THE FLIGHT OF A 289 POUND ROCKET How to Build a Camera ... · taking rocketr y to the extremetaking rocketr y to the extreme $4.95 u.s. $5.95 can. the flight of a 289 pound rocket

T A K I N G R O C K E T R Y T O T H E E X T R E M ET A K I N G R O C K E T R Y T O T H E E X T R E M E

$4.95 U.S.$5.95 CAN.

T H E F L I G H T O F A 2 8 9 P O U N D R O C K E T

How to Build a Camera RocketHow to get great aerial photos with your rocket

Rikki Rockett InterviewA Rock ‘n Roll drummer with big rockets

Springfest 2000 ReportBiggest launch in Southern Nevada

Product ReviewsAerodrag SoftwareMach Buster Rocket

M A Y - J U N E 2 0 0 0

subscribe todaysubscribe today

name ____________________________________________________

address____________________________________________________

city ______________________________ state __________________

zip ____________________________ country __________________

mail or fax this form to:extreme rocketry, po box 28974, las vegas, NV 89126

or fax to: 702.256.8265subscribe online at: www.extremerocketry.com

email: [email protected]

❏ $24.95 (6 issues USA) ❏ $36.95 (6 issues First Class USA)❏ $34.95 (6 issues First Class Canada) ❏ $49.95 (6 issues First Class Int’l.)❏ visa ❏ mastercard ❏ american express ❏ check or money order enclosed

card number ______________________________________ exp. ____

name ____________________________________________________

address____________________________________________________

city ______________________________ state __________________

zip ____________________________ country __________________

signature __________________________________________________

mailing information

billing information

Full Color!Centerfold Posterin Every Issue!

www.extremerocketry.com May-June 2000 page 5

extreme contentsextreme contents

featuresinterview:rikki rockett: rock star & rocket scientist . . . . . p.22Rikki Rockett is best known for playing drums for the rock bandPoison. When not on tour he builds massive rockets like the 289pound Jurassic Kick.

information:a simple guide to national launches . . . . . . . . . p.20Information you need if attending LDRS or NARAM this summer.

launch report:springfest 2000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p.30Held just south of Las Vegas, Springfest attracts an internationalcrowd of rocket flyers.

how to: how to build a camera rocket . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p.34Find out the secrets of aerial rocket photography. Part one of aseries showing you which cameras work best with which film.

product review:aerodrag software. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p.38New to the software choices out there, AeroDrag offers a nice col-lection of features at a reasonable price.

product review:mach buster rocket kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p.40Want to go super sonic on a G motor? The Mach Buster will do it.

Volume 1, number 1

departmentsfrom the editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p.8A few words about our magazine.

extreme mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p.10Letters to Extreme Rocketry (e-mail and snail-mail).

rocket rex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p.11A comic strip for your entertainment.

reader photos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p.12Photos from our readers.

extreme rocket products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p13Rocket related products we think are spiffy.

extreme industry news . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p14Find out what the rocket industry is doing.

ask the rocket guru. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p.16Answers to rocketry questions.

rocketry on the internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p.17A few thoughts from Darrell Mobley.

extreme basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p.18Getting started with reloadable rocket motors.

club reports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p.42The latest scoop from various clubs.

launch calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p.44A huge list of rocket launches.

aft closure: opinion page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p.46One person’s opinon, but not necessarily the opinions of this mag-azine.

may/june 5-6.2000

page 6 May-June 2000 www.extremerocketry.com

editor-in-chief | Brent McNeely

associate editor | Tim Quigg

staff editor | Alan Cain

staff editor | Steve Moore

staff editor | Michelle McNeely

staff writer | Jeff Brundt

staff writer | Steve Baughman

staff writer | Tim Quigg

staff writer | Darrell Mobley

staff writer | Dave Davis

layout & design | McNeely & Associates

art director | Brent McNeely

graphic designer | Krista Lewis

graphic designer | Chris Ainsworth

printing | Color Reflections

mailing house | Passkey Systems

founder | Brent McNeely

owner | Brent McNeely

internet email | [email protected]

internet web site | www.extremerocketry.com

© 2000, McNeely & Associates

All rights reserved

For questions about new or current subscriptions, call 702-243-8666, or

send us email at [email protected] or visit

our web site at www.extremerocketry.com.

To change your address, send mail to Extreme Rocketry, PO Box 28974,

Las Vegas, NV 89126, or visit our web site at www.extremerockery.com.

Please allow 4-6 weeks for processing.

About the Cover:Photo taken by Brent McNeely. The Jurassic Kick

Rocket was flown at Delemar Nevada and built by Rikki Rockett and Steve Cello

article submission deadlinesjuly issue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . may 21

september issue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . july 21

november issue. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . september 21

advertiser submission deadlinesjuly issue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . june 1

september issue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . august 1

november issue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . october 1

reproduction rightsMaterial submitted to Extreme Rocketry must not be submitted to other

publications. Writers retain their copyright on material but grant

Extreme Rocketry the right to use submissions in Extreme Rocketry

magazine and web site and in one possible reprint publication (unless

otherwise specified). The physical media submitted become the proper-

ty of Extreme Rocketry and will not be returned unless prearranged

with the editor.

our magazine staffT A K I N G R O C K E T R Y T O T H E E X T R E M E

$4.95 U.S.$5.95 CAN.

T H E F L I G H T O F A 2 8 9 P O U N D R O C K E T

How to Build a Camera RocketHow to get great aerial photos with your rocket

Rikki Rockett InterviewA Rock ‘n Roll drummer with big rockets

Springfest 2000 ReportBiggest launch in Southern Nevada

Product ReviewsAerodrag SoftwareMach Buster Rocket

M A Y - J U N E 2 0 0 0

extreme editor


A Good ThingI believe we have a

good thing going here.We are now on our sec-ond issue of the maga-zine, and it is gettingmuch easier each timeto put the publicationout. We had a fewbumps on the first issuebut now that we’ve gonethrough it once, we thinkwe’ve got most every-thing ironed out. The

biggest snag we ran into was thinking we couldprint and mail the magazine in a shorter periodof time than was really possible. To adjust forthe additional time requirements, we havebumped up our production schedule by severalweeks in hopes this issue will reach you duringthe first few days of May. We will continue toadjust our schedule to meet this goal.

A Big HeadOverall the comments regarding the first

issue of Extreme Rocketry have been over-whelming. My head is swelling and my wife ishaving difficulties keeping me down to earth.Letters from our readers have been absolutelyglowing with praise. We’ve had a few letters ofconstructive criticism and have publishedalmost all of these letters in this publicationalong with a handful of the more positive let-ters.

During this last month we received severalhundred emails with feedback regarding themagazine. As a result I began redirecting mostof the mail to my associate editor Tim Quiggwho is handling most of the email now, allowingme to concentrate on getting this issue topress. Thanks Tim!

