Model Rockets

[LhcBrad]

My kid wants to get into doing Model Rockets.
Does anyone have any tips for a beginner?

 

[stephenkatsea]

We had many good times with the Estes store bought models. Some became pretty exotic with deployed wings for landing etc etc. Didn’t take us long to realize we could squeeze over sized engines into the smaller rockets. Enjoy. Be safe.

Failed to mention, we were doing this in Port Hueneme, adjacent to the incoming aircraft at Pt Mugu NAS. Those super powered models got way up there.

 

[4Waters]

Estes is the cheapest and easiest way into it, I had one growing up and loved it

 

[Racey]

I used to do Estes as a kid, i can still smell them

 

[Nordie]

I used to do Estes as a kid, i can still smell them

Same, Many of my neighbors got knocks on their door asking if I could get my model rocket out of their backyard.

 

[Javajoe]

Really fun to do with kids. They are reusable if you judge the wind right and the parachute opens. E and F engines were the biggest back in the 70’s. We built 3 stage rockets where each stage blew off. Pretty bad ass. They have little igniters with wires hooked up to an arming device to launch them. Not sure what they do and use now. Some of our rockets were almost 6’ tall. We would put m80’s in the payloads from time to time or those GI Joes that came with parachutes

 

[LhcBrad]

Would a foorball field size area be big enough for this Rocket? It says it goes 1100 ft high. I am thinking shooting straight up with no wind.

 

[monkeyswrench]

The engines have delay times, between thrust and parachute pop. A longer delay will allow it to fall a bit. This can be useful on days with a slight breeze. The first stage engines have no delay, and burn right to the end, igniting the second stage.

 

[monkeyswrench]

Would a foorball field size area be big enough for this Rocket? It says it goes 1100 ft high. I am thinking shooting straight up with no wind.
View attachment 1482222

Possibly, wind is a big factor. My property is 660ft square, and with no noticeable wind we can keep it usually on the east side, 300x660.

 

[LhcBrad]

The engines have delay times, between thrust and parachute pop. A longer delay will allow it to fall a bit. This can be useful on days with a slight breeze. The first stage engines have no delay, and burn right to the end, igniting the second stage.

This makes sense to me. I did not know this and is exactly the type of information I need. We have the C6-5 single stage engines now. I eventually want to send up a guy with a parachute and have him pop out with the rocket parachute and come down seperate.

 

[rivermobster]

Really fun to do with kids. They are reusable if you judge the wind right and the parachute opens. E and F engines were the biggest back in the 70’s. We built 3 stage rockets where each stage blew off. Pretty bad ass. They have little igniters with wires hooked up to an arming device to launch them. Not sure what they do and use now. Some of our rockets were almost 6’ tall. We would put m80’s in the payloads from time to time or those GI Joes that came with parachutes

We would put a smaller engine in, that would ignite from the chute blast.

But, we would glue it in place, and glue the nose cone in, and that would make for a nice explosion!

I like the M80 deal too!!!

I also had an air brush kit, and did some pretty cool graphics

It's a super fun, not too expensive hobby. But like anything, it's easy to get carried away.

I used to do Estes as a kid, i can still smell them

It's like Hoppies #9. There are some things you just can't UN-smell!

 

[rivermobster]

This makes sense to me. I did not know this and is exactly the type of information I need. We have the C6-5 single stage engines now. I eventually want to send up a guy with a parachute and have him pop out with the rocket parachute and come down seperate.

Like a Buzz Lightyear? Don't forget Woody!

 

[Fastdadtsmith]

Where are you located? When my kids were growing up in Apple Valley I used to take our Boy Scout Troop out for overnighters with a club that had multiple launch ramps depending on rocket being launched. There were some real works of art going up. The launch area was out in Lucerne Valley. It is a great inexpensive hobby by todays standards. The common failures were parachute strings tangling, nose cones on too tight and not allowing parachute to deploy, engine tab that holds engine in place being loose and engines would eject instead of chutes deploying. If an igniter doesn't ignite, remove launch key and wait a minute or two as some could still launch while you're walking up to it.

 

[LhcBrad]

Where are you located? When my kids were growing up in Apple Valley I used to take our Boy Scout Troop out for overnighters with a club that had multiple launch ramps depending on rocket being launched. There were some real works of art going up. The launch area was out in Lucerne Valley. It is a great inexpensive hobby by todays standards. The common failures were parachute strings tangling, nose cones on too tight and not allowing parachute to deploy, engine tab that holds engine in place being loose and engines would eject instead of chutes deploying. If an igniter doesn't ignite, remove launch key and wait a minute or two as some could still launch while you're walking up to it.

