What was the first rocket you ever launched?

[Bazookadale]

Centuri Javelin - flown in the winter of '64-65. Mom remembers me laying down in the snow to hook up the igniter - lost site of it but it was easy to find on the snow covered field

 

[jflis]

Estes Sky Hook, 1963

 

[Dean B]

Estes Mark II - neat little mid-body separation rocket.

My first Estes order was the Mark II, Alpha, and Big Bertha. And the motors that came in those blue tubes.

 

[Gary Byrum]

I bet some of you guys around my age remember this. Regarding those old blue engine tubes? And even at the tender age of 9, I was saving those because a BNC 50 K would fit them (with a bit of modification of course.) Estes marketed nose cones just for those back around 1963 or so, and I used them quite often. Here's a page out of the 1964 catalog and you can see it at the bottom of the page.

 

[RocketflierVB]

Estes Sizzler in 1983...as far as I know it hasn't come down yet...

 

[rockdoc]

Astron streak, that I purchased from Estes from the back of a comic book.

 

[Nathan]

It's great to see how many people there are here who were building rockets in the early 60's, at the dawn of model rocketry. Compared to them I'm a rookie; I've only been building rockets since 1967 (Astron Sky Hook).

 

[Jmhepworth]

Estes Alpha. 1967. C6-5. Big field, no wind, perfect flight and recovery.

 

[Gary Byrum]

It's great to see how many people there are here who were building rockets in the early 60's, at the dawn of model rocketry.

I was snagged at the perfect age. FLYING ROCKETS? 9 YEARS OLD????? Space age was blossoming also and it made for a solid impact. Vern couldn't have hit me at a better time. Guys like me got the bug in the early years and then life got in the way. Down the road you needed something to fill your interest and we became BARS. Some of us 2 and 3 times even. It's a destiny for some of us and we can't escape it. I love this hobby.

 

[Mr Rocket]

Christmas of '73 or '74 this was my Christmas present. Think I saw it in the Sears catalog and begged and begged my parents for it. I could not believe my eyes when I opened it on Christmas morning. Don't know what happened to the rocket, or any of the experiments, but I still have the launch system.

 

[goose_in_co]

The first rocket was a water rocket in the late 60's sometime. I even had a two-stage water rocket :surprised: It didn't work well at all, the seal from the first to second stage would not hold the pressure and the flights were less than stellar. The little egg-shaped ones worked better, lots of fun until they landed on the concrete and cracked.:cry: The next rocket that I flew was a Estes V-2 on a C6-5 that my cousin let me push the button on. WOW! that thing went out of sight and the parachute was the size of a pinhead in the sky:eyepop:. I was hooked. The first rocket that I built and launched was an Estes Aero-Hi. My brother and I picked it out because it was the cheapest Estes rocket that had a parachute, and it used the mini motors that you could get 4 for the price of 3 of the larger motors. I still have the rocket, and I made a clone several years ago. Can you guess which is the new clone?

 

[Gary Byrum]

I'm sure Scotty Dog is going to weigh in here sooner or later, but best I can remember, he's the only person I can remember that gave me a rocket for Christmas. 2 CHRISTMAS'S IN A ROW! LW and I swap rocket related gifts and he sent me a Mini Mars Lander as a gift last year, (not sure if that was a Cmas present at the moment), But I really understand getting a rocket as a gift. We're gonna build it and we're gonna appreciate it. Tools and rockets. Best material gifts I can relate to! :horse:

 

[RoyAtl]

My first rocket was the venerable Estes Alpha III, back in 72 or 73. I remember choosing it because of the plastic fin can. It looked easier than attaching balsa fins. My buddy Tim chose the Estes Sky Hook. We launched them both at the elementary school across the street on A8-3's. I was hooked!

The Alpha III holds a special place in my heart. So much so that I've built a 4" upscale, put Alpha III decals on a Super Alpha, and built a two stage Alpha III Goony.

I've managed to find red-molded parts enough for three Alpha IIIs along with two complete kits in the proper colors . Not the Halloween Alphas (though I got a few of those dirt-cheap... something like $20 a case! I sold a few and give others away).

 

[qquake2k]

I've managed to find red-molded parts enough for three Alpha IIIs along with two complete kits in the proper colors . Not the Halloween Alphas (though I got a few of those dirt-cheap... something like $20 a case! I sold a few and give others away).

