1958 Nesbitt's : Missile and Jet Plane Trading Cards

Missile and Jet Plane Trading Cards were distributed in 1958 by the Nesbitt Fruit Products Company of Los Angeles, California. The American Card Catalog reference is F217. One card was included with each 6-bottle carton of Nesbitt's Orange soft drinks. Each card measures 2.125 x 3.5 inches.

The 42-card series features photographs of missiles and sounding rockets that have travelled into space: Atlas, Thor, Jupiter, Lockheed X-17, Martin Viking, and the V-2. Concept art for the Vanguard 1 rocket and satellite are also included.

 

The U.S. Navy Viking #11 sounding rocket was launched into suborbital space from White Sands LC33 on May 24, 1954. The Martin RTV-N-12a rocket travelled to an record apogee of 158 miles (254 km) . The experiment package measured nose cone heat during reentry and returned high altitude photographs of the Earth.

 

Identical photos were used in the Jet Planes series from the Exhibit Supply Co., Aircraft & Missile Trading Cards from Sicle, and Histoire de L'Aviation from Mills cigarettes.