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-   -   1970 KS-7 ASTRON Starter Kit (http://www.oldrocketforum.com/showthread.php?t=16615)

Neal Miller 04-30-2017 03:15 PM

1970 KS-7 ASTRON Starter Kit
 
5 Attachment(s)
Could anyone give me some input on the KS-7 ASTRON Starter Kit ?
I had all of these items together in a big box along with other items. I cannot be sure if these
came from this kit or not , as this is the only Pre- Damon, Field box that I have I also have the same stile ( Blue/Black Checkerboard ) field box with the Damon Estes Logo.

Big question: is this the right type of Alpha kit for the starter kit or did this set come with a
Alpha kit without a header card? I would like any input anyone has.
Thank You, Neal Miller

samb 04-30-2017 03:36 PM

According to this list the KS-7 set was available from 1970 to 1974.

http://www.rocketshoppe.com/info/es...er_kit_list.pdf

http://www.rocketshoppe.com/kit_lists.htm



"KS-7 Astron Starter Kit 1970 1974 Astron Alpha, motors, Porta-Pad, controller. Alpha III in '73>'


Right at the beginning of the Damon era, I guess they had a mix of old and new Estes logos. My intro to the hobby was with one of the '68 sets with a red plastic Electro-Launch.

Neal Miller 04-30-2017 03:51 PM

1970 ESTES Catalog view
 
1 Attachment(s)
Here are the actual page's from the 1970's ESTES Catalog, this is how I got the idea that these
components went together.

what I don't know is if this Alpha kit is the right type kit for the KS-7, as a lot of the time the kit's that came in the starter sets were just in a sealed bag and did not have a headed card.

Neal

BEC 04-30-2017 05:03 PM

It looks like it's at least the right age Alpha kit: http://vintageestesrockets.com/k-ki...stron-alpha.htm

tbzep 04-30-2017 06:10 PM

Yellow ones may have existed and been plentiful, but I only remember orange Porta-Pads in the 70's.

Neal Miller 04-30-2017 06:52 PM

Quote:
Originally Posted by BEC
It looks like it's at least the right age Alpha kit: http://vintageestesrockets.com/k-ki...stron-alpha.htm


Hi Bernard, How are you. I think you may have got the answer to my question, Acording to the link you posted, the Alpha Kit I have pictured looks to be a type IIA Pre-Damon kit. this would date it from the very end of 1969, the next run of kits would of had the 3-2-1 count down header card.
this would make perfect scene as this KS-7 Kit has many pre-Damon components and was not
in production until 1970, the Start of the Damon era.

Thank You, for your in-put.

stefanj 04-30-2017 07:11 PM

That is a very nice find!

I bought the "too cheap to get a launch system" version of this outfit. I don't think my Alpha was in a retail package though. Just a bag.

Neal Miller 04-30-2017 07:17 PM

Quote:
Originally Posted by tbzep
Yellow ones may have existed and been plentiful, but I only remember orange Porta-Pads in the 70's.


tbzep, the Orange Port-a-Pads were in production longer than all other colors 1973-1985
Yellow was produced 1970-1972, then the Orange, Black, Red then back to Yellow then Black. I have had so many started kits over the years. the big box toy stores would always mark down the starter sets and you could get a Space Shuttle,
Stealth, Sizzler or other kit, with 3 Engines and all the launch equipment for a lower price
then the kit it self. I would sell off the Launch equipment cheap, or give it to a kid that didn't have a launch pad and controller.

Neal Miller 04-30-2017 07:27 PM

Quote:
Originally Posted by stefanj
That is a very nice find!

I bought the "too cheap to get a launch system" version of this outfit. I don't think my Alpha was in a retail package though. Just a bag.


As I did not get this Launch set new, I have no idea how the rocket kit would of had been packaged. I do know that all of the starter sets that I bought from the late 70's to date
had kits that were in a sealed bag without a face or header card. sometimes the kit parts were
packaged together with other parts of the starter set.

Buy the way these items were bought off of Ebay in a large lot of kits and other rocketry parts
and items 5-6 years ago.

tbzep 04-30-2017 08:08 PM

Quote:
Originally Posted by Neal Miller
tbzep, the Orange Port-a-Pads were in production longer than all other colors 1973-1985
Yellow was produced 1970-1972

That would explain it. I got into the hobby in the mid 70's, so I didn't see anything but orange. The catalogs before that didn't use photos, except the 1972...and low and behold there's a yellow one! I never noticed it before.


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