Estes Rockets (Hopefully Will Be Re-Released One Day)

[Cloud5000]

First off, there might be a topic (thread) on this somewhere on these forums

I hope Estes re-releases some rockets from when I started the hobby in 1992, here are a few from 1992's catalog:

2068 - Grey Hawk (Wanted)
0897 - Lumina (Still Have)
2073 - Astro Blaster (Wanted)
0882 - Ninja (Built But Parent's Threw Away)
2042 - America (First Rocket Ever Built/Built But Parent's Threw Away)
2039 - Space Racer (Still Have)
0893 - Red Alert (Wanted)
2022 - Warp II (Wanted)
0873 - Hawkeye (Built But Parent's Threw Away)
2004 - Tornado (Launched/Lost)
0895 - Solar Warrior (Still Have)
1987 - Sentinel (Wanted)
2003 - SDI Satellite (Wanted)
0891 - Prime Number Explorer (Wanted)
2032 - Magnum (Wanted)
2010 - Star Rider (Wanted) (Nose Cone I Believe Is The Same As 2175 - Nemesis???)
2044 - Solar Sailor II (Built But Parent's Threw Away)
2015 - Strike Fighter (Tried To Build But Was Way To Difficult In My Early Teenage Years)
2017 - S.W.A.T. (Wanted)
2038 - Alien Space Probe (Wanted)
1942 - SR-71 Blackbird (Issues Building 1st Time And Failed/Re-Bought 2nd Time A Success)
2035 - Optima (Still Have but Need A New Upper Body Tube Due To Crushing And Fins)
1380 - Phoenix (Built But Parent's Threw Away)
2051 - Solar Probe (Wanted)
2053 - Black Hawk (Wanted)
2036 - Super Vega (Wanted)
1284 - Space Shuttle (Wanted) (Not The New One From 2024 That I Already Built)
2019 - Titan IIIE (Wanted)

I know some of these have been reproduced by other companies but it would be nice if Estes re-released them, themselves.

There are a lot of other Estes rockets I wish to come back but the one I want the most came out around the time I was born and that is 1383 - Hyperion.

I may add more to this list from other catalogs before 1992 and afterwards.

Let me know what rockets you folks Estes would like to re-release from yesteryear, thanks.

 

[CalebJ]

The Stealth (1929) kit is one of my favorites from growing up. Unfortunately it would be a mess to clone with a couple of significant molded plastic bits.

 

[Azamiryou]

I want a new Dragon Ship 7.

 

[Huxter]

I, too, like Estes rockets. You can still find some of those sold here, or on Ebay.

I have started 3d printing what I cannot find. Yes, it's not like building a model by hand, but it's nice to be able to do both, or combine them!

I just printed a nose cone for a completed Hyperion model!

3rd rocket from the left - all the white is 3d printed

 

[MidOH]

Need pics, or they won't listen.

Agree on the Magnum. Meh, to the rest. Would be cool if they redesigned it, with upgrades.

Lose the lame clear tube. 24mm upper stage, so they can have the simple scotch tape connection. Beef up the upper fins a bit. Give it a brighter cheery paint and decal scheme.



I kinda want the Raven back, but the Vapor and Star Orbiter are both better rockets. Or maybe I just like the paint scheme, even though it's upside down. Silver booster is better.

Estes is on the right track. They offer more rockets that I want, than they ever did before.




Wish they'd release the Majestic unpainted, without coated fins.

Always felt that this simple rocket is underappreciated, because it's too easy to build. But it's a nice lightweight MPR.

 

[Art Upton]

Need pics, or they won't listen.

Agree on the Magnum. Meh, to the rest. Would be cool if they redesigned it, with upgrades.

Lose the lame clear tube. 24mm upper stage, so they can have the simple scotch tape connection. Beef up the upper fins a bit. Give it a brighter cheery paint and decal scheme.

View attachment 649866

I kinda want the Raven back, but the Vapor and Star Orbiter are both better rockets.

Estes is on the right track. They offer more rockets that I


Wish they'd release the Majestic unpainted, without coated fins.

Always felt that this simple rocket is underappreciated, because it's too easy to build. But it's a nice lightweight MPR.

