Letter about Vashon Models

Here's a letter of response about the old Vashon Rockets. I thought it might be interesting for the blog. The illustration at the right was almost the same Sears catalog listing I ordered my Vashon V2 rocket from. This Sears listing shows the shorter V1 model.

Hi Brian,

I had a Vashon rocket. $20.00 in the Sears catalog back at Christmas in 1969. I think they were released the year before that.

We couldn't get black powder engines in California, the State Fire Marshall was real tight about any black powder or fireworks.

Vashon rockets were builder's kits back then You'd have to rough up the aluminum engine for the fin guides to stick.

Balsa fins and nose cone, Mylar parachute. Pretty well machined model parts.

You'd put little punched paper disks on the spring release valve. 1 disk was two seconds of delay if I remember correctly.

You could test the operation and delay time, "fire" them while holding it in your hand.

I only flew the Vashon once. It used freon and came in what looked like a shaving cream can.

Connect up the hose and press the button on the can. You'd vent the "tank" so the whole booster section could totally fill up.

The pressure of the engine fill compressed a flat "spring" that gripped the parachute section of the upper body.

I tried to launch it on a very cold morning. I didn't understand that freon was a self refrigerant. You need warmer weather for those cold power models to develop any thrust.

I pulled the release pin (you were right next to those when they went off) and the freon just poured out of the nozzle.

It went up about 35 feet and fell back down. Not worth the effort.

I would probably had better altitude with a water rocket.

Estes (Damon owned by then) bought Vashon and released the same models under the Estes name. Later,  Estes came out with the "Coldpower Convertibles" line.

These had a smaller aluminum engine that would fit into a BT-50 tube. I had one of those too, maybe 200 feet altitude. I flew that convertible model half a dozen times.

Those had another type of recovery release, rubber grippers that under pressure held the parachute tube on.

An actual coiled spring above that would push out the parachute. 

You could never stand the model on a shelf for display. Above the coupler was the spring always hanging out. It would only be together when filled and under pressure for launch.

I ended up pulling the freon engine and putting in the optional 18mm mount.

All the freon/ozone scares were the end of those.

There's your rocket history lesson for tonight.

Chris M

To better understand how the earlier Vashon rockets worked, check out the instructions for the Vashon Sandpiper from www.oldrocketplans.com:
http://www.oldrocketplans.com/vashon/vas3111/Vas3111.pdf

From Leo Nutz Leisure Site, here's the later Coldpower Convertibles Instructions:
Page 1 HERE
Page 2 HERE