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| The Mini-X and Zeta (Click to enlarge). |
My recent burst of rocket building mania has resulted in a few additions to the fleet. The first two of these are the builds I started way
back in December, the Zeta and the Mini-X. These rockets are from old 1960's Estes rocket plans, and they came out looking A-OK. I must say that I enjoy building these retro birds - takes me back to my childhood. The Zeta flew last Saturday on an A8-3; the Mini-X will probably fly at my next launch, whenever that is.
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| Oeuf proudly showing off (Click to enlarge). |
Next to be completed is my first entry for this year's Geezer TARC - Oeuf. She's looking all sleek and sporty in her yellow and white decor.
I also threw together one of the new Estes releases during a stormy evening a couple of weeks ago. The Double Ringer is a bit of an odd duck, featuring two cylindrical gliders that more or less glide. It too flew last Saturday and performed well on a C6-3. I wish I could say the same for Allen's Double Ringer, which was powered by a Q-Jet D16-4; the gliders did not even remotely glide, fluttering to the ground like heavy feathers. My guess is that the cylindrical gliders may be very sensitive to their weight distribution, and that a slight deviance from the instructions can make the difference between gliding or not. At least that's my current hypothesis - gliders are not my strongest suit.
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Estes Double Ringer (from catalog -
Click to enlarge). | My Double Ringer blasts off
(Click to enlarge). |
The last add to the fleet is an Estes bring-back of an oldie - the Phantom. This model is a teaching tool, with a transparent structure so that folks can see the various parts of a model rocket. It was never intended to fly, even though the occasional doofus might attempt it, with the predictable result of a smoke and soot filled mess. My Phantom went together in about 30 minutes using some medium CA, and it currently resides on one of my rocket shelves, awaiting its chance to help teach the young.
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| Estes Phantom (Click to enlarge). |
I currently am working on finishing my second Geezer TARC rocket, Ool, and a 1/34th scale Redstone missile made from 3D printed Boyce Aerospace parts. I will also throw together some more of the Estes new releases.
More on those in a later post.
The Zeta definitely reminds me of the Squirrel Works Callisto (or vice versa), right down to the faux nozzle. https://richsrockets.wordpress.com/2015/06/19/building-the-squirrel-works-callisto-part-6/
ReplyDeleteYou are correct - they are similar, though the Callisto lacks the ring fin and has a longer upper section. The Zeta, at 51 years, is also far older. Still, one cannot wonder if it was the inspiration for the Callisto.
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