Another Day in Paradise

Roddie, the Estes website is still active. I believe they are now a part of the Hobbico consortium (AKA Tower Hobbies). I searched http://www.estesrockets.com/ and their downloadable 2014 catalog, but unfortunately the SR-71 rocket kit or ARF is no longer manufactured.

You are correct, but it can be found on Amazon of all places. Also still carried by hobby shops.

Ron

there are several awesome rc S R 71 VIDS on youtube

Thanks guys! There's also the model rocket community that may provide plans to build the aircraft in larger scale... but it would be fun to build a smaller "A" sized rocket engine powered version that would glide down for recovery.. but that poses a lot of balance issues though. You'd want a circular glide-path.. so any rudder(s) would need to deflect at (or after) the apex of the cruise stage.. but be neutral during the ascent. Maybe a motor with an ejection-charge could be utilized to deflect rudders or a spoiler?

sorry Dad.. I didn't intend to start a model rocket discussion..

...my kid just built a rocket yesterday, after "discovering" a couple kits and about a dozen motors on the basement!

OVERLORD wrote:

roddie wrote:Thanks guys! There's also the model rocket community that may provide plans to build the aircraft in larger scale... but it would be fun to build a smaller "A" sized rocket engine powered version that would glide down for recovery.. but that poses a lot of balance issues though. You'd want a circular glide-path.. so any rudder(s) would need to deflect at (or after) the apex of the cruise stage.. but be neutral during the ascent. Maybe a motor with an ejection-charge could be utilized to deflect rudders or a spoiler?

sorry Dad.. I didn't intend to start a model rocket discussion..  

I don't know if a RC version would do...

http://www.outerzone.co.uk/plan_details.asp?ID=6111

Radical!! We just had a discussion here on pusher-design.

Here's a good book about the Blackbird, got a copy at Duxton this summer:

http://www.amazon.com/SR-71-Revealed-The-Inside-Story/dp/0760301220

Lots of good info, interesting technical stuff (for airplane-geek engineering types like myself anyway ), stories and anecdotes about the life with the 'birds and missions they flew.

I would like to read about the missions they flew in Soviet airspace, this author claims they stayed in the international territory all the time (Yeah right), although he tells he saw many times MiGs chasing them far below. The political situations that led to the whole program would be interesting too but maybe they are subjects for another book.

An RC model of the blackbird would be cool. Maybe with double ducted electric fans. Or maybe a control line one with two pulse jets I would need to get someone else to fly it though, I would throw up in about 8 seconds at that speed

Cribbs74 wrote:You are correct, but it can be found on Amazon of all places. Also still carried by hobby shops. Ron

Quantities are very limited. I checked Amazon, but item was indicated as discontinued and out of stock.

Amazon: Estes SR-71 Kit

Other places, YMMV. Once gone, they are gone.

You are correct. I saw a couple the other day, not sure where they went. I count 8 on Ebay though.

Cribbs74 wrote:You are correct. I saw a couple the other day, not sure where they went. I count 8 on Ebay though.

I'm sure that if one really wants one, they can find at the right price if they are patient. I managed to find Estes Star Wars X-Wing and Y-Wing .049 CL kits 6 years ago at a hobby shop in Denver at 1/2 off clearance ($14 each). Closest I have would be the House of Balsa Stealth Sport, a pseudo F-117 stealth fighter with 32 inch (813 mm) wingspan for .049 reed valve, but that is for RC.

With rocket motors at about $3 per pop has basically put them out of my range of what I'd be willing to spend, especially since much of New Mexico is under fire watch most of the year and finding a place to fly them is getting harder.