Estes please make a A B C 3 engine pack for walmart.

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LtSharpe

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Wouldn't it be cool if the 'wadding included' packs that walmart and toyrus sells also came in a assortment packs? So you had like 1 A8-3 1 B6-4 and 1 C6-5 ? They could mix and match other delays as well. This way you wouldn't have to buy 3 different 3 packs if you just wanted 1 set of launches for your rocket, you know a8 for inititial test, b6-4 for intermediate and so on.

Have they ever done this in the past?
 
I know Estes includes 1x B and 1x C in their start kits to show the difference in motors. That's kind of along the same lines as you described.
 
it would be cool if they had 12 engine packs (3 of a, b, c, and d) so that you didn't need to spend all the money if you wanted a big bulk pack
 
Yeah that would be cool.

3x A's of every delay
3x B's of every delay
3x C's of every delay


With the wadding needed for each flight :cool: :D
 
Quest had an A,B,C pack for a while. I don't know if it sold well enough or if they still offer it.

And many Estes starter sets no longer have an A and a B. They have 2 B motors.

Originally posted by LtSharpe
Wouldn't it be cool if the 'wadding included' packs that walmart and toyrus sells also came in a assortment packs? So you had like 1 A8-3 1 B6-4 and 1 C6-5 ? They could mix and match other delays as well. This way you wouldn't have to buy 3 different 3 packs if you just wanted 1 set of launches for your rocket, you know a8 for inititial test, b6-4 for intermediate and so on.

Have they ever done this in the past?
 
Estes does have a generic (as well as specific) bulk packs of 24 motors. A, B & C I beleive, but all the same delay. The kit used to include 1/2A6-2 also, but not sure if it still does.

Back in "the day" (come on Sandman, I *know* YOU remember), motors didn't come 3 to a pack... There was a motor shipping tube that *could* hold 3 motors, but you purchased them individually right from Estes. If you wanted 1 you got one rattlin' around in that tube. 2? same deal.

Very kewl, and only $0.35 a pop to boot :D
 
I'd like to see D and E bulk packs. I could also get into a B and C only bulk packs.
 
Originally posted by jflis
Estes does have a generic (as well as specific) bulk packs of 24 motors. A, B & C I beleive, but all the same delay. The kit used to include 1/2A6-2 also, but not sure if it still does.

Back in "the day" (come on Sandman, I *know* YOU remember), motors didn't come 3 to a pack... There was a motor shipping tube that *could* hold 3 motors, but you purchased them individually right from Estes. If you wanted 1 you got one rattlin' around in that tube. 2? same deal.

Very kewl, and only $0.35 a pop to boot :D

Yup, I remember they came in those blue mailing tubes. You bought them individually but if you bought 3, they were only $0.90.

Memory jog... If you bought Series III (short) engines they could fit 4 in a tube. I think that is why 13mm engines come 4 to a pack since they were the replacement for the Series III engine.
 
From a marketing and sales perspective, variety packs like that would be hard to manage. There'd be a lot of "I can use this one and this one but not the third one.", so a lot of stuff would linger on the shelves, maybe. Also, when all the different average impulses and delays are considered, as well as total impulse, and the different ways they could be combined by threes, the possible packs would far too many to carry. The list might be something that could be pared down to a managable level, but it would still be a gamble for Estes / Quest.

What I think would be a better way to achieve the same flexibility would be to sell engines by ones, for 1/3 of the 3-pack price. That way, rocketeers could make their own mix and match kits from all available motors, buying just as many as they needed / wanted of each, in any combination they desire. The only downside I can see right off would be shelf / rack space and a little more inventory management overhead. So charge an extra 15¢ per engine to cover that, and everyone wins! :D
 
welll the 3 most common one are a8-3's b6-2's and c6-5's thats all they need to do, really for walmart. i'd buy a ton of em.. cept i get all my engines now at micheals.
 
Back in "the day" (come on Sandman, I *know* YOU remember),

Yep, I remember...you just ordered what you wanted...2 B6-4's or 7 A8-5's and 5 B14-0's whatever you wanted and Gleda Estes would box pack em for you.

