All Rocketry Blogs

Model Rocket Building: Vern Estes Motor Patent (2011-06-28)

Here's a patent illustration for the Estes model rocket motor. There has been an argument regarding whether it should be called a engine or a motor. On this patent it is called a "Toy Rocket Motor". ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Vern Estes Presentation - from NSL 2013 (2013-09-27)

Here's a YORF thread I missed the first time around from the 2013 National Sport Launch. Vern Estes gave a talk about his fourth chilld - Mabel, the rocket engine making machine. You'll find the ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Vern Estes Original Big Bertha (2014-08-08)

From a 2005 post by "A Fish Named Wallyum" on YORF - Here's some background on Vern Estes and the original Big Bertha. "Vern built this rocket to use at demonstration launches. It proved to be so ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Letter From Vern Estes - 1970 (2014-09-03)

I thought I'd misplaced this one! Here's a letter I received from Mr. Estes dated February 19, 1970. I had hand written a letter to Estes (not directly to Mr. Estes) explaining my troubles ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Vern & Gleda Estes Interview (2015-01-02)

Gary Byrum posted this link on TRF -  A video interview with Vern and Gleda Estes at the Seattle Museum of Flight. It was recorded July 5, 2014. This was posted on YouTube in August, but I ... [Read More]

Rocketeer's Corner: They did what with a Saturn V? (2017-10-18)

This week's episode of the "Big Bang Theory" featured a model rocketry thread in which Wolowitz resurrects some of his old rockets in anticipation of sharing his past joy in rocketry with his ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: NARAM 60 Saturday, August 4, Rocketeer Reunion (2018-08-05)

The first day of launches at the NARRAM field was a sport launch. A few were testing their boost gliders and streamer duration models. I was very surprised to see Brian Urban from Tampa, TTRA and ... [Read More]

Blast From The Past: NAR 60 Year Reunion, Part 6 - Getting Those Autographs (2018-08-08)

The NAR 60th Year Reunion proved to be a once in a lifetime opportunity for me to meet all of the big names in model rocketry, so naturally I had brought along a few items to be ... [Read More]

Blast From The Past: NAR 60 Year Reunion, Part 12 - Vern Estes Takes The Stage.... (2018-08-11)

The second speaker of the evening was Mr. Estes, who gave a nice talk on the early NARAMS and his history with them. Amazingly, Vern has been to 58 of the 60 NARAMS! During his speech, ... [Read More]

Blast From The Past: NAR 60 Year Reunion, Part 14 - Lee Piester at the Podium (2018-08-14)

The next member of model rocketry royalty to give a talk was Lee Piester, the man behind Centuri Engineering. Lee gave a very interesting speech, relating the story of his conversion from ... [Read More]

Blast From The Past: NAR 60th Year Reunion, Part 18 - A Very Cool Steampunk Rocket! (2018-10-17)

This post about the reunion is a tad bit late. I had taken this photo at the event of this rocketeer and his very impressive upscale 'Steampunk' Orion Starfighter.  ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Vern Estes Birthday Blast (2019-12-31)

Estes is having a big Birthday Blast celebrating Vern Estes' 90th Birthday! Birthday Wishes and rocketry photos are being collected for the party. CLICK HERE Here's the picture I sent - The first ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Vern Estes 90th Birthday Party! (2020-01-13)

  From the Estes Facebook page -  Here's Vern Estes reading the BIG Birthday card with all the submitted Rocketeer wishes. From left to right - Ellis Langford, Mary Roberts, ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Estes Orange Bullet #7295, Finished (2020-05-02)

    Here you go - the Vern Estes designed prototype for the Astron Scout. It turned out well, nice to see a balsa nose cone in an Estes kit again. If you are into Model Rocket ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Estes History Video (2021-01-26)

On YORF, Scott Hansen posted: "Here's a great video that was just released on 01/25/21 that gives a nice history of the company. There are a number of photos and videos I've never seen before in ... [Read More]

