What was the first rocket you ever launched?

1965- Estes Astron Alpha on an A8-3.

Big Bertha on a B6-4 or C6-7. Painted the nose cone to the rocket. Came in ballistic through the top of my father's VW Karmen Ghia convertible.

Back in 1980, a Centuri Vector V.

Estes Rogue.

1966 - Estes WAC Corporal on a 1/2A.8-2. Followed shortly by a reflight on an A.8-3 with my first experience of a broken (rubber) shock cord.

Estes Mosquito

eshenderson said:

Big Bertha on a B6-4 or C6-7. Painted the nose cone to the rocket. Came in ballistic through the top of my father's VW Karmen Ghia convertible.

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How did your Dad take it?

Estes Lazer and Nova Payloader were my first two. We had a June activity week at school and rocketry was the least expensive activity, so that's what I got. That would have been '87/'88ish. I was in grade 8, I believe.

I painted the Lazer red, as per the card art. The Nova Payloader got a brown, green, and beige camo.

I lost the Lazer on its third flight at a friend's house on a C6-5. The Nova Payloader lasted a bit longer, but I did shorten it when the nose cone got stuck on one flight and it lawn darted.

I didn't get another rocket until two years ago. All it took was seeing an unbuilt kit with a launch pad and all the memories came back! Hooked again, lol.

A sky rocket about 1954.Remember fireworks came first by about 600 or 700 years.

1969 - Estes Arcas.
I still have it minus nose cone. Shock cord separation.

Centuri Screaming Eagle circa 1976, been hooked ever since.

Estes Mosquito in Bossier City, LA in March of 1979.

As a BAR the Estes CC Express in single stage configuration about 10 years ago. I am now Tripoli L3 certified. As a kid I would guess it was probably the Alpha III. I built a lot of rockets from 6th grade (1976) until about 8th or 9th grade. Estes Orbital Transport, Estes Scissor Wing Transport, Estes Interceptor, Mosquito, Big Bertha are some that I remember. The were all destroyed in wind storm that blew the roof off my parents house.

tfrielin said:

An Estes WAC Corporal circa 1965.

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Hey, me too (Estes WAC Corporal), maybe ~5 years later. One gusty day I put a C6-5 in it and never saw it again, though.

Estes Gnome...back in 1994. I still have it. I launch it still every once in a while for a little wow factor from the spectators

qquake2k said:

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

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I have one, built, never flown.

ksm2001 said:

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.

View attachment 147280

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I have one of these, maybe about ten years old now, flown once on an AT rms 18mm. It almost landed in a creek, so I haven't flown it since.

JimZNJ said:

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

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My first rocket ('79 or '80)was an Estes Challenger 1. Came as part of a starter set. A shock cord separation caused the parachute and nose cone to disappear on the first flight. I am working on a scratch built upscaled clone, parts laying on my living room floor. And my dining table. And in my fancy dishes cubby. Hand rolled fiberglass body, aircraft ply fins with carbon fiber wrap, fiberglass coated builders foam nose cone, and a 38mm motor mount.


I am definitely a Bar. I think I stopped flying rockets the first time right around the time I got my drivers license and my first motorcycle.

Big Bertha. Around 1983. Just getting into it with Hi Flier and Honest John now.

BruceS said:

How did your Dad take it?

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After I mowed lawns and shoveled snow for 3 years to pay him.back for a new top...not bad

The NAVY rocket from the Estes Missile Command starter set on January 2, 2000. I still have the motor casing saved. As for the rocket itself, it enjoyed a long career but ultimately was scrapped after the shock cord snapped and the body crumpled upon hitting a sidewalk. I'd love to get my hands on another one, and I want to make a scaled-up version to get my level 1 cert.

Kelly said:

Hey, me too (Estes WAC Corporal), maybe ~5 years later. One gusty day I put a C6-5 in it and never saw it again, though.

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Yeah, I think the WAC Corporal was part of a starter set that included the ElectroLaunch equipment. so I got it too.

Estes also threw in a free Gyro type rocket kit but it was too hard to build so I never did. I'm guessing it wasn't a big seller, so they gave them away to get rid of them---I got several back then, never built a one.

I have absolutely no idea. I'm sure that my parents didn't let me near it, whatever it was. "You stay in the car and watch the launch from over here."

I may be exaggerating... but only a little... it was probably a Mosquito or a Scout... or some equivalent...

Estes Alpha 1968

As a kid we had an alpha but I don't count that as my first rocket.
My first build on my own was Der Red Max.

Estes Big Bertha 1983 or 84.

"Painted" it with red and blue markers.

I had a photo of it, but lost it in a move unfortunately.

Estes Scout, around 1965.

1972 - I don’t remember the rocket name, but is could have been an alpha.

Estes Challenger 1 back in about 1980. Flew it about 20 times before the tube became weak and we stopped flying it.

It was mid 90’s. Estes Airwalker. Clear payload section at a truckstop jeffersonville Oh. I wAs hooked ever since.