Expanded Web SiteBy the time you read this we hope to have

a new section of our web site up and running.This section will be devoted to the rocketrycommunity and feature a launch calendar, clubreports, and best of all, a product review sec-tion. You as a reader can write your commentsand rate any product out there. We will then beincorporating your comments and ratings intoour magazine reviews. We hope this tool will be

helpful to all rocketeers when trying to makebuying decisions. Manufacturers of rocket prod-ucts might also find it helpful when trying todetermine how to improve their products inrelation to competitors. As a whole, the productreview section of the web site should fosterbetter buying decisions for hobbiests as well asencourage better quality from manufacturers.

Grand OpeningWe had a small booth set up at the

Springfest rocket launch held just south of LasVegas in mid-March. Although we didn’t havespot lights, a live band, and dancing girls, wedid give out T-shirts to each person who suc-cessfully gained a level one, two, or three certi-fication during the three day launch. We believeeveryone who participated liked getting the T-shirt and their picture taken for the magazine.

Submitting ArticlesWe are always looking for new writers to

contribute to Extreme Rocketry. If you havewriting experience and wish to submit your arti-cles, we welcome them. Currently we are ableto pay a small fee for each article which wepublish. Although the money is not much, wehope it will allow you to buy a rocket motor ortwo to help make the effort worth while. Pleasecontact us before you jump in and write yourarticle, many times we will be able to help youwith a simple outline of what we are looking forin our magazine.

Hobby ShopsSeveral hobby shops are now carrying our

publication on their stands. You will see thenumber of shops expand dramatically in themonths to come. By the end of the year weshould be in all the hobby shops which carryrocketry magazines. However, if you see yourlocal shop does not carry Extreme Rocketry,please encourage them to do so.

Next Year: Monthly Magazine?In 2001 we hope to publish our magazine

on a monthly basis. Before that happens, wefeel we need to get the production systemdown, have a higher circulation, and a wideradvertiser base. When these things occur, youwill be seeing the magazine in your mailbox atthe beginning of each month.

Making a lemon into lemonade at Springfest

Adjustable descent (pat#5472394)

Quick, soft, reliable deployment

No shock cord required

Reinforced with nylon tape & webbing

Tubular shroud lines sewn over the top of the canopy

Positive controlled deployment

4 shroud lines reduce tangling

More stable than cross-form or conical chutes

Professionally designed

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

When you’re attempting a level 1, 2 or 3 certification,

we know how importantit is for you to have

a successful recovery.

When you’re attempting a level 1, 2 or 3 certification,

we know how importantit is for you to have

a successful recovery.

In the high power

rocket community,

this was unheard of

until the Rocketman chutes

were introduced.

Our chutes bring ‘em

back alive from

500 to 50,000+ feet.

Rocketman Recovery Systems

use high quality materials

and are

manufactured by

professionals with over

a quarter century

experience developing

and manufacturing

aerodynamic

decelerators.

In the high power

rocket community,

this was unheard of

until the Rocketman chutes

were introduced.

Our chutes bring ‘em

back alive from

500 to 50,000+ feet.

Rocketman Recovery Systems

use high quality materials

and are

manufactured by

professionals with over

a quarter century

experience developing

and manufacturing

aerodynamic

decelerators.

STANDARD 1.1 RIPSTOP NYLON FABRIC CHUTES

PRO-EXPERIMENTAL1.9 RIPSTOP NYLON FABRIC CHUTES

BALLISTICROCKETMAN CHUTES

STANDARD systems are madeof low-porosity 1.1 rip-stop nylon.

PRO-EXPERIMENTAL systemsare made of 1.9 rip-stop nylon,

the same material used in hot airballoon fabric. Specially designed

to handle high-speed chutedeployment.

BALLISTIC systems are made ofballistic-grade rip-stop nylon, the

same material used in automobileairbags. Use this system for a

drogue chute, sounding rocketsor your very own space shot.

Call 1-800-732-4883 FAX 612-884-3424

Send $3.00 for our complete catalog

Call 1-800-732-4883 FAX 612-884-3424

Send $3.00 for our complete catalog

http://the-rocketman.comemail: [email protected]

http://the-rocketman.comemail: [email protected]

R3C $43.50

R4C $50.75

R7C $65.25

R9C $87.00

R12C $145.00

R24D DROGUE$29.00

R3C $42.00

R4C $49.00

R7C $63.00

R9C $84.00

R12C $145.00

R14C $189.00

R18C $250.00

R24D DROGUE$28.00

8337 Penn Ave. S • Bloomington, MN 55431

RECOVERY SYSTEMSROCKETMAN

RECOVERY SYSTEMSROCKETMAN

R3C 1.5 2.5 $30.00

R4C 2 3.5 $35.00

R7C 3.5 8 $45.00

R9C 6 12 $60.00

R12C 12.5 20 $100.00

R14C 20 35 $135.00

R18C 45 65 $160.00

R24D DROGUE CHUTE $20.00

STREAMERS $20.00

ITEM MIN. Wt. MAX. Wt. PRICE

extreme mail


Hitting it Right!I had to pick up some friends at the airport

last night, and brought [the magazine] with meto read. Their son, he’s going on 4, saw it andkept asking me when we could launch rocketsagain! The mom couldn’t believe there evenwas a mag for rockets at all! (She’s seen myhouse, with mod rocks up thru my L2 bird, fill-ing every empty spot in the family room, buthadn’t realized how many other people wereinto this!) After reading it, I just wonder whatwill be in the upcoming issues! You hit so manygood things in the first one (L1 cert/Rangebox/FAA, etc.) Can’t wait for the next one!

Sparse MagazineI received your premiere issue of Extreme

Rocketry yesterday (Saturday the 25th). For apremiere issue, it was nicely put together. Theonly negative I could come up with on my firstglance through was that the magazine was alittle sparse... it looked like there was a lot ofempty space, but as soon as more articles andadvertisements roll in that should change. It isnice that there is another outlet for model/highpower rocketry individuals to share their storiesand knowledge with their fellow rocketeers. Ihope the best of luck for the magazine and con-gratulations on a job well done.

Richard BurneyRichard, the magazine will continue to grow as wehave more readers and submitted material.

Nice PaperJust to let you know, I got my first issue of

Extreme Rocketry on Saturday, March 25th. Andit looks GREAT! The pages seem a little thickerand glossy than most magazines, which I thinktends to lend an aura of quality. I’ve just startedgoing through the articles and so far, they seemto be well thought-out and written. I specificallylike the topic of things you need to have in yourrange kit. For people just starting out in thishobby, this kind of information is invaluable.Again, great job and I’m looking forward to yournext issue already!

