Yep! The cover is enough to set any Apollo scale modeler's heart a-flutter! You could actually get the Little Joe II, the Saturn IB, and the Saturn V with one quick order to Estes! Granted, you can get two of the three now (and the Little Joe II is arguably better) but can you get...THIS?
Or THIS???
Yep, the Space Shuttle (which, when trimmed well actually did fly great) and the Titan IIIE certainly upped the bar!
In addition, Estes offered the Bull Pup, the Iris, the SR-71 Blackbird, the Phoenix, and the Black Brant II! 1991 was a good year for scale....
Hopefully, we are slowly moving back in that direction. I have the Little Joe II and Saturn V kits in my build pile, so things are looking up!
Until next time, fly 'em fast and high!
Yeah . . . 1991, I remember it well !
ReplyDelete16 years earlier, in 1975, the 1/70 SATURN-1B kit sold for $11.00 and the 1/100 Saturn V was $17.00
In 1991, the 1/70 SATURN-1B sold for $40.00 and the Estes SATURN V was $50.00 . . . Not exactly what I call "doing scale right", especially since kids were losing interest in rocketry. ( The "future" of the hobby ).
Today, in 2017, the 1/100 "Estes" ( Centuri ) SATURN V lists for $100.00, but I found one "on sale", from Estes, on Amazon, for $65.00 with free shipping.
https://www.amazon.com/Estes-2157-Saturn-Flying-Rocket/dp/B003ODIF34/ref=sr_1_1
Raising prices dramatically, at that time, also drove many people away from Model Rocketry, due to the expense involved.
Practically every Estes kit ( and every other manufacturer for that matter ), with the exception of decals or vacu-formed wraps, can be scratchbuilt for a fraction of the "catalog price".
Off my "Soapbox" . . .
I agree that was also a "price explosion" point. Still, the selection was nice!
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