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Rocket III


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Rocket III / IPD No. 1989 / April, 1967 / 1 Player
 
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Average Fun Rating: [ 8 stars - Click for comments ]    7.5/10  (16 ratings/14 comments)        [ Add Your Rating! ]
Manufacturer: Bally Manufacturing Corporation (1931-1983) [Trade Name: Bally]
Project Date: January 24, 1967
Date Of Manufacture: April, 1967
Model Number: 800
Type: Electro-mechanical (EM) [?]
Production: 2,603 units   (confirmed)
Serial Number Database:View at The Internet Pinball Serial Number Database (IPSND.net)  (External site)
Theme: Outer Space
Specialty: Zipper Flippers [?]
Notable Features: Zipper flippers (2), Pop bumpers (4), Mushroom bumpers (10), Spinning bumper (1). Slingshots (2), Left outlane ball kicker. Right outlane ball return gate.
Design by: Ted Zale
Art by: Christian Marche
Notes: The manufacturer produced the backglasses in both crystal glass and Plexiglas.

Near the center of the motor board is a 10-pin jack with a 4-pin shorting plug. This shorting plug is required for replay operation. This jack will accommodate an Add-a-ball relay, likely ordered separately by the operator, required for Add-a-ball operation. The operator would remove (and save) the shorting plug and attach the Add-a-ball relay to the nearby vacant area of the motor board, plugging it into the vacated jack. In the Files section are instructions for converting this game from Replay operation to Add-a-ball operation. The schematic refers to the "add-a-ball relay".

Early Production games (like the ones featured in the promo photo and the flyer) differ from the rest of the production run because they have no "Special" on reaching letter 'E' of 'Rocket' on the playfield, thus no Special light on the left outlane, and no left outlane kickback. Also, they feature a bottom arch with different graphics, different colors on the playfield and the cabinet (while the plastics are the same), and a different playfield glass, being the familiar sliding glass, while later in production the glass was changed to lift upwards from the front in a metal frame.

Although the games featured in the flyer and in the promo photo are normal replay games, Federico Croci, a collector in Italy, tells us that several Early Production versions were found there with no replay unit and no replay window in the backglass.

The Italian add-a-ball version is Bally's 1967 'Rocket III (Italy)'.

Marketing Slogans: "Blast off to bigger profits"
Photos in: The Complete Pinball BookExternal Link, page 126
The Pinball Compendium 1930s - 1960sExternal Link, page 190
Mike Pacak's Pinball Flyer Reference Book G-R
Owners List URL:http://www.pinballowners.com/owners/1989  (External site)
Documentation: 2 MB PDF Parts List [Bally Mfg. Corp.]
  6 MB PDF Schematic Diagram (continuous) [Bally Mfg. Corp.]
Files: 2 MB PDF Effective Adjustments On Movable Flipper Assembly (bleached copy) [Bally Mfg. Corp.]
  2 MB PDF New Lift-Out Mounting Board - Instructions [Bally Mfg. Corp.]
  1 MB PDF Replay Model Adjustments [Bally Mfg. Corp.]
  1 MB PDF Replay To Add-A-Ball Conversion Kit #313 - Instructions [Bally Mfg. Corp.]
  4 MB PDF Score Motor Unit Switch Chart [Bally Mfg. Corp.]
Images:
(click to zoom)
Image # 3854: Rocket III Flyer
Flyer

910x1085
 
Image # 6448: Rocket III Playfield
Playfield

480x640
[Jacob Deatherage]
Image # 6449: Rocket III Backglass
Backglass

640x480
[Jacob Deatherage]
Image # 11094: Rocket III Promotional Photo
Promotional Photo

620x793
 
Image # 31900: Rocket III Backglass 
(Serial number 2210.)
Backglass*

355x300
 
Image # 31901: Rocket III Playfield 
(Serial number 2210.)
Playfield*

395x300
 
Image # 31902: Rocket III Playfield 
(Serial number 2210.)
Playfield*

400x247
 
Image # 31903: Rocket III Cabinet - Right 
(Serial number 2210.)
Cabinet - Right*

297x300
 
Image # 31904: Rocket III Cabinet - Front 
(Serial number 2210.)
Cabinet - Front*

356x300
 
Image # 44272: Rocket III Backglass - Detail
Backglass - Detail

561x748
[Bruce Brigham]
Image # 44273: Rocket III Upper Playfield
Upper Playfield

