Vashion Cold powered rocketry

[Rocketaholic]

I was on Vashion island in Washington a few years back, and it reminded me that there used to be a cold powered rocket from a company with the same name. Does anyone have any historical data about the company and the design of the cold powered rocket? :cool:

[CPMcGraw]

I was on Vashion island in Washington a few years back, and it reminded me that there used to be a cold powered rocket from a company with the same name. Does anyone have any historical data about the company and the design of the cold powered rocket? :cool:

Basic info, it was sold "into" Estes during the Damon era.

Sven has several original catalogs on his NINFINGER (http://www.ninfinger.org/~sven/rockets/rockets.html) site...

[Ltvscout]

I was on Vashion island in Washington a few years back, and it reminded me that there used to be a cold powered rocket from a company with the same name. Does anyone have any historical data about the company and the design of the cold powered rocket? :cool:
It's actually spelled Vashon, without the I. Here's everything you wanted to know but were afraid to ask. ;)

http://home.att.net/~cruller1/Vashon.story11.24.00.HTM

[stefanj]

Long Ago, I got a technical support guy from a Vashon Island resident.

He mentioned that the local high school had a display about the company.

[James Pierson]

Small World I had no idea that there was once a small rocket company on Vashon Island. :eek: I live only 10 mile away. WOW Although we here in west sound are have secret plans to bulldoze Vashon Island into the sound to create a land bridge from Bremerton to Seattle. :D


Rocketaholic
I was on Vashion island in Washington a few years back, and it reminded me that there used to be a cold powered rocket from a company with the same name.

Rocketaholic, If you are in the area again, contact me and I will take you dinner. I am Starved for some good rocketry conversation around here. JP

James Pierson
rocketry_preservation_society@yahoo.com
NAR #77907

[John Dyer]

I was on Vashion island in Washington a few years back, and it reminded me that there used to be a cold powered rocket from a company with the same name. Does anyone have any historical data about the company and the design of the cold powered rocket? :cool:

Too bad Estes opted to close the Vashon line down. I had one of the Estes-ized cold power rockets and thought they were toooo cool. Not sure what ever happened to it.

Does anyone still have any of these models in flyable condition?

John
---
John Dyer
www.redriverrocketry.com

[ghrocketman]

If anyone has a cold-power Vashon/Estes rocket in flyable condition, one can use the "new-fangled" R134a refrigerant to propel them instead of the old-fashioned supposedly ozone-depleting R12 refrigerant.
One would have to fashion an adapter to fuel the engine.
R134a prices have been rising the past 2yrs though....has went from under $4/can to almost $10/can in my area; supposedly this is due to some new federal tax; seems the gov't does not like not getting the revenue from the exhorbitant tax that was on the old R12 supposedly to discourage use of supposedly environmentally unfriendly products, thus they place some idiotic tax on a product that does NOTHING to deplete Ozone.

[Leo]

I have to say the kits are great and it's nice to fly something a bit different although I wouldn't recommend doing it in the cold ;)

http://www.leo.nutz.de/images/rockets/marauder_lp.jpg

Leo's Cold Power kits (http://www.leo.nutz.de/Rockets.php?Rockets=Estes/Vashon%20Industries)

[dwmzmm]

The last time I was at John Pursley's house (several weekends ago) we just happened to
talk about the Vashon Cold Powered rocketry. He thought they were really neat (as I did too).

Back when I belonged to the Ark-La-Tex Model Rocketry Club (NAR Section from Bossier City,
LA way back in the early 1970's), we were finished flying at our club launch and leaving to go
home, and came upon several kids trying to launch one of those Vashon rockets. One kid
pulled the metal ring from the nozzle, and the cold powered model went unstable as it left
the launch rod. Landed several feet away. The club president gave the boys a brochure of
the NAR and our club and we left. That was the only time I've ever seen a cold powered model launch attempt.

[Rocketaholic]

I still have a Vashon kit with a replacement nozzle from the Vashon company. I have read through the links talking about the way to use the cold air from the Testors Air brush bottle and have tried it a few times with good success.