I think I may have a nose cone for one of those motor mailing tubes someplace in my archives.

I did hear that the A8-5's are coming back!
 
Originally posted by BobH48
Memory jog... If you bought Series III (short) engines they could fit 4 in a tube.

Did I remember that right? Or did they put 3 engines and a spacer? Now I'm not sure.
I did hear that the A8-5's are coming back!

I never knew they went away. I just bought a pack of A8-5's last month. Were they old ones?
 
In Estes 2004 catalog A85s are listed as item#1599 buuuuuut....

In checking out my BAR notebook with all my instructions notes, header cards etc. I notice that of the 10 or so standard off the shelf estes kits (sizzler, baby bertha, viking etc )I've built since April, NONE of them list an A85 as a recommended engine...
kinda interesting...

Andy
 
Originally posted by jflis
Estes does have a generic (as well as specific) bulk packs of 24 motors. A, B & C I beleive, but all the same delay. The kit used to include 1/2A6-2 also, but not sure if it still does.

Back in "the day" (come on Sandman, I *know* YOU remember), motors didn't come 3 to a pack... There was a motor shipping tube that *could* hold 3 motors, but you purchased them individually right from Estes. If you wanted 1 you got one rattlin' around in that tube. 2? same deal.

Very kewl, and only $0.35 a pop to boot :D

OMG was this in the late 70's early 80's I remmber some thing like this I was just a little sh*t
 
My local Wal-Mart only ever has A8-3's, C6-3's, C6-5's, A10-3T's, and the occasional A-10PT's. They NEVER have the engines I need most: B6-4's!! Still a good deal though.

-Kitch

"One, Two, Five!!"
 
Originally posted by Kitch
My local Wal-Mart only ever has A8-3's, C6-3's, C6-5's, A10-3T's, and the occasional A-10PT's. They NEVER have the engines I need most: B6-4's!! Still a good deal though.

-Kitch

"One, Two, Five!!"

My local Walmart only has B6-4's and A8-3's sometimes and they get snapped up right away. You would think the manager would notice and order more.

They always have plenty of C6-3's, C6-5's, C6-7's, A10-3T's and A10-PT's.
 
Originally posted by rbeckey
I could also get into a B and C only bulk packs.

they make them, but you might have to be affiliated with schools or programs... at the camp i counselored at, they had 3 HUGE rubbermaid tubs full of these little (24?) pack motors... that had to be over 40 or 50 of the boxes of motors... they also came with wadding, and streamers and parachutes (of which some wandered into my bad at leasure :rolleyes: ... HEY! there were so many!)
 
Did anyone ever build a rocket out of the shipping tube? :D

Man, if ONLY Estes would do that again!
 
This reply will cover several of the messages and questions asked above.

Estes used to have 6 of each of the followiing in the Blast Off Flight Pack (BOFP): 1/2A6-2, A8-3, B6-4, C6-5. They did not sell as well as they wanted then to. Perhaps they asked consumers (surveys)? Whatever they did, they replaced the 1/2A6-2 with C6-7 motors and that was fine for a while since many school and youth group program rockets could easily use C6-7 motors.

When they switched to super heavy plastic rockets I noticed a disturbing trend. People showed up at club launches and wanted to fly their overweight rockets with the C6-7 because "it's the only engines I have left". I called Mary Roberts and suggested that if they are going to keep mass merchandising super heavy plastic rockets, they should change the BOFP to provide safe motors. A short time later they changed the C6-7 to C6-3 motors and that is the mix we have today: 6 each A8-3, B6-4, C6-3, C6-5.

Estes has recently responded to the Querst bulk packs by offering a 24 C6-5 bulk pack in addition to their previous bulk packs of 24 A8-3 or 24 B6-4 and they added a pack of 24 1/2A3-4T to the mini packs of 24 1/2A3-2T or 24 A10-3T. They also have a 2 stage pack with 12 each B6-0 and B6-6 (somtimes it's C6-0 because they dropped the B6-0 for a year or so, but it's back now...).

Quest bulk packs are 25 A6-4 or 25 B6-4 or 25 C6-5.

