One area that Estes particularly excelled in was producing kits of exotic and futuristic designs. Both in the realm of potential reality and pure fantasy. Even though many of these models bore litle resemblence to a traditional rocket they all flew surprisingly well.
Ideas for these futuristic rockets came from many sources; NASA, science fiction literature and even popular television shows such as Star Trek.
Probably one of the most sought after kits was (and still is) the Mars Lander. This skill level 5 kit was truly a craftsman's kit. Although only made of paper and balsa it insprired and challenged thousands or rocketeers, my self included. In later years I would 'clone' a Mars Lander long before the term 'cloning' became popular. I also built a two times enlarged version of this Estes classic.
Following a close second in desireability would probably be the Interceptor. The rakish lines and elegance of this futuristic space based interceptor owe its looks to the 'Century Series' fighters used by the USAF in the 50's and 60's.
One thing is certain. These rockets helped fire the imagination of our youth and made us truly believe we were headed for the stars. |