Good tips. Thank you. I am in Hayden Idaho.

 

[DLC]

Estes

If you have a wind you can aim the rocket into the wind so they don’t go as far away ….

They are really fun !

Have a few built and ready to go as they can get damaged on the way down!

We had property out in the desert and would build and light em off w/ friends kids and our nephews !

It was a great time

 

[scottchbrite]

We just launched my daughter’s model rocket for the first time yesterday. I got her a kit off of Amazon that had 2 rockets that she had to build, along with the launcher and platform. Shes really into space stuff and rockets. She’s been to Vandenburg several times to watch the rockets launch at space x. Her uncle works there. If the video plays, you can see the effects of the wind. We launched it a second time with a bigger engine and lost it. we finally found it today in an oak tree 5 acres awa. It was her idea to send it in the wind. She is wanting a bigger one now.

 

[LhcBrad]

We just launched my daughter’s model rocket for the first time yesterday. I got her a kit off of Amazon that had 2 rockets that she had to build, along with the launcher and platform. Shes really into space stuff and rockets. She’s been to Vandenburg several times to watch the rockets launch at space x. Her uncle works there. If the video plays, you can see the effects of the wind. We launched it a second time with a bigger engine and lost it. we finally found it today in an oak tree 5 acres awa. It was her idea to send it in the wind. She is wanting a bigger one now.

View attachment 1482230

That was cool. It does give me an idea with the wind also. The wind is main concern and I am pretty sure we will loose a few from the wind.

 

[scottchbrite]

That was cool. It does give me an idea with the wind also. The wind is main concern and I am pretty sure we will loose a few from the wind.

We tried to aim it into the wind the second launch and we moved the launcher about 100’ and it went further than it did on the previous launch. It was over an 1/8 to a 1/4 mile away It must of caught some upper atmosphere winds.
The kids are devising a “tool” to perform a rescue mission on the rocket tomorrow after school.

 

[endobear]

We have some 30+ year old Estes rockets that were passed down to us

. My boy enjoys messing with them when we are camping.

 

[Fastdadtsmith]

Good tips. Thank you. I am in Hayden Idaho.

Not sure of location, but these are the kinds of things that we did.

TIR Home

The Idaho Chapter of the Tripoli Rocketry Association TRA Prefecture #043

www.tripoliidaho.org

 

[C-2]

We didn't have much money growing up, so for us, it was old paper towel/toilet paper/gift wrap rolls and hand-shaped balsa wood nose cones and fins. Or we scavenged/recycled plastic nose cones from other kids failed launches.

We would make the motor mounts by layering/molding paper, soaked in Elmers glue, wrapped around a used motor. It was super fun, learning thru trial and error.

We built our own launch stations, too.

I hand-built a bitchen rocket shaped after a Nike Ajax missile...man, I wish I could share pics of it. It came out great.

I guess we just weren't happy with anything out of the box, except for the motors themselves.

Awesome, cheap hobby.

Congrats

 

[Javajoe]

Back in the day they would also sell the raw materials to make your own. That was cool because it was cheaper and quick since we lost a lot of them. Those we didn’t add parachutes too. Just wanted them to launch high

 

[Javajoe]

Btw… cannon fuses will ignite them. We used to buy a roll and use them.

 

[Kenboat]

Just ordered a Big Bertha kit from Estes with a launch pad for the grand kids to build and shoot off.
Did a lot of rockets as a kid and we learned to use black power in place of a chute for added fun!

 

[Kenboat]

Also they don't sell engine fuse anymore!

 

[Yoshiro]

I was big into the Estes brand stuff as a kid. We learned that the rockets with a parachute recovery could travel very far. So we began cutting a hole in the center of the chute to speed the drop time. You can start small and gradually make the hole bigger to tune the chute.

If you don't have a big area, a tumble recovery would be better.

It's a fun hobby

 

[TimeBandit]

The water powered ones were all we had as kids, because budget.

 

[Badchoices03]

Every single year before desert season starts, I tell my son that we are going to get some rockets, and to this day we still have not....between the actual real offroad toys and all the rc stuff we take, it just always gets overlooked...

 

[Lumpy]

Used to be able to by full sets at Walmart. Son and I had countless hours of fun with rockets. We loaded a small one with a monster motor…pretty sure its been in orbit for about 15 years now.

