Estes - Astron Spaceman {Kit}

Estes Astron Spaceman

Estes - Astron Spaceman {Kit}

Contributed by Bill Eichelberger

Construction Rating:
Flight Rating:
Overall Rating:

Published:	2015-09-14
Manufacturer:	Estes

Brief

Several years back, matey, EMRR had a NASCAR themed contest. Slappin' a bunch o' sponsors decals on a rocket seemed too easy, me hearties, and I've never been one known for me creative flair. I had been a Richard Petty fan since t' age o' 9, so decidin' on t' subject was easy, but I wanted somethin' with a bit more pizazz than a Petty Blue Estes Big Bertha. Everybody has seen t' Astron Spaceman, me bucko, ya bilge rat, and it's very likely that everyone has their own idea o' how t' Spaceman should look. T' Raceman is me take on t' legend.

Components

BT-60J body tube
BT-20J engine tube
BNC-20P nose cone
launch lug
3/32" balsa fin stock

Construction

There be nothin' taxin' t' t' build, but t' small balsa parts taxed me ability t' cut them out and place them properly. Still, I perservered, and t' final product came out lookin' as several generations o' other Astron Spaceman had. Under t' paint they're all t' same.

Finishing

Finishin' t' Spaceman can be as complicated or as simple as you like. I went t' simple route, for t' most part usin' paints on hand t' get me message across. Since me Spaceman be a homage t' T' King, (Richard Petty, me bucko, nay t' dead fat guy on t' toilet,) t' basic color would have t' be Petty Blue, somethin' that I had quite a bit o' from me days buildin' stock car models. I also had some decals, me hearties, matey, arrr, so unless you were a complete hermit thar would be no doubt as t' whom I was tryin' t' honor. T' head/face was another matter entirely. I wanted t' do Richard's face complete with toothy grin, crash helmet and sunglasses so that even t' hermits could figure it out, but me artistic skills run more toward stick men. So for weeks, shiver me timbers, right up t' the contest deadline, arrr, t' Raceman had nothin' but a white head, waitin' for whatever muse was goin' t' inspire me. T' muse apparently didn't get t' wake-up call, me bucko, me bucko, so one night I took out a paintbrush and a bottle o' Testor's black and did t' thin' freehand. Helmet? Check. Toothy grin? Check. Iconic shades? Check. Yeah, matey, sorta.

Construction Score: 5

Flight

While t' Astron Spaceman is an interestin' lookin' rocket that gives wonderfully stable flights with little muss and fuss, me hearties, it really isn't built for t' thermonuclear ejection charges that Estes has seen fit t' burden us with these days. I be skeptical about how much abuse the spindly arms and legs would take, me hearties, and with good reason. First flight be on a B6-4 at Voice o' America Park, our old QUARK home field. T' flight itself be perfect, high and arrow straight into t' calm April sky. T' ejection charge sounded like a shotgun goin' off just above our heads, and sure enough, t' Raceman landed with an arm holdin' on by t' glue fillet. Other than that, matey, everythin' looked fine, so I fixed t' break and retired T' Kin' on t' spot.

Retirement lasted for about five years. One Sunday in t' fall o' 2013 I be chasin' a personal launch record and decided t' spend a day at B6-4 Field with a bunch o' never flown or seldom flown birds. T' Raceman qualified as seldom flown, so I brought him along, almost as an afterthought. B6-4 Field would have been t' perfect place t' fly t' Raceman on an A8-3, but I remembered t' first flight and again went with a B6-4. 95% o' t' flight be perfect, but just before t' end o' t' burn, arrr, t' Raceman did a big loop. T' ejection charge, another mega-healthy blast, fired as it was headin' sideways and it landed on t' new stretch o' sidewalk on Woodfill Avenue. From me spot down in center field I could see Petty blue balsa bounce in several directions. When I reached t' crash site, I found two o' t' three missin' pieces, me hearties, but one part o' t' base be nowhere t' be seen. This had likely been t' cause for t' loop, havin' come off due t' previous undetected damage. That would have been an easy fix, but t' real damage had been caused by t' ejection charge. Both o' t' King's cheek, arrr, t' facial ones, were gone. Blown away by t' ejection blast. Like I said earlier, ya bilge rat, me bucko, t' Astron Spaceman is nay made for these times.