Astron Sprite plans
 

I was looking at the plans for the Astron Sprite, and discovered that they are the old plans for the short 18mm engine version. This is the case on both Jimz and Shasta. Does anyone have access to the 13mm version that was used later?

Greg

Was this offered as a 13mm version? I though that the advent of the 13mm vs the 18mm shrties was the cause of the death knell for this bird.

But... I have been wrong before... and will be again.... (just ask my wife!)
Phred

Yup - the Sprite lasted until 1973 - and that catalog lists it has flying with 1/4A3-2T through A3-4T. It is listed that way in the 1972 catalog as well - but listed with the short engines in 1971 and earlier. A well... not like I have the BT and nose cone any way. I think I may do a BT-5 downscale using MicroMaxx engines, tho ;)

Greg

Greg,

I have my original Sprite from 1967. I made an adapter out of a piece of BT-20 coupler, two centering rings, a piece of BT-5 and an engine block.

The Sprite was made using BT-30, which was a little bigger than BT-20 so the coupler slides in the body tube just fine.

Bob

I cloned the Sprite from a Scout II kit and used the included 13mm adapter, which is about a 1" long BT-5 to BT-20 centering ring (like a thick coupler) holding a BT-5 with engine hook. Yes, the Sprite was listed as a Mini Brute for a while, I believe. It's not in the catalogs, but I recall seeing one on eBay a while back that had the Mini Brute logo on the card. Anyway, I am pretty sure the 13mm plans are exaclty the same as the short 18mm, but say to use the 13mm adapter.
Drew Tomko

You can buy a nice 18mm shorty to 13mm adapter from Semroc at www.semroc.com. They sell this with their Fire Fly kit.

Or take the cheap way and cut down a spent 18mm casing and slide the mini engine in that. I can't find it now, but Peter Alway drew up plans for cloning the Sprite and mentioned using a cut down 18mm casing to hold the mini engine.
Drew Tomko

Or you could buy the Flis kits Tumble Weed.

http://www.fliskits.com/products/01prod_fs.htm
Check out the level 2 kits, about 1/2 way down.

I have it but have not built it yet.
A friend has cloned several of the original and it launches fine.

Greg,

If this isn't a soon-to-be Semroc kit. Doesn't Semroc have these parts for you.
Or at least a nose cone that's close. I have built two originals long ago. Still have
one. One of my first five kits. After K-27 Honest John, Aerobee 300, Thor Agena-B,
and Astron Nighthawk from Estes (from May '69 to early 1970, didn't hold a Centuri
kit until fall of 1970). In Centuri went thru Honest John, MX-774, Arcon-Hi (can you
tell I like scale models :p ) , Long Tom, and Mach-10 as my first five .

Skyward,
Larry Rice -Columbus, OH

Greg,

The plans are the same. The only difference was an adapter, Which Estes also sold
separately (I have one). And it only consisted of a rejected engine casing, a self-
adhesive strip, and a engine clip. (will look for part number).

Upwards,
Larry Rice

Glad someone mentioned the FlisKits Tumbleweed :)

Great little kit, but cutting the fins requires some good eyes ...

you can find a direct link to the kit here.

jim

-Great little kit, but cutting the fins requires some good eyes ...-

No kidding Jim, that is the reason I have not built it yet- too small for my 45 year old eyes!
Any chance you will make a Tumbleweed+, say out of a BT-20?

BTW I love this site!

well, with those nice long Estes E motors, I'd be willing to bet you could make a 24mm version... :D

How about an upscale using a Deuce motor mount!

I have some upscale templates for a Sprite with a 7.5" outer ring and 2.6" main body tube. Anyone interested?

Always interested, but I don't think I would want to tumble recovery it! ;)

IIRC The modeler that built this blew the chute out of the scale ejection hole in the body tube. :)

Here's the templates.
Make sure you print it without margins or the templates will be too small.

Greg and others,
Still looking for empty bag and other un-opened special adapter. This wasn't in
catalog and might have been only in MRN or the like. No hang tag. Instructions just
had you make groove in dummy engine casing for engine clip (on outside of course).
Didn't have this in seventies. Found them both in old hobby shop grab boxes in the
eighties. Peter Alway might have seen one for his suggested fix. Had mine before
his suggestion came out. If I can only find it's catalog number (mail-order only).

Skyward,
Larry Rice

The MC-717 is the same size as the old Series III Shorty engines. You can glue or friction-fit an Estes "T" mini-engine in the MC-717 to approximate an old Shorty. An engine conversion mount from 13mm to 18mm x 45mm was just too small and fragile to produce.

The BNC-30D is close to our BC-714. We have laser-cut fin sets for the Sprite, but they are not online. Ask for one on your next order.

Carl

Carl,
Thanks for the info. I will. Is the nose cone you speak of the same one that's on
your Triton ? I have built that Semroc kit.

Larry Rice

The Triton nose cone (BC-714) is the closest we have right now. The original Estes nose cone was 1.5" long and was between ogive and elliptical in shape. If you want the most faithful reproduction, Bill has the BNC-30D in stock.