Estes Contest

Estes is doing something they haven't done in years - An actual contest!
It's a Photo Contest to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 flight.
To check out the prizes and enter - CLICK HERE
Winners are chosen at random?

Of course I entered - 
I didn't really follow the rules: "Snap a photo of yourself (or someone else) launching a rocket."

Of all the pictures I've taken a club launches, this was a favorite! Three of the boys in this recovery crew have flight suits on!

Sandman's Rocket Naming Contest!

On YORF, Gordon (sandmandecals.com) posted that he is selling a lot of unopened kits.
He posted a picture of his clone builds using the PNC-50SP nose cone.

"Actually I heard, I may be wrong but the PNC 50SP cone was actually a Centuri cone but I have no confirmation on that. Below are pics of my clones...well, some of them. Can anybody identify all of the models I have in the pics???
Anyone who can identify all of the models shown gets a free kit with free shipping!!!"

I went to John Brohm's ESTES NOSE CONE / KIT LIST REFERENCE
To see it, CLICK HERE It's a great reference for anyone who builds clones.
I scrolled down to page 15 to the kits that used the PNC-50SP nose cones.
then it was off to Ninfinger's for an hour of catalog searches.

There were only two models I couldn't find. The red/orange rocket on the left turned out to be a scratch build. I recognized the stubby black, gray and orange model in the back row but couldn't remember where I've seen it.

Here's my guesses:
Back row against wall, left to right:
1861 Sky Tracer, 1946 Star Hawk, (Gray, black) Unknown, 1345 Dragon Ship 7, 1339 Patrol Cruise Excalibur
Front row, left to right:
(Red) Unknown, 1371 Starship Nova, 1364 Falcon Commander, 1909 USSF Fireflash, 1933 X-16, 1988 Argosy, 5348 Centuri Spacemaster

5X7 posted: "Along with those, the gray and black one is the rocket from Radar Men in the Moon (Commander Cody)"

5X7 and I both won a kit! Thanks Gordy! It might show up as a build on this blog.

11.11.11

On facebook, Ryan suggested I post this one today!
If you've seen it before, my apologies.
If not, it was kind of funny planning and building it.

This was my entry for the 2009 Elevate 11 contest sponsored by EMRR. The contest was for the eleventh anniversary of EMRR and a tribute to the Apollo 11 flight. I had to come up with some way to elaborate on the number 11.

I figured some entrants would fly 11 rockets, another might fly 11 payloads. This contest called for the extreme.
Check out the entry HERE
This entry wasn't planned in one afternoon. I let things sit and the 33 different Elevate 11 ideas grew over a few days time.
Sure it was silly, but a great creative exercise.
Wanting to go that extra step, an exploded drawing and fin templates were drawn up. One of the assembly drawings is HERE
You have to go beyond the obvious, and take it to the next level.

Starship Epsilon at Centuri

I was reading through TRF archive and came across a thread by Bob Sanford. Bob worked for and developed the Initiator design for Enertek and later Aerotech.
He took a trip to Phoenix and Centuri in 1974.

He took pictures of the Centuri store, it was located in the front of the Centuri facility.
I'd seen this picture once before. I tried to copy it then, but the resolution was too low to be used.

Look in the upper left, there's a model at the end of the shelf, at an angle. That's my rocket!

When on vacation in 1972, I was lucky enough to get a behind the scenes tour of Centuri from Larry Brown. I had won the Centuri Photo Contest with that rocket, the Epsilon. The contest win got me a minibike and factory tour. I met Lee and Betty Piester and the R&D team. I presented the model to Larry after he showed us around.
I didn't know what happened to it until I saw the picture that Bob posted.

In the above picture, the model is displayed upside down.

This is how it should have sat!
This is a copy of the entry picture I sent to Centuri.

At least one of my designs made it to the factory.

Contest - Full Circle

I got a small package in the mail today from Semroc.

I wasn't expecting an order, that came last week.

I was surprised to receive a special edition Sky Hook kit signed by Bill Simon. That's Mr. Simon on the cover of the instruction booklet. He's looking over a Bomarc model.

This was one of the kits given to participants at the recent NARAM.

I won a contest held on the Ye Olde Rocket Forum where Carl McLawhorn asked for Sky Hook stories. I wrote a poem about a 1972 Estes Craftsmanship Contest where I entered a Sky Hook and won a gift certificate. A replica model was built and posted on this blog.

Check out the parts from the back of the bag.

This version does have the (correct) BT-30 tube.

The engine block is a hollow balsa, like the original from 1963.

There is 18" of yellow elastic shock cord, plenty for a model from the past when ejection charges weren't as strong.

To all the guys at Semroc - a BIG Thank You!

Sky Hook Entry Story for TRF

Carl from Semroc said there was one more Bill Simon autographed Sky Hook kit left from NARAM.
He asked for Sky Hook stories. Here's mine:

Back in the spring of '72,
Estes mailed Model Rocket News
They announced there'd be a Craftsman Contest,
With merchandise prizes, all won by the best.

I built the Sky Hook as best I could,
My entry featured stained balsa wood.
With walnut stain brushed on nose cone and fins,
I had hope to place or maybe to win.

I boxed it, mailed it, not again to see,
All entries now property of E. Industries.
For results I'd waited, then waited some more,
'Till a letter from Penrose arrived at the door.

It announced second place, I was surprised,
To win 25 dollars in rocket supplies.
Never knowing where that Sky Hook would go,
I traveled to NARAM in Orlando.

Dane Bowles was there as an Estes rep.
I asked him where the old entries were kept.
I asked of my Sky Hook: "Who could possess?"
He said: "It's in Penrose, on Vern Estes Desk!"

Sorry about the bad poetry, but it's a true story.
I don't really know if my Sky Hook found a home on Mr. Estes desk.
Maybe Dane Bowles was trying to give a young enthusiast a great answer.