Estes Maxi Alpha III?

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JMies419

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Went to my local Hobbytown USA to pick the Estes Maxi Alpha III kit up and returned home empty handed. I had never seen this rocket before and it looked awesome online so I decided I would go check it out. They had plenty of them, but when I looked at the kit...plastic fins? I was a little dissapointed and did not end up buying it. Still may go grab one but I wanted to get some input from others who have built and flown this kit before making my mind up. I really don't like the plastic fin idea...at all. I like to paint the entire rocket myself, for those who may have painted the thin plastic fins...how does it hold up? Any issues with the fins lasting and holding up? I really like the looks and size of the rocket completed but I am not sure if I want to build it now. :(
 
I believe the balsa fin version was the original and was superceded by the plastic version. I built and flew the plastic one a lot until a shredded chute caused just too much fin damage. I donated my good upper end and nosecone to someone in my club who had lost his NC and chute to a broken shock cord (he's much better at rebuilds - and builds, for that matter - than I am). The booster nosed over and crushed the tube; his fin can and my stuff will fly again.

When I build my next MA-III plastic fin kit, I'll add some hefty epoxy fillets on the fins and nose weight to balance it out. The little tabs Estes provides are okay but need really good landings to have a long life.

I never painted mine but have seen them painted so somebody should be able to give you some guidelines for that.

D-12's are good; E-15 work well, too.
 
I have one --- I snap a fin off every time it flies.

I think I'll try some kind of hammock setup for the parachute to try to drop it down at a 90-degree angle so the thin plastic fins aren't the first object to contact the ground.
 
Thanks for the replies, I was worried about the plastic fins. Can't imagine why they decided to do that?
 
JMies419 said:
Went to my local Hobbytown USA to pick the Estes Maxi Alpha III kit up and returned home empty handed. I had never seen this rocket before and it looked awesome online so I decided I would go check it out. They had plenty of them, but when I looked at the kit...plastic fins? I was a little dissapointed and did not end up buying it. Still may go grab one but I wanted to get some input from others who have built and flown this kit before making my mind up. I really don't like the plastic fin idea...at all. I like to paint the entire rocket myself, for those who may have painted the thin plastic fins...how does it hold up? Any issues with the fins lasting and holding up? I really like the looks and size of the rocket completed but I am not sure if I want to build it now. :(
Click to expand...

Have you considerd cloning your own? All the parts are available and you could cut the fins out the material you prefer.

I could help you find the needed measurements and information if you'd like that.
 
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bradycros said:
Have you considerd cloning your own? All the parts are available and you could cut the fins out the material you prefer.

I could help you find the needed measurements information if you'd like that.
Click to expand...

Thank you! I have considered that. The only thing I am unsure of would be if I would need any additional nose cone weight or anything. I have the openrocket program but I am not familiar with it at all and am not real sure how to operate and understand it yet.
 
JMies419 said:
Thank you! I have considered that. The only thing I am unsure of would be if I would need any additional nose cone weight or anything. I have the openrocket program but I am not familiar with it at all and am not real sure how to operate and understand it yet.
Click to expand...

Today is as good a day to start learning as any other day. There is a thread I started about using OP in the electronics section. I sure it can help get you going.

Let me know if you want help looking up parts.
 
bradycros said:
Today is as good a day to start learning as any other day. There is a thread I started about using OP in the electronics section. I sure it can help get you going.

Let me know if you want help looking up parts.
Click to expand...

Thanks! I will take a look. I am very interested in learning the process. I love the Estes kits but always wish the rockets were bigger, the Maxi Alpha III is a nice size rocket but I love the idea of upscalling as well. I have plans to hopefully sooner than later upscale the 220 Swift. I would also really like to upscale the Estes Twister to a BT-80. Have not seen a Twister upscalled yet. Still trying to find plans for that rocket though, I should probably just go out and buy the original kit. Lol. If I upscale I want the original as well as the larger version.
 
JMies419 said:
Thanks! I will take a look. I am very interested in learning the process. I love the Estes kits but always wish the rockets were bigger, the Maxi Alpha III is a nice size rocket but I love the idea of upscalling as well. I have plans to hopefully sooner than later upscale the 220 Swift. I would also really like to upscale the Estes Twister to a BT-80. Have not seen a Twister upscalled yet. Still trying to find plans for that rocket though, I should probably just go out and buy the original kit. Lol. If I upscale I want the original as well as the larger version.
Click to expand...

Go to: www.rocketryforum.com/showthread.php?t=29767
 
I had to rebuild mine after I launched it on a G65, ripped the fins off in a HURRY! I saved the nose cone! So it might be a clone now.

DSCN3547.jpg
 
Originally, Estes came out with the Maxi-Alpha. BT-80, balsa fins and plastic nose cone. Then, later, they brought out the Maxi-Alpha III - plastic fin can with the same plastic nose cone as the Maxi-Alpha (the "III" is indicative of the plastic fin can in the same way the Alpha III was the plastic finned version of the Alpha). The new Maxi-Alpha III is a re-issue of the original. I have a clone of MA as well as the new MAIII. I like both. The MAIII flys well on E9 motors and I haven't broken a fin yet (it's flown 2-3 times so far). It all depends on your recovery area - I fly in a dairy farm pasture so the grass tends to cushion most all landings. If you are flying in a park or school yard, it might be different.
 
