Rocketry Planet

LAS VEGAS, Nevada USA — May 1-4, 2011, the National Retail Hobby Stores Association held their 18th Annual NRHSA Table Top Expo in Las Vegas, Nevada, where representatives from various hobby industries displayed new products to prospective dealers around the nation.

According their website, NRHSA is a national organization which serves to unite hobby retailers to present one voice, one consistent message to the rest of the trade. Retailers are considered the front line in the distribution chain, working directly with the consumer who pays the bills, and as such, retailers know what consumers need and know what is needed to best serve them.

SLIDESHOW: Estes new PRO SERIES II line of large model rocket kits.

SLIDESHOW: Estes new PRO SERIES II line of composite rocket motors.

Estes new PRO SERIES II line rocket kits feature a new high-temperature ABS motor retension system.

Estes new PRO SERIES II Sonic Igniters are for D-G composite rocket motors.

One of the premiere partnerships of NRHSA features an advertising promotion between them and Great Planes, a subsidiary of Hobbico, the company that acquired Estes-Cox in early 2010. Estes-Cox was the only hobby rocketry manufacturer on display at the NRHSA Table Top Expo earlier this month.

At the Estes booth, expo participants were treated to four new large model rocket kits labeled as their PRO SERIES II™ line of model rocket kits. And to power these four new large model rockets were nine new PRO SERIES II composite model rocket motors, made using ammonium perchlorate composite propellant, quite a departure from the normal black powder motors that have been associated with Estes for so long.

The four kits are:

Leviathon™ PRO SERIES II Rocket Kit - Model #9700

• Over 41 inches tall
• 3.0 inch diameter booster airframe and nose cone
• Fins (4) and centering rings made from 3mm birch plywood
• Screw-on engine retention cap made of high-heat restistent ABS plastic
• 24-inch nylon parachute

Ventris™ PRO SERIES II Rocket Kit - Model #9701

• Over 45 inches tall
• 2.0 inch diameter booster airframe
• 2.5 inch diameter payload section and nose cone
• 2.0 inch-to-2.5 inch transition
• Fins (4) and centering rings made from 3mm birch plywood
• Screw-on engine retention cap made of high-heat restistent ABS plastic
• 24-inch nylon parachute

Partizon™ PRO SERIES II Rocket Kit - Model #9702

• Over 46 inches tall
• 2.5 inch diameter booster airframe and nose cone
• Fins (3) and centering rings made from 3mm birch plywood
• Screw-on engine retention cap made of high-heat restistent ABS plastic
• 24-inch nylon parachute

Argent™ PRO SERIES II Rocket Kit - Model #9703

• Over 56 inches tall
• 2.5 inch diameter booster airframe
• 2.0 inch diameter payload section and nose cone
• 2.5 inch-to-2.0 inch transition
• Fins (3) and centering rings made from 3mm birch plywood
• Screw-on engine retention cap made of high-heat restistent ABS plastic
• 24-inch nylon parachute

While these new kits are exciting news, the talk of the town is about the coming availability of composite rocket motors from Estes-Cox, when their mainstay for decades has been black powder motors. The new motors consist of a pair of 24mm E motors, three 29mm F motors and four 29mm G motors.

The entire list consists of: E30-4T, E30-7T, F26-6FJ, F50-4T, F50-6T, G40-4W, G40-7W, G80-7T and G80-10T. Those motor designations may look familiar, even causing some to speculate these might be from an existing source of 24mm and 29mm composite hobby rocket motors.

"I can confirm that AeroTech/RCS is manufacturing E, F and G composite motors for Estes," said Gary Rosenfield of AeroTech Consumer Aerospace, when asked about the situation. This move brings composite hobby rocket motors to more mass retailers that have a proven track record, and should benefit customers who normally shop the big-box hobby stores such as Hobby Lobby and Michael's for their model rocketry supplies.

Also joining the new PRO SERIES II composite rocket motors is a line of PRO SERIES II Sonic Igniters™, Model #3556, which are labeled as being "Igniters for use with D-G composite motors," indicating the potential for D-impulse 24mm motors to one day join the lineup.

"The body tubes on these kits have the thicker wall like the ones used on the Interceptor E. kit," said Estes Marketing Director John Boren. "I can't answer anything about part availability at this time."

There was no information on pricing available at the show, but initial suggested retail pricing may be available within the next 30 days. Estes representatives at the show did say these items would be available sometime in October.

User turbofireball contributed to this article.

Reader comments:

#1 Re: Article: Estes announces larger kits, composite motors at NRHSA

This is great news for the hobby in general and for Estes-Cox and Aerotech specifically. I wonder about the costs though. Since these are Aerotech motors sold by Estes-Cox, how will they compare in price to the Aerotech branded motors? I also worry about the "heat resistant ABS screw on retainer" How hear resistant and how durable?

heada on 05-09-2011 09:48 PM

#2 Re: Article: Estes announces larger kits, composite motors at NRHSA

Error on two of the motors listed. The G motors with T propellant are G80-7T and G80-10T.

shreadvector on 05-10-2011 08:19 AM

#3 Re: Article: Estes announces larger kits, composite motors at NRHSA

Quote:

Error on two of the motors listed. The G motors with T propellant are G80-7T and G80-10T.

Looks like you fixed the typo. Thanks.

shreadvector on 05-10-2011 08:53 AM

#4 Re: Article: Estes announces larger kits, composite motors at NRHSA

I didn't see it listed in the article, but I confess I read it quickly; what diameter motor mounts do these four kits have?

Steve_Shannon on 05-11-2011 03:15 PM

#5 Re: Article: Estes announces larger kits, composite motors at NRHSA

75mm with a big honking adapter...

H_rocket on 05-11-2011 03:56 PM

#6 Re: Article: Estes announces larger kits, composite motors at NRHSA

Quote:

75mm with a big honking adapter...

I like the way you think, Al!

Steve_Shannon on 05-11-2011 03:57 PM

#7 Re: Article: Estes announces larger kits, composite motors at NRHSA

I must protest the lack of a 75mm AT core burning Warp 9...

I think a 75-5120 the burns a full M in .3 seconds would be cool on so many levels.

Of course I would keep the safe distance at about a mile.

H_rocket on 05-11-2011 06:22 PM

#8 Re: Article: Estes announces larger kits, composite motors at NRHSA

Reading the article, it doesn't say on a per-kit basis but from the list of motors that Estes-Cox is going to be selling, it appears to be 24mm and 29mm. I would be curious if the Pro-24 and Pro-29 motors would work in the motor retainer.

heada on 05-11-2011 06:30 PM

#9 Re: Article: Estes announces larger kits, composite motors at NRHSA

Quote:

Reading the article, it doesn't say on a per-kit basis but from the list of motors that Estes-Cox is going to be selling, it appears to be 24mm and 29mm. I would be curious if the Pro-24 and Pro-29 motors would work in the motor retainer.

Here you go.


Kevin

Nesssalco on 05-12-2011 04:58 PM

#10 Re: Article: Estes announces larger kits, composite motors at NRHSA

In summary, Estes is coming out with four new 3FNC mid-power rockets, and reselling Aerotech motors under a fancy brand name.

Really, I don't think this can be called a major development in the hobby. Basically, it will allow people to move up into mid-power without having to learn enough about rocketry to realize that there are other manufacturers out there, but that's about it. The best thing you can say is that more hobby stores will stock composite motors.

Cluster Addict on 05-14-2011 06:52 PM

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