:cool:

[JSP]

In the mid 70's I bought an "Estes Land Rocket." It was the Screamin' Eagle race kit. Basically it was a standard XR 100 engine, and a VERY thin plastic body and tires. It ran pretty well if you had a smooth surface (it ran along a string, like Cox dragsters of the time) but if there was even a hint of a pebble it was all over. The body was so thin it cracked after only a few runs, and the tires were worse. Still, it was great while it lasted. I wish I still had any part of that kit.....

[Ltvscout]

In the mid 70's I bought an "Estes Land Rocket." It was the Screamin' Eagle race kit. Basically it was a standard XR 100 engine, and a VERY thin plastic body and tires. It ran pretty well if you had a smooth surface (it ran along a string, like Cox dragsters of the time) but if there was even a hint of a pebble it was all over. The body was so thin it cracked after only a few runs, and the tires were worse. Still, it was great while it lasted. I wish I still had any part of that kit.....
These show up on eBay fairly often, should you want to get another.

[dwmzmm]

How would that compare with the Estes Race Cars you see at Wal-Mart and Hobby Lobby?
I've never seen any of those and was thinking of getting my son one for his birthday. In fact,
our rocket club, the Challenger 498 NAR Section, we're thinking of having regular drag races
with those at our regular launch location, which normally is " car free" with the huge paved parking space we have.

[JSP]

I don't know because I've never seen any of those run. I would expect that they would be more exciting, due to the "fire and smoke" factor alone. They seem to be made better than the old Land Rockets too...

[Arley Davis]

The old cold power rocket cars were coooooool but were not as sturdy as the new line of Estes Rocket cars that are more like toys than rockets. The new ones are finished for you and the cold power rocket cars have to be built and painted, of course that’s the fun of this hobby, for me anyway. And something else the wheels were made of foam.

A couple of year ago I purchased the Estes Screamin’ Eagle Land Rocket on ebay for under $50 dollars. I scanned in the plans and parts last year and sent them to Ye old Rocket Shoppe and he will get them posted someday soon I hope. Here is the plastic body of the Land rocket.

[Phred]

I had a 'Lightnin Bug' as a kid. The body was painted with yellow latex house paint!! I raced it all of two times that I can remember....

ya know.... these would not be too tough to 'clone'.

If you made a slush mold of the vas body, you could make a new vacuform mold....

Then build a frame from basswood (sized to match the original plastic frame), add Rc Airplane wheel with foam tires, add a 13mm motor, and there you are!


Phred

[dwmzmm]

The old cold power rocket cars were coooooool but were not as sturdy as the new line of Estes Rocket cars that are more like toys than rockets. The new ones are finished for you and the cold power rocket cars have to be built and painted, of course that’s the fun of this hobby, for me anyway. And somethin else the wheels were made of foam.

A couple of year ago I purchased the Estes Screamin’ Eagle Land Rocket on ebay for under $50 dollars. I scanned in the plans and parts last year and sent them to Ye old Rocket Shoppe and he will get them posted someday soon I hope. Here is the plastic body of the Land rocket.

That's a very unusual body for a land rocket. Had to enlarge it and study it for a few seconds to make out that design...

[JSP]

Yeah, I think it looks weird because the rear spoiler isn't on it yet. Also the tabs at the wheels haven't been cut off. At least I think that's it. I'm trying to remember 30 years ago to when I built mine...

[Pete Nolan]

Hi!

I was the PR manager for Damon Corp. from 1973-1976. Vashon was folded into Estes. The cold rocket technology was abandoned when it became clear that freon was polluting the atmosphere. The old rocket cars were pretty flimsy for how fast they could go. I heard some pretty crazy stories when I was in Penrose.

I got out of model rocketry in the early 80s after building some quite large two-stage models with three D's in the boost stage, and a single D as the climber.

More stories later

Pete

[Ltvscout]

Hi!

