Estes PNC-50Y back in production

[SCIGS30]

Hello,
I opened my Tazz kit today and was surprised to see an oldie but goodie nose cone from back in the day, the PNC-50Y blow molded cone. Estes stopped using this nose cone and replaced it with the 2 piece PNC-50YR, close but not the same. Here is the new nose cone next to my vintage Antares from the 1970s and the newer PNC-50YR 2 piece cone.
Here is a list of models that used this old nose cone, hopefully Estes could start selling these.

0807 Condor, 0819 Little John, 0820 Viper, 0864 Spartan, 1238 Avenger, 1276 Antares,
1277 Icarus

1322 Delta Star, 1324 Polaris, 1325 Gamma, 1342 Starblazer X-20, 1343 Orion Starfighter, 1356 Astro Bee, 1359 Orbital Interceptor, 1365 Sky-Hi, 1369 S.S. Cassiopeia, 1382 Comanche-3 1386 Asteroid Explorer, 1905 Stinger, 1906 Sizzler, 1913 Advanced Target Drone, 1923 Cougar

 

[DWonders]

Any ideas on what other current kits Estes might be using these cones on? Might be a way of getting our hands of more of them. Was planning to clone the old EAC Viper kit and this is the cone that it called for.

 

[K'Tesh]

They listened to me! Thanks Estes!!!

I love the old blow molded PNC-50Y, and there's a place for the PNC-50YR... Now we can clone some of their classic designs again without paying eBay prices. Even better would be if they bring back some of those classics.

 

[K'Tesh]

Any ideas on what other current kits Estes might be using these cones on? Might be a way of getting our hands of more of them. Was planning to clone the old EAC Viper kit and this is the cone that it called for.

The EAC Viper also used a BNC-50Y:

 

[crossfire]

I would think the 2 section nose cone would be nice. Its like a payload section.

 

[DWonders]

I think the Viper I had when I was a kid and joined the EAC had the balsa nose cone. I see BMS have these in their catalog.

 

[K'Tesh]

FWIW, the PNC-50Y blow molded version is very similar in shape to the PRP-1H (an injection molded, two-piece nosecone that was split lengthwise) , which was used in the SAM4 (1357) and Kadet (1328) kits.

 

[K'Tesh]

I'd also love to see Estes re-release those old kits, especially the Sizzler (1906), Astro Bee (1356), and the Ski-Hi (1365).

 

[K'Tesh]

On the subject of bringing back classic nosecone shapes, I'd really love to see the PNC-50KA blow molded nosecone used with the red, white, and black version of the Alpha II (1225) from the early/mid 1980s come back. There's no need to toss the current shape, I'm sure that there's room for it. However the older shape is much more, IMHO, visually appealing.

Another bring back would be the PNC-55EX found with the Exocet (1925), Neptune (1935), and Ranger (1955)

 

[BEC]

On the subject of bringing back classic nosecone shapes, I'd really love to see the PNC-50KA blow molded nosecone used with the red, white, and black version of the Alpha II (1225) from the early/mid 1980s come back. There's no need to toss the current shape, I'm sure that there's room for it. However the older shape is much more, IMHO, visually appealing.

I agree, Jim...and maybe they could make a new mold for it. Considering that the transition between that nose cone and the current one went through some Alpha kits having, optionally, the Alpha III nose cone (1989-1991), I suspect there is some sort of story out there about what became of the 50KA mold(s).