I wouldn't mind finding an original red and white Alpha III kit. I imagine they're few and far between, though.

 

[JohnNGA]

A match stick wraped in aluminum foil....

I guess my first 'rocket' consisted of foil, cardboard fins and shotgun powder, you know the results.

 

[lvgdgts]

Is it bad I don't remember my 1st rocket?

The 1st one I do remember was the Estes Mean Machine. It was awesome to carry a rocket that was at least 1 1/2 feet taller than me to the launch pad, then watch that bad boy take to the skies.

 

[gdjsky01]

Orbital Transport. 1970 ish
- Jeff

 

[46u]

Estes Alpha in 1968. I wish I had all the rockets I throw away including my first one.

 

[tightwad]

V 2 Vinegar/soda rocket around 1960, then a Centuri Payloader in 1963. Converted the V 2 to black power flights with rear ejections, also, in 1963.

 

[Buzzard]

My younger brother Brian and I bought a parts assortment, LIA-50 launch pad, and some motors from Centuri in 1967. Picture is my first rocket launch that fall. Self design and a bit of overkill on the fins. Farm field in Central Ohio that was a long walk from home. Brian only built a few more models before dropping out. I joined the NAR in 1968 and flew my first competition that summer in Mansfield, OH.

Chas

 

[JohnNGA]

V 2 Vinegar/soda rocket around 1960, then a Centuri Payloader in 1963. Converted the V 2 to black power flights with rear ejections, also, in 1963.

I got that vinegar/soda rocket for Christmas 61, never did work right but did make a stinking mess.

 

[nedss396]

Model Missiles, Inc., AeroBee. Mail ordered, flew it for over 20 yrs, always the first one launched, at first for a wind check, but later it became a ritual at every launch!
Never failed, banged up a little, but always ready.

 

[JohnNGA]

Model Missiles, Inc., AeroBee. Mail ordered, flew it for over 20 yrs, always the first one launched, at first for a wind check, but later it became a ritual at every launch!
Never failed, banged up a little, but always ready.

Wow! pretty much the Holy Grail of rocketry. Any pics? What year SS?

 

[Marc_G]

Estes Screamer, circa ~1977 or 78. A fun BT5 mini-Brute.

I built a family of them a year or two ago:

 

[cjcampo61]

In 1968 or 1969, an Estes Alpha or my V2.

Cliff

 

[Larry Curcio]

I got that vinegar/soda rocket for Christmas 61, never did work right but did make a stinking mess.

Now that you mention it, my first rocket must have been an Alpha I Ballistic Missile. It was fueled with baking soda and citric acid. It worked very well, flying about 100 feet or so, and the year was about 1958.

https://www.antiquesnavigator.com/d...ic-missile-toy-rocket-50s-60s-rare-w-box.html

I actually bought one from a collector, but it turned out to be not flyable. Still, I got all misty when I opened the box. The $60.00 was worth it.

-Larry C.

 

[ksm2001]

My first rocket I scratch built in 1976. I bought a pack of C6-5 motors during a stop at a mall when I was on a Jr High school trip and built a rocket using a piece of balsa sheet for the fins, body tube from a Christmas wrapping paper tube. The nose cone base from a gallon wine bottle lid that just fit into the tube and the rest of the nose cone made from paper and shaped the cone to fit into the wine bottle cap and glued it together. I painted the rocket red. Parachute was made from a plastic bag. Flew it from our home backyard in town and was shocked how high it went. I remember it came down nicely on the chute and landed a block away on a roof of a house. I rang the door bell asking the guy if I could get my rocket off his roof, think he said something like get what off the roof? He got a ladder, climbed up and got it down. Something I'll never forget.

Below was my second rocket I built an Estes Photon Disruptor,just took a picture of it today for this thread, its 37 years old.

 

[JimZNJ]

It really is interesting to see how far back some of you go. I won't hijack the thread, but I assume a lot of you are BARs?

My first rocket was an early '70s vintage Estes V2. I flew for a few years back then and then was away from the hobby until just a few years ago.

Jim Z

 

[R2RAllan]

Alpha III, around '82 or '83. Fond memories.

 

[VARifleman]

Estes Yankee ~1992 when I was 6.