From: mckiou@cbnewse.cb.att.com (kevin.w.mckiou)
Subject: RCHTA - Chicago Model Hobby Show
Organization: AT&T
Date: Thu, 5 Nov 1992 23:48:55 GMT


OK. At the request of Mike Jungclas I'll try to remember all the relevant
rocket stuff I saw at RCHTA - Chicago Model Hobby Show.

Kevin

Estes:

Astrocam is back.  Price is $25.95 or $29.95 (anyway a significant
savings over the old price).  It is also better.  It now will use ASA 200
film cartages, the lense/mirror unit is preassembled and the lense is optical
grade plastic - what a deal!

There is a for-real helicopter (ala NAR rosarock - I think) model.  The
helicopter blades are attached to the nose cone which is pushed forward
releasing the blades from a retainer ring at the bottom - cute.  Qualified
flights for everyone!

Big Bertha has a snazzy new futuristic black paint job. 

All skill level 1 kits have new paint jobs - even the mosquito.

F14 rocket glider - cool.  Wings are swept back for boost.  Ejection charge
opens a trumpet valve which pulls a pin that releases the wings for glide
return. $9.95, I think

BTW, there seems to be a significant effort to reduce prices.  I don't know
if that holds for existing kits, but all the new kits were surprisingly 
inexpensive - about time!

Astroblaster now has a motor mount for a .049 model airplane engine as a
standard part of the kit.  It plugs into the rocket motor mount.  Apparently
more ABs have been sold to RC airplane bugs than rocket bugs and they keep
asking for this mod.  Mike Hellmund told me the AB has sold more units than
any other RC kit (of any kind) in 1992 - they were most pleased.  No mention
of price.  Probably the same since it's so popular.

Maxi Honest John.  Very nice scale rocket about 2 feet long (~BT80).  I
want to say the price is $14.95.  But, I'm almost sure it's < $20.  I remember
being surprised.

Jayhawk.  Another very nice scale rocket about 2 feet long.  Heavy wall
tubing.  Again, I'm pretty sure it is < $20.

Terrier-Sandhawk.  My favorite of the show.  Beautiful detail on the Sandhawk
upper stage.  I think this is close to 4' long - but my memory is foggy.
It is built as a single stage rocket that can be launched with the upper stage
(Sandhawk) only or with the Sandhawk attached to the lower stage Terrier (which
is thick wall tubing, BTW).  It is obvious from the design and talking with
Hellmund that they expect people to add their own staging electronics
to turn it into a real two stage - looked like a real steal at $29.95.

I don't remember much other Estes stuff.  Though, I know they had many more
level 1 and 2 kits that were new.  Mike Jungclas seemed to remember that
they also had many more boost gliders.

Ohh...they are coming out with E,F, G motors in March (?).  Mike H. told
me that they would have an E10-P for the AB.


Quest:

I was a bit underwhelmed.  It looked like the same stuff they had the year
before except for an educational project.  They are kitting the McDonnell
Douglas single stage to orbit vehicle (forget what it is called) as an
educational project.  They hope to have the kits in 100s/1000s of kids
hands at the time the full scale vehicle is launched.  Then they can
have a simulataneous launch with the big bird.  Cute idea.  The model
that they were showing wasn't much to look at though.  But, they did
have a nice science program worked out.


HobbyLab (Doug Pratt of SFA):

F14 RCBG - Waaaayyyy Cooool.  It should be for $189.  I think it comes in
6 preformed high-strength plastic pieces which you assemble.  Looks just like
the real thing.  The main body is ~3' long.  There is a pop-pod motor mount
on the bottom.  It launches with the wings swept back and when the ejection
charge blows, the wings swing out for >50" wing span.  He claims they have
thermaled it.  That might be possible since the glide weight is
supposed  to be 20 oz.

MD-80 RCRG (or RCBG not sure since the motor mount is IN the rear of the
fuselage).  I seem to remember that it is outfitted in something like
American Airlines colors.  Real interesting to see a 2-3 ft *airliner*
rip off the pad (they had videos).  It seemed to fly really well.

AeroTech:

I was disappointed.  They had nothing new except the AstroBee D which they
have finally released - Fighting city hall can be expensive <ouch>.  Though,
Gary Rosenfield told George Riebesehl that they were coming out with an
E6 reload for ~$4 (when this DOT thing is resolved).  Gary and Bob Sanford
didn't look like particularly happy campers (but it was at the end of a long
week).

North Coast Rocketry:

Matt Steele is now full time - left Morton Thiokol.  He said he is
manufacturing the MD-80 for H-L (which explains why he had one in his
display).  The big news was a scale RC Space Shuttle.  It looks just
like the real thing on the pad - boosters, fuel tank and orbiter.  Most
of it is made of molded high-density bead foam - like the Avatar.  It
looks great from 10'.  It's going to be some work to cover and finish
smoothly - though it can be.  The motor mount is in the main fuel tank sort
of snugged up to the orbiter.  Apparently at ejection, the main fuel tank
and boosters return under a parachute and the Orbiter is flown home with
your trusty RC system.  Gee.  Somebody finally make one.  I think the price
is around $60 (per Mike Jungclas).  It is about 2' long.

Northern Illinois Rocketry Association:

NIRA had a booth and handed out newsletters and other rocket info.  On display
were Lu Droppa's World Championship Gold Medal winning RCRG, a big poster
photo of George Riebesehl's Silver Medal model, Ben Roberto's 7th place
model plus a bunch of other competition and sport rockets.

NIRA conducted the Consumer Rocketry Seminar on Saturday and Sunday for the
3rd year in a row.  Boy, you wouldn't believe how many ways you can screw
up construction of an Estes Bandit <G>.

Tripoli:

Tripoli had a booth just one over from NIRA's with a 6' fiberglass V-2
scale model.  I assume this was John Boron's work since it looked like
the same model (different paint job) that he brought to MRFF.  I seem
to remember that it takes something like 8 lb of nose weight and a J motor
to move it.  BTW, John was there DRESSED IN A SUIT - looked like he
was taking it pretty seriously <G>.  They also had a few other rockets
on display and were showing interesting prange videos.

Radios for RCRG:

Nothing new.  I still think the Futaba 2V ($46 in Tower) is the perfect
starter set.  It comes with the R112 Rx with weighs 20g with the case and
12 g without the case.  Seems to have decent range too.  Nobody had any
new micro receivers.

The most exciting thing was 50 mah and 80 mah Rx battery packs for $9
and $10 respectively.  Available from E. H. Yost & Co. (608) 643-3194.


Composite Materials:

Nobody at the show had much.  I didn't see Aerospace Composites or
Composite Structures.

Sailplanes:

Oops.  Off the subject <G>  Disappointing too.  Hobby Lobby, Robbe and
Ace had a few.  Really wanted to see Northeast Sailplane Products but
they weren't in attendance.
From: bo@hpfcmgw.FC.HP.COM (Bo Viger)
Date: Mon, 9 Nov 1992 17:44:42 GMT
Subject: Re: some questions on winter flying
Organization: HP Fort Collins, CO