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  #1  
Old 06-17-2020, 09:20 PM
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Earl Earl is offline
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Default Estes Mean Machine Decal Colors

I thought the early Mean Machines all sported white decals to go along with the solid black paint job it was shown with.

Here is a link to one on eBay that appears to be in first gen packaging, but it has solid dark color decals; I can’t tell if they black or dark blue. Any one have one with this color decals?

Link: https://www.ebay.com/itm/1960s-70s-...8QAAOSwbNte6o-3


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  #2  
Old 06-17-2020, 09:31 PM
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I had one of those - decals were dark blue
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  #3  
Old 06-17-2020, 09:37 PM
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I think they randomly packed them with Blue or White decals.
The only one I ever built had a blue decal. The kit was boughy somewhere between 1980 and 1981. A buddy bought his at the same time at the same hobby shop and got White.
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Old 06-17-2020, 09:51 PM
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One of my friends had one when we were kids and I remember the decals were blue.
It crashed on the first flight.
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  #5  
Old 06-17-2020, 10:09 PM
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Ive never built a Mean Machine, but I've got some old LOC 2.6” tubes and nose cone set aside for an upscale. Stickershock has decals for the Mean Machine in numerous sizes, and lists blue or yellow — but like most any decal set, other colors could be done.

Price is quite reasonable — the 2.6” are $22. A BT—60 set is just $13. I’ve used vinyl on BT-60, it looks great.

https://stickershock23.com/product/estes-mean-machine/
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  #6  
Old 06-17-2020, 10:29 PM
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I remember seeing a yellow decal once in some Estes literature, but never in person.
As far as long rockets go, I preferred the Cobra 1500. It was a bit more reasonable than the mean machine and flew really well on composite E engines.
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ALL systems are GO for MAYHEM, CHAOS, and HAVOC !
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  #7  
Old 06-17-2020, 10:54 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ghrocketman
I remember seeing a yellow decal once in some Estes literature, but never in person.
As far as long rockets go, I preferred the Cobra 1500. It was a bit more reasonable than the mean machine and flew really well on composite E engines.

And didn't warp at the slightest hint of sunshine.
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Old 06-17-2020, 11:01 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ghrocketman
I remember seeing a yellow decal once in some Estes literature, but never in person.
As far as long rockets go, I preferred the Cobra 1500. It was a bit more reasonable than the mean machine and flew really well on composite E engines.


Yeah, I kinda like the looks of the Cobra better myself.

I was surprised though to see the dark decals in this particular kit and hear of the several others of you who had the same. I’d been a bit perturbed as a kid back in the day to save to buy this kit, expecting to paint it all black “just like the catalog”, only to find I couldn’t because the dark decals were not gonna support going that color. But, it is interesting to see and hear of the variations. Never had one back then though.

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  #9  
Old 06-18-2020, 04:20 AM
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The earliest version shipped with white, then a few years later they were changed to blue.
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  #10  
Old 06-18-2020, 07:30 AM
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Exactly what Tbzep said. The Cobra 1500 reflected heat with the white/yellow scheme snd stayed straight. The Mean Machine warped via sunlight in everything but an overcast day.
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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 !
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