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Old 10-09-2019, 01:34 PM
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LeeR LeeR is offline
Retired with Way Too Many Kits
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Colorado
Posts: 3,222
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Growing up in Colorado, word spread pretty quickly about Estes Industries. A friend loaned me his copy of the 1964 catalog, the one with the Astron Cobra on the cover.
I think I stayed up all night devouring every bit of information on kits, engines, parts, and launch equipment. And what would I want on my first order?

My first rocket purchase was a mail order to Penrose. I think I got the order in about two weeks from sending it in. It felt like an eternity.

After maybe a couple years, we discovered that Tom Thumb Hobbies in Denver carried Estes rockets. In fact, it seemed like they carried every part, too. Long glass cases had boxes of tubes, nose cones, engines — everything! Kits hung on hooks behind the counters. It was amazing. I built a few kits, but I did a lot of scratch-building, too. I still placed orders with Estes. The early morning ring of the doorbell meant our postman had a box for me from The Model Rocket Capital if the World.

Something else I looked forward to getting — the latest issue of Model Rocket Hews. I built a lot of the Designs of the Month, and enjoyed getting copies of plans in every order, or a coupon for a free kit on a future order.
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Lee Reep
NAR 55948

Projects: Semroc Saturn 1B, Ken Foss Designs Mini Satellite Interceptor
In the Paint Shop: Nothing! Too cold!
Launch-Ready: Farside-X, Maxi Honest John, Super Scamp
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