Rocket Dungeon: The Dungeon's Top 10 of 2008 (2008-12-23)

All and all, 2008 was a momentous year here in the Dungeon. On a personal basis, it started poorly but ended on a high note. But, since this is a rocketry blog, my top 10 is limited to on-topic ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Sky Hook Entry Story for TRF (2010-08-06)

Carl from Semroc said there was one more Bill Simon autographed Sky Hook kit left from NARAM . He asked for Sky Hook stories. Here's mine: Back in the spring of '72, Estes mailed Model Rocket News ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Old Estes Plan - The Orange Bullet (2011-03-24)

I came across this plan on the Shasta Plan site and on a publication for sale on Ebay . You can follow the Ebay auction of the 1960 Estes publication: "Model Rocketry" HERE You can see the entire ... [Read More]

Rocket Dungeon: Stuff that's on my mind - satellites, the asteroid, yada, yada, yada (2011-06-28)

Spying on the spies - Astro photographer Thierry Legault has images of the X-37B space plane and the Keyhole and Lacrosse satellites .  Includes background info on each. Space.com reports ... [Read More]

Rocket Dungeon: "Where did model rocketry really start?" (2012-06-05)

Issue 314 of Apogee's Newsletter features an article with the same title as this post.  Written by sport and professional rocketeer William Colburn,  the article features several ... [Read More]

Rocket Dungeon: Links roundup (2012-06-20)

Archtype Rocktry has come out with an inexpensive solution to doing dual recovery from one hole - the Cable Cutter. Modrocs on TV tonight!  Auction Hunters on Spike -  features ... [Read More]

Rocket Dungeon: Retro-amateur rocketry abroad (2013-11-13)

Earlier today, Flickr user Morbius19 , sent me a couple of links regarding the Manchester Interplanetary Society's rocketry activities circa the 1930's. The main site, Harry Turner's Footnotes to ... [Read More]

Orlando Rocketry: Hey Vern! (2014-01-07)

Vern Estes and his wife, Gleda, will be guests at the upcoming National Association of Rocketry conference, NARCON 2014. Born in St Joseph, Missouri, on January 4, 1930, Vernon Estes founded the ... [Read More]

Rocket Dungeon: A brief history of the Dangerous Origins of Model Rocketry (2014-03-18)

io9 has published an interesting post about the history of model rocketry: The Dangerous Origins of Model Rocketry . The article explains that, while model rocketry has an 'almost impeccable safety ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Greg's Rocket Page Website (2014-09-05)

I found Greg Elder's website the other day. CLICK HERE He has some interesting links to: Real Rocket Photos Air Defense Artillery Museum White Sands Missile Garden New Mexico Space ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: The Rocketry Show Podcasts (2014-10-15)

CG and Gheem have started rocketry podcasts available for download at: www.therocketryshow.com   I listened to the second podcast and sent this email:   Hi  CG and ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Old Estes Building (2015-07-09)

On TRF, Steven asked: I always wondered what happened to the building you saw in many of the catalogs.  For those TRF posts, CLICK HERE From the 1971 Estes catalog: "The Estes plant now ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Throwback Thursday Pic 2 (2016-02-25)

Here's a picture of the first time I saw Vern Estes in person. This goes back to 1975 at NARAM 17 in Orlando, Florida. Mr. Estes walked into the room and you could hear the whispering: "Hey look, ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Throwback Thursday Pic 5 (2016-03-17)

Here's another shot from NARAM 17 in 1975. That's Vern Estes test firing an engine in a thrust measuring device. He designed it, the company was under Gleda's name. Putting it under his wife's name ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Estes Orange Bullet #7295, Background (2020-04-24)

In March of 2011, I did a post about finding the plans for the Estes Orange Bullet. Here's the post from 2011 -  CLICK HERE Estes is releasing a new kit version of the Orange Bullet under the ... [Read More]