JMies419 said:
Sandman, thats the entire Estes kit you have for $17? That is a really good price! If so I would just need to buy balsa for the fins right?
Click to expand...


Your probly gonna have to reconfigure the motor mount in order to have durable TTW balsa fins instead of plastic surface mounted fins.

Also, you don't need to know how to use Open Rocket to research & order parts for a clone.
 
No.

The Alpha has balsa fins and the Alpha III has plastic fins (a fin unit). They are both in production and exist at the same time and one does not supersede the other.

Ditto for the Maxi-Alpha with balsa fins and Maxi-Alpha 3 with plastic fins. They both existed at the same time when they were in full production the first time around. At this point in time, they have only re-introduced the Maxi-Alpha 3, but the "3" is a clear indicator that it is a maxi version of the Alpha III and has plastic fins.

And there are no motors with 12 or 15 second delay times ("-12" or "-15").

Use the shortest available delay time with the MA3 (D12-3, E9-4, E12-4) with black powder motors. The Maxi-Alpha weighed a bit less and could use the D12-5 but don;t try that with the MA3 as it is too heavy.

KennB said:
I believe the balsa fin version was the original and was superceded by the plastic version. I built and flew the plastic one a lot until a shredded chute caused just too much fin damage. I donated my good upper end and nosecone to someone in my club who had lost his NC and chute to a broken shock cord (he's much better at rebuilds - and builds, for that matter - than I am). The booster nosed over and crushed the tube; his fin can and my stuff will fly again.

When I build my next MA-III plastic fin kit, I'll add some hefty epoxy fillets on the fins and nose weight to balance it out. The little tabs Estes provides are okay but need really good landings to have a long life.

I never painted mine but have seen them painted so somebody should be able to give you some guidelines for that.

D-12's are good; E-15 work well, too.
Click to expand...
 
The fin mounting on the MA-3 is an external fin can type of thing, NOT TTW.

As a result the fins are only really connected to the airframe by a very thin contact surface where your plastic cement/epoxy must work.

Plus, the fins themselves are fairly thin and relatively brittle styrene (well at least the model I got several years ago was) so if your rocket is coming down under chute at 10 mph and the tips of one of those thin fins is the first to contact the hard ground -- snappo.

:y::y:

The upside is, whenever a fin does break, it usually comes off very cleanly and can be cemented right back on.
 
JMies419 said:
Sandman, thats the entire Estes kit you have for $17? That is a really good price! If so I would just need to buy balsa for the fins right?
Click to expand...

Yes, but...I sold one yesterday and now I only have one left!

So hurry!:rolleyes:

While you are on my web site check out the Mean Machine for $17.50 and a much overlooked model the Super Neon XL.

I really don't know why those haven't sold better.
 
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I have a Maxi Alpha 3 from the first go around. I used RC-56 (today, Pacer Formula 560) to glue the fins to the tube so as to have more than just the two tabs holding each one on. It has flown on C11-3s, D12-3s and 5s (5 is better for mine), and composite E15s and E20s (which take it to about 1000 feet). I am also using an 18 inch 'chute rather than a 24. Have cracked one fin loose (not off) once.

Mine is light - only has paint on the nose cone - and I have a Semroc baffle in it. It weighs just a hair over 8 ounces without motor.

I'm sure if the fins were cleaned and primered they could take paint just fine.
 
stratos283 said:
If you had done any research AT ALL, before going to pick it up, you would have known it had plastic fins................Do you not even own a computer??

Stratos283
Click to expand...

What do you hope to accomplish with such a rude comment?
 
stratos283 said:
If you had done any research AT ALL, before going to pick it up, you would have known it had plastic fins................Do you not even own a computer??

Stratos283
Click to expand...

AreYouKiddingMeNoText.png
 
I've flown my Maxi Alpha 3 for several years now on E9-4's with little problem on the fin can. I must admit, I've had the bottom of a fin or two crack just at the tab but it was easily repaired with some decent plastic cement. I painted the body and the nose cone and used at least a 24 inch chute but mostly a thinner 30 inch chute. Keep in mind mine lands on a pretty hard desert dirt type floor and I don't have any real worries about it. I was happy to pay $45 for two of these I bought before the re-release so at less than $30 for a big, E motor bird I think it's a gimmee. The only thing I would change and did in fact, was to get the big decal in vinyl from stickershock as after some years the Estes stick-on starts to bubble a bit. I expected to use that decal on my next big Alpha once this one broke off a fin and that was many launches ago. My other is still in the bag waiting to be built.
 
I put mine up yesterday on a D12-3 and It preformed like I remember and it came down light as a feather and landed standing up on the fins not battle damage at all. Me and my brother would launch this all the time with no launch rod when we were kids. I'm proud to have this back in my fleet. Its just not built to run composite motors.

TA
 
sandman said:
Yes, but...I sold one yesterday and now I only have one left!

So hurry!:rolleyes:

While you are on my web site check out the Mean Machine for $17.50 and a much overlooked model the Super Neon XL.

I really don't know why those haven't sold better.
Click to expand...
Now there is NONE left.(yes,its MINE,ALL MINE!! baahahaha)
I've read thru this thread and might just well run a small bead of epoxy alongside the fins.
I dry fit it and Im very happy with the size for the coin I paid.
I have to put a plug in for https://excelsiorrocketry.com/, there is some smoking deals going on.
One might want to check it out?
Most kits are running close to half the coin you would pay elsewhere.
 

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