748x561
[Bruce Brigham]
Image # 44274: Rocket III Playfield
Playfield

748x561
[Bruce Brigham]
Image # 44275: Rocket III Score Card
Score Card

748x561
[Bruce Brigham]
Image # 44276: Rocket III Left Outlane with Special
Left Outlane with Special

561x748
[Bruce Brigham]
Image # 44277: Rocket III Right Outlane with Gate
Right Outlane with Gate

561x748
[Bruce Brigham]
Image # 47933: Rocket III Playfield - Detail
Playfield - Detail

799x591
[Bruce Brigham]
Image # 47934: Rocket III Illuminated Backglass 
(Background reflections are apparent.)
Illuminated Backglass*

1010x1152
[Bruce Brigham]
Image # 47935: Rocket III Illuminated Playfield
Illuminated Playfield

864x1152
[Bruce Brigham]
Image # 54760: Rocket III Stripped Playfield
Stripped Playfield

1089x1729
[Sean Kavanagh]
Image # 72047: Rocket III Add-A-Ball Relay Not Installed 
(In this picture, near the center of the motor board, the 4-pin replay shorting plug has been removed from the 10-pin jack and placed next to it. Serial number 3400.)
Add-A-Ball Relay Not Installed*

1200x2135
[Aston Clarke]
Image # 72048: Rocket III Add-A-Ball Relay Not Installed - Annotated 
(In this picture, a red square highlights where the 4-pin replay shorting plug has been removed from the 10-pin jack and placed next to it. The vacant area inside the square is where the Add-a-ball relay would be mounted. Serial number 3400.)
Add-A-Ball Relay Not Installed - Annotated*

1200x2135
[Aston Clarke]
Image # 72049: Rocket III Add-A-Ball Relay Installed
Add-A-Ball Relay Installed

1200x1600
 
Image # 72050: Rocket III Backglass - Reverse
Backglass - Reverse

1200x1179
 
Image # 72398: Rocket III Early Production Backglass 
(Serial number RO 1091.)
Early Production Backglass*

1200x1581
 
Image # 72399: Rocket III Early Production Playfield 
(Serial number RO 1091.)
Early Production Playfield*

1200x1604
 
Image # 72400: Rocket III Early Production Upper Playfield 
(Serial number RO 1091.)
Early Production Upper Playfield*

1200x1604
 
Image # 72401: Rocket III Early Production Upper Playfield 
(Serial number RO 1091.)
Early Production Upper Playfield*

1200x898
 
Image # 72402: Rocket III Early Production Lower Playfield - Downfield View 
(There is no left outlane kickback feature. Serial number RO 1091.)
Early Production Lower Playfield - Downfield View*

1200x898
 
Image # 72403: Rocket III Early Production Backbox - Serial Number 
(Serial number RO 1091.)
Early Production Backbox - Serial Number*

1200x1390
 
Image # 72404: Rocket III Early Production Cabinet - Right 
(Serial number RO 1091.)
Early Production Cabinet - Right*

1200x691
 
Image # 72405: Rocket III Early Production Cabinet - Front 
(Serial number RO 1091.)
Early Production Cabinet - Front*

1200x1329
 
Image # 72406: Rocket III Early Production Cabinet - Serial Number 
(Serial number RO 1091.)
Early Production Cabinet - Serial Number*

1200x1496
 
Image # 72407: Rocket III Early Production - Inside Backbox 
(Serial number RO 1091.)
Early Production - Inside Backbox*

1200x1604
 
Image # 72408: Rocket III Early Production - Under Playfield 
(There is no left outlane kickback feature. Serial number RO 1091.)
Early Production - Under Playfield*

1200x1802
 
Image # 72409: Rocket III Early Production - No Replay Shorting Plug 
(Serial number RO 1091.)
Early Production - No Replay Shorting Plug*

898x1200
 
Image # 79743: Rocket III Backglass
Backglass

1200x1296
[Jean-Pierre Renault]
Image # 79744: Rocket III Stripped Playfield
Stripped Playfield

779x1600
[Jean-Pierre Renault]
Image # 79745: Rocket III Stripped Upper Playfield
Stripped Upper Playfield

1198x1186
[Jean-Pierre Renault]
Image # 79746: Rocket III Stripped Lower Playfield
Stripped Lower Playfield

1200x1437
[Jean-Pierre Renault]
Image # 81328: Rocket III Inside Cabinet - Operator Information 
(This references Bally's new 'motorized trip bank'.)
Inside Cabinet - Operator Information*

1200x653
[Federico Croci]
 

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