The Alpha Before the Alpha....

The year was 1959. The country was space-crazy and Scientific Products released one of the coolest toys ever. You see, before Estes had the Alpha, Scientific Products had the Alpha-1.

The Alpha-1 wasn't a solid fuel rocket. It used liquid fuel and powdered oxidizer. (vinegar and baking soda). It featured a remote launcher and was made of sturdy all-American plastic!

I had seen these for sale on eBay from time to time, but it wasn't until fellow DARS member Bob Melton brought one to sell at the DARS flea market a couple of weeks ago that I saw one in person. Actually, I did more than look at it...I bought it! (Bob had two so he was willing to let one go).

So now I will share it with you! Here, in all its glory, is the Alpha-1!

The box art is fantastic!

I think I like the side just as much!

All the info you need on the manufacturer...

Inside the box, the contents are displayed nicely with a back card photo...

Safety first!

I love the "fuel crate."

In case Mom got concerned...

The fuel comes in "barrels."

The secret of the remote launcher...a spring loaded hook and a pull string.

The motor is a mixing port for the fuel.

The instructions are even cool!

Great ideas for how to use your rocket!

I like the illustrations...

...and a little bit of history.

So, there you have it! I'd like to thank Bob for hooking me up with this beauty!

Until next time, fly 'em fast and high!

Flight of the Corny 7

This week I'm featuring an item that George Sprague emailed me. Here ya go!

Yep, it's the Corny 7 rocket, by Kellogg's Corn Flakes! Now, if I were to date this thing, I would probably put it in the early 1960's, right in the middle of the Mercury Program. The giveaways are the Mercury capsule and the fact that they tacked a "7" onto "Corny" to make it like the other Mercury missions (I don't think anyone was fooled into thinking "Corny" was ever a real mission) 

The rocket seems straightforward enough. The capsule was removed and the parachute was folded. The blue tube was almost completely slid out from the white tube. The parachute was stuffed into the white tube and the capsule was replaced. A countdown probably happened and then...WHAM!  The blue tube was shoved into the white tube and the capsule and parachute flew up into the air, where they then came floating softly back down again.

Or, you forgot about the parachute and launched the capsule at your little brother.

Either way, you were in for an afternoon of fun! (until little bro' told Mom, anyway...) Such were the simple joys of simple toys. That .35 would be about 2.85 in today's money, and I think it would be worth it. 

By the way, I checked eBay for both "Corny 7" and "Kelloggs Rocket" and nothing came up, so these might be fairly rare. You might want to keep your eyes peeled for one (unless your brother already has one, in which case keeping your eyes closed might be a better idea...) Thanks, George, for the fun!

Until next time, fly 'em fast and high!