I built the original shuttle that Estes made in the 70s. Actually glided pretty well once you got it trimmed well.
Estes RTF 1/200 Space Shuttle advertisement arrives!
- Thread starter turbofireball
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mh9162013
Well-Known Member
Ah, so the orbiter is made of foam after all.
GusGrissom
Well-Known Member
Even though my building skills are not perfect, I take pride in everything that I've built. I am divided on this, one part of me says, if you didn't build it, how can you display it with your collection? Another part of me says I will regret not buying this in a few years when I see them on eBay for $250. And I am into the classic NASA designs. I built the Saturn 5, the Saturn 5 Skylab and the Mercury Redstone. I also built the SR71 and a few scale missiles. I don't know, I would hate to miss out on this and not grab it and add it to my NASA collection. Now as far as the Shepherd RTF rocket from Estes, I don't know, it looks too much like a...
NAR29996
Well-Known Member
That's a feature, not a bug.
GusGrissom
Well-Known Member
LOL!!!!
After getting some bad news from the Doc I was so distraught I went to my LHS and spent almost $100 on this RTF rocket and a pack of Super C5 3 motors. Balanced out the tiny, foamy glider as best I could. Installed the chute and waited for flying good conditions. Finally had a nice day to fly it at the club.
First flight of the morning in front of only the Top Men. Straight up. Deployed right at Apogee. Shuttle would glide in a nice circle then fall a bit with style, then glide again. Both tanks and orbiter landed close together just off the range. Best thing I have seen from an RTF. YIPPEE! You go Estes!
Two further launches were exact repeats! A real crowd pleaser. The Space Shuttle, The Holy Grail of Model Rocketry! Easy peasy lemon squeezy. I'm not dead yet. I'm feeling better. I'm so happy! Think I will go for a walk.
First flight of the morning in front of only the Top Men. Straight up. Deployed right at Apogee. Shuttle would glide in a nice circle then fall a bit with style, then glide again. Both tanks and orbiter landed close together just off the range. Best thing I have seen from an RTF. YIPPEE! You go Estes!
Two further launches were exact repeats! A real crowd pleaser. The Space Shuttle, The Holy Grail of Model Rocketry! Easy peasy lemon squeezy. I'm not dead yet. I'm feeling better. I'm so happy! Think I will go for a walk.
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GusGrissom
Well-Known Member
Exactly. Another example is the Saturn V coming out this fall.
These RTF beauties are very high end and EXCLUSIVE. No need to show such luxury to the general public. Proven marketing strategy set by the 1989 Infiniti adds.
"When the synthesis of pure science and power merge into the perfect launch and flight, you will know... ESTES."
Dealers: "Where's the dern car? They didn't show a picture of the car in any of the dern adds! What's going on?"
"When the synthesis of pure science and power merge into the perfect launch and flight, you will know... ESTES."
Dealers: "Where's the dern car? They didn't show a picture of the car in any of the dern adds! What's going on?"
You inspired me to take mine out of the box and fly it. My experience (one flight only today) was very similar to yours except that the delay was a bit longAfter getting some bad news from the Doc I was so distraught I went to my LHS and spent almost $100 on this RTF rocket and a pack of Super C5 3 motors. Balanced out the tiny, foamy glider as best I could. Installed the chute and waited for flying good conditions. Finally had a nice day to fly it at the club.
First flight of the morning in front of only the Top Men. Straight up. Deployed right at Apogee. Shuttle would glide in a nice circle then fall a bit with style, then glide again. Both tanks and orbiter landed close together just off the range. Best thing I have seen from an RTF. YIPPEE! You go Estes!
Two further launches were exact repeats! A real crowd pleaser. The Space Shuttle, The Holy Grail of Model Rocketry! Easy peasy lemon squeezy. I'm not dead yet. I'm feeling better. I'm so happy! Think I will go for a walk.
Flight data here: https://flightsketch.com/flights/4297/
Well, the 1/200 Saturn V goes much better on a C12 or D16. I wanted to fly the Shuttle at least once on a C5-3 before I subjected it to one of them.
It worked amazingly well, actually. I need to put a tab on one elevon to induce the Orbiter to circle. It headed straight for that hillside on the flight today, and even though it's further away than it looks, it was a little nerve-wracking because climbing that slope is NOT fun. Been there, done that. Inducing a bit of turn might also smooth out the stall-glide-stall-glide cycle I got when balanced per the instructions. Adding just a touch more clay in the pocket in the nose will help that, too. Either way I want it to circle.
I see in re-reading your post that your Orbiter already does circle. That's goodness. Then all it needs is a bit more of that clay in the designated place to smooth out the glide, as I'm sure you know.
It worked amazingly well, actually. I need to put a tab on one elevon to induce the Orbiter to circle. It headed straight for that hillside on the flight today, and even though it's further away than it looks, it was a little nerve-wracking because climbing that slope is NOT fun. Been there, done that. Inducing a bit of turn might also smooth out the stall-glide-stall-glide cycle I got when balanced per the instructions. Adding just a touch more clay in the pocket in the nose will help that, too. Either way I want it to circle.
I see in re-reading your post that your Orbiter already does circle. That's goodness. Then all it needs is a bit more of that clay in the designated place to smooth out the glide, as I'm sure you know.
The foam rudder is thin and fragile.
Don't ask me how I know.
Don't ask me how I know.
I put a tiny bit of clay on one side of the top nozzle and that did the trick. Getting things to glide is hard. Takes lots of practice. The foamy might never glide like a perfectly dialed in vacuform orbiter from that olden days kit. But the RTF is instant gratification and popular with the modern audience. Hopefully they will sell like hotcakes for Estes and the LHS.
When you can walk on the rice paper and leave no trace. When you can snatch the pebble from my hand. When you can fly your RTF Space Shuttle with out breaking it...only then will you be ready for the trials.
Now get some fancy foam glue, or left over 100% silicone calk from the restroom remodel, and get the RTF Shuttle back in the air!
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