Sometimes Mondays Don't Stink

[xxxREKxxx]

Yesterday morning a co-worker, he works at the dump, came into the office with a present for me. He dropped a battered Estes Blackbird on my desk and said that someone through it away. SCORE! It needs some work but it'll fly. I suppose my answer to the earlier thread "What's your favorite rocket?" A Free One!
Anyone got a fin pattern online?
Bob

 

[xxxREKxxx]

Another view

 

[xxxREKxxx]

Oops I'll try again without talking to the kids

 

[xxxREKxxx]

One last one

 

[wwattles]

I hope you've already notified the authorities that someone is throwing away perfectly good rockets. Somebody obviously put a lot of time and effort into building that thing, and to trash it should be a case for an exception to the laws against "cruel and unusual punishment"!

WW

 

[eugenefl]

Although Mondays may not always stink, beware of that SR71!!! j/k Wow, talk about a great dumpster dive find. That rocket begs for restoration. You are one lucky dude! I'd be happy with that find!

 

[graylensman]

I've got fin patterns for the Bird... sitting in a drawer at home. I'll try to bring em to wrk tomorrow and scan for you. BTW, at first glance, those decals don't look like Estes stock. Somebody did sink some time and effort into that rocket. Hope it didn't end up in the landfill because of a domestic dispute

 

[goose_in_co]

I have one of the older SR-71 kits and those are the decals that came with mine. The newer ones that came in the boxes had the blue windows. I do not know what Estes is using for decals in their latest release.

Otherwise, it looks to be in pretty good shape. it is missing the two upper rudders and the two lower rudders as well.

BTW I love the way it flies on a C6-3, mine does a slow roll on the way up, it really looks cool.

 

[graylensman]

Don't use a delay longer than 3... I tried a C6-5, and my heart stopped as the rocket arced over and started accelerating downward.

 

[xxxREKxxx]

As I look at the body on this plane I notice that the builder did not get the interior tube positioned correctly. The nose cone doesn't fit all the way in and the motor mount is too far forward. A little judicious trimming will solve the problem but I wonder if maybe that didn't affect its flight and hastened it's trip to the dump. Either way it's a lot easier than restoring old cars.
Bob