Estes Nike Smoke kit BT-60 size

[JumpJet]

I was just wondering if anyone has purchased and built one of the new BT-60 Nike Smoke kits?



John Boren

[Initiator001]

I have one on order, John.

It just shipped so I hope to get it this week.

[jbuscaglia]

I picked one up at my LHS, but have not started it yet.

[astronwolf]

How is the nose cone?

[Jerry Irvine]

I was just wondering if anyone has purchased and built one of the new BT-60 Nike Smoke kits?New molds? Is it similar or different form Enerjet? Is there a possibility in the future of a version with a plastic fin unit?

I like this kit.

Mine is getting 29mm first thing and the low thrust requirement doesn't bother me a bit. G008.

Dave Bucher of FSI has been posting detailed revisionist history about Nike on FB.

Jerry

I don't know how to turn off spell check. :(

[hcmbanjo]

I saw the new Nike Smoke kit at a recent NEFAR club launch.
The nose cone even has the small pitot tube at the top.

[neil_w]

I'd like to see the instructions to see what the construction is like, but they're not on the Estes website...

[samb]

I'd like to see the instructions to see what the construction is like, but they're not on the Estes website...

Until JumpJet weighs in again I'll hazard a guess that he used the Centuri KS-15 as the basis for this new offering.

http://www.oldrocketplans.com/centuri/cenKS-15/cenKS-15.pdf

Updated motor mount assembly?
tea bag shock cord mount ?
TTW fins ?
optional baffle ?

[Jerry Irvine]

Maybe someone who got one will simply spread the parts on a table and snap a photo.

[JumpJet]

The Estes Nike Smoke is REAL similar to the old Centuri version with a new nose cone. It has a BT-60 body tube and sheet balsa fins that you can leave alone or bevel to better represent the real fins. What you don't get is the ejection baffle system like the Centuri version had since we like to sale recovering wadding. I believe the nose cone is much more scale then the Centuri version.



John Born

[samb]

The Estes Nike Smoke is REAL similar to the old Centuri version with a new nose cone. It has a BT-60 body tube and sheet balsa fins that you can leave alone or bevel to better represent the real fins. What you don't get is the ejection baffle system like the Centuri version had since we like to sale recovering wadding. I believe the nose cone is much more scale then the Centuri version.



John Born

Well, the same scale anyway. :o I like the old pictures included in those Centuri plans. Smokes are cool in any size.

[astronwolf]

So the nose cone is "like" the old Centuri kit, i.e. molded plastic? It's not like the 2-part Quest (i.e. junk) nose cone, right?

[rocketguy101]

Maybe someone who got one will simply spread the parts on a table and snap a photo.
Estes needs to update the parts photo on their website...that is the Honest John pictured, isn't it?

[astronwolf]

Estes needs to update the parts photo on their website...that is the Honest John pictured, isn't it?
Yes. And check out the decal sheet. I think its a parts layout for a kit that hasn't been released yet.

[JumpJet]

Edited this message because I made a mistake.

The nose cone is blow molded plastic.

Yes that is a BT-55 Honest John nose cone in that parts photo on the Nike Smoke parts page, but the parts are not for a Honest John.



John Boren

[neil_w]

Yes those are the Honest John photo on the Nike Smoke parts page.
Not to question John, but, well, I'm gonna question John. The parts photo on the Nike Smoke page does not look anything like the parts photo on the Honest John page (or the Honest John itself, other than the nose cone). The fins are the wrong shape, the decals are wrong, there's all those weird centering ring thingies.

In fact, it is a bit of a mystery (https://modelrocketbuilding.blogspot.com/2016/04/estes-mystery-parts-design-guess.html) which parts picture is actually shown on the Nike Smoke page.

[astronwolf]

In fact, it is a bit of a mystery (https://modelrocketbuilding.blogspot.com/2016/04/estes-mystery-parts-design-guess.html) which parts picture is actually shown on the Nike Smoke page.
That's why I think we're looking at a soon-to-be (or maybe never to be) released kit. Ooops. :chuckle:

[jeffyjeep]

I started my new BT60 Nike Smoke a couple of weeks ago. The kit--especially the nose cone is premium!

It's taking me a long time and several do-overs to scrape the fins into the scale profile. I have one (1) fin nearly finished. I recut the fin blank from basswood and I'm shaping the bevels using the Micro-Plane.

I took photos of the process but I don't have them with me because I'm on a job in Richmond, VA.

[Jerry Irvine]

In fact, it is a bit of a mystery (https://modelrocketbuilding.blogspot.com/2016/04/estes-mystery-parts-design-guess.html) which parts picture is actually shown on the Nike Smoke page.Easter egg!

The parts in no way fit that way.

[rocketguy101]

somebody posted pics of the kit parts and details of the cone on TRF (http://www.rocketryforum.com/showthread.php?133775-Estes-Nike-Smoke-7247&p=1586605#post1586605)

[jeffyjeep]

Here's photos of the PNC and of one of the (4) 1/8" balsa fin blanks that I've drawn pencil lines on prior to shaping. The remaining few pieces of the kit are a 13 3/16" long BT60, a regular 18MM engine mount, and "laundry".

[Eagle3]

How I did scale fins on my Centuri Nike Smoke clone many years ago was to go the card stock route. I used a rectangle balsa core and wrapped the card stock around it. Soaked the card stock in thin CA after assembly and they looked and held up great... until my dog got a hold of it. :-/