How Old is is the Oldest Rocket You Still Have?

[VonMises]

Another thread got me thinking about my old Estes Mark II that I built in 1971. It cost a whopping $1.00.

Here’s a link from Ninfinger of the 1971 Estes Fall Catalog.https://www.ninfinger.org/rockets/catalogs/estes712/712est56b.html

It’s not my first rocket, lost that one on it’s first flight. Dad didn’t think binoculars were necessary. Finally he said he’d get me a new one if we lost it. Had a new one the next day. Still have it too.

So let’s see those old rockets you old farts!

Here’s a picture of my 43 year old Mark II next to a beat up 2.6 inch upscale we call Mark 2.6. Of course it’s far too old and fragile to fly now.

 

[blackbrandt]

Estes Taser, coming on 3.5 years old.

 

[gpoehlein]

Estes Astron Trident, built (and flown) in 1973/74, which makes it about 40 years old.

 

[NAR29996]

Centuri Jayhawk, built in 1972. I also have a Mars Snooper built the same year. Sorry, no pics as I still haven't found that box from Octobers move.

 

[o1d_dude]

I have an Estes Rascal that I started back in the early 1980s. It has never gotten past the gray primer stage and it has never flown.

via Forumrunner/GS4

 

[dave carver]

Late 60's Ranger in the attic with a slightly broken fin. I've thought of bringing it down and working it over but I just don't know

 

[Fishhead]

I have an Estes X-Wing from 1978 that's the sole remaining rocket from my 70's fleet, but I have several that date to the mid 60's to mid 70's that I bought via Ebay.

 

[JStarStar]

Centuri 1/100 Apollo-Saturn V.

Received from my grandmother as a Christmas gift on Dec. 25, 1969.

Pulled out of my closet, built, and shown to my grandmother (by then age 98) in July 1994.

Flown three times on July 16, 1994, with first launch at 09:32 a.m. EDT (Apollo 11 plus 25 years).

Flown again on Feb. 15, 1996 (my grandmother's 100th birthday; she missed it by 10 months).

Flown once more on July 16, 1999 (Apollo 11 plus 30).

Next and probably final scheduled flight: July 16, 2019, 0932 EDT.

 

[TopRamen]

My ISX Crossfire from August of this Year.

 

[Nathan]

None of my Estes rockets from when I built them as a kid (1967-1970) have survived and are all long gone. But I do still have a big collection of Matchbox cars from early 1960's.

 

[BayouRat]

I have an original Orbital Transport from 1972 and a Missile Toe from 1973

 

[mikeyd]

Late 60's MRI Wac Corporal
https://www.oldrocketplans.com/mri/mri3-7201/mri3-7201.htm

 

[TopRamen]

I wish I still had my Fuzzy Finned 1980s Fleet. Unfortunately we all grow up before we appreciate our Youth. I had some great Rockets, like my Estes Eggspress, that were lost to the Sands of Time.

 

[K'Tesh]

Somewhere between 45 and 41 years old. I bought a Centuri Saturn V from a teacher back in the 80's. Best Guess has it as a 1971 model, but I can never be sure, as he passed away a few years ago.

 

[Kb0yda]

Oldest and only one i have left is an Estes Astron Sprint from the late 70's. Unbuilt in the package don't know if o want to build it though. Maybe someday?

 

[Rex R]

lets see flyable, a 'Zoom Broom' from 1974. needing repairs/ refitting a 'Cloud Hopper'(needs a winglet replaced) & a Scissor wing transport(needs new elastics and a power pod).
*disclaimer* the zoom broom's nose has been repainted.
Rex

 

[JStarStar]

Funny side note on my post above: After a Google Image search, I "lifted" the Centuri Saturn V photo above from this Kickstarter page.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/181162510/saturn-v-relaunch

More power to him and everything, but man, if I had known I could raise $20,000 out of it, I would have adapted my own sob story featuring my 100-year-old (almost) grandma finally seeing the rocket, and launched my own publication project.

As it turned out, all I got out of it back in 1994 was to write a nice build-thread story and get it published in Sport Rocketry. I don't think I mentioned my grandmother in the story at all.

 

[conman13]

I still have my first rocket the alpha 3 from quest. It is about 5 years old.

 

[les]

All of my rockets from my childhood days disappeared. :cry: :cry: So my oldest is from when I became a BAR - 1998

 

[MALBAR 70]

Left over from my original go-round (circa 1978-1981) an Estes Mosquito. It was flown several times then, but is in pieces now. Someday I'll fix it.

Also left is a Centuri Moonraker a strange little two piece rocket that never flew well. see here: https://www.ninfinger.org/rockets/nostalgia/80cen012.html

From my first return as a BAR (circa,1992-1994) I have an Estes Alien Space Probe and a Solar Sailer II. Both of which still fly from time to time.

 

[troj]

I have a Mars Lander I built when I was about 13, which would make it roughly 1980.

I also have a Bomarc my brother started prior to that; one of these days, I'll finish it.

-Kevin

 

[rockdoc]

I still have a space age industries scale Falcon rocket.

 

[Davidtmp]

I have several from the mid '80's, some that still fly. My Scout I and Scout II are retired. My old Sizzler is going to be rebuilt soon, using the motor mount, nose cone, and hopefully the launch lug on the rebuilt version. I still fly my Comet, Der V-3, and Ranger(not the cluster, the D motor Ranger BT-55 rocket) from time to time, as well as some others.

 

[Bazookadale]

Somewhere in the mess of my basement I have a Centuri Explorer - it was a Mini-Max model before Enerjets so I am guessing '68 or '69

 

[Sailorbill]

Estes K-1 Scout built 1963 - 64. Not flyable but it did fly in the payload bay of my L-1 flight in 2001. :grin:

 

[MaxQ]

Nothing form my first excursion (1960s) is still around.


My second involvement (after the D motor came out) saw a few built, of them the only survivors (complete w/ all components and flyable) is the Alpha w/ plastic fin can and the Estes Sprint.

The Sprint still has the original Testors rattle can military flat black and yellow checkerboard motiff.... flew recently with a replacement streamer.

Estes Screamer also survived....but the nose cone is long gone.

 

[RoyAtl]

Oldest rocket I still have is my competition streamer duration rocket that won B-Division C Streamer Duration at NARAM-13 (1971), though I lost the nose cone (and the trophy) in the last move. Next oldest is my second Orbital Transport from 1973, then my SPEV which I got in '73 but didn't build until '77, and then my Saturn 1B from 1977, and Der Big Red Max from 1978. I have someone else's Centuri Orion from 1971 (with the balsa/paper nose) that replaces the one I won for the aforementioned NARAM event, and a piece of a friend's Centuri Hustler from 1969 (the payload section, from which I've built a new Hustler around it). I *had* a Mars Snooper from 1970, but lost it at NARAM-47 in Cincinnati when the shock cord snapped, the booster fell into a large patch of tall weeds, and the nose section thermaled away on the 18" chute. sigh.

 

[ThirstyBarbarian]

I have an Estes Army Hawk from around 1992 that I still fly. It is possible that at my parents house there is a box that contains rockets from my original collection starting in 1974. I'll have to check next time I visit. There may be an old Alpha and an old Camroc (the rocket, not the camera).

 

[gdjsky01]

None from the early 70s survived. So my earliest still flying is a Custom Rockets Dynamic Carrier from 1997.

 

[Zonie]

Rockets all gone from 1978, but still have my Centuri Power Pad...

I still have my BAR rocket from Y2K. It was an Estes Menace.

I think every fin on this thing has been re-glued on. Must have 20+ flights on it.