Lawrence Baker

Extremely FrustratedI just submitted a subscription online. I

must say your online form is *extremely* frus-trating to deal with. I had to fill out the completeform 3 times to get everything exactly right forit to be accepted.

Tom McAtee

In time we hope to upgrade to a high quality shop-ping cart system which should be easier to use. Fornow, we are stuck with what we have until we havemore bucks!

Sexy CenterfoldI got my first issue of ER today. I love the

paper quality... and the centerfold, “Oh...Youbaaad girl!... [Drool]”

Doug

Why a Mars Lander?I thought this mag was dedicated to high

power rocketry. What does the Mars Lander kithave to do with high power rocketry?

Bill PanscharOur magazine is not dedicated exclusively to highpower—we will be address rocketry at all levelswith an emphasis on mid and high power. Anyrocket that is extremely unique is a candidate for afeatured article. We believe the Mars Lander showsexcellent craftsmanship and worthy of a featurearticle.

Fine First IssueCongratulations on a fine first issue! As a

<B.A.R>. “newbie,” I especially liked TimQuigg’s “Getting Level 1 Right The First Time”and Brent McNeely’s “12 Range BoxEssentials.” Please keep those “novice” articlesin your mix. Also, I enjoyed the interview withGary Rosenfield. Keep up the good work onIssue #2!

Dick Terpstra

A Bad StartIf you were going to give a sample issue

(online or hard copy) you must not have verymuch confidence in your content to screw upthe articles by only offering a few paragraphs ofeach article. This is akin to blacking out a freeissue with black mark out ink. Very unprofes-sional. So you can count me out on supportingyour efforts. And I will continue to tell all myrocketry friends the same.

Ted

More Text per PageI came home today anticipating a new mag-

azine sitting in my mailbox, and I wasn't disap-pointed. For the record, I live in Chicago (not thesuburbs), if that gives an idea of how long ittakes for mail to reach me. It may have been aweek or so late, but it sure beats the (lack of)timeliness of other rocketry magazines. I like

the font used in the articles. It seems likethere's more text per page than most maga-zines, but it's still nice and readable. I also likethe fact that the centerfold picture doesn't havetwo pages of articles on the other side; what'sthe point of a centerfold if you can't remove itwithout destroying the magazine articles? I onlyhave one suggestion. Mailing envelopes wouldbe nice. I like to store my magazines and havingthem in envelopes is convenient - keeps themclean. It also avoids having a mailing liablestuck on the cover. All in all, a great effort and Ican't wait for the next issue. Congratulations!

Matthew Travis

It Needs to be SaidI'm just throwing this out there because I

thought it needed to be said. I know there are alot of people who probably subscribed to thenew magazine just recently and for all I know,many have probably already received it. Me onthe other hand, have not. Being that I was per-turbed every day this week that I anxiouslylooked into my mailbox after work and foundnothing but bills! I have had correspondence inthe past with Brent from Extreme rocketry, Iwant to make a note and feel free to expressyour positives, but I have been super impressedwith this guy and his determination to make aquality product, such as his magazine. He ishaving difficulty with the postal people in get-ting his magazine out, but makes no excusesfor it, wants to fix it, and make it right. I admirethat in a business person. All the times I havebought rocket related items on line and havecalled to confirm an order and made to feel as aburden or inconvenience. This gentleman hastreated me with respect and answered everyquestion personally and with honest and gen-uine consideration for my needs and wants. Hejust recently answered a question and I repliedwith a simple thank you which most would say"no problem" to themselves and not even both-er to write back, but he wrote back a small per-sonal note saying "tell me how I can be better.”I wish there were more guys out there in rock-etry who are like him and really respect theircustomers, the ones who pay the bills. I knowthere are, but many times they are far and fewin between. With a commitment to quality andrespect, I'm sure this magazine will be a suc-cess. Thanks for listening!

Fletcher Partridge

rants and raves from our readersby our readers

extreme reader photos


Owner: Dennis WatkinsRocket: LOC Bruiser

Height: 9’4”Diameter: 7.5”

Unloaded Weight: 34 lbs.Motor: AeroTech L-1120

Recovery: 2 missle works RRC2sLocation: GARAJ Launch

Altitude: 6581 ft.

Owner: Dan StuettgenRocket: Mercury RedstoneHeight: 5 feetDiameter: 4 inchLoaded Weight: 3.3 lbs.Motor: Econojet G motorsLocation: unknownAltitude: aprox. unknown

Owner: Jeff JacobRocket: Un-namedHeight: 168 inches

Diameter: 6 inchWeight: 125 lbs.

Motor: Custom HybridLocation: not flown yetAltitude: not flown yet

Owner: Barry ForrestRocket: NLM

Height: 168 inchesDiameter: 6 inchWeight: 125 lbs.

Motor: Kosdon K280Location: El Dorado

Altitude: 13k

Owner: Jeff JacobRocket: UnknownHeight: 156 inchesDiameter: 4 inchesEmpty Weight: 35Motor: Hybrid O motorLocation: unknownAltitude: unknown

Owner: Hyam R. SosnowRocket: "238" scratch builtHeight: 6 feetDiameter: 4 inchesLoaded Weight: 9 poundsMotors: 2 x I132Location: Lucerne, CAAltitude: 6350 feetRecovery: BSR AltAcc

Submit Your Photo: Do you have a great photo that you’d like to see in the next issue of Extreme Rocketry? Mail your photo to: Photos at ExtremeRocketry, PO Box 28974, Las Vegas, NV 89126. Make sure to include the caption information like you see here along with your photo. Please includecontact information in case we have any questions (email addresses are preferable). Photos will not be returned and may or may not be published here.

send us your photos!by our readers

extreme stuff


10 inch giant nose coneLooking for a giant nose cone to fit your10 inch Sono Tube? Brian Cook standsnext to the product. Maximum ThrustRocketry is now selling these big conesfor $400 each.

Company: Maximum Thrust RocketryTelephone: 619-596-8318Web: www.maximumthrust.comPrice: $400

aerotech rms plusAeroTech has a new way of building the components in the for-ward closure. Look for improved delay accuracy and relaibility ofyour motors with the RMS plus system.

Company: AeroTech, Inc.Telephone: 702-641-2301Web: www.aerotech-rocketry.comPrice: Free, included in all new motors

ADV

ANCED DELAY

SE

ALING SYSTEM

PLUSRMS


extreme industry news


new kits from public missilesNew kits from PML include the Hydra,

Matrix, Intruder, & Mini Black Brant X. (BBX) TheHydra, Intruder, & Matrix all utilize PML's exclu-sive 3 inch Quantum Tube. All three can fly onG-80s or larger motors. The Hydra comes withfour fins plus two "wings" protruding from theair frame just above the four fins. The Matrixuses three pairs of fins similar to the SmallEndeavour The Matrix resembles a futuristicdeep space probe that could be used for miningin space. The Intruder is a futuristic rocket inter-ceptor that comes with five fins. It is aggressivelooking. These three kits come standard with38mm motor mounts.

