Estes Super Big Bertha re-boot

[J Blatz]

I must be one hell of a dork... I am excited about this thing. Had one when I was a kid. I remember painting it one cold morning when it was way too cold for paint, and it looked terrible.

Pumped that it comes with a bigger hole in the bottom this time around. I fly a lot close to home and this will make a very nice close-landing rocket with a D12-3 or D24-4, or if conditions are good I could hammer it with one of those trick new AT F67's....

Now they just need to make it available so I can give them my $40.

 

[shreadvector]

We have two. And two of several other new kits ( including another exciting classic kit with wondrous decals)

Sent to us (NAR Section 430) for the volunteer helpers at the AMA Expo West. We staff a Make & Take that is very popular.

This model will fly best on the black powder Estes E16 and F15.

 

[Flyfalcons]

Our club pres has one, saw it go last week on an E16 black powder. Big, slow, and impressive.

 

[MaxQ]

I must be one hell of a dork... I am excited about this thing. Had one when I was a kid. I remember painting it one cold morning when it was way too cold for paint, and it looked terrible.

Pumped that it comes with a bigger hole in the bottom this time around. I fly a lot close to home and this will make a very nice close-landing rocket with a D12-3 or D24-4, or if conditions are good I could hammer it with one of those trick new AT F67's....

Now they just need to make it available so I can give them my $40.

looks like fun.
https://www.rocketreviews.com/super-big-bertha---estes-2018-1989-1993.html

 

[BEC]

Our club pres has one, saw it go last week on an E16 black powder. Big, slow, and impressive.

And after you left I put it up on an F15-6. It went a bit west and didn't quite drift back over the field, so it's now hanging in a tree on the extreme west edge of the field about 50 feet up . Of course by now it's quite waterlogged. The forecast winds tomorrow (gusts to 39 mph) MAY bring it down. But if they're right about the direction it may just drive it in closer to tree trunk. I run up there most every day to check on it.

I will have to get another when the production one is released. It turns in just gorgeous flights.

To the OP - it has a 29mm motor mount. It is intended to be flown on the 29mm E16s and F15s. That said, with the Estes 24/29 adapter a D12-3 (on a calm day) would be an impressive schoolyard demo flight I think - to about 250 feet.

added still later: sometime between the last edit and December 29th the weather brought it down....but where it went I do not know. *sigh* Now that they are officially available, I WILL get another.

 

[RoyAtl]

I've retro-fitted my 27 year old Super Big Bertha with a 29mm mount and new retainer. The fins on mine, however, remain the single 1/8" balsa, though I built them with epoxy rivets and thixotropic epoxy fillets. It has survived a couple of very hard landings and a cato. I was going to fly it this weekend at a new field on an E16-6 but when I got to the field I thought better of it.

Flying it originally was problematic on a D12-3 due to it ejecting in such a way that the chute never came all the way out. I think that the added weight of triple layer fins, heavier motor mount, plastic motor retainer, and an adapter to put a D12-3 in the new one will limit its usefulness with that motor.

 

[DavidMcCann]

This is exciting. My brother had this kit, I was totally jealous. It was a fun, low flier. It'll be cool to see how they fly on slightly bigger motors.....and maybe see who can keep one together on an I200W

 

[n3tjm]

I loved flying my original Super Big Bertha and the later Broadsword reloable with E11 and F12 Black Jack motors

 

[HandsomeRob]

I'm way more excited about this rocket than a grown man should be.

 

[caveduck]

Here's what I have planned for mine. Slight upgrades all around.


View attachment Super Big Bertha 38mm.ork

 

[Initiator001]

We have two. And two of several other new kits ( including another exciting classic kit with wondrous decals)

I hope you don't get a "citation" for mentioning that classic kit. :wink:

 

[DavidMcCann]

I hope you don't get a "citation" for mentioning that classic kit. :wink:

*perk*

 

[Nytrunner]

Crud, I've never been interested in berthas since everyone seems to have them, but this Super looks worthwhile.

