04-14-2009, 06:43 PM
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SPEV/Orion wrangler
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Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Atlanta, GA
Posts: 2,645
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by MDorffler
My name is Mike Dorffler. Some of you know me, or know of me. I have been a model rocket kit designer with Estes Industries for nearly 40 years. I have over these years developed three camera systems, several launch controllers and launch pads, over 250 produced model rocket kits, several rocket motors, and several rocket related electronic items, all for this hobby we collectively enjoy.
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Welcome Mike, and bravo!
Only last August did I finally get my hands on my own copy of your initial contribution to the hobby, a Cineroc (I have a long story somewhere else on YORF about mowing lawns to buy one in 1971 only to have the funds diverted to a 35mm camera to cover my trip to NARAM 13 that year).
When it went away in the mid 70's, the scuttlebutt was that Estes could no longer obtain the motors used in it. I thought this was a rather odd reason, as from my examination of John Langford's and Mike Myrick's Cinerocs (usually after they had crashed!), the motors looked like standard issue motors you could find in Allied or Lafayette catalogs back in the day.
My first question: Was motor un-availability the real reason the Cineroc was discontinued?
(and of course, by "motors" I mean the small electric ones, for our readers who are more easily confused!  )
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Roy
nar12605
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