View attachment 649868

I just ditch the decals. You can also paint over the purple tube if you don't like it.

But the Chrome like Fins and Nose flash as it goes up and it Kewl. Just a slight spin and the fins are super Kewl flashing in the sunlight.

 

[Art Upton]

First off, there might be a topic (thread) on this somewhere on these forums
I hope Estes re-releases some rockets from when I started the hobby in 1992, here are a few from 1992's catalog:
2032 - Magnum (Wanted)

I know some of these have been reproduced by other companies but it would be nice if Estes re-released them, themselves.
There are a lot of other Estes rockets I wish to come back but the one I want the most came out around the time I was born and that is 1383 - Hyperion.
I may add more to this list from other catalogs before 1992 and afterwards.
Let me know what rockets you folks Estes would like to re-release from yesteryear, thanks.

I have a Magnum un-built but bag open at the top to inspect it. PM me if you are interested in it.

 

[kuririn]

0893 - Red Alert (Wanted)

Erockets had the balsa nose cone so I made a clone:

 

[neil_w]

I’m not a big kit builder but I’d probably grab an Alien Explorer or Space Transport America if they released them. Approximately 0.0% chance of either, I would surmise.

 

[RokitFlyr]

The "bring back" has been covered in another thread extensively...

 

[Cloud5000]

I, too, like Estes rockets. You can still find some of those sold here, or on Ebay.

I have started 3d printing what I cannot find. Yes, it's not like building a model by hand, but it's nice to be able to do both, or combine them!

I just printed a nose cone for a completed Hyperion model!

3rd rocket from the left - all the white is 3d printed

View attachment 649862

I'd like to do clones of older rockets, glad estes brought back that blow molded nose cone of the Alien Invader and Hyperion back, can't think of the model # off my head.

 

[Mugs914]

The "bring back" has been covered in another thread extensively...

Yes it has, several times...

...And I've posted this kit in every time. The LTV Scout.

I REALLY would like to see this one come back. True scale with all of the odd-sized tubes and nice plastic parts, and was a great flyer, even with an 18mm mount. Its a tough one to clone.

 

[Cloud5000]

Need pics, or they won't listen.

Agree on the Magnum. Meh, to the rest. Would be cool if they redesigned it, with upgrades.

Lose the lame clear tube. 24mm upper stage, so they can have the simple scotch tape connection. Beef up the upper fins a bit. Give it a brighter cheery paint and decal scheme.

View attachment 649866

I kinda want the Raven back, but the Vapor and Star Orbiter are both better rockets. Or maybe I just like the paint scheme, even though it's upside down. Silver booster is better.

Estes is on the right track. They offer more rockets that I want, than they ever did before.

View attachment 649867


Wish they'd release the Majestic unpainted, without coated fins.

Always felt that this simple rocket is underappreciated, because it's too easy to build. But it's a nice lightweight MPR.

View attachment 649868

Need pics, or they won't listen.

Who are you referring to Estes themselves?

 

[ReynoldsSlumber]

I, too, like Estes rockets.

Nice job especially on that Estes Shuttle. Manage to trim it into an OK glide? I heard it's tricky.

 

[Cloud5000]

Nice job especially on that Estes Shuttle. Manage to trim it into an OK glide? I heard it's tricky.

Oh yeah I see that rocket in that members picture with the Hyperion, soon I'm gonna add a Want (Wish) List on a selling/buying/trading portion of this forum and that is one of them, I'm only looking for Estes kits from roughly the last 15 years, complete unopened kits from the 80s/90s are getting harder to find.

Back in the early millenia when looking at old Estes catalogs from the 90s on Ninfinger Production site, I look up kits on Ebay and online, it was very rare to find kits online, at least I had trouble finding them, seems like these days you can find them more easily, like folks finding older kits in their attics and basements.

 

[cwbullet]

Porta-Pot shot

 

[bjphoenix]

I have cloned some of my favorite designs from the real old Estes and Centuri catalogs.

 

[NateB]

The Space Racer was one of the first rockets I built. I had the Alpha III starter set with the carboard range box and I don't remember if I built a Wizard next or the Space Racer. My Space Racer wad launched many times, but met it's fate as a tumbling, flaming mass on the neighbor's car roof.

