It was another hot day, so we decided to meet at 9am, ahead of the afternoon heat. There was no wind to speak of, so the rockets didn’t drift too far. We had just enough of a breeze to be comfortable in the shade of our canopies. It was a great day of flying rockets once again.
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When Roy Green passed away some of his rockets were auctioned off by the club he was a member, Southern Area Rocketry. This Big Bertha was signed, for Roy, at NARAM-321 by Vernon Estes himself and purchased by Joe Burley. Vernon Estes, born on September 19, 1930, and passed away on August 1, 2021, was an American entrepreneur and pioneer in model rocketry. After completing his education in engineering, Estes served in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War.
In 1958, he founded Estes Industries in Penrose, Colorado, revolutionizing the hobby by developing reliable, mass-produced model rocket engines that standardized safety and quality. His innovative approach to assembly line production and comprehensive educational materials made model rocketry accessible to enthusiasts of all ages. Estes Industries quickly became the world’s leading model rocket manufacturer, significantly impacting both the hobby and educational sectors.
Joe flew this “Roy Green” Big Bertha for the first (and last time) on a C6-5. The flight was picture perfect, with no damage.
Vernon Estes
and
Roy Green
Footnotes
- NARAM is the Annual Meet of the National Association of Rocketry (NAR). It is he national contest culminating the rocket contest year, and also includes fun, or “sport,” flying of model rockets for those who don’t wish to compete. The NAR is the governing body for the sport/hobby of model rocketry in the United States. NARAM is traditionally held the first week of August. NARAM-32, 1990, Dallas, TX Contest Director- Scott Hunsicker ↩︎
Further Reading
Sources
- Wikipedia “NARAM” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NARAM
