1969...Estes Style

I've been hitting history pretty hard for the past few posts, so I figured I'd keep it up!

1969 was a rather huge year for the space industry. We finally landed on the moon, and literally anything seemed possible. We didn't have to push STEM classes, because they were all the rage anyway. The future was bright, and science was leading us there...until the funding was cut and the public lost interest and everybody got stupid. Sorry....what was I talking about?

Oh yes, 1969! That year Estes published this catalog:

Inside this gem were some of the true classics of model rocket design. Let's take a look at a few pages, shall we?

Let's start off with a true classic. The Trident was cool because it took a simple concept and stuck tons of extra parts on it. You gotta love complexity for complexity's sake!

We had gone to the moon, so the next logical step was Mars. Estes had us covered with two of their most iconic birds!

Speaking of the moon, here are the beauties that got us there. These were the first generation models, so if you liked plastic parts, you were out of luck. These were so tough to build that many never got finished!

But that brings us to the "Scale-a-Palooza" section of the catalog. These models were, in a word, wonderful...

The end of the scale section featured the futuristic Orbital Transport. The design on this kit is timeless.

I had a Camroc. I took exactly one picture with it. I wish I still had it. I would take more and develop it myself....and don't try to tell me digital is better because I'm not going to listen to you. So there.

I included these just because I like them and I never owned either of them. I would imagine that getting the midget back might be tough...

In those days, Estes included a very comprehensive manual in their catalogs. The material still stands the test of time.

Ah, the little Birdie. I guess the Shuttlecock doesn't have the same ring to it. it used Series III motors, which were shorter than standard engines, while keeping the same diameter.

So there you have it. 1969 was a great time to be a model rocket nut! I didn't include nearly all of the models offered that year, so if I missed your faves, sorry!

Until next time, fly 'em fast and high!