The mini BBX comes in QT-2.1 with a tailcone to a dedicated 29mm motor tube anddetailing information. All kits come with decalsor vinyl applys and are the first to receive thetotally revised kit instructions. All four new kitsreceived wide acclaim at the East Coast HobbyShow held March 25-27 in Philadelphia. Pricesto be announced at introduction.

Slated for late April introduction is the PMLCPR-3000 system. The new CPR-3000 systemuses a machined aluminum threaded air-framecoupler and threaded sleeve in place of thestandard urethane parts. Adding to the strengthof the new system is a coupler tube and twoadditional centering rings. The new system willaccomidate the P5, P6, and Adept 25 altimetersat introduction.

The on/off switch used in our P5 altimetersets will be upgraded to a sealed 5 amp switch.This switch will also be available as a separateitem.

pete’s rockets new web sitePetes Rockets, the UK's high power and

model rocket specialist, is pleased to announcethe arrival of our web site at www.petesrock-ets.co.uk. They will endeavour to bring the verybest of rocketry products to the market place,available through their shop at Heckington inLincolnshire and mail order for those who find itdifficult to visit. They are on hand to offer greatproducts and helpfull advice to all rocketeers.Contact: Unit 1 Southview Buildings, Burton Rd,Heckington, Sleaford Lincs, NG34 9QS UK Tel:+44 (0)1529 460279 . Fax. +44 (0)1529461483 and email:- [email protected]

aerotech introduceds RMS-PlusAeroTech, Inc. is pleased to announce that it

has begun shipment of its first major enhance-ment to the 29 & 38mm lines of Easy Access™RMS™ high performance rocket motors, theRMS-Plus™ advanced delay sealing system.

RMS-Plus™ is a new delay charge configu-ration that seals the delay element radially(around the outside) rather than axially as inprevious RMS™ reload kits. AeroTech designedRMS-Plus™ to be compatible with existing 29& 38mm RMS™ forward closures, so that nonew hardware purchase is necessary! Themajor benefits of RMS-Plus™ include:

• More precise delay times• Greatly reduces the chance of forward clo-

sure "blow-by" • Easier cleanup • Motors may be left assembled indefinitely

prior to use • No need to remove delay charge assembly

if closures are loosened • No preload necessary for delay o-ring to

seal • One delay propellant formulation used for

all delays

For nearly two years, the RMS-Plus™design has been in the development and testingstages, which included lengthy examination bythe Tripoli Motor Testing Committee (TMT) andbeta testing by consumers.

Sixteen new RMS-Plus™ reload delay kits("RDK's") will be available immediately to modi-fy any older 29 & 38mm reload kits to the RMS-Plus™ design, if desired, and to change thedelays of RMS-Plus™ reload kits. The older 29& 38mm RDK's have been discontinued.

RMS-Plus™ reload kits and RDK's comecomplete with new improved illustrated instruc-tions. The new reload kits can be identified bythe prominent RMS-Plus™ logo on the reloadkit header cards. The header cards include ahandy cross-reference guide on the back sideto assist dealers and flyers in selecting theappropriate RMS-Plus™ RDK for any particularreload kit.

In related news, AeroTech is simultaneouslyreleasing short and medium delay versions ofits newest 29mm Easy Access™ reload kit, theI200W, in the RMS-Plus™ configuration.

For a preview of the RMS-Plus™ design orto view and download RMS-Plus™ motor reloadkit and RDK assembly instructions, please visitthe Resource Library on the AeroTech websiteat www.aerotech-rocketry.com.

rocket dyne name changeRecently RDS was asked to change any and

all names, references, likenesses, and mentionof the name Rocket Dyne Systems. Apparentlythe Boeing Company feels that the name RocketDyne System is too close to their subsidiaryRocketdyne’s trademark. RDS has compliedwith the demands of the legal staff of Boeingand has since changed our name to RocketDynamic Systems, RDS. The company will how-ever, continue to produce the same high qualitykits for the rocket enthusiasts.

What’s New: RDS has exclusively developedin conjunction with our tubing manufacture theShock Wave airframe tube. This tube is madefor super absorbency of epoxies, resins and allglue types. This tube is great for compositing.There is no glassine cover to peel. RDS bodycouplers are double the thickness of any cur-rently available. Three new kits will be availableby late March. These will be 29, 38, and 54 mmkits. They will be based on our 2.56” & 3.00”Shock Wave Air Frame Tube. Also to make itsdébut in early spring will be the 5.5” GreatScott. Contact: PO Box 801208 Santa Clarita,Ca. 90380-1208 or call us at 1-800-899-7512.Web: www.rocketdynesys.com, E-mail [email protected].

orbital dynamice wide selectionOrbital Dynamics, Inc. (ODI) is pleased to

announce the addition of Aero Pack, theXtreme and Jr. Xtreme line of Model and HPRrocket products. In addition, ODI offers theLargest and Most Diverse Selection of rocketryProducts and Services on Earth! ODI is your“One Stop Rocket Shop”™ offering over two-hundred sixteen pages of Products and Serviceson our Web Catalog! They specialize in helpingBeginners, BARs, and those attempting Level I,II, III Certifications, and Beyond! Attention toService, Discounted Prices, Innovation, and theavailability to offer Technical Support across ourentire Products Line from 11:00am to 11:00pm

ROCKET PRODUCTS

ROCKET KITS

ROCKET MOTORS

ROCKET PRODUCTS

ROCKET KITS

what rocket companies are up to


seven days a week display a commitment toserving the Model and HPR rocketry community!

totally tubular tubesTotally Tubular™ is excited to announce

they now stock more sizes of model rocket tub-ing than anyone on the planet. They have nearlyevery tube diameter ever made by Estes andCox, plus some sizes never before created, all insmooth white overwrap, 34" long. Everythingfrom 1/4" od to 5 1/2" od... T-70, T-80, and T-101 as well as T-30 and a special 0.700 odtube for 1/100 Redstone and Saturn 1B fans.Add to this couplers and centering rings fornearly every size, nylon and Mylar film recoverysystem materials, and specialized tools andadhesives, and they are a scratch builder’s par-adise. Contact: Totally Tubular, Box 430,Hamburg MI 48139-0430. Web:www.sligar.com/buyrockets/tt.html or [email protected].

