Designers: Michael Poss & John Simmance

Production Years: 1971-1974

Retail Pricing Range: $3.00-$3.50

Rarity: Moderately Rare

Description: Facecard is typical double panel design paired with yellow double oval hangtag. The upper facecard panel is brown color with overlaid static Sandhawk rocket in white, gray and black colors. Pricing ($3.25) is white letters contained within a black oval. The kit name is shown with white letters. The lower panel provides kit number, kit specifications and engine recommendations. Interestingly, the 1972 and 1973 Estes catalogs list the Sandhawk price at $3.00 after a debut pricing of $3.25 in the 1971 catalog. Are there K-51 kits with two panel facecards with $3.00 printed in the pricing oval to match the pricing in the 1972 and 1973 catalogs? Collectors should check this possibility.

Hang Tag (Header Card) Guide

The Sandhawk is a well detailed semi-scale model (1/10th scale) based on injection modeled plastic nose cone, tail section, fins and payload section. Since the kit's inception, Estes offered a replacement plastic parts kit in all catalogs. Recovery is via dual parachutes for payload and main body. The Sandhawk is basically a 24mm D engine powered model but can be flown on 18mm engines with Estes' EM2050 adapter.

Kit Contents: The Sandhawk kit contains plastic nose cone halves and tail section halves, four plastic fins and two payload section halves, a paper main body tube, 24mm engine mount, 12" antenna wire, 18"and 12" parachutes, launch lug and instructions.

Availability: The early K-51 Sandhawk kit with yellow double oval hang tag and red two panel facecard is much more difficult to locate than the more common skill level version but carries no premium based on 2008 through 2011 eBay results. This kit is considered to be moderately rare and could require a multi year time horizon for locating a problem free example. Due to the long facecard length, curling can be a problem and should be checked when considering a purchase.

Additional information can be found at the following links;

JimZ Kit Plan Link: Estes K-51

Specifications: Length 30.1", Weight 5.0 oz, Diameter 1.325"

Recommended 24 mm Engine: D12-5

With EM2050 Adaptor: B4-2, C6-3 but B4-2 would be considerably under powered engine for a 5.0 oz model

Estes Catalog Artwork

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