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  #121  
Old 09-21-2017, 04:48 PM
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Jerry Irvine Jerry Irvine is offline
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Originally Posted by pterodactyl
SPEV K-59 1969: "We had an accumulation of parts in the warehouse that weren't being used. Either the kit that they were intended for had been discontinued, or some items had been over-ordered when the warehouseman thought the shelf was too empty. I gathered the various items on my desk and set out to find a rational way to combine them into a model. My recollection is that we just offered this in the MRN, and once the inventory situation was taken care of, forgot the design--until years later when Carl at Semroc dusted it off and offered a clone. If the Alpha is my favorite child, this is the kid you try to keep under the stairs."
I just find it amusing the SPEV (deprecated parts rocket) is so popular and all these years later is loved.

I resemble that remark.

The fact it has a literal name appeals to me.
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  #122  
Old 09-21-2017, 05:33 PM
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Pat, is that your Alpha in post 120? It's an interesting mixture of time periods - it has a post 2011 motor mount arrangement but is painted in early 1970s livery. It does look like you have either a balsa or first-version plastic nose cone though. Balsa would match the paint scheme.


(This whole Alpha 50th project has turned me into an Alpha history geek....!)
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  #123  
Old 09-21-2017, 05:36 PM
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It's a modern Alpha with a Semroc clone balsa nosecone. I probably should have stuck with a vintage engine hook for the right look!
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  #124  
Old 09-21-2017, 05:38 PM
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That, and have the end of the motor mount flush with the aft end of the main body....that's really what I was picking up on.

The Semroc BNC-50K has a slightly less well-defined point than a real BNC-50K from an old kit, but it's much closer to the right look than the blow-molded cone that comes in the kits since 1993.....

Semroc sells serviceable versions of the old-style hooks.
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  #125  
Old 09-26-2017, 11:36 AM
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Default G. Harry Stine Collection: The Tomahawk

Perhaps no other scale model rocket is more closely associated with G. Harry Stine than the Tomahawk sounding rocket. His interest in the vehicle dates back over a half century to the mid 1960's during his time in New Canaan, CT.
The scale data Stine assembled (still preserved in the as yet unprocessed archival portion of his collection) spawned a series of commercial model rocket kits by a wide variety of manufacturers, some of which are still in production to this day. Not surprisingly many of these kits were designed by Stine himself.
The ubiquitous nature of the rocket is revealed in an informal inventory of the Stine Collection which contains over 10 different built examples of the round. Over the next few weeks we'll examine some of these models and their lineage.

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  #126  
Old 09-29-2017, 03:21 PM
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Default G. Harry Stine Collection: The IQSY Tomahawk

Over 50 years ago G. Harry Stine began to popularize the IQSY Tomahawk as an ideal beginner scale model rocket. We can’t say with certainty why he selected that particular rocket for his attention out of all the other sounding rocket options available. In the fullness of time a thorough review of his papers may eventually reveal the specific answer to that question, but it’s likely a combination of the following factors.

The IQSY Tomahawk is an easy beginner model, allowing ease of construction through the use of pre-manufactured parts. Through industry connections he was able to obtain voluminous scale data and photography to support accurate scale substantiation and construction by modelers. The vehicle and its scale model were aerodynamically stable relieving the builder of any additional measures to ensure stable flight. Stine was sufficiently enamored of the design to write in the Fourth Edition of the Handbook of Model Rocketry Stine that the rocket was “the beginner’s best introduction to scale modeling”.

G. Harry Stine inked this blueprint of an IQSY Tomahawk in 1969. It appeared in the June issue of Model Rocketry.



The scale Tomahawk also supported Stine’s goal to increase the number and quality of scale modelers in model rocketry. It also supported his personal interest in promoting NAR scale competition events such as Super Scale and Space Systems.



Stine encouraged his NAR Section in New Canaan, Connecticut to build and fly the model in local competitions. This photograph from Model Rocketry magazine shows entrants in just such a regional scale competition.



Stine would also partner with Centuri Engineering to create the first of what would become a half century of commercially available IQSY Tomahawk kits. Many manufacturers would produce the kit including some, such as the Aerotech Tomahawk, are still in production today. Stine produced a series of prototypes from various commercially available parts as a means to research which size would be most desirable for commercial production.



This image show’s Stine’s final Centuri kit prototype which ironically sports an Estes "pre-zip code" parachute.



The Centuri KC-40 kit is shown with its initial catalog entry in the 1969 catalog.



As James Duffy points out in his excellent presentation at NARCON 2016, the kit did not quite live up to Stine’s expectations. The presentation begins at the 29:00 minute mark, but if you have an interest in Stine’s career you will enjoy the entire presentation.

James Duffy Stine History NARCON 2016 Presentation

The Aerotech IQSY Tomahawk is available from Apogee Rockets and other dealers to this day.

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Last edited by pterodactyl : 09-29-2017 at 04:35 PM.
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  #127  
Old 09-29-2017, 05:15 PM
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I enjoyed the presentation and learned quite a bit.

Of course the “Dead Sea Scrolls” that he refers to are in the MoF collection now. Mr. Duffy several times recommended going to the Quest site to read those letters. They’re not there anymore since the Aerotech merger (or perhaps before) but they ARE available thanks to the Internet Archive. For example here: https://web.archive.org/web/2014110...om/q-museum.htm
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  #128  
Old 10-02-2017, 03:09 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BEC
I enjoyed the presentation and learned quite a bit.

Of course the “Dead Sea Scrolls” that he refers to are in the MoF collection now. Mr. Duffy several times recommended going to the Quest site to read those letters. They’re not there anymore since the Aerotech merger (or perhaps before) but they ARE available thanks to the Internet Archive. For example here: https://web.archive.org/web/2014110...om/q-museum.htm


And they are at: https://www.soarrocketry.org/genesi...-rocketry-1957/
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  #129  
Old 10-04-2017, 11:08 AM
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Default On This Date: October 4th, 1957

The original "Sputnik Moment" happened 60 years ago today leading to a cascading series of events that reshaped society and created the circumstances that led to disparate events such as the first steps on Luna and even this website.


G. Harry Stine gets fired from Martin Corporation due to a blunt comment to a reporter about the Sputnik launch. The reporter tracked down Stine through his authorship of "Earth Satellites".

Stine wrote this book months BEFORE the Sputnik launch.



Stine needed a job. Due to a series of fortuitous interactions with model rocketry inventor Orville Carisle model rocketry Model Missiles Incorporated was founded.

A dozen years later this 1/100 scale Sputnik launch vehicle was created by Stine for MPC.

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  #130  
Old 10-04-2017, 01:09 PM
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Jerry Irvine Jerry Irvine is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pterodactyl
Over 50 years ago G. Harry Stine began to popularize the IQSY Tomahawk as an ideal beginner scale model rocket. We can’t say with certainty why he selected that particular rocket for his attention out of all the other sounding rocket options available. In the fullness of time a thorough review of his papers may eventually reveal the specific answer to that question, but it’s likely a combination of the following factors.
The Thiokol 9" x 141" TE-416 motor has since been built full size by me:

http://v-serv.com/usr/motors/229mm.9inch.jpg
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