Estes Orange Bullet 7295

In 1961, Vern Estes designed the first Estes model rocket packaged for sale as a complete kit, the Astron Scout™. This rocket, the Astron Scout, would go on to sell tens of thousands of kits over its long lifetime and inspire countless young people to pursue technical careers. However, before the Astron Scout took flight, a never-before-seen prototype was created.

This prototype, named the Orange Bullet, used metal weights glued to the end of the fin tips to shift the center of gravity (CG) back after the engine popped out at apogee, resulting in the rocket tumbling gently instead of streamlining in nose first. While the design functioned, Vern and fellow rocketeer G. Harry Stine decided they could achieve the same thing without ejecting the engine. The weight of the rocket engine itself was used to shift the CG backwards in a later version which became the classic Astron Scout.

Sixty years later, Bill Stine, G. Harry Stine's son and current Estes Vice President, decided it was time for the Orange Bullet to take flight. This March, Estes will launch the first rocket in the new Designer Signature Series and the first complete kit Vern Estes ever designed, the Orange Bullet.

To build the Orange Bullet, you will need the following supplies: scissors, pencil, fine sandpaper, carpenter's glue, sanding block, hobby knife, masking tape, primer (white) and paint (grey, orange). Tools, construction, and finishing supplies are not included.

To launch the Orange Bullet, you will need the following (sold separately): Estes Porta-Pad II Launch Pad with a 1/8 inch launch rod and Electron Beam Launch Controller, Estes model rocket engines, starters and recovery wadding. Four 1.5V high-quality AA alkaline batteries are also required for the launch controller (not included).

There's no thrill quite like launching a model rocket, watching it streak skyward, reach peak altitude, and then return gently to earth. When you build them, the thrill is even better than ever. Thanks to Estes model rocketry, kids can explore the wondrous world of science while experimenting with different combinations of rockets, engines, and accessories to better understand how rockets reach outer space.

The Orange Bullet is an Intermediate level rocket, which will help a budding rocketeer develop some basic model building and finishing skills. The recommended engines for the Orange Bullet are the 1/2A6-2 and A8-3 (sold separately), and the projected altitude on an A8-3 engine is 500 ft. (152 m). The estimated assembly time is 1 hour, excluding glue drying time.

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