Estes to re-release Saturn V and Saturn 1B?

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DeWain

DeWain

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I had emailed Estes customer service to find out when some their Classic Series re-releases (Long Tom, Alien Intruder, USS America) would be out, and this is what I got in reply:

Hi DeWain,

We have lots of Estes Classics lined up for 2009 and 2010...and we will
be bringing back the Saturn V by mid summer and the Saturn 5B by early
fall. Check our website starting in June or so for actual release dates.
We had planned to have it before the anniversary launch date, but the
tooling is over 40 years old now and had to be replaced, which has added
several weeks to our planned production date.

Thank you for your interest in Estes Products.
Happy Launching!

Fyre
V. Fyre Penano
R & D Sr. Electrical Technician
Estes-Cox Corporation


... so it looks as though Estes will be re-releasing their Saturns. Semroc already has a great 1/70th 1B clone and may have a 1/100 Saturn V in the works, but it is good to hear that Estes is planning to re-release scale kits.

Has anyone heard about this yet. I have been out of the loop working on my Masters degree... so bear with me if this is old news.
 
So? Both Estes and Semroc aren't getting their kits out to be built in time for the anniversary.

I wonder if they've figured out how much in lost sales that will cost them.

Personally, I was going to buy 2 of the Semroc kits, one to stash and one for the anniversary. Not anymore. :mad:
 
There's more information in that email from Estes than meets the eye. Estes has produced 3 scale (and 1 semi-scale) Saturn V's over the years. Kit#1236 in 1969, kit#2001 from 1988-94, and kit#2157 in 1998, again in 2001-04. The fact that Estes is referencing 40 year old tooling indicates the new one will be similar to the original scale kit, which featured a cluster of 3 C6-3 motors, and not the later kits which flew on a single D12-3.
 
I wonder what motors the Saturn will run on. From what I've heard and from videos I've seen, the Saturn is severely underpowered.
 
My '01 SL2 has the 1.9L DOHC and it hates to climb bridges. My daughter's '02 L100 has the 2.2L and seems to do just fine.


























:neener:
 
I for one am glad to here this about the Saturn V and Saturn 1B. This is good news for all.

I wonder what the new tooling items are? I hope they have made some improvements on both models. Most of all I am glad to have the Saturn 1B out there.

I guess the big question is what is the price on each one?
 
Mikus said:
So? Both Estes and Semroc aren't getting their kits out to be built in time for the anniversary.

I wonder if they've figured out how much in lost sales that will cost them.

Personally, I was going to buy 2 of the Semroc kits, one to stash and one for the anniversary. Not anymore. :mad:
Click to expand...

Mikus, you're shooting from the hip carelessly. I'll fill you in on a secret in a little while......:confused2:
 
While neither the Semroc or Estes kit is likely to be ready for the Apollo 11 anniversary, I am very pleased (OK... ecstatic) with the shear number of clone kits and clone parts that Semroc has cranked out over the last few years. It is amazing what Carl & Co. have done in such a short time with such a small family-run business.

And while the Estes of today is not the Estes when I was a kid, I am very pleased that they have tried to release classic models (although it is a shame that there is a lot of overlap with the kits that Estes has announced and the kits that are in Semroc's queue).

Oh and Judo... I had to think about that one for a moment before I realized what you were talking about. My Saturn SC2 could really scoot on its DOHC (hint... you have to flip the switch to the "performance" mode).
 
Bravo52 said:
Shouldn't we be saying: "My Penske V runs fine on a D12" :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

lol, I want to know if every owner gets a pit crew, I have two Ions.

As far as the fortieth anniversary goes I remember more hype about the 35th than I've seen for this one.
 
I've waived of going to the July NEFAR launch. Thus, all my motivation to quickly finish my Saturn V (2001) is gone.
 
I also got a reply from Mike Fritz (info on the Saturns toward the bottom). Sounds like the Saturn 1B will be the 1/100 scale- which is great because Semroc already has the 1/100 clone.

DeWain

Dear Mr. Feller.
Our plan was to have most of the "Classics" out by Spring 09 and the
balance in the fall. However, the new Federal mandate for testing of all
"toy" based products (I'm not sure why we are lumped there, but we are)
has put a serious strain on an already slow process...that is the
testing of each product. Even though most of the new kits are very green
(balsa nose cones, paper tubes, lead free decals, laser cut balsa), they
have to be tested and in addition to taking time, it is very expensive.
Currently, I expect most of the Spring release Classics to be available
around Christmas of this year...the others to follow in the Spring of
10. I am truly sorry for the delay, but this delay is not of our doing.
As for the Saturn 1B...I think the designer is planning on a 1/100
scale. However, he is still immersed in the Saturn V, which has required
a completely new plastic tooling set as the original tooling was 40+
years old and could not produce quality plastic parts. The scale models
will also be available later this year and into 2010.
Regards,
Mike Fritz
Marketing Director
Estes-Cox Corporation
 
dwmzmm said:
Mikus, you're shooting from the hip carelessly. I'll fill you in on a secret in a little while......:confused2:
Click to expand...

