This is one of the first commercially-produced flying model rocket kits, unassembled and in its original box. Made by Model Missiles in 1959, the kit is based on the U.S. Navy's Aerobee-Hi sounding rocket. The rocket body is pasteboard, the nose cone is plastic, the fins are balsa wood, and the parachute is plastic. The kit does not contain a motor.
G. Harry Stine, a pioneer in the field of model rockets, donated this artifact to NASM in 1973.
Display Status
This object is not on display at the National Air and Space Museum. It is either on loan or in storage.
Object Details
Date
ca. 1959
Country of Origin
United States of America
Type
MODELS-Missiles & Rockets
Manufacturer
Model Missiles, Inc.
Dimensions
Other (retail box): 14 7/8 × 4 3/8 × 1 5/8 in. (37.8 × 11.1 × 4.1cm)
Materials
Box: Cardboard
Base pieces: Wood
Fin sheet: balsa wood
Jet deflector plate: Steel
Body tube: Paper, Adhesive
Motor mount, parachute: Plastic
Shroud line: Cotton
Shock cord: Rubber
Nose cone: Vinyl
Tube: Paper
Inventory Number
A19930623000
Credit Line
Gift of G. Harry Stine
Data Source
National Air and Space Museum
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
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