Originally posted by jflis
Estes does have a generic (as well as specific) bulk packs of 24 motors. A, B & C I beleive, but all the same delay. The kit used to include 1/2A6-2 also, but not sure if it still does.

Back in "the day" (come on Sandman, I *know* YOU remember), motors didn't come 3 to a pack... There was a motor shipping tube that *could* hold 3 motors, but you purchased them individually right from Estes. If you wanted 1 you got one rattlin' around in that tube. 2? same deal.

Very kewl, and only $0.35 a pop to boot :D
 
Too bad Michaels doesn't carry the bulk pack of one flavor. The hobby shops I've been to price them high enough that there really is no difference buying three packs at WalMart.
 
Has anyone found a cheap online source for quest engines?? I have only ever seen them in a store once and that was at Fry's Electronics and they weren't any cheaper than walmart. Quest engines are supposedly cheaper but every site I have found them on they are no bargain at all. They are more than I would pay at walmart or often what the estes engines are on the same site! I would like to try some just for the hell of it(more smoke etc), but I'm not going to pay a premium for an novelty.
 
QUEST used to offer a 'flight assortment pack' of one A, one B and one C engine. I have one. The packaging and engine labels indicate that it was made in 1991, or 1992.

I used to buy my QUEST motors online from Valueland, but since they closed shop, I cannot locate anyone who discounts so deeply.

Phred
 
Order direct. I pick up the phone and give them my credit card and they ship them direct (via USPS ground with proper permits and labelling). Last order was just over $1000 (for the club for most of the year). You can order much less.

;)

https://www.questaerospace.com/

Originally posted by LtSharpe
Has anyone found a cheap online source for quest engines?? I have only ever seen them in a store once and that was at Fry's Electronics and they weren't any cheaper than walmart. Quest engines are supposedly cheaper but every site I have found them on they are no bargain at all. They are more than I would pay at walmart or often what the estes engines are on the same site! I would like to try some just for the hell of it(more smoke etc), but I'm not going to pay a premium for an novelty.
 
Originally posted by LtSharpe
Has anyone found a cheap online source for quest engines?? I have only ever seen them in a store once and that was at Fry's Electronics and they weren't any cheaper than walmart. Quest engines are supposedly cheaper but every site I have found them on they are no bargain at all. They are more than I would pay at walmart or often what the estes engines are on the same site! I would like to try some just for the hell of it(more smoke etc), but I'm not going to pay a premium for an novelty.

It might be fun to use some Quest motors just as a novelty, I agree. I've only seen them in one or two actual brick and mortar stores.

eHobbies has the lowest prices I've seen on the Quest or Estes bulk packs, but you'll still pay more per motor than you pay for 3-packs of Estes motors at Wal-Mart. And shipping may cost more than sales tax, but I didn't actually check.

Quest bulk packs:
https://www.ehobbies.com/rocketry-value-bulk-packs-quest-rocket-motors.html

Estes bulk packs:
https://www.ehobbies.com/rocketry-value-bulk-packs-estes-rocket-motors.html
 
Fry's Electronics stores carry Quest (Starter sets, Quick kits and MicroMaxx plus motors). The story i heard is that the stores let the inventory run way low and then order it all again in huge orders rather than keeping the stock level and placing smaller orders more regularly.

SO, if you visit a store and they are low, ask when they plan to re-order.
Physical stores:
https://shop4.outpost.com/template/help/index/FE30/Service3/Assistance/Middle_Topics/D2StoreHours

Their web-store does not sell model rockets (probably because of shipping hassles).

https://outpost.com/

And if you visit the wrong Fry's you will be very confused.
https://www.kroger.com/aboutourcompany.htm
https://www.frysfood.com/


Originally posted by JRThro
LtSharpe,

I meant to ask: What rocketry-related items have you seen at Fry's? I didn't know they carried such things.
 
Yeah the last time I was to Fry's they had hardly any rocketry stuff. But in years past I've been there and it's HUGE, tons of stuff. I don't get to one very often because any of the stores are over 200 miles from me,, but when I visit relatives I try to drop in. I'ts 'Geek' paradise :)
 
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