Vernon Estes (usually referred to as Vern), 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
George Harry Stine (March 26, 1928 – November 2, 1997) was one of the founding figures of model rocketry, a science and technology writer, and (under the name Lee Correy) a science fiction author.
Education and early career
Stine grew up in ...
and
Orville Carlisle Orville H. Carlisle (July 5, 1917 – August 1, 1988), a shoe salesman in Norfolk, Nebraska invented the hobby that would become known as model rocketry.
In 1953, Orville and his brother were joint owners of a shoe store on 420 Norfolk Ave. Robert ...
founded the first model rocket company, Model Missiles Incorporated, in
Denver, Colorado
Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
. 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 every 5.5 seconds. The machine was powered by compressed air and hydraulics, 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 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.
References
*Craddock, Robert A. "Mr. Estes Comes to Washington." ''Air&Space/Smithsonian, October/November 2000, pp. 18-19.
* "Space Age Legends." ''Launch Magazine, September/October 2006, pp. 24–33, 60–1.
External links
Dear Mr. Estes a website for Vern's proposed book of the same name.
Vintage Estes Rockets A website for collectors of Vintage Estes K-Kit Rockets.
Name That Vern
a tribute to Vern Estes and his influence on Model Rocketry.
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1930 births
Model rocketry
People from Fremont County, Colorado
Living people