Just found this site and am real happy I did. Been a BAR for about 5 years and built all the rockets I had as a kid from available plans.

Have one I am doing now and need some expert help. The K-21 Gemini. It calls for a JT70A tube for the dual engine mount. I need to know the proper length of the tube. I can't seem to find this out anywhere.

Also I have done all the fins and balsa parts I can find and drawn them up in cad for laser cutting as I have a laser cutter in my shop. Not sure if anyone bothers with laser cut fins, but thought I would put it out there if anyone may need some.
Hans

Welcome to YORF, Hans!

Let me be the first to ask, as I'm sure many others will, can you post some pictures? We always love to see some of the oldies, either in original or in clone form.

Also, I have to ask, do you have a brother named Franz?

Later,
EV

Thanks for the welcome.
Right now I have built these rockets from plans and available parts.
The old Sizzler, not the new rear eject
The meduim size V-2
The small early V-2
The Maxi V-2
The Big Bertha
The Mean Machine
The Orbital Transporter
The swing Wing is cut and ready to build
And the Gemini Titan is being built now as well.
Someone told me that the JT70A tube is 1.25" long, so I should have that one done soon.

I am looking for a nose cone for the Maxi Pershing.

I also have the Saturn V and a Saturn 1B on the list as well as the Mercury Atlas and old Space Shuttle built. Need to get the Redstone.
I'll see about taking a few pics of the old models and the clones this weekend. I really love building the old rockets from the plans. It is more fun than it was building the kits all those years ago.

No brother named Franz.
Hans

Not sure if you are aware of this or not but the K-21 is now being cloned commercially.
I bought one of these and can say it is a great kit !

http://www.pdrocketry.com/rocket.htm

Cost of the kit is $34.95 at the PDR website shown above.
Lots of other great clones such as the Trident, Thor-Agena B, Orbital Transport, Andromeda, Starlight, and Mars Snooper are available too.

I purchased the K-21 Gemini Titan, Trident, and Orbital Transport and they are all as good if not better than the original issued Estes kits from the 60's/70's.
The Orbital Transport even includes laser-cut fins !

Good luck with the Pershing 1A nose cone....there are exactly ZERO available clone replacement cones nor can any common known parts be assembled to resemble one. The only known alternative to this is to have one commercially or home turned out of balsa on a LARGE lathe; this would be extremely costly, heavy, and impractical.

Good luck with the Saturn 1B (K-29 1/70 I assume) as several of these parts are near impossible to get (BT-51 tank tubes).
The Estes 1/70 Saturn 1B is supposed to be issued as a limited production re-release in the Fall of 2006. Originally it was supposed to be fall of this year and was on the eHobbies site as a future product. It has been removed from the site as it was decided by Estes to delay the intro for a year (no reason given for the delay)

The Mercury Atlas uses a unique body tube that was shared by the 1/45 Centuri Little Joe...this is also an impossible find for cloning.

__________________
When in doubt, WHACK the GAS and DITCH the brake !!!

Yes, there is such a thing as NORMAL, if you have to ask what is "NORMAL" , you probably aren't !
Failure may not be an OPTION, but it is ALWAYS a POSSIBILITY.
ALL systems are GO for MAYHEM, CHAOS, and HAVOC !

GH thanks for the link. Had no idea they were being made. Looks like very nice stuff!

The thing is I like doing the whole thing myself. Just more fun for me that way.

When I did my Orbital Transporter I laser cut the fins as well. Sure is a nice tool to have around the shop. I make my own decals too.
I bought boxes and boxes of body tubes in all sizes and made a cutting jig to cut them to length, I laser cut my fins, paper shrouds, and centering rings, and print my own decals on an ALPs printer. I guess I could go into production if I really wanted to I sat down one day and made all the parts up for 12 Sizzler kits just for the fun of it.

The Saturn 1B that I have is a Kosrox kit. Not sure if you can still get them or not. I heard the Pershing cone is a major no go. Too bad. I thought I heard of a guy that made a few about 4 years ago, but never heard anything more about it. My Atlas was a real kit and so are both my Saturn Vs.

Again, thanks for the link. The more I learn the better.

Once the BAR bug hits, you are a lost cause!
Hans

GH,

"Good luck with the Saturn 1B (K-29 1/70 I assume) as several of these parts are near impossible to get (BT-51 tank tubes)."

Thought I would let you know that the T-50+ from Totally Tubular is a near perfect replacement for the Estes BT-51. The BT-51 is 1.010 outside and .984 inside. The T-50+ is 1.011 outside and .984 inside.

Hans

I'm pretty sure someone out there is selling Pershing cones. Let me see if I can track the info down.

__________________
Bill Eichelberger
NAR 79563

http://wallyum.blogspot.com/

I miss being SAM 0058

Build floor: Centuri Mini Dactyl Estes - Low Boom SST Semroc - Marauder, Shrike, SST Shuttle

In paint: Canaroc Starfighter Scorpion Estes F-22 Air Superiority Fighter, Multi-Roc, Solar Sailer II Semroc Cyber III

Ready to fly: Estes - Solar Sailer II Semroc - Earmark, Groonie Der V 1/2

That was quicker than I had anticipated. A place called Alien Enterprises sells Pershing cones. (Or at least they did.) The info is all in this post.
http://www.rocketryforum.com/showth...t=pershing+cone

__________________
Bill Eichelberger
NAR 79563

http://wallyum.blogspot.com/

I miss being SAM 0058

Build floor: Centuri Mini Dactyl Estes - Low Boom SST Semroc - Marauder, Shrike, SST Shuttle

In paint: Canaroc Starfighter Scorpion Estes F-22 Air Superiority Fighter, Multi-Roc, Solar Sailer II Semroc Cyber III

Ready to fly: Estes - Solar Sailer II Semroc - Earmark, Groonie Der V 1/2

Thanks Bill. I knew I had seen them someplace.
I tried the email contact, but it is not formatted right.
I'll try to PM the author and see if he has another way to contact them.
Hans

Hmmm...."near perfect"?

I'd call a difference of .001" **** perfect enough!

You one of us "anal" engineers, Hans?

Later,
EV