new kits from maximum thrustMaximum Thrust Rocketry’s “MAD MAX”

rocket, a 3.9” kit with a rounded nose cone isslated for release in April. The kit, standing justover 5’ tall, is topped by a unique rounded nosecone. Demo’d at Springfest 2000 with both 3and 4 fin configurations, the Mad Max will beproduced with 3 G-10 fins. The rocket can beconfigured for drogue-to-main deployment, dualdeployment, or single chute deployment. Itcomes with required hardware (eye bolts andquick links), 1” nylon shock cords (12’ and 8’)and 36” and 12” chutes, altimeter bay assem-bly, and a 54mm motor mount. Flown on J’s atSpringfest, the rocket shows the capability ofbeing flown on extreme J’s and possibly evenK’s. The next two 3.9” kits that will be producedin this order are: Japanese ASM, (rounded n/c)and the “Mach II – the perfect Level II rocket”(ogive n/c). Maximum Thrust is also solidifying akit merger with Orbital Dynamics, Inc to issue a“Mach III Plus” an enlongated version of theever popular Mach III kit. The stretch versionwould be 4’ longer, have an altimeter bay, alongwith extra hardware and shock cord for dualdeployment. Stay tuned, this will be a hot one!Maximum Thrust is also proud to announce thatthey will be listing Black Sky’s ALTACC on their

site soon along with other fine BSR electronics,and will also be carrying Olson Electronics if allgoes well. Contact: phone (619) 596-8318, Web:www.maximumthrust.com.

shadow composites blowout saleDue to the success of our Carbon Fiber

Blowout Sale, Shadow Composites, Inc. ispleased to announce a NEW blowout sale! TheCarbon Fiber has gone back to it's regular price,but for a limited time we are offering a once ina lifetime deal on KEVLAR - 7.75 oz/yd. plainweave, 19.75" width, at the amazing price of8.00 PER YARD! Just the thing for your nexttruly BULLETPROOF project, at a price which isless than half of anyone selling Kevlar out there!

And, just like the Carbon promotion, Get oneyard FREE with every $20.00 in purchase of anyother Shadow Composites products! (This isinclusive of any kevlar yardage you buy - Buy 3yards of Kevlar at $8.00 per yard and get oneyard added on FREE!)

And, get one yard free with purchase of ourAdvanced Composite Techniques Video, or TWOYARDS FREE with purchase of our video/HeatTape combo pack!

If by now you can't tell, we are making aserious effort to get these advanced materialsinto the hands of our fellow rocketeers to showhow effective they can be in YOUR hands. Thesematerials create rockets of superior strength,lighter weight, and by following the techniquesshown in our Advanced Composite TechniquesVideo, you can share in the successes of ourpast customers.

This is a limited time offer, as long as oursupply lasts, so act fast!

Also, our new SPRINT~ABM kit is T-minusone week till launch! We're just waiting for theshroud bodies to come back from the printer,and they'll be ready to ship. You can place yourorder now for one at $35.00, and the kit hasmany slick aspects never seen in small kitsbefore, like a full NOMEX paper inner shroudliner! The SPRINT~ABM will be produced in anumbered edition, so you collectors out theremight want to act fast for the first production ofthis unique new kit.

And lastly, our website at www.shad-owaero.com will be updated in the next twoweeks with a new, easier on the eyes look andcredit card acceptance by PayPal, with final

photos of the TRINITY 4" X 120" all carbonLevel 3 technology demonstrator slated to fly atBALLS 10 in September. Thanks for all yoursupport, and we look forward to serving youwith the best service in the industry and themost advanced aerospace quality products wellinto the new millennium!

ROCKET SUPPLIES

ROCKET KITS

ROCKET CONSTRUCTION

BLACK ROCBLACK R

I I I V

ask the rocket guru


Question: NFPA, FAA, DOTSUM... Who are allof these organizations and how do they affectthe rocketry hobby?

Answer: As your question alludes to, thereare many organizations we must deal with inrocketry. There is more to the hobby than justflying rockets. The DOT (Department ofTransportation) regulates shipping of rocketmotors and reloads. The CPSC (ConsumerProducts Safety Commission) regulates whatmay be and not be sold as a “consumer” itemat the retail level. The FAA (Federal AviationAdministration) is responsible for airspace con-trol and regulates flights of rockets that exceedone pound and enter FAA regulated airspace.The NFPA (National Fire Protection Association)makes recommendations for the use of non-professional rocket motors. Although the NFPAonly makes recommendations, there are somestate and local laws concerning the use ofmodel rockets which are based, at least in part,on NFPA recommendations. This is especiallytrue of NFPA regulation 1122 dealing withmodel rocketry. The NFPA also has a definitionand safety code for high power rockets in theform of NFPA 1127. The BATF (Bureau ofAlcohol, Tobacco and Firearms) has responsibili-ty for regulations concerning storage and use ofexplosives. This agency has taken a recentinterest in looking into how high power rocketmotors are stored and used. Finally, there is thelocal ATC (Air Traffic Control). You must notifythe nearest FAA FTC center prior to flying largemodel rockets or high power rockets.

Question: How can I prevent a rocket paint-ed white from yellowing?

Answer: Future Floor Polish (it isn’t wax)does not yellow. I’ve found it to be useful forrocket applications, but it MUST be used oversome kind of paint or over acrylic gesso. If itseeps into cardboard or wood, the affectedmaterial will become brittle. It will cause dopeand even permanent ink marker colors to run.This effect can be used to your advantage, but itcan also ruin a model if it is not desired. Futuredoes not seem to cause enamel paint to run,and may certainly be used to cover decals.However, I have not heard nor conducted anytesting to verify if the decal will yellow beneaththe coating. Also, keep in mind that a glossy fin-

ish is not always desirable, and Future producesonly a glossy finish.

Question: How can I prevent balsa fins frombreaking off on landing (especially for modelswith swept fins)?

Answer: What some modelers have done issimply to cover the fins before painting. Silk tis-sue (like model airplane tissue made from silkfibers) works well. Depending upon the size ofyour rocket, you could use ordinary Japanesetissue, or Silkspan, or you could even usesomething like nylon cloth or very light fiber-glass (attached with epoxy or CA in this case).With tissue, you need to cover the entire surfaceof the fin. Simply wrap it over the rounded lead-ing edge, and trim off at the tapered trailingedge, leaving the “bottom” edge and the rootuncovered. You can attach Silkspan with almostany glue, but silk tissue “fuzzes” if you get itdamp and handle it. In this case, something likeTestor’s model airplane glue in the orange andwhite tube, or thick, clear nitrate dope might bea better choice. It won’t soften the binder thatholds the fibers in the tissue together. Any ofthese, done after sanding (and filling in the tis-sue case) will add significantly to the strengthof the fin, while adding very little weight.

Question: I realize that there are now threerocketry-related magazines now on the market(counting this one). Are there any more outthere you are aware of?