I was the PR manager for Damon Corp. from 1973-1976. Vashon was folded into Estes. The cold rocket technology was abandoned when it became clear that freon was polluting the atmosphere. The old rocket cars were pretty flimsy for how fast they could go. I heard some pretty crazy stories when I was in Penrose.

I got out of model rocketry in the early 80s after building some quite large two-stage models with three D's in the boost stage, and a single D as the climber.

More stories later

Pete
Welcome to YORF, Pete! It's great to have some of the "old-timers" from Estes stopping in here to share their experiences and stories. We look forward to hearing more!

[Leo]

Yes, welcome to the Forum :)

Would also love to read more either here or in Launch Magazine including historical pictures of course :)

[Nuke Rocketeer]

I have three of the old Cold Power kits that I have not built yet. This is making me interested again. I'll have to see what options I have for fueling them.

Joe W

[marslndr]

I have one I bought when they came out, LOTS of fun, but they need a very flat surface. Somewhere I have a video of it on a run. When I find it I'll post a link.

I think I paid $19.99 for mine. The cars are injection molded plastic and seem sturdy. They use a 13mm motor with no ejection charge.

Mark


How would that compare with the Estes Race Cars you see at Wal-Mart and Hobby Lobby?
I've never seen any of those and was thinking of getting my son one for his birthday. In fact,
our rocket club, the Challenger 498 NAR Section, we're thinking of having regular drag races
with those at our regular launch location, which normally is " car free" with the huge paved parking space we have.

[Rocketaholic]

Hi!

I was the PR manager for Damon Corp. from 1973-1976. Vashon was folded into Estes. The cold rocket technology was abandoned when it became clear that freon was polluting the atmosphere. The old rocket cars were pretty flimsy for how fast they could go. I heard some pretty crazy stories when I was in Penrose.

I got out of model rocketry in the early 80s after building some quite large two-stage models with three D's in the boost stage, and a single D as the climber.

More stories later

Pete


Pete,

Please come back and tell us some good stories for sure:-)

Thanks,

[msm0202]

Would also love to read more either here or in Launch Magazine including historical pictures of course :)

Leo,

We interviewed Chuck Green, co-founder of Vashon, a few weeks ago, and we're still putting together a historical piece on the company. It will run in either the March/April or May/June issues. Among many good tidbits, Chuck says, "At one point, the New York bomb squad sent us a congratulatory letter stating that in spite of their best efforts they had failed to cause our rockets to explode."

Anyone with anecdotes about their experience with Vashon rockets should send me a PM here and we'll try and include some. (And Leo, send along some of those pics. Your cold power rockets look great!)

Mark

[Initiator001]

Anyone with anecdotes about their experience with Vashon rockets...


Did anyone ever ask their mother to iron Monokote on to the wings and fins of a Vashon rocket/glider?

I did.

Mom did a FANTASTIC job! :D


Bob

[Rocketaholic]

Leo,

We interviewed Chuck Green, co-founder of Vashon, a few weeks ago, and we're still putting together a historical piece on the company. It will run in either the March/April or May/June issues. Among many good tidbits, Chuck says, "At one point, the New York bomb squad sent us a congratulatory letter stating that in spite of their best efforts they had failed to cause our rockets to explode."

Anyone with anecdotes about their experience with Vashon rockets should send me a PM here and we'll try and include some. (And Leo, send along some of those pics. Your cold power rockets look great!)

Mark


I Love the story, More, more, more...........

[Leo]

Leo,

We interviewed Chuck Green, co-founder of Vashon, a few weeks ago, and we're still putting together a historical piece on the company. It will run in either the March/April or May/June issues. Among many good tidbits, Chuck says, "At one point, the New York bomb squad sent us a congratulatory letter stating that in spite of their best efforts they had failed to cause our rockets to explode."

Anyone with anecdotes about their experience with Vashon rockets should send me a PM here and we'll try and include some. (And Leo, send along some of those pics. Your cold power rockets look great!)

Mark


Fantastic Mark :)