I built a Bullpup when I got back into the hobby a few years back. My kit was a later version with the stick-on decals. Like most, I've always hated stick-ons.
I bought another and did a kit-bash to make a convincing sport scale MX-774.
This "kit" was bought from the JonRocket trailer at a recent R.O.C.K. launch.
There were no instructions included, but for $5.00 I didn't pass it up.
Here's all the parts next to my original built up Bullpup.
This early kit included the water slide decals!
All the die cut fins were broken off the balsa sheet.
The blades were dull when these fins were cut out.
The tail cone/adapter,
Yellow thrust ring spacing tube,
3.5" long engine mount tube,
Too short length (16" long) of elastic, not rubber
Water slide decals! (Worth the $5.00 sale price alone)
1/2 oz of melted clay nose weight
Separated die-cut fins, 3/32" thick
I just bought one of these for $13 off e-bay. It was in a box with made in the USA on the side so I figured it must be an older model. It also had die cut fins and waterslide decals. My clay weight is dark red, that is about the only difference I see.
ReplyDeleteDid Estes just make a huge lot of these back in the day and they are still floating around being sold relatively cheaply?
Hi Scott,
ReplyDeleteThere are a lot of older kits just sitting in closets.
Estes makes thousands of one kit at one time. Yours is probably an older Bullpup. The newer kits from China have stickers.
Nice, I thought my balsa fin sheet was broken, but I actually have two balsa fin sets for the Bullpup 12D. Do any other rockets use a similar fin design that you know of?
ReplyDeleteIt seems like lots of military missles use that type of rear fin. I may try my hand at a missle I have not seen any one do, the AV-RE40 anti-ship missile. I'll take a look at it in open Rocket and perhaps put it in my build lineup.
ReplyDeleteWithout going through some scale photographs, nothing immediately comes to mind with that fin design. I'll have to look up the AV-430 missile.
ReplyDeleteI think I found the model to build with my extra Bullpup fins. The Estes Industries Rocket Kit #0821 - The Fire Cat
ReplyDeleteHere is the link http://www.spacemodeling.org/JimZ/est0821.htm.
I've keep looking at it and I think it's just a creative reuse of the Bullpup's fins.
Hi Scott,
ReplyDeleteI remember the Fire Cat, back then only available to members of the E.A.C.
Many manufacturers have re-used die-cut fins from other models.
My favorite is the re-use of the Mini Bomarc balsa in the Estes Firefly glider #1280