Answer: There are two that I am aware of.“The Rocketeer Collector’s Journal” is a publi-cation for serious rocket collectors. It is pub-lished four times a year. Subscription is $16.00a year. You can subscribe by contacting theEditor, Danney E. Sagstetter at 4432 NorthFourth Street, Columbus OH 43224-1035. Phoneis (614) 268-6927. The other is “AstroMag,” theCanadian Rocketry magazine. It is publishedthree times a year. Subscription is $14.95. Youcan send your subscription to 17865 MelocheStreet, Pierrefonds, Quebec H9J 3P9 Canada.The e-mail address is ‘[email protected].’Or you can log on to their website atwww.game-master.com/yves/.

Question: Estes style shock cord mountsreally suck! Is there an alternative?

Answer: There are a number of ways toimprove on the old paper and elastic shock cordmount used by Estes for the past 35 years ormore. Probably the easiest way I’ve found toimprove on the design is to toss the “way tooshort” shock cord supplied with the kit, andreplace it with a suitable length of good qualitybraided sewing elastic that is at least twice thelength of the model. This will help to avoid tubezippering or ripped out shock cord mounts fromtoo short shock cords. To keep shock cordmounts from ripping out, epoxy the shock cordmount to the inside of the body tube ratherusing white or yellow glue. Thirty-minute epoxyworks best for this. Be sure to lightly sand theinside of the tube where the shock cord mountis to be placed. Also, be sure to cover the entiremount with a very thin layer of epoxy. Thismethod works best for models with BT-60 orlarger body tubes. Another option is to use the“Quest” style Kevlar and elastic shock cordmount. This type of mount uses a length of 50to 150 pound Kevlar line. You can get this in theform of fishing line from a sporting goods store,or in the form of kite string from a hobby shop.The Kevlar is tied and glued to the motor mountvia the motor block, centering ring or aroundthe motor tube itself during initial assembly. It issized to end just shy of the front end of thebody tube where a length of elastic shock cordis tied onto the free end of the Kevlar. Thismethod eliminates any shock cord mount on theinside surface of the body tube. Estes-styleshock cord mounts have been known to inter-fere with parachute deployment. You can usethis method on any size rocket. Size the Kevlarappropriately. The final option would be to use aLOC-style shock cord mount for body tubes inthe 1.5-inch and up range. With this you take ashort length of Kevlar line, fold it in half, andmake a 1 to 2-inch loop in the closed end of thefolded line. You then epoxy the loop to the insideof the body tube in such a manner as to havethe end of the loop extend a little past the openend of the body tube. A shock cord is then tiedto the loop. The advantage of this design is thatit allows damaged shock cords to be easilyreplaced. It tends to work better on body tubesgreater than 1.5-inches in diameter.

questions & answers by the rocket guru

rocketry on the internet


Of all the websites of valuable information,probably the most rewarding one forthose in instructing professions with

regard to model rocketry is the Estes Educatorwebsites. The first of the two Web offeringsfrom Estes, the Estes Educator site located atwww.esteseducator.com goes a long way toprovide hard-to-find information on the scienceof model rocketry and how it applies to the edu-cation process.

Model rocketry is unique in its educationqualities in that it teaches science, math, indus-trial technology and other subjects. For teachersand youth group leaders looking for free publi-cation downloads, special quantity bulk pricingfor educators, extensive curriculum supportmaterials and learning software, this Web site isfor them.

Once on the site, you'll find a standard lefthand navigation approach along with somecommon navigation along the top header. Fromthe front page, you can visit the "Guide forTeachers," "How Rocketry Benefits Your Class,""Introduction to Our Company," "EstesEducational Program," "Model Rocket ProductLine," or the "Safety Code/Laws" sections.Across the top you'll find: Products, Rocketry101, News, Publications, Curriculums, andSuppliers.

The Publications area is great for immedi-ate gratification with fourteen documents madeavailable in Adobe PDF format. These include:

1. Estes Guide for Teachers & YouthGroup Leaders - Introduces you to Estes' rock-et technology, safety and launch day operationtechniques. Plus, background on EstesIndustries and the complete services offered inour educational program. (20 pages)

2. 2000 Estes Educator Catalog - Thisinformative catalog contains the full line ofEstes educational products and materials foryour classroom or youth group. In addition toEstes model rocket bulk packs and accessories,facts on Estes model rocket engines and ignit-ers are included in the catalog. (18 pages)

3. Estes Model Rocket Launch SystemsGuide - Contains a wealth of information.Photographs and clearly drawn schematicsmake it easily understood. The electrical theoryof launch systems is explained and a number ofspecial study problems are included. (18 pages)

4. Estes Camp Leader's Model RocketryManual - Expanded guide for introducing modelrocketry successfully into camp programs. Thispublication has been well accepted by campleaders. The author is an experienced campleader and professional educator. (18 pages)

5. Estes Model Rocket Contest Guide -Use to plan model rocket contests for schoolclasses or clubs. Contains details on types ofcompetitive events and suggestions on allfacets of contests from organization of the plan-ning committee to championship awards.Includes sample score sheets. (16 pages)

6. Estes Guide for Aerospace Clubs - Theperfect source book for organizing and operat-ing a successful model rocket club. A compre-hensive guide, idea source and reference forclub organization and activities. A must foractive clubs. (33 pages)

7. Estes Projects in Model Rocketry -Suggestions on how to plan, prepare and pres-ent research projects. Ideas for about one hun-dred projects. Projects range from simpleexhibits to true research work. An excellent ref-erence for Science Fair projects. Great ideas forclubs. (14 pages)

8. Estes Teacher's Guide for "Physics ofModel Rocketry" Software - This guideexplains how to use the "Physics of ModelRocketry" software with your model rocketrystudies. Objectives, daily schedules, suggestionsand program summaries are included. (8 pages)

9. Estes Teacher's Guide for "In Searchof Space: Introduction to Model Rocketry"Software - This teacher's guide shows how toincorporate the "In Search of Space:Introduction to Model Rocketry" software intoyour model rocketry unit. It includes objectives,daily schedules, the Model Rocket Safety Codeand a Model Rocket Safety Code Review. (14pages)

10. Estes Teacher's Guide for "Flight:Aerodynamics of Model Rockets" Software -This software guide shows how to integrate the"Flight: Aerodynamics of Model Rockets" soft-ware into a model rocketry program. Objectives,daily schedules, suggestions and program sum-maries are included. (6 pages)

11. Estes Elementary Mathematics ofModel Rocket Flight - Information on how tomake and use your own altitude tracker andhow to calculate speeds and accelerationsreached by model rockets. Technical Note TN-5.(8 pages)

12. Estes Model Rocketry Study Guide -This book presents a logical program for anyonewho wants the most from model rocketry. Thereis a planned sequence of activities throughthree skill levels that guides a student onhis/her path to becoming an expert model rock-eteer. A glossary and self-review are providedfor each section. Technical Report TR-8. (45pages)

13. The Classic Collection - "Classic"Estes Technical Reports and Technical Notesthat include rocket stability, multi-staging, alti-tude tracking, rear and front engine boost glid-ers, building a wind tunnel, cluster techniques,model rocket engine information, payloadlaunching and recovery techniques. (46 pages)

14. Estes Altitude Prediction Charts -Part 2 - Explains a relatively simple method bywhich aerodynamic drag and other atmosphericeffects can be taken into account in predictingrocket peak altitudes. Includes suggestions forresearch projects. Technical Report TR-10. PartTwo. (23 pages)

You may download these publications at nocharge.

