Show us your oldest model rocket - that's still flying.

Was doing some cleaning in the basement and opened some hobby bins....found a couple.
I know you guys got a bunch to show.

Most of what I built as a youth before high school got traded (Astron Sprite,Scout Gyroc), sold for more hobby money (Estes Little Joe II), stolen at a show and tell at school (Estes V-2-the smaller one) ) or given to my younger brother and/or met a glorious end one fourth of July (don't ask).

The Astron Sprint was built in college one summer break - 1974 when several of us got back in the Hobby - when those D motors first came out.
(I'd show the Maxi Brute V-2 built the same time, but it met a fiery end the first launch due to a D CATO).
The Sprint has the yellow/black Testors military flat paint job...that's all the little LHS had.
The decal...never put it on and it sure shows the age.
Launched in the local park on an A-8-3 two years ago. The orange crepe streamer is long gone but the rest is the original.


The Estes shuttle was built around 1981...flew at the same local park. That little shuttle is very brittle plastic now, but still glides.

I like the Astron Sprint cool paint job. My oldest flyer is relatively new at about two years old , a Quest Striker AGM. Similar to you I also didn't put any decals on it.

My very first rocket I built as a kid (I think '84). Just flew it this last year, still a nice straight flyer. Only thing done to it is replace the old rotten shock cord.

Estes Big Der Red Max built around 1979.

This is my 1/100th scale Centuri Little Joe II that I built in 1973.
It was the first Centuri kit I built.
The model's latest flight was at NARAM-51 in 2009.

Initiator001 said:

This is my 1/100th scale Centuri Little Joe II that I built in 1973.
It was the first Centuri kit I built.
The model's latest flight was at NARAM-51 in 2009.

Click to expand...

Nice ! I wished I had one back then.

MRI Wac Corporal
Original Estes k36 Saturn V
and 1/70th Saturn 1b

Hmmmmm.....I have a K-31 Star Blazer (the original that used 18mm "S" motors) from my first rocket period in the late 1960s-early 1970s. It's flyable (though the shock cord would be of concern) but has not been flown since I returned to rocketry about 9 years ago. I should get it down off the shelf and take a picture of it - if you all promise not to laugh at my finishing skills from back then).

I also have a simple BT-20-based original design streamer model that survives from that period which has been flown once or twice since I've BAR'd.

I have an Estes "Russian SCUD" from the 1970's that I fly once a year. I don't have a photo.