Eagle3
11-06-2008, 02:30 PM
In another thread I had requested information on three of the six rocket drawings on the cover of the Estes 1974 Custom Parts Catalog (http://www.oldrocketplans.com/pubs/Estes/Estes_Custom_Model_Rocket_Parts_Catalog.pdf). To summarize, the three drawings on the right are well know "Design of the Month" plans. The three on the left have never to my knowledge been seen anywhere other than that cover. Since I've been chewing on Mike Dorffler's ear lately I decided to ask if he knew the origin of the drawings and with his permission here is his answer,
"Those designs were examples from Wayne Kellner's creative mind - they were never free plans that I am aware of or can remember. Wayne was a prolific sketcher of hypothetical futuristic designs. He built and flew many of his ideas that would unfortunately end up on top of his file cabinets to collect dust. Many of them really should have become kits.
I will always maintain Wayne Kellner was the greatest model rocket kit designer of all time. No one, and I mean no one, comes close. As hard as I tried, I couldn't match his creative skills. I eventually resigned myself to handling the technical end such as cameras and scale projects, and left the futuristic and out of the box stuff to Wayne. In the end I think the modelers got a much better mix of neat stuff with our joint sharing of product ideas, and how they were executed. "
When you look at the list of kits Wayne designed in this Launch Magazine Bill Simon interview (http://www.vernestes.com/images/LAUNCH%20Articles/Launch%20-%20Bill%20Simon%20Interview-Correccted.pdf) it's hard to argue Mike's point. I can just imagine the cool designs sitting on those file cabinets.
Attached is a scan of the three drawings I am referring to.
"Those designs were examples from Wayne Kellner's creative mind - they were never free plans that I am aware of or can remember. Wayne was a prolific sketcher of hypothetical futuristic designs. He built and flew many of his ideas that would unfortunately end up on top of his file cabinets to collect dust. Many of them really should have become kits.
I will always maintain Wayne Kellner was the greatest model rocket kit designer of all time. No one, and I mean no one, comes close. As hard as I tried, I couldn't match his creative skills. I eventually resigned myself to handling the technical end such as cameras and scale projects, and left the futuristic and out of the box stuff to Wayne. In the end I think the modelers got a much better mix of neat stuff with our joint sharing of product ideas, and how they were executed. "
When you look at the list of kits Wayne designed in this Launch Magazine Bill Simon interview (http://www.vernestes.com/images/LAUNCH%20Articles/Launch%20-%20Bill%20Simon%20Interview-Correccted.pdf) it's hard to argue Mike's point. I can just imagine the cool designs sitting on those file cabinets.
Attached is a scan of the three drawings I am referring to.