Larry's Fleet
The latest additions to my fleet
My original fleet from 1999 to 2004:
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Rocket
|
Photo
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Current Status
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| Estes Mercury Redstone (Gus Grisham's "Liberty Bell 7") |  |
 11/17/01 Launch report |
| Russian Proton
Ready to fly |
 |
Design
notes
The "Proton" was used on July 12th to launch a key part of the International Space Station in a launch sponsored by Pizza Hut. This will be my first finless rocket. |
| Estes
SR-71 Blackbird
7/15/00-Ready to fly |
 |
Ready to fly. Check out the details and design modifications.
I modified the Estes kit to allow me to launch with either one
or three engines! The first launch (that I have pictures from) was November 17, 2001. |
| Estes Blackhawk (sold 1991-1993) 5/16/00-Ready to fly |
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Scratch built from plans
on-line at Jim Z's site. An interesting dual pod structure,
with a central engine compartment. Called the "Stealth
fighter from the 21st Century" in the 1991
Estes catalog. Estimated to go ~800 feet on C engines. See July 5th Launch Report |
Painted and ready to
go (Dec 99).
Ready for another flight! (7/00)
Custom Rocket's SAM-X
(no picture of my finished rocket) A 2 stage rocket which can fly to 2000 feet!
4/1/00 Update: Lost in space! Launched with a C6-0/C6-7 combination, it took off at an angle and flew to at least a 1000 feet. We saw the tracking dye when the nose cone ejected, but never saw the parachute. We recovered the booster, but never found the main stage.
Sputnik (1964 plans) Ready for its first flight...
The Flying Jenny, an Estes rocket glider....
Estes used to sell a Space
Plane. They also provided free plans in 1964 to a "Flying
Jenny" (rocket boosted glider). Plans for both are
on-line. They fly to ~300 feet under rocket power on an A engine,
then glide back to earth.
The Jenny is a rocket powered biplane with a rocket engine tube for the body. It's ready to fly!
4/1/00 Update-Jenny's maiden flight wasn't pretty! She flew about 50 feet up (A6-3 engine), then looped over toward the ground. She hit the ground under power, ejecting the engine after landing. All her wings came off from the impact. Back to the drawing board.... I just got a new book by Tim Van Milligan on rocket design. I think I'll better read the chapter on rocket gliders and start with a kit!
Estes NASA X-15 (Estes #0889; sold 1988~1989).
First flights 10/24 Scratch built from plans on-line at Jim Z's site.
7/5/00 Launch Report-
==> Rebuilt 10/22/23
Things go better with Cherry Coke!! 2 It flies!!!
Construction details on how I built the Cherry Coke rocket
Estes Space Shuttle (Estes #1284)
Ready for another flight! (7/00)
A birthday present from my older daughter. :-)
It flies great! (see 7/5/00 Launch Report and 10/15/20 Launch Report)
Custom Rocket's SAM-X
(no picture of my finished rocket) A 2 stage rocket which can fly to 2000 feet!
4/1/00 Update: Lost in space! Launched with a C6-0/C6-7 combination, it took off at an angle and flew to at least a 1000 feet. We saw the tracking dye when the nose cone ejected, but never saw the parachute. We recovered the booster, but never found the main stage.
| R.I.P. |
|---|
Sputnik (1964 plans) Ready for its first flight...
An oddball published in the
Unfortunately, the ejection charge on the second launch burned through the Sputnik "capsule" (a styrofoam ball) because I forgot to put a cap on the engine tube. To be rebuilt.
7/5/00 Launch Report| R.I.P. |
|---|
The Flying Jenny, an Estes rocket glider....
Estes used to sell a Space
Plane. They also provided free plans in 1964 to a "Flying
Jenny" (rocket boosted glider). Plans for both are
on-line. They fly to ~300 feet under rocket power on an A engine,
then glide back to earth. The Jenny is a rocket powered biplane with a rocket engine tube for the body. It's ready to fly!
4/1/00 Update-Jenny's maiden flight wasn't pretty! She flew about 50 feet up (A6-3 engine), then looped over toward the ground. She hit the ground under power, ejecting the engine after landing. All her wings came off from the impact. Back to the drawing board.... I just got a new book by Tim Van Milligan on rocket design. I think I'll better read the chapter on rocket gliders and start with a kit!
| R.I.P. |
|---|
Estes NASA X-15 (Estes #0889; sold 1988~1989).
First flights 10/24 Scratch built from plans on-line at Jim Z's site.
7/5/00 Launch Report-
| R.I.P. |
|---|
Things go better with Cherry Coke!! 2 It flies!!!
