Ron,

Yes. We've had that conversation.

If they ever do another run of the kit — and currently they do not plan to — it'll get fixed in the next printing of the instructions.

 

[Capt. Eric]

It was not too long ago that Estes was part of the Hobbico BK, some of us were worried about the future of this great company. Sure, kits are pricey these days but so is everything else. Maybe back in 2020 this kit would have sold for 20 bucks, but now just double the price of everything. My model planes and rockets are a cheap hobby when compared to what other hobbies my friends have. I have no problem supporting a great company and will be happy to spend 40 bucks for hours of enjoyment.

Everything is not double in price.
Estes is a commercial company, not a charity.
And I compare these latest offerings to similar size rockets, and/or the cost of building one from parts, some sourced from Estes. The math doesn't add up to $40.

But that said, I do want Estes to succeed. I just don't see the value in these latest offerings. I'll still be a customer, just not for the current sales.

 

[SolarYellow]

Including one I had been waiting to buy before you cleaned it out.

There were BT-65s left when I checked out. I think they're the right OD to use as coupler for ST-18 and Randy has a ton of that stuff left.

 

[bad_idea]

There were BT-65s left when I checked out. I think they're the right OD to use as coupler for ST-18 and Randy has a ton of that stuff left.

It was the unslotted 2.5". But I didn't really need it.