late 60's Estes trivia
satyr
Anyone else remember the premiums you could get for ordering Estes
products in the late 60's and early 70's? Not only did Estes pay the
shipping but you could get a free fit for orders over $5 or $10! For
$5 you could get a Gyroc helicopter recovery model or a Falcon boost
glider. I always got the former because it wasn't as a regular
catalog item. I can't remember what the $10 premium was.
I also recall getting free plans for a two stage model called the
Double Trouble. I actually built on of these. It used a larger
diameter BT for the first stage and an engine sized tube for the
second. The first stage had three fins and the second had six little
ones that fit into grooves in the first stage tube. I think the
second stage used an S(hort) engine or at least I built mine that way.
Estes sold a 75 cent kit called the Spaceman which looked like an
astronaut with his hands on his waist. The catalog description read,
"The most controversial model yet. Some feel he's a disgrace to the
sport, others say he does an important job in showing that a rocket
doesn't have to look like a rocket to fly well" Apparently the
controversy was too much for Estes since this was the first Estes
model to be discontinued (AFAIK) in the early 70's.
I have '68 catalogs from both Estes and Centuri if anyone has any
questions about that era.
Richard Rondeau
Ah yes! The Double Trouble. I built mine in 1969; called it "Dosvedonia
Czar" because the stlyling just felt Soviet to me. More recently (?) in
about '91 I found the plans reprinted in a chapter about model rocketry in
a Las Cruces NM library book about model planes. I am not sure of the
title. I am thinking of one book that is here in the Eugene library, but I
do not think it is the same one. I will check.
The new incarnation of the Double Trouble is on the shelf, named
for my daughter-the "Shenoa Sage Two Stage".
Richard Rondeau NAR #54144
"most 'hobby shop' hobbies revolve around scale modeling"
quote from "Mr Scale"
"the poster is simply a poser when spelling in English and knows more
than nothing of Russian"
On Fri, 13 Feb 1998, satyr wrote:
(SNIP)>
Stephen DeArman
satyr wrote:
>
> Anyone else remember the premiums you could get for ordering Estes
> products in the late 60's and early 70's? Not only did Estes pay the
> shipping but you could get a free fit for orders over $5 or $10! For
> $5 you could get a Gyroc helicopter recovery model or a Falcon boost
> glider. I always got the former because it wasn't as a regular
> catalog item. I can't remember what the $10 premium was.
>
> Double Trouble. I actually built on of these. It used a larger
> diameter BT for the first stage and an engine sized tube for the
> second. The first stage had three fins and the second had six little
> ones that fit into grooves in the first stage tube. I think the
> second stage used an S(hort) engine or at least I built mine that way.
>
> astronaut with his hands on his waist. The catalog description read,
> "The most controversial model yet. Some feel he's a disgrace to the
> sport, others say he does an important job in showing that a rocket
> doesn't have to look like a rocket to fly well" Apparently the
> controversy was too much for Estes since this was the first Estes
> model to be discontinued (AFAIK) in the early 70's.
>
> I have '68 catalogs from both Estes and Centuri if anyone has any
> questions about that era.
I remember all that. We used to get Green Stamps at the gas
station and grocery store too. I bet one day they'll start charging
admission to both just to window shop.
Trust No One,
Randy
Bob Mulroy
satyr wrote:
> I have '68 catalogs from both Estes and Centuri if anyone has any
> questions about that era.
Could you post some of those "basement bomber" stories
that Vern Estes used to put in his catalog? I remember my
puerile fascination when I read "David watched helplessly while
little Johnny bled to death..."
--
Bob Mulroy - micro LISA farmer and Chief Silverback Alpha Geek.
"Accordions don't play "Lady of Spain" -People do!"
JMoore5196
Estes offered a couple of kits as premiums that, as far as I know, didn't
appear in the catalog. One was the Stinger (not the same as the recent
incarnation) which I got with my Electro-Launch starter set for Christmas in
1969. Hobby shops were allowed to give the kits away as well.
Buzz McDermott
satyr wrote:
>
> <lots of interesting comments about late sixties rockets....>
All of the premiums varied with issues of Model Rocket News, special
advertising catalog supplements and such.
Gyroc plans:
http://www.dars.org/jimz/k-24.htm
Falcon plans:
http://www.dars.org/jimz/k-13.htm
Want to build another Double Trouble? The plans are located at:
http://www.dars.org/jimz/eirp_30.htm
The Spaceman complete plans, including templates are at:
http://www.dars.org/jimz/k-09.htm
[Note: Balsa Machining Services now sells the nose cone]
Would you believe the Estes 68-70 and Centuri 69 catalogs have been
completely scanned and placed online?
Check them out at:
http://www.dars.org/jimz/new.htm
If you haven't noticed a pattern, all of these plans and scans are
available from the JimZ Hobbies Classic Rocket Plans web site. A
wonderful place to surf to on the net when you are in one of those
rocket-nastalgia moods.
Jim is doing a wonderful job, and he is already considerably behind
getting all that he has been sent posted. BUT HE STILL NEEDS MORE!!
The original goal of the site was to post the numbered Free Rocket Plans
Estes used to distribute, along with plans for the old 'K' series rocket
kits. The site has grown in scope and content to where it is the most
complete archive of classic model rocket plans ANYWHERE!
But the site is still not complete. There are still missing plans,
templates, decals, and such for a number of the K series kits. Will
everyone with collections of old rocket plans, decals, opened kits,
etc., PLEASE check out the JimZ site and see if there isn't something
you could add. PLEASE!! Help make this great site even better.
