3 or 4 "Starters" (Igniters) In Each Engine Package? Part 2

Years back Estes did package four NWI-1 igniters in a 18mm three engine package. These NWI-1 (blue or brown coated) igniters were better than bare nichome but not as reliable as the newer Starter igniters.
Mini "T" engines had five NWI-1 igniters in a four engine package.

From the 1972 catalog:

On the next page of the same catalog:

The NEW Solar Igniters!
(Check out the price - 6 for 30 cents!)
When Estes started inserting these into the engine packages, the "extra" igniter was gone.
3 Igniters were in a 3 engine (18mm and 24mm) package.
4 Igniters were in a 4 engine (13mm) package.

And a final post from Fred Shector:
"I loved the NWI-1 igniters. They came in at least two versions.
The original was around 30 ga with a smashed section that was coated with the blue flexible pyrogen. you bent it at the smashed spot and that spot had higher resistance and heated a bit faster than the rest of the wire.
The later version was 31 ga and had no smashed section.

The original solar igniters were not so great and would break apart - even when new. They improved the tape strip and the weld of the bridge wire to the lead wires and they got better. Except for a bad period with the reddish pyrogen that would corrode the lead wires after sitting around. I think the lead wires are more of an iron-based wire and they would rust if exposed to the elements, but that red pyrogen would just decompose itself and the lead wires.

The last 20+ years of black tipped solar igniters were superior - especially when used with the plugs.

But I still love nichrome wire with a little loop formed around a straightened paper clip. I pre-load hundreds of motors a year with those so we can have faster club launches. The newbies alos love the demo I do where the loop of nichrome turns to molten metal when I hit the launch button."