Model Rockets

[mjmcneese]

I'm fully aware that I'm a nerd...just get that out of the way.

Anybody else out there into these things?

A few years ago, in 4-H, my brother and I were pretty big into it. And now that I've got a little boy, felt like a good time to step back into the hobby and give it another go. Kid is crazy about space and stuff...so this was a great thing for me to introduce to him. And it's a very cheap hobby to get into. First rocket I bought my son a few months ago came with everything that we needed to launch it for ~$20. Now we have five rockets and still have just over $100 invested.

Took a few of our rockets out tonight and had the wife snap a couple shots - she has no idea how to use a camera, but I think she did a'ight.

Of course, I'm already looking for a rocket big enough to send up my GoPro. That'll happen before the year's over.

 

[groveChuck]

Oh yeah! In my early teens (waaaay back) I had probably 20 Estes rockets- little ones, big ones, fast ones, slow ones, one, two and three stage, ones that a glider would pop off of.
You name it, I spent my money on it, built it and launched it. Recovered them too. Usually.
Always got the biggest engines possible.
Payloads of eggs, frogs, grasshoppers, etc...

 

[Kirk Gillock]

Oh yeah! In my early teens (waaaay back) I had probably 20 Estes rockets- little ones, big ones, fast ones, slow ones, one, two and three stage, ones that a glider would pop off of.
You name it, I spent my money on it, built it and launched it. Recovered them too. Usually.
Always got the biggest engines possible.
Payloads of eggs, frogs, grasshoppers, etc...

Same here. Good times.

Seeing that photo brings back a lot of good memories. Have fun!!

 

[Erik Olson]

Just introduced my 9-year-old son to Estes rockets last fall. I had a lot of rockets growing up and several friends (some very tolerant girlfriends included!) kept launching them through high school and into college. We went horizontal with D-engine rocketcars before we all finally went off into the real world. There has been talk of a rocketcar reunion over the years.

 

[mjmcneese]

Glad to see I'm not the only one!

Just yesterday I finished building our first two-stager. Supposedly it's gonna go more than 1/2 mile high. Going shopping for "D" Engines today so that we can get that thing off the ground. 34" of rocket at 2600' away. Hmmm...

 

[Terry_Lasater]

Good:

Bad:

Now, show me some ugly...

 

[groveChuck]

I had a bunch of D rockets, and one E!!! Yowza!!!

Nice looking rocket in your living room! Now i'm getting an itchy launch trigger finger... thanks Mike!

Oh BTW, a couple of things I would do to help spot/track the rockets- I'd put a little talcum powder around the chute to make a puff when it pops (also make sure the chute doesn't stick closed)
I think i also cut up small 1" squares of aluminum foil to reflect light when ejected...
Sometimes I'd cut a small hole in the center of the chute so it would fall quicker and drift less... was always guessing how much to tilt the rod into the wind.
Also had a chase bicycle... ahhh... those were the (carefree) days....

 

[mjmcneese]

Nice looking rocket in your living room! Now i'm getting an itchy launch trigger finger... thanks Mike!

I do what I can.

Oh BTW, a couple of things I would do to help spot/track the rockets- I'd put a little talcum powder around the chute to make a puff when it pops (also make sure the chute doesn't stick closed)
I think i also cut up small 1" squares of aluminum foil to reflect light when ejected...

Brilliant! I'm doing this. I'll tell you a little secret. Our second rocket was a little one called the Hi-Flier. How cool? This little thing goes like 1900' high! Awesome. Welp. We launched it. It went up. And up. And up. Gone. Never saw how high it went. And never found it. Great tips!

 

[Doc Bernard]

I had a bunch of D rockets, and one E!!! Yowza!!!

Nice looking rocket in your living room! Now i'm getting an itchy launch trigger finger... thanks Mike!

Oh BTW, a couple of things I would do to help spot/track the rockets- I'd put a little talcum powder around the chute to make a puff when it pops (also make sure the chute doesn't stick closed)
I think i also cut up small 1" squares of aluminum foil to reflect light when ejected...
Sometimes I'd cut a small hole in the center of the chute so it would fall quicker and drift less... was always guessing how much to tilt the rod into the wind.
Also had a chase bicycle... ahhh... those were the (carefree) days....

Um, I had my membership revoked from the rocket club when I was younger.........same with the RC helo club when I was 25........

I guess they don't like it when you come up with a way to attach and launch mini rockets (salvo of 16 mini rockets) from an RC helo, or not install 'chutes to the rocket and figure ballistic trajectories for ground zero. I guess it figures I ended up providing guns to film................