Vintage Estes Long John Silver Build

[SCIGS30]

My next Estes build is a old kit that I have never seen in a Estes catalog. From the looks of things, I would guess early 80s. This kit is in great condition, easy to clone but I will build it out of the box. This rocket is almost 3 ft tall.

 

[JAL3]

What's the product number?

 

[SCIGS30]

1778

 

[JAL3]

Thanks!

I love seeing obscure rockets I've never seen before!

 

[86mustang408w]

All I found was the kit #, anybody know the year?


I found some info on semrocs site, looks like it was called the renegade from 1975 to 1981, then revamped into the LJS....Neat.

Found this site too, has most of Estes rocket instructions:

https://www.spacemodeling.org/jimz/estes.htm

 

[mwtoelle]

Basically, the Long John Silver was a Renegade (1271) with different decals, color scheme, and an 18mm motor mount. From the style of the instructions, I think the kit would date from the mid-70s to early-80s. I don't know much more than what is on the JimZ site.

 

[isobig]

Is there a copyright date on the instructions or some other paperwork with it? Could give a rough estimate.

 

[86mustang408w]

Is there a copyright date on the instructions or some other paperwork with it? Could give a rough estimate.

It said the renegade was from 1975-81, id say the LJS came in 82 till ??

 

[mwtoelle]

No way to really know the exact availability, unless you know someone that was working for Estes at the time. I would probably guess that the Long John Silver was produced while the original Renegade was still available, and I think that those instructions would date from before 1980, because there is no mention of the B8-5 in the recommended motor list. AFAIK, no Estes product with a 17xx catalog number was ever shown in any of their catalogs.

 

[SCIGS30]

I looked everywhere on the box and instructions and there is no mention of the date.

 

[mwtoelle]

I looked everywhere on the box and instructions and there is no mention of the date.

What is the date code on the motors that were in the picture of the contents of the box? That info would give info about the age of the kit.

 

[86mustang408w]

I just went through the early 80's estes catalogs and found nothing. One thing was the 3 foot tall German V2 they made. I wish they made it now that size. Ill keep looking.

 

[kelltym88]

Based on the artwork and the launch system included, I'd say between 1977 and 1982......

 

[rocketron1948]

Basically the same as the Estes Renegade with a different decal scheme. I built a clone and modified it for 24 mm. engines. I have flown it once. Nice flight!

https://www.angelfire.com/space/r_watkins/EstesLongJohnSilver.html#longjohnsilver

Rocketron

 

[SCIGS30]

Its been busy but I finally finished the Long John Silver. Fun easy build. 4 coats of Balsa sealer on the fins, one coat of gray primer and one coat of black primer followed by Krylon Silver. The decals that come with the kit are the same as shown on the box art drawing, but the picture of Estes completed kit has different decals

 

[JAL3]

Its been busy but I finally finished the Long John Silver. Fun easy build. 4 coats of Balsa sealer on the fins, one coat of gray primer and one coat of black primer followed by Krylon Silver. The decals that come with the kit are the same as shown on the box art drawing, but the picture of Estes completed kit has different decals

I suppose you know I'd like permission to "gallerize" this...

 

[SCIGS30]

Please do. Thank you.

 

[falcon012]

I am new to the forum. I came across this thread and it brought back some great memories. Your build is excellent. I built the Long John Silver back in 1977-78 or thereabouts. There was a huge field behind our house where we launched our rockets, flew model airplanes, etc. The Long John Silver was a superb flyer. If I remember correctlly it used a Class C motor (Pretty heady stuff in the day. Only the D motor was larger and was used to launch monsters like the Estes Saturn V. I don't think anything bigger than the D was available over the counter at that time.) I only launched Long John Silver one time. It went very high and when the chute opened it drifted away from the field into the surrounding neighborhood. It floated for about three block before coming down. Luckily it landed in the street and not on a rooftop or in a tree. After that I was afraid I would lose it if I tried any more launches so it was retired to take a place of honor on my shelf.

 

[JAL3]

I am new to the forum. I came across this thread and it brought back some great memories. Your build is excellent. I built the Long John Silver back in 1977-78 or thereabouts. There was a huge field behind our house where we launched our rockets, flew model airplanes, etc. The Long John Silver was a superb flyer. If I remember correctlly it used a Class C motor (Pretty heady stuff in the day. Only the D motor was larger and was used to launch monsters like the Estes Saturn V. I don't think anything bigger than the D was available over the counter at that time.) I only launched Long John Silver one time. It went very high and when the chute opened it drifted away from the field into the surrounding neighborhood. It floated for about three block before coming down. Luckily it landed in the street and not on a rooftop or in a tree. After that I was afraid I would lose it if I tried any more launches so it was retired to take a place of honor on my shelf.

