With the upcoming Super Mars Snooper kit from Estes - you might find this interesting.
When Estes releases the kit, a build will follow on the blog.
Mark DiGregorio wrote:
Simply cut the block into quarters,
Glue onto outside edges of the two main fin pieces.
"When I first got into rockets at 10 years old there were no laser cut fins, you would have to cut a pattern from a piece of balsa sheet! I also remember building escape towers with one piece of dowel glued together on a template in the directions, had to make the spike by hand! Also had to cut chute out and put lines on with a sticker, things have gotten a lot easier since 1966!"
This prompted many responses, one from Mike Meyer:
"When I got into Rockets we had to harvest the balsa wood . . ."
James Zelewski (Jim Z's Plans) proved them right with a link to the original Estes Mars Snooper instructions.
Before it was a kit, The Mars Snooper was just an instruction sheet, Estes Industries Rocket Plan #25. To see the entire file: CLICK HERE
The fin pods in the kit were first cut and formed from a balsa nose cone stock.
Rough carve,
and sand round. Easy, peezy!
Check out the shock cord mount!
Make your own coupler, cut slits and weave the shock cord through the cuts.
" . . . you may use the standard shock cord mounting procedure familiar to most every model rocketeer"
Glue the mount into the top end being sure to recess it 5/8" for the adapter shoulder. Sheesh!
I like reading instructions for these old kits. They aren't vague like the current ones. Even a simple rocket makes me wonder if I'm building it correctly.
ReplyDeleteHi Jimmy,
DeleteThey weren't vague! I see posts about how difficult current kits are. These "kids" would never complain if they put together the original Estes Mercury Redstone escape tower and fins!