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-   -   When were the blue diamond engine boxes discontinued? (http://www.oldrocketforum.com/showthread.php?t=9865)

tongo 09-01-2011 12:54 PM

When were the blue diamond engine boxes discontinued?
 
I looked through the forum and it appears the blue diamond cardboard packages for engines were introduced in 1971. When were they replaced with the cardboard backed plastic bubble packaging? The 1981 catalog is the first to specify that Solar Igniters were shipped with all Estes motors. I don't think any engines were shipped with the solar igniters in the blue diamond boxes, so I'm pretty sure it was before 1981 that those boxes were retired. I also don't remember receiving any D-engines in the blue diamond packaging. I think I got my first D-engine rocket in 1978, the Estes Mean Machine in the first year of its release, and only remember the newer packaging for D engines. Perpaps the blue dimond packaging was replaced by 1978 for all engines.

ghrocketman 09-01-2011 01:39 PM

Blue diamond boxes NEVER got Solar Igniters, and for the first few years, neither did the pink blister paks.
I think the blue diamond boxes got discontinued somewhere around 1973 or 1974.
Solar igniters came out in mid-1972 but I dont think they were included in the engine paks until around 1978 or 1979.
I know the first engine paks my father and I bought in 1977 from the local hobby shop and Toys-R-Us had Astron igniters you had to cut apart.
I have never seen D engines in Diamond packaging either. I think they switched those from the D13's that came in tubes directly to blister packaged D12's.

gpoehlein 09-01-2011 01:59 PM

Quote:
Originally Posted by ghrocketman
Blue diamond boxes NEVER got Solar Igniters, and for the first few years, neither did the pink blister paks.
I think the blue diamond boxes got discontinued somewhere around 1973 or 1974.
Solar igniters came out in mid-1972 but I dont think they were included in the engine paks until around 1978 or 1979.
I know the first engine paks my father and I bought in 1977 from the local hobby shop and Toys-R-Us had Astron igniters you had to cut apart.
I have never seen D engines in Diamond packaging either. I think they switched those from the D13's that came in tubes directly to blister packaged D12's.


It was after 74, because I flew until summer of 74 (that's when I graduated from high school and no longer had a field to fly from) and there was no other packaging at the hobby shop I frequented but the diamond packs. And I'm pretty sure they did sell the D motors in diamond packs as well. As with the blister packs today, the diamond packs carried 4@ 13mm motors each (2x2) and 3@ 18mm and 24mm motors (one row of 3). I have a couple diamond packs of 1/4A3-2 motors, but no diamond packs of 18s or 24s in my collection.

I did several diamond pack layouts in Illustrator from scans of the original diamond packs - with these, I can print out and assemble diamond packs that look pretty good. I even took the diamond pack color scheme and layout, and created a three motor box similar to the Centuri boxes. It looks pretty cool as well. But I guess it's a nostalgia thing for me (that's how they came when I flew originally), but I still like the diamond packs the best!

Greg

ghrocketman 09-01-2011 02:24 PM

I have several 13mm and 18mm full diamond paks of engines including several of all flavors of B14's ! :D
All have engine dates 1974 or earlier, but that does not mean they did not still exist in 1975.
I know the last year that D13's existed they were available individually or in 3's and were shipped in tubes. That was 1971.
In 1972, the D12 came out and so did Solar Igniters.
1971 was the last year one was able to order single engines, as that was the last year of shipment tubes.
I do not know for sure if Estes ever had 24mm Diamond Paks. I have seen a LOT of rocket engine packaging and rocketry stuff over the past ~35 years in the hobby and can say I have never seen Estes D engines in diamond packaging. That does not mean they do not exist though. I do know I have a pak of D12-5's with a 1976 date on the motors and they are in a pink blister pak.
Possibly Rocket Doctor or JumpJet may know the answer to the 24mm diamond packaging question.

mwtoelle 09-01-2011 03:55 PM

I think the blue diamond packs were discontinued sometime around 1979. I remember ordering an X-Wing in 1978 from Estes with a pack of C6-3s and got one of the diamond packs. I ordered B6-6s and B6-0s in 1977 and got diamond packs. Also, locally purchased B6-4s and C6-5s were available in diamond packs as late as 1977/78.

hcmbanjo 09-01-2011 03:59 PM

3 Attachment(s)
D engines did come in diamond packaging.

The D13-7 engines in the green mailing tube were from 1971.

The D12-3 diamond pack engines were made on May 16, 1975

The D12-5s engines in the diamond packs were made on April 13, 1973.

All diamond packages have three nichrome igniters with a brown coating.

I don't really have an extensive engine collection, just a few rare favorites and some I would never launch - like the D13s!

Scott6060842 09-01-2011 04:31 PM

One of my biggest memories of blue diamond packs was the neighborhood trouble maker Eddie coming out of the local hobby store with about five packs shoved up his long sleeve shirt.

A Fish Named Wallyum 09-01-2011 04:37 PM

:D Where's Eddie these days?

A Fish Named Wallyum 09-01-2011 04:41 PM

When I started in the summer of 1977, the only thing they had on the local racks (JC Penney Toyland and KB Toy and Hobby) were the pink blister packs. I remember going to Johnny's (another local toy and hobby that I somehow missed in my youth,) around 1995 or 96 and finding some of the pink blister packs and buying them for nostalgia's sake. The idea that they might have been around since my ealy days was just too cool for words. :cool:

Doug Sams 09-01-2011 04:42 PM

Quote:
Originally Posted by mwtoelle
I think the blue diamond packs were discontinued sometime around 1979. I remember ordering an X-Wing in 1978 with a pack of C6-3s and got one of the diamond packs.
One thing to keep in mind, they could have discontinued them years before but coulda still been clearing inventory years later :) That is, they could have had blister packs in production for quite some time will still shipping out diamond packs. Nailing down exact dates might be difficult.

[Edit] I should add, intro dates can be determined, but official cancellation dates are not as clear.

Doug

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