Construction details on how I built the Cherry Coke rocket
Estes Space Shuttle (Estes #1284)
Views of the finished Shuttle ready to fly. It flies great!
An Estes Master model. The "shuttle" detaches at apogee and glides down separate from the "booster" which returns on a parachute.
Estes Yankee
Maiden flight October 11th
Ready for more!
Estes Yankee
(built with my nephew, John, while visiting him in
Colorado). Lost from sight on a C-6 engine..... Never seen
again! :-(
| R.I.P. |
|---|
Estes Big Bertha
I kit bashed this into a three 18mm engine cluster ala
Estes Astron
Ranger plans
First flight was beautiful!
Flew to over 1500 feet on 10/24, then drifted ~two blocks before
landing gently in someone's driveway! Ready for more
Estes AstroCam
Estes AstroCam
Uses a 110 Kodak film cartridge to (hopefully!) take a picture at apogee.
After ~8 or 10 flights:
Success!
Repaired, and ready to go. A great picture was finally obtained
on 10/24 (check it out!);
ready for more flights!
Estes Venom
Estes Venom
2 flights. Streamer recovery so it doesn't drift too far
Estes Alpha III
Estes Alpha III
Our first rocket after watching October Sky and getting interested in rockets again!
~5 flights. Ready for more
~5 flights. Ready for more
KITS TO BUILD
North Coast Rocketry Big Brute 
(sold by Estes from 1996-1999)
This is a 4" diameter, 33" tall rocket that needs an F62 or G70 engine to go 1000 feet high.
Waiting to build!
Estes Executioner #1951 
(sold by Estes from 2002-2012)
2.6" X 36" designed to fly on D or E engines
Partially built in 2004...
First Launch (check out video of launch)
Estes Pathfinder #1997
This is a 1.67" X 42" rocket that
is designed for D engines only. 
A classic that looks good at liftoff. I'll probably try to upscale it.
Waiting for first launch...
Estes Mercury Atlas
Discontinued in 1999, but I was able to find one (after reading John Glenn's biography!).
Waiting to build...
Estes V2 - 1/19th scale Model #1952. E powered, 4" diameter, 33" long rocket from 2000.
Waiting to build
MachBuster
Waiting to build.
This kit, purchased from the now defunct RocketVision company, will fly 4000 feet high on an F72 engine. It will also break the sound barrier and lift off at Mach 1.1! I'll try to catch it on videotape, because I'm sure we won't see this puppy again!
Estes Pro Patriot (sold 1992-1996)
Next to build....
==> Built a Leviathan instead with the parts because of reports of failures with the 4 Ds or 4 Es.
Waiting to fly August 2023
Estes Super Big Bertha
Estes Super Big Bertha
Reissued 7/2000.
This is a "classic" kit from the 1986. It's much bigger than my Big Bertha (above), 36 inches tall and 2.6 inches in diameter. It ONLY flies with D engines (although I did buy some E's to see if I can get it to really fly!).
Estes V-2
Reissued 7/2000.
Waiting to build.
This is a "classic" kit from the 1984. It's 22.2 inches tall and 2.6 inches in diameter. The box says it ONLY flies with D engines (although I did buy some E's to see if I can get it to really fly!).
This is a "classic" kit from the 1986. It's much bigger than my Big Bertha (above), 36 inches tall and 2.6 inches in diameter. It ONLY flies with D engines (although I did buy some E's to see if I can get it to really fly!).
Construction started Feb 2022.
Estes V-2
Reissued 7/2000.
Waiting to build.
This is a "classic" kit from the 1984. It's 22.2 inches tall and 2.6 inches in diameter. The box says it ONLY flies with D engines (although I did buy some E's to see if I can get it to really fly!).
Waiting for first launch...
Quest Flat Cat
A Boost Glider. It's got a rocket bedy which provides the power to lift it (hopefully) to ~800 feet, then the rocket part detaches and the glider cruises down gracefully (hopefully).
Quest Flat Cat
Here's a catalog picture
Waiting to build....
Waiting to build....
A Boost Glider. It's got a rocket bedy which provides the power to lift it (hopefully) to ~800 feet, then the rocket part detaches and the glider cruises down gracefully (hopefully).
Estes Mean Machine, Estes #1295
78.8" tall and 1.64" wide with a 24" parachute.
Designed to fly only on D12-5 ("600 ft")
I'll probably upscale that to either fly on 24 mm D & E engines or 29 mm engines (E, F & beyond). The current Mean Machine flies on D & E engines and can go 700 feet. The current model comes with a nice twist lock coupler in the middle so you don't have to leave a car window open to transport this rocket. I'll call Estes to see if they sell the coupler separately...
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