Buzz "I Love those old plans" McDermott
Dallas, Texas
NAR 13559 TRA 1785 L2
jordan soldier valley
>I have '68 catalogs from both Estes and Centuri if anyone has any
>questions about that era.
Well I'm a Centuri buff, but I don't know much about model rocketry before
the '70s (when I first got into the hobby), so can anybody explain the
history of how Coaster, Mini-Max, and Enerjet dovetail into Centuri?
-DGH-
Jmpngtiger
I remember that too. Estes would send hand-written replies to your letters
answering any questions you had asked. If a part was used in a kit, it was
available as a catalog item.
My first kit was the Scout. Then I built the Apogee II, the Farside,
the Falcon, the X-Ray, and the Sprite. And many homebrewed designs from parts
in the catalog. We also had catalogs and purchased from Centuri, Prodyne,
Coaster, RDC, and (can you remember) Unijet.
The engine making machine was called "Mable", Model Rocket News came regularly
in the mailbox, we waited patiently while production problems we're solved on
the Camroc, and G. Harry Stine was the rocket guru.
The address was Box 227 Penrose Colo 81240. I still have it memorized.
jt
satyr
On Fri, 13 Feb 1998 06:45:16 -0600, Bob Mulroy <rmu...@ix.netcom.com>
wrote:
>satyr wrote:
>
>> I have '68 catalogs from both Estes and Centuri if anyone has any
>> questions about that era.
>
> Could you post some of those "basement bomber" stories
>that Vern Estes used to put in his catalog? I remember my
>puerile fascination when I read "David watched helplessly while
>little Johnny bled to death..."
Actually the "basement bomber" stories were a separate sheet (I only
recall one version) and was not part of the catalog, at least during
the years I recall. The most common scenario was loading match heads
into a CO2 cartridge. A picture of a shredded cartridge was included
as well as an "evil scientist" drawing.
satyr
>>I have '68 catalogs from both Estes and Centuri if anyone has any
>>questions about that era.
>
>Well I'm a Centuri buff, but I don't know much about model rocketry before
>the '70s (when I first got into the hobby), so can anybody explain the
>history of how Coaster, Mini-Max, and Enerjet dovetail into Centuri?
>
>-DGH-
>
I'm afraid I wasn't as interested with Centuri at the time (even
though my first kit was a Javelin/Launcher Starter kit complete with
an asbestos pad protector and 3 engines for $6.95). I also built a
6-fin Recruiter and a Black Widow two stage which had booster fins
bigger than any I ever put on a rocket before or since. They claimed
it glided. I put a black parachute on mine.
The '68 catalog lists the regular engines (1/4A through C) and "all
new" mini-max engines in D through F. EB (end burning) and PB (port
burning) versions were available as well as PB boosters. There were
no total impulse figures listed for the mini-max engines. I never
heard of Coaster or Enerjet so they must have come later or been
dropped earlier.
Tom Binford
satyr wrote:
>
>
> The '68 catalog lists the regular engines (1/4A through C) and "all
> new" mini-max engines in D through F. EB (end burning) and PB (port
> burning) versions were available as well as PB boosters. There were
> no total impulse figures listed for the mini-max engines. I never
> heard of Coaster or Enerjet so they must have come later or been
> dropped earlier.
These were composite motors and replaced the Mini-Max line. Enerjets
were discontinued in 1973.
Roy Green
"jordan soldier valley" <jord...@netins.net> wrote:
>>I have '68 catalogs from both Estes and Centuri if anyone has any
>>questions about that era.
>
>Well I'm a Centuri buff, but I don't know much about model rocketry before
>the '70s (when I first got into the hobby), so can anybody explain the
>history of how Coaster, Mini-Max, and Enerjet dovetail into Centuri?
>
>-DGH-
>
Coaster was a company that made a couple of large black powder motors
they called "Atlas" and "Hercules". This company merged with Centuri
in 67 or 68 and the line's name was changed to "Mini-Max" and the
designations were changed to standard NAR-speak. Rocket Development
Corporation made a
composite motor called the Enerjet-8, and some larger motors for
university research rockets. This company merged with Centuri in 1969
as a division called Enerjet, and made composite motors "easily"
available for the first time. Centuri dropped the Mini-Max line a
couple of years later, and the Enerjet line a couple of years after
that.
>
--------
Roy Green, Atlanta
NAR #12605
http://roygreen.home.mindspring.com/
to reply by E-mail, remove the 'xxx' from the address given
The Bair
I have the plans here for the Double Trouble, and I'll copy them and send
them out to anyone that would like them.
I was digging through some of my old stuff and found a few old plans from
Estes. I remember you could order them for some small amount if you wished.
I'll put up a list of these plans if anyone is interested.
--------
If our brains were simple enough for us to understand, we would be too
simple to understand them.
**the...@CETLink.net**
http://www.trailerpark.com/phase2/thebair/
Richard Rondeau wrote in message ...
> Ah yes! The Double Trouble. I built mine in 1969; called it "Dosvedonia
>Czar" because the stlyling just felt Soviet to me. More recently (?) in
>about '91 I found the plans reprinted in a chapter about model rocketry in
>a Las Cruces NM library book about model planes. I am not sure of the
>title. I am thinking of one book that is here in the Eugene library, but I
>do not think it is the same one. I will check.
> The new incarnation of the Double Trouble is on the shelf, named
>for my daughter-the "Shenoa Sage Two Stage".
>
>On Fri, 13 Feb 1998, satyr wrote:
>(SNIP)>
>
>>