BAR Fleet- #114 Astron Alpha

An Alpha – At Long Last !!

 

I just happened to have this Estes PNC-50K nose cone rattling around for the past year in my parts box.  Whatever should I build with this component?  Heck, why not an Alpha?  Every model rocketeer should have one of these famous, historic birds in their fleet, even if it is a standard 3FNC beginner’s model. 

The Alpha became a side project to be worked on alongside the Lunar Patrol, a Satellite Interceptor, and others.

It’s funny, but I never owned an Alpha back in my old fleet days spanning 1973-1984. It was even the very first model rocket plan I ever laid eyes on as a 13 year old kid.  I had just come home from visiting NARAM-11 in August of 1969, and had a brand new ‘69 Estes catalog in hand – obtained directly from the Estes vendor table at that event.  In the center of the catalog was a Model Rocket Manual that contained plans, diagrams, and parts lists for building an Alpha.  And, of course, page 11 of the catalog showed the complete kit, which could be had for a mere buck-fifty.

For this BAR-era build of the Alpha, I went with the plans as published in that long-ago catalog.  Except that I used a plastic nose cone which wasn’t introduced in the production kits until much later. 

One other thing I have done differently on this model is the use of 1/16” basswood for the fins rather than balsa.  I plan to log a LOT of flights on this bird, and the stronger fins will hold up much better to all the use and abuse.  Plus, they are so much easier with the grain filling and sealing process.

As with all of my model builds, I also substitute a longer shock cord made from sewing elastic, as opposed to the short rubber cord specified in the plans.

As for the paint pattern, I am really not going with any of the versions illustrated in Estes literature or kit face cards, but I did stay faithful in sticking to that old standard ‘retro’ look. 

The decals are home-prints which include an image of the old ‘Astron’ logo.

I didn't document the build on this bird except for one photo of the model in primer.

 

The Alpha is definitely a nice addition to the growing fleet!