Welcome to TRF.

I hope you make yourself at home here, revive some more wonderful memories and create some new ones.

Don't forget to post pics!

 

[rocketron1948]

I built mine about 12 years ago from scratch with decals from Tango Papa. Flown once in 2001 on a D12-5. Good flight. Attached is the link on my website:

https://www.angelfire.com/space/r_watkins/EstesLongJohnSilver.html#longjohnsilver

Rocketron

 

[Solomoriah]

Wow, considering the amount of BT-60 I have laying around, I may have to clone this. But if I do, I'll probably fix it up for a midline break; it would work a lot like my Mo' Skeeter.



I've been considering a rocket like that for a while, but was not familiar with the Long John Silver rocket (probably because I can't find it in a catalog either).

 

[Spacepirate R]

I've been considering a rocket like that for a while, but was not familiar with the Long John Silver rocket (probably because I can't find it in a catalog either).

I don't think that it is in any catalog, but the "D-power" version is! The original Renegade. https://www.ninfinger.org/rockets/nostalgia/78est024.html

 

[Solomoriah]

Ah! And Semroc has Renegade fins...

https://www.semroc.com/Store/scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=2140

 

[TopRamen]

Long John Silvers is a Seafood Restaurant Chain. How weird to make it into a Rocket. Is there a KFC, Burger King or Wendys Rocket?

 

[Solomoriah]

What's the emoticon for "what the heck?"

Long John Silver is a fictional pirate from the novel Treasure Island. The rocket is, obviously, named for him and not for the restaurant chain (which is, of course, also named for him).

 

[ThirstyBarbarian]

What's the emoticon for "what the heck?"

Long John Silver is a fictional pirate from the novel Treasure Island. The rocket is, obviously, named for him and not for the restaurant chain (which is, of course, also named for him).

You are correct, Long John Silver is from Treasure island. That is an excellent piece of trivia. And it make sense to use it as a rocket name because rockets are similar to peg-legs.

Now, can you tell us the origins of the name Long Dong Silver?

 

[samb]

Yeah, I guess Robert Louis Stevenson is trivia now. Solo and I remember it from required reading in 5th or 6th grade English. Long John could wipe the floor with Capt. Jack Sparrow on one leg. No comment on TB's question related to Supreme Court justices nicknames.

 

[ThirstyBarbarian]

Yeah, I guess Robert Louis Stevenson is trivia now. Solo and I remember it from required reading in 5th or 6th grade English. Long John could wipe the floor with Capt. Jack Sparrow on one leg. No comment on TB's question related to Supreme Court justices nicknames.

Just knowing the Supreme Court reference wins you a prize.

(Note: Prize has no cash value. Really I should have said "pride" not "prize" --- the pride of being one of the few who knows this obscure reference.)

Treasure Island is a great book! I don't remember it as required reading, but I do remember reading it in 5th or 6th grade on my own. At that age it was the best thing ever, a great adventure story and pretty scary. I actually reread it as an adult, sitting on a beach, less than mile away from where Robert Louis Stevenson wrote some of his poetry, under a banyan tree, at the Moana hotel in Honolulu. The tropical ocean environment added something to the story.

There was a really good made for TV movie in the 90's with Charlton Heston as Long John Silver, and he was great! Young Jim Hawkins was played by a young Christian Bale.

 

[samb]

Just knowing the Supreme Court reference wins you a prize.

(Note: Prize has no cash value. Really I should have said "pride" not "prize" --- the pride of being one of the few who knows this obscure reference.)

Treasure Island is a great book! I don't remember it as required reading, but I do remember reading it in 5th or 6th grade on my own. At that age it was the best thing ever, a great adventure story and pretty scary. I actually reread it as an adult, sitting on a beach, less than mile away from where Robert Louis Stevenson wrote some of his poetry, under a banyan tree, at the Moana hotel in Honolulu. The tropical ocean environment added something to the story.

There was a really good made for TV movie in the 90's with Charlton Heston as Long John Silver, and he was great! Young Jim Hawkins was played by a young Christian Bale.

I'll take a vintage Marvel no-prize, thank you very much !

+1 for Heston as Long John.

And a big thanks to SCIGS30 for starting this thread and TopRamen for innocently starting this digression.

 

[TopRamen]

I had forgotten entirely about that Long John Silver, which is funny because I just watched Treasure Island on Netflix about 6 Months ago. I never read the Book. As a Kid, I was more into Verne, Wells, and that sort of thing.