This was the first real catalog I received from Estes. This 1970 catalog cover had a great impression on me. I had to have that cover rocket!
By the time I requested one, Estes had ran out of their 1969 color cover catalogs. They ended up printing some "get-by" pages in black and white. Four catalog pages were reduced and crammed onto 8 1/2 X 11" pages. The illustrations and copy were small and hard to read.
This 1970 catalog was he first time I could make out detail on the models. The Orbital Transport was probably my fourth or fifth rocket.
The original retail price was only $2.50. The price jumped to $3.25 in 1970.
Wayne Kellner did the amazing design work. The kit was in production until 1985. It was released again for a short while in 2002.
A mail order to Estes took 10 days to arrive back to our home in Watsonville, CA. I remember being home when the white Estes box came, it must have been a Saturday.
At that time this was a difficult build for me. I've wanted to tackle it again for some time. Semroc has brought back the kit. I'll refer to this one as the Estes version, I'll be building it from the original instructions printed from the JimZ website.
Another great one on my someday list! I have a Semroc repro of the Centuri Space Shuttle and a Quest Space Shuttle Intrepid waiting to be built, maybe next time I’m in Dayton I’ll pick up an Orbital Transport at eRockets. I don’t recall ever building any of the parasite shuttle style rocket gliders as a kid so this will be an interesting build to watch.
ReplyDeleteHi Openroad,
DeleteThis was really a spare parts build. I'll use the BT-50H and the plastic yellow nose cone from Apogee. If i were to enter it in a Classics Build Competition I'd get the correct nose cone. All spare parts except for the Semroc decals.
If you happen to be a purist, then you'll have to replace a few of the decals -- the reissue version has "Estes Aerospace Lines" rather than the original "Astron Aerosplace Lines". If I'm not mistaken the one from Semroc has "Semrroc Aerospace Lines."
ReplyDeleteAlternatively one might also consider real-life airline markings -- such as PanAm ("2001: A Space Odyssey") or American ("Silent Running"). American does have a real-life connection with space travel in that the shuttle carrier aircraft were previously used by American Airlines.
I'm apt to think that a model of an Orion III (the shuttlecraft appearing in "2001: A Space Odyssey") at about half the size of the plastic kits (Aurora, Airfix or Mobius) might not look out of place as the orbiter (at least for static display).
DeleteHi Naoto,
DeleteI will be font searching and changing the "Semroc" Aerospace Lines to "Astron".
One of my all time favorites, too. I have an original that I made in 1977 and a 2002 re-release that I flew a number of times at NARAM 58. Both have "Astron Aerospace Lines" decals.
ReplyDeleteThis is really cool, Chris. I have a scratch build OT on the bench right now about a 4th of the way done. I will follow this series with great interest!
ReplyDeleteGreat Ed,
DeleteFor once my timing was perfect!