I have an Estes Electro Launch that I came across awhile ago.
I'm wondering if there is any history to it.
The launch wires have" Estes Industries" printed on it.
It's in good shape. No corrosion that I could see.
When was it made, stuff like that....
Thanks
Mark T

Mark:

There have been several models of Electro Launch, ranging from wooden boxes (1961 to 1965?) to red plastic boxes (66-71) and even a transparent plastic model.

Here are some catalog pages from various years:

http://www.ninfinger.org/rockets/ca...1/261est20.html

http://www.ninfinger.org/rockets/ca...66/66est34.html

http://www.ninfinger.org/rockets/ca.../711est100.html

It is the red plastic one with tabs on the bottom.
It has a black launch controller.
The printing on the cord says Estes Industries Penrose Colorado.
Mark

A classic - the launcher that I started with back in '67. It didn't always work, but that was because all I could afford were lousy carbon-zinc flashlight cells, not the photoflash type that it required. But it was great anyway - it came as a kit and you had to actually assemble it, including stripping wires and connecting them in the launcher, and wiring and assembling the controller. To my 13 year old eyes, that looked like quite a project, but the instructions were excellent and I got it together without any problems. Just as today, the launch rod was in two pieces; I pinched the metal coupler a little bit with a pair of pliers so that I could put it together and take it apart as needed. (It still required a good firm pull to get the two halves apart. I usually had to go at it more than once before I could finally separate them.)

I had a 10-speed Schwinn Varsity (my present for my 13th birthday) and I had added one of those little clip-style racks and a small leather seat bag to it. I used to put my Electro-Launch, with just the lower half of the launch rod in it, under the clip, with the leads and the controller coiled around the rod underneath the blast deflector. Then I would put my two rockets (Alpha and Sprite) onto the rod. I attached the upper half of the rod to my top tube with rubber bands, and I put my engines, igniters and wadding in the leather seat bag. That's how I traveled with my stuff to our impromptu launch site at the other end of our neighborhood. Everything was nice and secure; I just had to be careful when I swung my leg over as I got on and off my bike.

Ahh, memories... those were good times. That was right after I got into model rocketry (the EL and the Alpha were in my Starter Set) and I was totally obsessed with it. It was all I could think of morning, noon and night.

Forty-three years later, nothing has changed...

MarkII

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SAM # 0011

Your recollections (except for carrying it on a bike) are much like mine, though I don't recall the dates as well as you. I really wish I knew what became of my Electro-Launch from this very long space of time. Of all the stuff from "way back when", I'd like to have my E-L back. I still have one of my Porta-Pads from back then, but that's all I can point to. No E-L, no Launch Control System. *sigh*

Unfortunately, I do know what happened to mine. Wish I could have been there to intervene, but it was a long time ago.

MarkII

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SAM # 0011