A few years ago I purchased (what the instructions refer to as) a "pseudo-kit" from a fellow in the Seattle area: The Tango Papa 2x Mars Lander.
Based on the instructions and materials included, I'm guessing this must have been a very early version of the kit. Old receipts for hardware that were probably purchased around the time the original owner bought the kit have a date in 1998 (yeah, it's pretty old). It includes some 7.5" tubing and coupler rings, a 3" mailing tube (so marked) as the parachute tube, three centering rings, and some 38mm PML phenolic for the motor mount. There are a lot of drawings, but not a lot of actual materials included (no balsa, plywood, dowels, hardware, etc). The instructions are basically a set of "addenda" to the original Estes kit instructions. Many of the drawings, details (e.g. amount of nose weight), and etc that other reviews and notes have mentioned seem to be totally lacking. It's definitely going to be a "builder's kit"...
So... does anyone know whether there were a later (more complete and detailed) revision of the instructions available in later kits?
Better yet, does anyone have a copy of the instructions that were included in a kit that I could get a copy from?
If you've built one of these in the past, I'd appreciate any advice on materials selection, design modifications, or etc! Please reach out!
Many thanks in advance,
Erik McKee
(Edit: did I mention that the instructions actually call for a 29mm motor mount, even though the centering rings are clearly made for 38mm?)
Based on the instructions and materials included, I'm guessing this must have been a very early version of the kit. Old receipts for hardware that were probably purchased around the time the original owner bought the kit have a date in 1998 (yeah, it's pretty old). It includes some 7.5" tubing and coupler rings, a 3" mailing tube (so marked) as the parachute tube, three centering rings, and some 38mm PML phenolic for the motor mount. There are a lot of drawings, but not a lot of actual materials included (no balsa, plywood, dowels, hardware, etc). The instructions are basically a set of "addenda" to the original Estes kit instructions. Many of the drawings, details (e.g. amount of nose weight), and etc that other reviews and notes have mentioned seem to be totally lacking. It's definitely going to be a "builder's kit"...
So... does anyone know whether there were a later (more complete and detailed) revision of the instructions available in later kits?
Better yet, does anyone have a copy of the instructions that were included in a kit that I could get a copy from?
If you've built one of these in the past, I'd appreciate any advice on materials selection, design modifications, or etc! Please reach out!
Many thanks in advance,
Erik McKee
(Edit: did I mention that the instructions actually call for a 29mm motor mount, even though the centering rings are clearly made for 38mm?)
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