Under the Curriculums link, you will find aselection of curriculums and software programs.There is a one time access fee to access theinformation in this section. The $19.97 fee givesyou unlimited access to 5 curriculums and 4software programs, much less than you wouldnormally pay for just one software package.

One of the best presentation portions of thesite is under the Rocketry 101 section. Detailedgraphics depicting model rocketry technology inaction are available here to assist you inexplaining how model rockets operate. Thesediagrams and layouts would be an invaluableguide for creation of educational posters suchas those used for a science fair or presentation.Model Rocket Flight Profile, Components of aTypical Model Rocket, Launch Site Layout,Recommended Launch Area, Facts About EstesRocket Engines, Rocket Preflight Preparation,The Estes Igniter and Rocket Reference Chartare all covered here.

The Products area covers in detail the com-ponents of the Educators product line.Whitepapers, videos, curriculum guides, entireclassroom programs tailored for teaching thescience of model rocketry. Combined with bulkeducator packs of rocket kits and motors,everything you need is in one easy to navigateplace.

The Estes Educator web site has it all forthe instructor looking to share the excitement ofmodel rockety through education based on sci-entific theory but you don't have to be an edu-cator to benefit from the content you'll findthere. You may be a beginner looking for moreinformation, and what better place to get edu-cated than by the company that had been thebellweather for model rocketry for over fortyyears. Give it a visit, I think you'll enjoy whatyou'll find there.

estes educator site: a rare find for model rocketry informationby darrell d. mobley

extreme basics


In talking with beginning HPR enthusiasts, onewill find the majority of these individuals fallinto two distinct categories of indirect and

direct introduction. The first group is those whohave worked their way up through the rocketalphabet. Beginning with model rocketry, theyhave gained knowledge in the basic concepts ofthe hobby flying A through D impulse rocketmotors. Graduating to mid-power rocketry, theirskill base was expanded with larger rocketvehicles flying on motors in the E through Gimpulse range. It was at this level that most ofthese rocketry enthusiasts were introduced toconsumer level reloadable rocket motors in the18mm, 24mm and 29mm sizes. Valuableknowledge and skill in working with reloadablerocket motor technology was gained herebefore moving on to high power rocketry.

The second group appears to have enteredthe pursuit of high power rocketry directly; oftenwithout the benefit of having worked their wayup through the skill and knowledge base thelower levels of rocketry provide. For these peo-ple, the world of high power rocketry can some-times be a challenging, often vexing endeavor.This article is aimed at assisting these people.We’ll look at a little bit of history behind thereloadable rocket motor, what it is, and how it isassembled. I will then offer up a few tips onassembling the reloadable rocket motor youwon’t find in the manufacturer’s instructions.For those of you already well versed in HPR, thiswill be a good refresher for you.

Reloadable rocket motors have been aroundsince about 1985. The primary, unique featureof a reloadable rocket motor is its metal casingdesigned for repeated use. Surprisingly, thistechnology is not that new, and has beenaround for some time. In 1947, the British Jetexreloadable rocket motor was developed formodel airplanes. However, its propellant couldnot produce the thrust necessary for use inrocketry applications.

The reloadable rocket motor technologyused by today’s HPR enthusiast was born fromthe development of a composite solid propellantrocket motor used to deploy a parachute froman ultra-light airplane in an emergency. Throughcontinued advances, reloadable rocket motortechnology is now as safe to use as the venera-ble expendable rocket motor. It is true that thereloadable rocket motor system is more compli-cated, and there is a higher initial cost involvedin obtaining the reloadable rocket motor cas-ings. However, if one flies frequently, then thelower cost of the reloads versus the high cost of

the single use high power rocket motors willsoon result in greater monetary savings afterthe initial hardware investment.

In order to participate in the hobby of highpower rocketry, one must conform to manyrules and regulations. The reloads used inreloadable rocket motors often fall under manyof the same rules and regulations as their singleuse counterparts. Rocket motor manufacturers,the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)and rocketry organizations such as the NationalAssociation of Rocketry (NAR) and the TripoliRocketry Association (TRA) recommend thatreloadable rocket motors be sold and used onlyto persons 18 years of age and older. In fact,current federal regulations of the ConsumerProduct Safety Commission require this.

Local, state and federal regulations play abig role in the individual pursuit of high powerrocketry. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco andFirearms (BATF) often requires a Low ExplosiveUsers Permit (LEUP) to purchase, possess andtransport reload kits. The BATF may also requirea storage magazine which often times mustalso conform to, be inspected, licensed andapproved by local city, county and state fire andregulatory officials. The Department ofTransportation (DOT) regulates how rocketmotors and reloads are transported. There isalso the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).The FAA requires flight waivers, or (at the veryleast), notification of any high power rocketsyou launch wherein the vehicle and propellantweights fall within certain parameters estab-lished by this agency.

Faced with these sometimes daunting regu-lations, it is easy to see why HPR enthusiastsfrequently band together to form clubs. Theseclubs usually have obtained and maintain FAAwaivered launch sites where a multitude of fel-low hobbyists can fly under an all-encompass-ing compliance envelope established by the clubas a group. Many of these clubs have alsoestablished, registered and licensed “club mag-azines” where club members can store theirHPR rocket motors and reloads without the diffi-culties of BATF or DOT compliance. Anotheraspect of joining a club is that it’s always moreenjoyable to fly with others.

Keeping all of these local, state and federalregulations in mind, it becomes readily apparentwhy there are very few teenagers who partici-pate in high power rocketry. Although there aresome teenagers who pursue high power underadult guidance and control, it is due to these

regulations that the majority of the HPR enthusi-asts are adults.

We’ve had a cursory overview of the historybehind the reloadable rocket motor. We’ve alsohad a very brief overview of some of the regula-tions governing high power rocketry. Now, justwhat is a reloadable rocket motor? Althoughthere are several very good, well-known andreputable reloadable rocket motor systems onthe market today (Ellis Mountain and Kosdon toname a couple) I will restrict my discussions tothe Aerotech reloadable rocket motor system.This is arguably the most common and prolificsystem on the market, and is also the system Ihave the most personal experience with.

