For us old guys and other nostalgia fans, I cleaned up and examined my Park Plastics rocket that I played with back in the 60s. The set had two of the red and blue rockets seen in the photo, a small red plastic funnel and a yellow pump with a red hold-down and handle. One of the rockets had its fins crack off at the body seam while it was still being flown. You can see some cracks starting in the plastic near the nozzle in the photo of the other rocket. The fins extend slightly below the nozzle and the ends are bent to make the rocket spin. The plastic fins are also warped, possibly from spending too many years in a hot attic. There are water fill lines in the red nose marked 75 and 100 ft. That seems optimistic to me from what I remember of my luck with it.
The pump had a very short tube that fit into the nozzle, and a rubber washer that sealed against the bottom of the nozzle. That tube eventually broke off, making it almost impossible to seal the rocket anymore. Too bad I didn’t know how to fix it back then. A longer launch tube might have made a difference. I have the rockets and funnel but I haven’t been able to find the pump so I suspect that it was lost in one of several floods that my childhood house endured.
Here is the data on the rocket as best as I could measure it. Maybe someone is interested in figuring out just how well it could have been flown.
The fin is marked “PARK PLASTICS LINDEN N.J. PAT. NO. 2,732,657”
weight empty: 15 grams
total volume: 69 ml.
water filled to 100 ft. mark: 20 ml.
water ratio at 100 ft. mark: 29%
length nose to nozzle: 5 1/2 inches (140 mm.)
center of gravity empty: 2 3/4 inches (70 mm.) from nose
diameter at center seam: 1 3/8 inches (35 mm.)
nozzle opening: 11/64 inches (4.5 mm.)
nozzle flange diameter: 15/32 inches (12 mm.)
width at fins: 2 1/2 inches (63 mm.)
Rebel Rockets 
Bob Omohundro, I found a small plastic something with Park Plastic, Linden, NJ, nothing like the picture above, has a black piece on one end red tube and a round small blue plastic piece on the other end, found in Roseville Ca. by Dry Creek.
My dad Roy Hattersley was the designer for this rocket. I had many of them
as a kid. I was just looking around on line and saw your web page. He also designed the wee gee water gun. I don’t have any rockets, but I do have the mini water gun. I would love to get my hands on one of the water rockets. Hope to hear from you.
What a surprise to hear from someone with such a close connection!
I have two, one with very slightly cracked fins, the other had both broken off while it was still being launched decades ago. The plastic has aged from too many years of attic heat.
I’m not ready to part with mine yet, but anyone who has them can contact you here.
I have one of the water Rockets, still in the pkg!
Hi! I have 2 of these rockets in solid blue with a black and red pump thing. I am listing it on Ebay, so please take a look
Hello Libby,
I recently was browsing in a St. Vincent DePaul store near me and came across a Park Plastics “ROCKET” in solid red. in its original unopened package. It looks as if the packaging took more of a hit than the toy did…, This must have been in someones collection at one point. I find Red and Blue Rockets online, but no solid red ones like this one.
I have a red #502 still in packaging. Perfect new in box condition. Never opened. Email me if interested in buying it.
Oh really, my name is Richard Joffe. Son of Edward J Joffe. He has the patent on that rocket and the wee gee. I have the prints and a box or two of them. He (then I) owned Park Plastics in Linden, NJ
My mom worked for Park Plastics in Linden NJ …I as a child played with these rockets and all their water guns… My mom still has some in their orig package…the rocket was filled with water and it came with a pump and you would pump with air and it would take off like a Rocket!!! Fun …also came with a red funnel so you could add the water to it!!!
I have so been looking long and far to aquire a no. 502. I’m 34 can’t remember how as a child me and my brother acquired one as kids. But I had some of my best childhood moments growing up on a hot summer day pumping that thing up and looking in the neighborhood for it later lol never seemed to loose it then lol but lost it in adulthood. Now I’m wanting to share and create those moments with my son and nephew. But having no luck locating one. Anybody here have leeds… lol please a child at heart looking to pass a childhood game along to the next generation… and this one will be found after every launch. .. lol
I have one, still in the pkg. if you are interested. Tealady326@gmail.com
I have a red #502 still in packaging. Perfect new in box condition. Never opened. Email me if interested in buying it.
I have a Park Plastic Co’s no. 550 Anti-Missile Rocket UPC 4007600550
2 red rockets
air pump
water filler cup
Anyone interested in buying it ?
Do you still have your rockets? Can you email a picture, I’m not sure what the 550 looked like.
Excellent talk
Desperately hunting for the Parks parachute rocket #528 if anyone has any leads!
Worked for Park plastic, 62-63. They made great water guns, even a machine gun. And the rockets were great also. I guess ther are out of business now.