Is this a legit Estes Alpha Nose Cone?

[Starfire73]

I have a parts bin in which I throw nose cones, body tubes, fins, and other salvaged parts or damaged rockets which are in various states of repair. I came across this Alpha which I had totally forgotten about years ago. My question is - is this an original Alpha nose cone? I can't recall ever seeing an Alpha nose cone which wasn't one of those shorter ogive shapes. It's been so long, I don't remember if the nose cone in the pic was an original or something I replaced it with. The one in the pic below doesn't look right, it's 4" long. My other Alpha's nose cone is only 2 7/8" long.

 

[K'Tesh]

I've never seen any variant that uses the PNC-50YR nosecone that I'm guessing you've got there (2 piece, injection molded... Right?). To my knowledge, the answer is "No". Mind you, my specialty is the Omega, not the Alpha.

 

[rharshberger]

No, but @BEC is somewhat experienced with the Alpha and its iterations over the years.

 

[caveduck]

PNC-50YR added to new OR parts database. It was missing for lack of documentation but now we have a photo.

 

[BEC]

Since Rich (@rharshberger) brought me in to this....

I have documented a bunch of variations but I know of no model named Alpha that had balsa fins and that also used that nose cone.

Here are all the shapes that I know have been used:



The Alpha III nose cone (on the right) in either red (or very rarely, blue) was in some kits in the 1989-1992 time frame as the transition between the upper plastic shape and the next one down was also taking place. It was during that same year range that the transition from red/black to red/blue decals in the livery was made, so chances are that Alpha originally had the narrower shape nose cone (the bottom two in the group of four).

If the markings on your model are peel-n-stick rather than waterslide decals, then there is no question that your model had the the narrower blow-molded shape as the peel-n-sticks didn't appear until the Beta-series packaging of the Alpha in the mid 1990s.

So the short answer to your question is "no".

 

[Starfire73]

Since Rich (@rharshberger) brought me in to this....

I have documented a bunch of variations but I know of no model named Alpha that had balsa fins and that also used that nose cone.

Here are all the shapes that I know have been used:

View attachment 511984

The Alpha III nose cone (on the right) in either red (or very rarely, blue) was in some kits in the 1989-1992 time frame as the transition between the upper plastic shape and the next one down was also taking place. It was during that same year range that the transition from red/black to red/blue decals in the livery was made, so chances are that Alpha originally had the narrower shape nose cone (the bottom two in the group of four).

If the markings on your model are peel-n-stick rather than waterslide decals, then there is no question that your model had the the narrower blow-molded shape as the peel-n-sticks didn't appear until the Beta-series packaging of the Alpha in the mid 1990s.

So the short answer to your question is "no".

Yeah, my decals are the peal and stick. Based on your information it’s definitely not a stock nose cone. I don’t like the look so the nose cone has got to go!

Thanks for the information.

 

[Starfire73]

On the subject of Alpha nose cones, I’m not really loving the 60th anniversary nose cone. To short and rounded looking (and kind of odd and cheap looking on the inside). Not a deal breaker though. Also, I would have preferred the 60th to be a throw back version - balsa nose cone and fins - and not an E2X, but again not a deal breaker. I still like the 60th edition.

 

[BEC]

Alpha VI is just a slightly stretched (1/2 an inch) Alpha III with the red metallic plastics and white pearlescent body tube. The 40th Anniversary Alpha IV was essentially an Alpha III but with a red holographic body tube, black nose cone and fins, and the plastic two-loop launch lug often seen on ready-to-fly models.

Nose cones for both of these are the same shape elliptical as the Alpha III has had since 1971. See the orange one on the right in the picture I posted above.

 

[Starfire73]

Alpha VI is just a slightly stretched (1/2 an inch) Alpha III with the red metallic plastics and white pearlescent body tube. The 40th Anniversary Alpha IV was essentially an Alpha III but with a red holographic body tube, black nose cone and fins, and the plastic two-loop launch lug often seen on ready-to-fly models.

Nose cones for both of these are the same shape elliptical as the Alpha III has had since 1971. See the orange one on the right in the picture I posted above.

Good info. You do know your Alphas! It’s always been one of my favorites. It’s that one rocket that everyone should have in their collection. We have a tradition where we always launch the Alpha on the first launch of the year.

 

[BEC]

Good info. You do know your Alphas! It’s always been one of my favorites. It’s that one rocket that everyone should have in their collection. We have a tradition where we always launch the Alpha on the first launch of the year.

It has become something of an obsession with me to document the various configurations over its 56+ year history, yes.

Good idea to launch one at the first launch of the year. I like it.

 

[rharshberger]

It has become something of an obsession with me to document the various configurations over its 56+ year history, yes.

Good idea to launch one at the first launch of the year. I like it.

Hence the reason I dragged you into this thread!

 

[RoyAtl]

No, that's not an Alpha nose cone. An Alpha nose cone should be more or less 2.75" long from the shoulder.
It is always possible that a parts shortage caused a substitution during kit packaging (Centuri did this a lot, Estes not so much)

I have a parts bin in which I throw nose cones, body tubes, fins, and other salvaged parts or damaged rockets which are in various states of repair. I came across this Alpha which I had totally forgotten about years ago. My question is - is this an original Alpha nose cone? I can't recall ever seeing an Alpha nose cone which wasn't one of those shorter ogive shapes. It's been so long, I don't remember if the nose cone in the pic was an original or something I replaced it with. The one in the pic below doesn't look right, it's 4" long. My other Alpha's nose cone is only 2 7/8" long.

View attachment 511940

 

[BEC]

Hence the reason I dragged you into this thread!

 

[kyle]

My favorite is when people don't read the existing responses before responding. I don't know if they think everyone else is a idiot and not worth reading the responses or....

Anyway, good info from everyone until Roy decided not to read. I particularly like BEC's shadow box

 

[BEC]

Roy's been an Alpha geek longer than I have. Give him a break.

 

[DHos]

It has become something of an obsession with me to document the various configurations over its 56+ year history, yes.

Good idea to launch one at the first launch of the year. I like it.

Do you have an excel list of the variants through the years? I’m trying to build out a variant fleet.

 

[BEC]

I do after a fashion. It's focused on physical configuration changes, not livery changes or kit packaging changes, and it's in Numbers. But I could export it to Excel, I'm sure....

 

[DHos]

I do after a fashion. It's focused on physical configuration changes, not livery changes or kit packaging changes, and it's in Numbers. But I could export it to Excel, I'm sure....

Mind sharing that file. I have numbers too.

 

[BEC]

.numbers is not a file type supported for posting here. Drop me a PM ("start a conversation") with your email address and I'll send it your way.