 

[SolarYellow]

Wish they'd release the Majestic unpainted, without coated fins.

Always felt that this simple rocket is underappreciated, because it's too easy to build. But it's a nice lightweight MPR.

View attachment 649868

The Majestic is the worst of that 2-inch PSII series. With those nearly triangular fins, the fin area is the least of any and it is at most risk for non-nominal flights due to insufficient stability off the rod/rail/tower, especially with 29mm BP motors. Lots of reports. Ironically, it gets going quicker and has better odds of a successful flight with an E12 than with either of the 29mm Estes motors.

 

[MidOH]

Seems to fly ok on an Aerotek F.

 

[Art Upton]

The Majestic is the worst of that 2-inch PSII series. With those nearly triangular fins, the fin area is the least of any and it is at most risk for non-nominal flights due to insufficient stability off the rod/rail/tower, especially with 29mm BP motors. Lots of reports. Ironically, it gets going quicker and has better odds of a successful flight with an E12 than with either of the 29mm Estes motors.

I've put lots of 29mm Estes motors into my First Majestic. Always off a Rail, never a Rod. Perhaps too many were trying to fly it off 3/16 rods as 1/4 rods at clubs are hard to find now a days.

It is now gone after about the 4th bad landing with a chute that did not catch air. Weakness in tube spiral just above the fin can until it could not support itself there anymore.

 

[Huxter]

Nice job especially on that Estes Shuttle. Manage to trim it into an OK glide? I heard it's tricky.

I have not launched anything since LDRS39a! I have free time now, so I'll have to give her a try...

 

[digitalastro]

The Stealth (1929) kit is one of my favorites from growing up. Unfortunately it would be a mess to clone with a couple of significant molded plastic bits.

View attachment 649824

3D printing to the rescue!

https://www.printables.com/model/708832-estes-stealth-rocket-body

 

[SolarYellow]

Over the winter, I spent one evening going through all the Estes catalogs from about 1963 to 2016, checking for stuff I might want to clone that wasn't already on my list of stuff to clone. Didn't make very many additions. But then, I tend to like 3/4FNC rockets more than the more elaborate scale or fantasy/oddroc stuff.

There is so much info out there that almost everything can be cloned pretty easily. Decals can be a challenge, but if you can learn a graphics program and buy an inkjet printer, you can handle that, too. Or buy from one of the several sources out there.

For me, I pretty much never want to build a rocket the way Estes tells you to build it, so buying a kit is just wasted money, unless I get it on clearance price to have a bundle of cheap rocket parts/materials and/or decals. What sucks me into this hobby isn't "having" a rocket, it's "creating" a rocket. Doing it my way, figuring out how to do it better, is the goal. Just following instructions is totally uninteresting to me.

 

[CalebJ]

3D printing to the rescue!

https://www.printables.com/model/708832-estes-stealth-rocket-body

THANK YOU!!!

There was a discussion on one of the rocketry groups on Facebook last year where a member was working on creating the STL's to 3d print those pieces, but I never saw any follow up on the project. This is wonderful.

 

[Fishhead]

2068 - Grey Hawk (Wanted) This one is a pretty easy cloning project. Just find a Shuttle Express and go to JimZ or YORP.
0882 - Ninja (Built But Parent's Threw Away) Another simple cloning project.
2022 - Warp II (Wanted) This is the current Loadstar with easily reproduced black decals.
2003 - SDI Satellite (Wanted) Just fly a brick instead. Just a turd.
2017 - S.W.A.T. (Wanted) Easily cloned. I have the decal somewhere.
2036 - Super Vega (Wanted) Another one that's easy to clone.

 

[digitalastro]

THANK YOU!!!

There was a discussion on one of the rocketry groups on Facebook last year where a member was working on creating the STL's to 3d print those pieces, but I never saw any follow up on the project. This is wonderful.

With the CAD models you are not restricted to the same size. Here is a pic of the original and 1.6x upscale (29mm motor)

 

[Jeff Curtis]

Jupiter-C for me.

 

[BABAR]

Porta-Pot shot

Re-Designed for rear eject.

No really, it would work much better.

 

[Hobie1dog]

Marte II