Examples - left to right:

Left: solid white 'chute on my Star Stryker - built in June of 2009. (This was back during the brief period when Estes tried to sell actual kits to build at WalMart and before the sale of the company to Hobbico.) I think the kit was probably purchased earlier that year.

Center: A solid red 12 inch parachute on an Alpha I built in 2010. I don't know now if that was the 'chute that came in that particular kit or not.

On the right - a ready-to-fly Athena with a mid 2009 date code and a red 'chute in the package. I also found some bought-on-sale Estes kits with date codes ranging into mid 2010 with the red 'chutes in them, but ones from late 2010 and on with the current designs.

Attached Thumbnails

 

__________________
Bernard Cawley
NAR 89040 L1 - Life Member
SAM 0061
AMA 42160
KG7AIE