My guess would be when Estes redesigned their Saturn V in 1988 I think it was (Keith Niskern of Centuri Saturn series fame did the redesign and had his photo on the box art because of his work). That version still had paper wraps. But I think maybe that version had the plastic capsule that had the additional surface detail for the first time.

The next version of the Saturn V after that would have been the Apollo 11 30th anniversary version (now with the revived vacu-formed wraps from the old Centuri Saturn V), and released in very late 1998, as I recall.

Earl

Don't know about the others, but i wouldn't call the Delta Katt a 'turd'...


< https://forums.rocketshoppe.com/sho...ight=delta+katt >

I stand by my statement.
TURD.

And I will stand behind your right to the make that statement.
Like, maybe 50 feet behind you while you duke it out with whomever
wants to call you on it.


However, I still haven't flown the Delta Katt yet, so it may very well

fly like a turd. I'll keep you posted.

Not necessarily a ‘deal’, but an interesting listing for an Estes/Mattel Starlab boxed kit, but apparently marketed originally overseas in the Netherlands.

I have never seen an Estes kit in any form with a Mattel logo on the kit as well.

Listing link: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Starlab-vi...AAOSwsqdgVwU n

Anyone ever seen that me of these (or similar) before?

Earl

I believe that Estes specifically marketed these Mattel branded Cape Canaveral boxed kits in Europe, primarily in Germany. Leo Nutz has quite a few of them, including the Mattel boxed Starlab kit: http://www.leo.nutz.de/Rockets.php?...0(Mattel)# 548
Seems like some of the wording on the boxes and on the instructions is in German.

Kind regards,
Jeff Jenkins
aka: Faithwalker
NAR #46879 SR

For those who'd like to clone an old Estes K-21 Gemini Titan, this is a nice set of parts to make the job a lot easier:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Gemini-Tit...353.m2749.l2649

I'm reasonably sure this is the same set of parts I got a few years back to build mine. Not the greatest quality 3d printed parts, but not bad - and far easier than trying to assemble everything from scratch.

Thanks Jeff. Yeah, looks like a good variety of many of the major Estes kits from the late 70s. I’m surprised more of these have not shown up on eBay.

Earl

Leo has quite a few boxed Estes/Mattel kits. Interesting that the Big Bertha is called the “Astron”. I think “Dagmar” might have been more fitting ...

Leo shows the Estes Mattel Cape Canaveral boxed Patriot Deluxe Starter kit #90-1404 dated as 1978-1979. The contents appear to be exactly the same as the special issue Estes Spirit of '76 Patriot Starter kit #1776, issued in 1976 in the USA.

Kind regards,
Jeff Jenkins
aka: Faithwalker
NAR #46879 SR