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  #1  
Old 02-09-2015, 07:04 AM
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mojo1986 mojo1986 is offline
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Default Who Knew?

How many of you guys knew that Estes marketed a 36" silk parachute back in 1969? To the best of my knowledge, it never appeared in a catalog and the 'chutes weren't offered for any great length of time.

Did anyone here ever buy one?

Joe
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Old 02-09-2015, 11:44 AM
stefanj stefanj is offline
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Interesting. I wonder if it was associated with the big Saturn kits of the time.

Centuri offered silk 'chutes for use with its "large scale rocketry" line. If you bought a Hustler or Aero-Dart back in the day, that's what it would come with.

Early on you could even buy a sew-it-yourself kit.
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Old 02-09-2015, 12:27 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by stefanj
Interesting. I wonder if it was associated with the big Saturn kits of the time.

Centuri offered silk 'chutes for use with its "large scale rocketry" line. If you bought a Hustler or Aero-Dart back in the day, that's what it would come with.

Early on you could even buy a sew-it-yourself kit.


That's interesting. I'm pretty sure Estes never sold a Saturn kit with a large silk 'chute. But didn't Estes buy out Centuri around this timeframe? I wonder if they were simply extending their product line with some of the stuff that Centuri sold. Do you have one of the Centuri 'chutes? If so, could you post a photo in this thread? Anybody else?
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Old 02-09-2015, 12:51 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mojo1986
But didn't Estes buy out Centuri around this timeframe?

Damon bought both companies.


.
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Old 02-09-2015, 01:04 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tbzep
Damon bought both companies.


.


Yeah.....they bought Estes September, 1969. I think the Damon buyout of Centuri was finalized around February of 1971, but as I understand, Damon initially approach Lee Piester about a buyout at NARAM the prior summer of 1970.

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Old 02-09-2015, 01:22 PM
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I seem to remember that I read that the EnerJet Egg Crate came with two silk chutes.
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Old 02-09-2015, 02:13 PM
Initiator001 Initiator001 is offline
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The Centuri/Enerjet fabric parachutes were made by Betty Piester (Wife of Centuri President Lee Piester) and some of her friends.

All of them belonged to a sewing circle and would get together once a month to sew parachutes for the rocket kits.
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Old 02-09-2015, 03:14 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Initiator001
The Centuri/Enerjet fabric parachutes were made by Betty Piester (Wife of Centuri President Lee Piester) and some of her friends.

All of them belonged to a sewing circle and would get together once a month to sew parachutes for the rocket kits.


Now that is amazing! A different world from the one we know today.
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Old 02-09-2015, 06:58 PM
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My Enerjet Nike Smoke kit (opened) has the hand-sewn Silk Parachute in fine flyable shape, though it will NOT be flown once I build the kit. I will save it in a bag.
Very interesting that it must have passed through Betty Piester's hands.
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Old 02-10-2015, 01:56 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mojo1986
Now that is amazing! A different world from the one we know today.
Esther Goddard (nee Esther Kisk), who made the parachutes for Robert's rockets and was his official photographer and archivist, would have approved... :-)
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