Heh, you told me at the launch last Saturday. But even if they were out tomorrow, I couldn't get a kit of this magnitude done in time for the anniversary - that's why I've been pestering Carl not to wait until June/July to issue the kit.

Oh well, there's always the 50th. :jaw:
 
Mikus said:
Heh, you told me at the launch last Saturday. But even if they were out tomorrow, I couldn't get a kit of this magnitude done in time for the anniversary - that's why I've been pestering Carl not to wait until June/July to issue the kit.

Oh well, there's always the 50th. :jaw:
Click to expand...

What, building a Saturn is something that should only be done timed to a "milestone" anniversary? Good gravy, it's the release of a wonderful kit based upon one of our greatest achievements, not a plague of locusts. Me? I'll build it when it comes out and be proud to fly it anytime. Let the news wires and talking heads give the Saturn its due for 30 seconds every 10 years, and let the rest of us celebrate it every opportunity we get.
 
chanstevens said:
What, building a Saturn is something that should only be done timed to a "milestone" anniversary? Good gravy, it's the release of a wonderful kit based upon one of our greatest achievements, not a plague of locusts. Me? I'll build it when it comes out and be proud to fly it anytime. Let the news wires and talking heads give the Saturn its due for 30 seconds every 10 years, and let the rest of us celebrate it every opportunity we get.
Click to expand...

Well said!
 
Any time you can get them(Saturn V /Saturn 1b) go for it. These are models that don't stay around long. Any time is a good time for the Saturns.:2:
 
Well sure, it's just that this is the anniversary and to celebrate, everybody will be digging out a Saturn V - and lest you forget, I can go fly at JSC. :w:

Although strangely I haven't heard anything about NHRC planning an "event" so who knows.

But since none of the big kits came out in time, I'll get to fly a Micro-Maxx Sat V. :bang:
 
Mikus said:
Well sure, it's just that this is the anniversary and to celebrate, everybody will be digging out a Saturn V - and lest you forget, I can go fly at JSC. :w:

Although strangely I haven't heard anything about NHRC planning an "event" so who knows.

But since none of the big kits came out in time, I'll get to fly a Micro-Maxx Sat V. :bang:
Click to expand...

Ya know Mikus there's always the Dr. Zooch Saturn V and Skylab Saturn V... I'm building one right now and it's a NEAT kit! Not very difficult at all. I'm giving it the full bore build-- filled tube spirals, sanded, primed, resanded, reprimed, wet sanded, painted, the full works. The flight-capable F-1 engines on it are a work of art (VERY creative there Doc!) and the rest of the kit is really nice. It's more like a 1/200 instead of the Estes/Centuri 1/100or Apogee 1/70, but it's really a nice looking kit and well worth the time and money! You can get one together in a day or two and have it looking great without breaking a sweat!

Email [email protected] and tell him you're on TRF and he'll give you a discount and pop one out to you!

Later! OL JR :)
 
Mikus said:
But even if they were out tomorrow, I couldn't get a kit of this magnitude done in time for the anniversary
Click to expand...

I bet that Chan could get one done by then. :roll: While I'll been working on my MS degree (and my shipyards have ground to a hault), I'll bet that Chan has cranked out 1,738.5 models!

If you are looking for Saturns other than the 1/100th scale, besides Zooch (great kits), there is also the Peter Alway 1/196th kit from BMS (excellent kit with lots of engineering to make the construction easier), the 1/70th Apogee, the really detailed 1/64th (err something like that) from Sirius, the 1/48th from Sheri's Hot Rockets, and that honking huge one from Pole Cat (not sure if it's available anymore).
 
The Polecat was a limited edition, I think, certainly no longer available.

For the record, my fleet's just under 500 built, not 4-digit yet, and with competition season in full tilt boogie, I haven't touched sport kits lately.
 
There's always the option to scratch build. Check out this great looking 1/144('ish)? Saturn V built by Tim Morley, based on BT80.

From the TRF 1.0 archive...

tmorley Saturn V
 
DeWain said:
I bet that Chan could get one done by then. :roll:
Click to expand...

Probably in his sleep, now there's a REAL "Model Rocketry Rockstar". :)

I'd like to do one of Sheri's rockets someday (hey, steady now...) or the Apogee kits but they are out of my price range and skill level.
 
Mikus said:
Probably in his sleep, now there's a REAL "Model Rocketry Rockstar". :)

I'd like to do one of Sheri's rockets someday (hey, steady now...) or the Apogee kits but they are out of my price range and skill level.
Click to expand...

As far as the skill needed on Sheri's, that intimidated me and kept me from starting for a long time but I'm now working on her Redstone. While it does have its challenges, it is doable even by me. So far I have found it easier than some of the more challenging kits from Semroc or Dr. Zooch. That should NOT be taken as a criticism of either of those, just as evidence that Sheri's might not be as difficult as you may think.
 

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