What was the first rocket you ever launched?

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Since my return to rocketry I have been looking through old Estes and Centuri catalogs (on the internet) and remembering the 1970's. The first rocket I ever launched was an Estes Alpha III in 1974. It was painted black, the only color of paint we had in the garage, and the nosecone and fin unit were left orange. It lasted about 4 flights before I lost it.

Just thought I would ask, what was the first rocket you ever launched?
 
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Astron Skyhook. Foiled fins with Aerodope seal and waxed. "C" Altitude record for a bit-made the local paper!
 
Estes Alpha I think. It came in a Launch Set. It was Summer, 1986. Marshfeild, Mass.
 
Estes Alpha. 1967. I was 12 years old. It looked like crap, flew like crap, fin sheared off and I said, "I don't like that rocket." The next one went off without a hitch and I was hooked. Prolly was a Big Bertha.
 
Estes Astron Streak, 1968, disappeared on it's maiden launch.

The first rocket I ever saw launched was my brothers Saturn 1B also in 1968.
 
Estes Riptide. Took many tries to launch it. (Mostly due to bad timing and arriving at the field during a baseball game or bringing the wrong size plug:facepalm:).
 
SpaceX Falcon 9 with Dragon capsule.
Still have it and launch it every time I go out :)
 
Estes Goonybird Zoom Broom. I messed up the stock fins so I ended up cutting my own. Sprayed it black because it was the only spray paint in my dad's workshop. Looked nothing like the picture on the box but it flew nice.
 
Astron Sprite cir. 1969. Must have flown it 25 times before it finally got lost in the vineyards in Ontario next to the old OMS. It's probably buried underneath a housing development now...
 
Estes A-20 Demon in 1977 flew it 3 times on a D12-7. it was my introduction to model rocketry. If memory serves me right my second rocket was a Estes Wolverine.
 
First was an Estes WAC Corporal. Second Starship Vega. Both part of an AFJROTC sponsored afterschool program in 1975.

1969 built a Streak, and 1973 a Gyroc, but they never flew.
 
Scratch from Estes parts. Short 8" piece of BT20 with a balsa transition to 6" of BT5 with a streamer. I put it in a tree :(
 
Astron Streak on a 1/4A.8-4 (18 MM motor). Followed very closely by an Astron Sky Hook on an A8-3, both flights in May 1966.
 
Estes Alpha III. Not quite sure what eventually happened to it, still have the nose cone. Got another Alpha III to replace it for old times sake.
 
Astron Farside X C.8-0 to C.8-0 to B.8-6, 1967. After many tries with the bare nichrome igniters, it finally went, tipping horizontal at first stage separation. All stages fired and I even found it. Had to reglue fins and didn't know about sealing the balsa so it was rough. Flew it 2 more times until I ran out of motors.
 
Alpha with launch kit...around '74? Went on shortly afterwards to have the Estes X-Ray, Javelin / Super Flea, Der Red Max, and culminated with the Renegade (the REAL one...not the modern rename).
 
Not sure if it was my first but it is the first I remember - must of been 1986 or so and was an Estes Mosquito - think I recovered it twice and then never saw it again.
 
I remember it well. I was 10 years old and it was an Estes Scout. I painted it some awful shade of blue and flew it over and over again. Was a great first rocket with tumble recovery.
 
My first one was an Estes Vigilante in 1984. The maiden launch was part of a school project and I learned that you have to be sure that the wadding isn't too tight and small fields aren't good for 2 stages. The booster worked like a champ and came down in the woods, followed shortly by the rest of the rocket that lawn darted and buried the NC 8" in GA clay.

My second was a Mosquito that was a snack for the neighbor's cow.
 
My first rocket that I launched was an Estes Super Flea (my brother got the Javelin) back in 1982. It flew wonderfully twice on 1/4 A motors. I didn't launch it again until the early 1990's when it almost flew away on 1/2A motors (I think Estes stopped making 1/4As for a bit?). On it's last flight I thought that it was gone, but we found it 5 feet away from my car! That little rocket is long gone, most likely lost in a move, but I will be cloning one soon! :D
 
Estes Star Wars TIE Fighter . 1981 or 1982 ??

Had bought the Eagle One starter kit.. but the recomended glue melted the styrene beyond repair. Have always wanted to try again but they seem to be $100 plus on eBay.

Did get a tie fighter off ebay..but it is missing the screws and plastic wing tip piece that attach the boost pod to the fighter..

Hopefully will get one or more in the air soon.. for old times sake!

Kenny
 
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