Saturday, March 3, 2012

Estes 2012 Catalog - Laser Cut Wood?

Does anyone else find it interesting that the LPR kits in the new 2012 Estes catalog list "Laser cut wood?"

Some forum posts have commented on how heavy the balsa nose cones were in the earliest releases of the Classic Series kits. (The balsa nose cones are now substituted with plastic nose cones.)
Lately, the Estes laser cut fin stock seems stiffer and slightly heavier.
I don't mind the stiffer fin stock, it seems to fill and finish pretty well.
The harder stock is stronger, more resistant to damage.

In the picture new laser cut Baby Bertha fins are on the left.
On the right is the wing from a Sky Condor Boost Glider. The Chinese made Sky kit includes Tung wood. The glider wood is older and discolored from handling and flights. When I put together the Condor kit, I remember thinking the Tung wood looked and felt like hard balsa.

I'm probably wrong, and I won't make points for bringing this up -
The balsa stock in some newer Estes kits sure looks and feels like Tung wood.
You would think the 2012 kit listings should say "Laser Cut Balsa".

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