 

[Caydens Cat]

Those “sending ‘em” maybe an AirTag stuffed onto the fuselage? Recall as a kid launching them in Mile Square Park to never find them… big loss for a broke kid.

 

[rivermobster]

Btw… cannon fuses will ignite them. We used to buy a roll and use them.

We used the Estes fuses to fire off our potato cannons!

 

[rivermobster]

My kid wants to get into doing Model Rockets.
Does anyone have any tips for a beginner?

Thirty bucks and your in...

https://a.co/d/0DgtTBI

 

[Nordie]

We used the Estes fuses to fire off our potato cannons!

We used aquanet and the flint roller chingas for those old school Coleman lanterns. Bet you'd never think a 40 year old knew that trick old man!

 

[Javajoe]

We used to do a lot of stupid shit with just the engines like put a fuse in them and light it then throw it. Tried putting them in toy boats in the canal too. Boredom as a kid

 

[Javajoe]

The reason we started the m80’s deal is we had 3 stage rockets and after the second stage it would disappear until the M80 was pushed out and it exploded we would see it.

 

[rivermobster]

We used aquanet and the flint roller chingas for those old school Coleman lanterns. Bet you'd never think a 40 year old knew that trick old man!

Kids always have the best tricks...

I learned a whole bunch about blowing stuff up in Boy Scouts!

 

[Nordie]

Kids always have the best tricks...

I learned a whole bunch about blowing stuff up in Boy Scouts!

I was never a boy scout, but my parents kind of let my brother and I figure stuff out.

Back to the rockets! It's great seeing kids take an interest in them. I blame Elon

 

[jeteater1]

TikTok - Make Your Day

 

[coolchange]

Used to do it a lot in the desert. Half the fun was kids doing the recovery a nd how to spot landmarks. Use a streamer instead of a shoot. We made our own engines too.

 

[Bails]

If your buying a kid a rocket for the first time, get one with plastic fins. They work better and last longer. I remember as a kid having to glue the fins on, and they never seemed to last.

 

[rivermobster]

Used to do it a lot in the desert. Half the fun was kids doing the recovery a nd how to spot landmarks. Use a streamer instead of a shoot. We made our own engines too.

How did you make your own engines???

 

[coolchange]

How did you make your own engines???

It’s just potassium nitrate ( stump killer) and sugar. A couple little add in maybe. Those are expensive and if you want to do 20 or so launch’s it makes it worth it. Plus the what’s going to happen factor is fun
Plenty of info on the interwebs.

 

[Yoshiro]

We used to bury an engine in my friend's yard and go hide in the bushes with the launch control. Then when my friends little brother got off the school bus and walked across the lawn we'd blow him up.

 

[rivermobster]

We used to bury an engine in my friend's yard and go hide in the bushes with the launch control. Then when my friends little brother got off the school bus and walked across the lawn we'd blow him up.

OMG!

In High School, we would party in the San Gabriel County Club at night.

One 4th of July...

I took a sky rocket and laid it down flat on the green. Aimed it right at my friend who was facing away from me.

Right when the fuse hit the rocket, I called his name. He turned around to see the rocket coming straight at him, and it blew up Right between his legs!

Good times!!!

 

[Orange Juice]

Start with cheap…..I lost half of the ones I shot off as a kid. Eventually just started taping rocket engines to 3/16th inch dowel rods.

 

[Gelcoater]

Back in the mid to late 90s at Glamis, me me buddy Chris and Ken the Giant had the brilliant idea one drunken night around the campfire to set up the launch pad of an Estes rocket in the bed of Chris’ dark green metallic Chevy xtra cab half ton and crack a chemlight open and drizzle some glow in the darkness juice on the rocket before launch.

And up it went! We watched where it landed and looked down.

The bed of Chris truck looked like a murder scene under black light
Took the 3 of us 20 minutes to clean that shit out of the bed of his truck.

Years later when Ken retired and moved up to Oroville I bought a CT90 from him and a few nicknacks out of his garage on his way out.
He threw in the Rocket kit with a few engines and a couple size rockets.
Sat in my garage a few years. Then
See post #19

 

[JJK94]

Pretty Cool

Rocketry Organization of California

NAR Section #538, TRA Prefecture #48

rocstock.org

 

[4Waters]

If i remember correctly @TPC kid did some model rocketry in college

 

[FROGMAN524]

One of my favorite books and movies. Start by having him watch this.

 

[coolchange]

If you want to build from scratch