 

[neil_w]

I've always found to be pretty homely, but I seem to be in the minority.

 

[RoyAtl]

I've always found to be pretty homely, but I seem to be in the minority.

Of course they're homely. That's the charm of it.

 

[lcorinth]

I'm really excited about it, and I've even dreamed about it a few times. My Big Bertha is one of the rockets I almost always take at the last minute, and then it's always one of my most fun flights. Sure, it's a bit goofy looking, but such a fun flier and a good way to burn some C6's without losing sight of the rocket.

So I'm excited to build a bigger one, and can't wait for the release.

Now as for that "citation" remark... I'm gonna try to remain calm....

 

[LithosphereRocketry]

I'm really excited about it, and I've even dreamed about it a few times. My Big Bertha is one of the rockets I almost always take at the last minute, and then it's always one of my most fun flights. Sure, it's a bit goofy looking, but such a fun flier and a good way to burn some C6's without losing sight of the rocket.

So I'm excited to build a bigger one, and can't wait for the release.

Now as for that "citation" remark... I'm gonna try to remain calm....

https://store.xkcd.com/products/citation-needed-sticker-pack

 

[Initiator001]

Now as for that "citation" remark... I'm gonna try to remain calm....

The word is out...

https://www.estesrockets.com/coming-soon/000652-citation-patriottm

 

[Nytrunner]

Love your blog, but if you've begun to dream about rockets, can you Reeeally still call yourself the Rocketn00b?

 

[samb]

We have two. And two of several other new kits ( including another exciting classic kit with wondrous decals)

Sent to us (NAR Section 430) for the volunteer helpers at the AMA Expo West. We staff a Make & Take that is very popular.

This model will fly best on the black powder Estes E16 and F15.

Did Jumpjet remember to tell 'em to slot the tube for us shread ?

 

[Initiator001]

View attachment 334750


Did Jumpjet remember to tell 'em to slot the tube for us shread ?

The tube is not slotted.

A cutting guide is included.

 

[samb]

The tube is not slotted.

A cutting guide is included.

Thanks Bob. Builders kit !




:wink:

 

[samb]

I've always found to be pretty homely, but I seem to be in the minority.

:bangpan:

Tell it to The Man :

 

[neil_w]

:bangpan:

Tell it to The Man :

View attachment 334752

Face to face I would tell him it's my favorite rocket EVAR.

 

[HandsomeRob]

The tube is not slotted.

A cutting guide is included.

Aww that's kind of a bummer....

 

[rharshberger]

Aww that's kind of a bummer....

Slotting Estes tubes is easy peasy!

 

[Woody's Workshop]

Does anyone know what the thickness is of the layered balsa fin sets? Perhaps the same as the Mega Mosquito?
I know the original one piece, surface mount fins were 3/16" and had support strips on both sides at the root edge.
Since the body tube isn't slotted, I think I would scratch build one with 1/8" or 5/32" ply-wood mounting them TTW.
I'm loaded with building supplies, including 11" 29mm Engine Mounts. And I would cut my own ply-wood centering rings to lock into the fins.
I'm sure Mark at StickerShock has the decal in his data base too.
Money is still a big problem, and I have enough builds sitting here to be primed and/or painted.
So anything like this, for me, isn't in the near future.

 

[Flyfalcons]

I got a video of Bernard's flight on the E16-6. Great combo for flying low and slow with a decent size rocket.

[video=youtube;o_BLZo9iFvE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_BLZo9iFvE[/video]

 

[BEC]

Yup - that's the flight before the one that ended in the tree on the west side (for the folks who don't know the field - to the left as seen in Ryan's video). We were facing pretty much northerly.

I will get another as soon as they are available....even though one has to slot the tubes oneself. It wasn't that hard .

 

[HandsomeRob]

Heh, Im sure slotting fins isn't too bad, it's just sorta one of those "but why?" kinda things.

However, that said, with this rocket coming with a guide on how to do that, it means I'll learn something new. I've been kicking around the idea of a scratch build or heavily modified Der Red Max with TTW fins.....