Phantom 4000 dilemma

You can always ask. If it's been sitting around so long that the price tag is faded, he may be glad to turn it over for a reduced price instead of holding out for $170 someday - especially on an item that's out of the general line of interest of his usual customers.

-dave w

SCORE! I'd gotten mine for $70 in my local hobby shop about two years ago. The pad was crap, but the controller and rocket were awesome.

I'd say he'd likely want to get rid of it, so ask him if you can negotiate the price with him.

Jason

Me? I'd try to talk the guy down if it was a brand new, 2005 edition Dr. Rocket commemorative motor case. But seriously, I think I'd ask for a discount just because it's been opened. In fact, I'd want a peek inside to check for all the peices.

steve

You guys are paying way too much for that NCR stuff with the off spec tubes. I just cloned the Phantom 4000 rocket with a 38mm mount as a special order for one of my customers. Thicker fins, thicker walled tubing, correctly sized tubes, no cheap plastic centering rings, or cheezy plastic motor retaining clip that breaks easily..

My first mid power kit was an NCR Eliminator. Overpriced junk.

Mike Fisher Binder Design

ROFL. I see you "understand" NCR product just fine :)

Old NCR or NCR by Estes? The former is certainly more valuable.

The Estes pad is junk, but the controller is OK. The couple I got were Hobby Lobby half price and then HL closeout. But I don't recall them ever being $170, even retail.

Bob Kaplow NAR # 18L TRA # "Impeach the TRA BoD" >>> To reply, remove the TRABoD!

So why such nostalgia for the brand?

(I did once obtain and fire a couple of the F composite NCR/Estes motors... _they_ were rather nice, I must say.)

-dave w

That's because they were essentially Vulcan motors.

You know the ones TRA/Rogers/Kelly vilified so much.

So you weren't their only target? What was their fuss about with respect to Vulcan?

-dave w

Estes/Vulcan having heard AT was shipping RMS all over the place with no DOT approvals took it upon themselves to perform an "internal test" on "reloads" and submitted that video to the NFPA sport rocket caucus (the good old boy committee central supreme) on which it sits and who allegedly oversees manufacturer abuses. No action was taken against AT for actual abuses.

But the same committee falsified charges of motor relabeling that never occured against USR (at least that is the rumor 10 years later) (at the time no such formal charges were braought. The motors were mysteriously decertified with no notice or cause stated).

Jerry

I found an NCR/Estes X-Wing at a Hobby Town last year. It was also dusty and the price tag was fading. With a little talking I got it for $40. It had never been opened.

So it never hurts to try and talk the price down.

Karl Perry QUARK, Cincinnati, OH

It was NCR by Estes. With the flavor of replies, I think I'll start the haggling at about 50 bucks. -Scott

More to the point, the box that was claimed to be reloads was propellant shavings laced with BP. It burned real good. I'd like to see a similar test done with Estes propellant in the same particle size distribution.

Bob Kaplow NAR # 18L TRA # "Impeach the TRA BoD" >>> To reply, remove the TRABoD!