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Leo
03-27-2006, 07:04 AM
Since this might interest others I thought I'd post the information here instead of directly to Scott :)

So read on Scotty :D (for your Estes Rocket Kits 1961-200*)

My new addition to the collection.

A Meteor kit in German language manufactured bei ESTES:

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

Interesting thing is that there are 2 item numbers (227001 and 2801) on the same box:

http://www.leo.nutz.de/images/forums/Meteor_Number.jpg

I'll use this thread for any new items that might turn up :)

Leo
03-31-2006, 03:17 AM
And here I have another kit made by Estes in German language:

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

As with the other kit, 2 different item numbers (227004 and 2804):

http://www.leo.nutz.de/images/forums/Nova_Payloader_Number.jpg

ScooterM
03-31-2006, 02:26 PM
Since this might interest others I thought I'd post the information here instead of directly to Scott :)

Interesting Leo! At NARCON this year one of the speakers was Matt Steele formerly of Estes and co-founder of North Coast Rocketry. One of his duties at Estes was to set up build-and-fly sessions at Walt Disney World in Orlando and also to promote Estes products at hobby trade shows. He spoke of going to Germany (Munich I think?) and setting up an Estes display at a Toy and Hobby show there. He mentioned what a tough sell the model rocket concept was in a country where space exploration wasn't part of the national fabric as it was in the United States. Those kits you have are probably from that time period when Estes was making in-roads in the European market. Thanks for showing them and please post more as you find them.

Leo
03-31-2006, 03:01 PM
Happy you enjoy the info.

I'm sure he was at the hobby trade show that is held in Nuremberg every year. It is considered to be the biggest hobby and toy trade show in the world.

While I know it is tough selling rockets in Germany (somewhat to do with our past) the biggest problem simply is the lack off adequate flying fields/space.

The above kits were sold in Germany sometime between 1990 and 1993. This is my estimate because the Meteor came out in 1990 and the German instructions would indicate no later than 1993.

A Fish Named Wallyum
03-31-2006, 05:10 PM
Great stuff, Leo. Your website was one of the first that I stumbled onto when I first put my adult toe in the rocketry pool a few years back. A lot of the pics from your site have wound up as part of my screen saver at work. :cool:

Doug Sams
03-31-2006, 09:21 PM
He mentioned what a tough sell the model rocket concept was in [Germany] where space exploration wasn't part of the national fabric as it was in the United States. How ironic :)

You reckon it's because all the German space exploration experts were here? <vbg>

Doug

Ltvscout
04-03-2006, 09:52 AM
Since this might interest others I thought I'd post the information here instead of directly to Scott :)

So read on Scotty :D (for your Estes Rocket Kits 1961-200*)
Thanks, Leo. ;) Yes, updating the kit list for 2006 is in on my agenda. I'll get these added to it as well.

Leo
04-10-2006, 03:08 PM
... and we continue memory lane :)

Todays flashback is the Alpha II Starter Set.

The set was packaged in 2 different size boxes.
http://www.leo.nutz.de/images/rockets/AlphaIII_Mangold.jpg

Maybe Estes ran out of the small ones :)
http://www.leo.nutz.de/images/rockets/AlphaIII_Mangold_Big.jpg

Both have the item # 1406 and the German # 2506.

These sets were sold in 1990 and distributed by Georg Adam Mangold, Fuerth Germany.



Here we have the Alpha III Starter Set sold by Umarex, Germany.
http://www.leo.nutz.de/images/rockets/umarex_alpha3_starterset.jpg

The B6-4 engines inside the box are daten 1987 so this kit must have been sold in the late 80's but no later than 1989.

Item number on this one is 221406.