Vernon Estes
Encyclopedia
Vernon Estes born January 4, 1930, is the founder and namesake of Estes Industries
, the highly-recognized model rocket
production company, headquartered in Penrose, Colorado
.
In 1957, G. Harry Stine
and Orville Carlisle
founded the first model rocket company, Model Missiles Incorporated, in Denver, Colorado
. By 1959, the demand for rocket engines was too great for their production capabilities, so they sought out an external supplier. The Estes family business was the first fireworks company listed in the Denver phone book. Their son, Vern, took it upon himself to find a way to mechanize the production of rocket engines. He assembled a machine which he named "Mabel," capable of producing a rocket engine in 5.5 seconds. The machine was powered by compressed air, which was a much safer choice than electricity.
Model Missiles, Inc. was forced to fold due to a number of unwise business decisions. Although a model rocketry supplier had disappeared, the market still existed, and Estes formed his own company, Estes Industries, to fill this market. His first kit was the Astron Scout, a simple design that was so small it fit inside the cardboard tubes used for shipping rocket engines.
In 1961, Estes moved his company to a 77 acres (311,608.2 m²) facility near Penrose, Colorado
. Although he sold his interest in Estes Industries in 1969, he remains active in model rocketry and occasionally attends launch events.
He also helped start the National Association of Rocketry
, and also helped make the Model Rocket Safety Code.
Estes Industries
Estes Industries is a company based in Penrose, Colorado, USA that designs and builds model rocket and model aircraft engines and kits. They were the best known model rocket company during the "golden age of rocketry" in the 1970s and early 1980s, competing primarily with Centuri Engineering and a...
, the highly-recognized model rocket
Model rocket
A model rocket is a small rocket that is commonly advertised as being able to be launched by anybody, to, in general, low altitudes and recovered by a variety of means....
production company, headquartered in Penrose, Colorado
Penrose, Colorado
Penrose is a census-designated place in Fremont County, Colorado, United States. The population was 4,070 at the 2000 census. The Penrose Post Office has the ZIP Code 81240.-Geography:Penrose is located at ....
.
In 1957, G. Harry Stine
G. Harry Stine
George Harry Stine was one of the founding figures of model rocketry, a science and technology writer, and a science fiction author.-Education and early career:...
and Orville Carlisle
Orville Carlisle
Orville H. Carlisle , a shoe salesman in Norfolk, Nebraska invented the hobby that would become known as model rocketry.In 1953, Orville and his brother Robert were joint owners of a shoe store on 420 Norfolk Ave...
founded the first model rocket company, Model Missiles Incorporated, in Denver, Colorado
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
. By 1959, the demand for rocket engines was too great for their production capabilities, so they sought out an external supplier. The Estes family business was the first fireworks company listed in the Denver phone book. Their son, Vern, took it upon himself to find a way to mechanize the production of rocket engines. He assembled a machine which he named "Mabel," capable of producing a rocket engine in 5.5 seconds. The machine was powered by compressed air, which was a much safer choice than electricity.
Model Missiles, Inc. was forced to fold due to a number of unwise business decisions. Although a model rocketry supplier had disappeared, the market still existed, and Estes formed his own company, Estes Industries, to fill this market. His first kit was the Astron Scout, a simple design that was so small it fit inside the cardboard tubes used for shipping rocket engines.
In 1961, Estes moved his company to a 77 acres (311,608.2 m²) facility near Penrose, Colorado
Penrose, Colorado
Penrose is a census-designated place in Fremont County, Colorado, United States. The population was 4,070 at the 2000 census. The Penrose Post Office has the ZIP Code 81240.-Geography:Penrose is located at ....
. Although he sold his interest in Estes Industries in 1969, he remains active in model rocketry and occasionally attends launch events.
He also helped start the National Association of Rocketry
National Association of Rocketry
The National Association of Rocketry is the governing body for the sport/hobby of model rocketry in the United States. It was established in 1957 by Orville Carlisle and G. Harry Stine and is currently headed by Trip Barber. It is the oldest and largest model rocketry governing body in the...
, and also helped make the Model Rocket Safety Code.
External links
- Dear Mr. Estes, a website for Vern's proposed book of the same name.
- Photographs from Vern Estes' personal rocket displays.
- Name That Vern, a tribute to Vern Estes and his influence on Model Rocketry.