A typical reloadable rocket motor systemconsists of three parts; a cylindrical casing,which is usually threaded at the ends, an aftclosure and a forward closure. As one wouldexpect, these three parts have been machinedto very exacting tolerances. These componentsare made of metal such as an extruded ormilled aircraft grade aluminum, and usuallysport an anodized finish. Typical sizes forreloadable rocket motors start with the diminu-tive 18mm casing, and run up through 24mm,29mm, 38mm, 54mm, and 75mm diameters.The largest are the massive 98mm (4-inchdiameter) motor casings that facilitate the Msize reloads, and the monster N2000 reload.There are larger rocket motors than these,which run into the O, P and even R impulserange, however these are all typically experi-mental rocket motors produced by highly skilledindividuals for experimental launches. They aregenerally not for use by the average HPR enthu-siast, and can only be flown at a few sitesacross the United States that have FAA waiverssufficient to support the 20,000+ feet of altitudethese rockets can sometimes achieve.

The HPR reloadable rocket motor systemshares many basic similarities with the solidrocket boosters of the space shuttle, which arethe world’s largest reloadable rocket motors.The HPR motor reload kit consists of one ormore propellant segments, often referred to as“grains” or “slugs” composed of AmmoniumPerchlorate or “AP” as the primary ingredient.This is the same propellant used in the solidrocket boosters of the space shuttle launch sys-tem. Each propellant segment is cast in a card-board tube. Also included in each reload kit is acardboard or phenolic insulator tube. This insu-lator tube keeps the burning composite propel-lant from raising the external temperature of themotor casing above 200 degrees Celsius. This

getting started with reloadable motors by the tim quigg


allows the rocketry enthusiast to use reload-ables in the same kind of models that singleuse motors are used. Again, just like in thespace shuttle boosters, HPR reloadable rocketmotors utilize a series of o-rings, which whencompressed, seal the system.

For the neophyte, assembling a reloadablerocket motor can be an intimidating task.Fortunately, there is usually a complete set ofprofusely illustrated instructions included witheach reload kit. Although there are slight differ-ences from reload to reload based upon sizeand impulse level, each reloadable rocket motoris assembled in the same basic set of steps.

First, the insulator tube is inserted into themotor casing, and then the propellant segmentsare inserted into the insulator tube. Once thepropellant segments are installed, a disposablemotor nozzle is placed on top of the propellantat one end of the casing, and one or more rub-ber o-rings are inserted around the motor noz-zle to seal the aft enclosure. The aft enclosure isthen screwed into place over the motor nozzle.Next, the pre-packaged delay segment is insert-ed into its corresponding cardboard insulatortube. Rubber o-rings are placed into the forwardenclosure ahead of the delay segment, and thenthe delay segment is seated into place in theforward enclosure on top of the o-rings. More o-rings are placed around the rear of the forwardenclosure, and then the entire unit is screwedinto place on the remaining end of the motorcasing. Depending on the size of the motor,usually a pre-metered amount of FFFFG blackpowder is supplied in each kit to be used as anejection charge. On larger reload kits, the mod-eler has to supply his or her own black powder.The black powder is carefully poured into theorifice in the forward enclosure, on top of thedelay segment, and then sealed with maskingtape or a “sticky dot”.

There are various acceptable means usedtoday to ignite reloadable rocket motors. So var-ious are they in fact, this subject could easily bethe topic of another article in itself. Aerotechmanufactures the Copperhead igniter, one ofwhich is included in each of their high powerreload kits. Other forms of ignition include wiredcamera flash bulbs, igniters used in blastingsuch as Electric Match, and homemade ignitersmade from Thermalite fuse. Other high qualityigniters are produced by Fire Fox Enterprises inthe form of the “Cyclone” igniter and NorthCoast Rocketry’s “Laser Fire” igniter. There arealso various kits that one can purchase to mixand dip your own igniters as well.

As one can see, the use of reloadable rock-et motor technology can be as much a chal-lenging pursuit as is the hobby of high powerrocketry itself. However, as long as one prac-tices the proper precautions; reads and followsall instructions, reloadable rocket motor tech-nology can open a vast horizon of possibilities. Itis also recommended to observe and learn fromthose in the hobby who are well versed withthis technology. One can learn many tricks andtips that the manufacturer often doesn’t relatein the reload kit instructions. Here are a few tipsand tricks I have learned over the years frommany helpful rocketry enthusiasts:

• Because the design and construction of a reload-able rocket motor is more complex than the useof an expendable rocket motor, be sure to readall of the instructions supplied with the reload kitand follow them closely. Periodic upgrades aremade to reload kits by the manufacturer. Thesecan happen without warning at any time. So it’sbest not to commit assembly of reloadable rocketmotors to memory.

• Before you ever begin motor assembly, makesure the propellant and delay liner tubes areshimmed with masking tape to tighten up the fitwithin the motor casing.

• Transversely, on 38mm and 54mm reloadablemotors with phenolic propellant liner tubes, makesure the liner does not fit too tightly within thereloadable motor casing. Some light sanding witha 360 or finer grit sandpaper may be required inorder to get the liner tubes to fit the casing.Always lightly sand the ends of the phenolic lin-ers to remove burrs. The burrs can cut o-rings,generating a blow-by at the propellant washers.

• O-rings must be greased lightly before they areused in the assembly of the rocket motor. Thegrease aids in the sealing of the system. Use justenough grease to give the o-rings a nice shine.Utilizing the right grease is also important.Permatex High Temperature Super Lube withTeflon is best. In lieu of this, Radio Shack pro-duces a very high quality Teflon impregnatedgrease that works very well (Archer Lube-Gelwith Teflon). Although people use it, I would notrecommend using Vaseline petroleum jelly, as itthins when it gets hot.

• Never use too much grease on the forward delayo-rings. Excess grease will seep into the blackpowder ejection charge and prevent it from fir-ing.

• Avoid contamination of the o-rings. The smallestspeck of dirt, sand, or even a human hair cancause an o-ring failure. An o-ring failure can leadto a catastrophic failure (cato) of the rocketmotor. Not only will a cato destroy your expen-sive reloadable motor casing, but it also couldseverely damage your rocket vehicle. On a muchlarger scale, an o-ring failure caused a catowhich destroyed the space shuttle Challenger.

• You can store an assembled reloadable rocketmotor under certain conditions. If the ejectioncharge has not been installed, loosen one of theenclosures to relieve the loading from the o-rings. Stored in a cool, dry environment, themotor can be stored in this manner for severalmonths. However, remember to tighten the enclo-sure and install the ejection charge prior to flight!

• After you pour in the black powder and set thecap or sticky dot, never loosen the forward or aftenclosures. Loosening them may cause the ejec-tion charge to shift behind the delay o-rings(s)preventing a complete seal of the delay elementcausing venting of hot gases through the rocket.A fully loaded motor will keep for several monthswithout ill effect if it’s kept out of direct sunlight.Heat makes the grease on the o-rings movearound.

• When installing the black powder ejection chargeinto the ejection charge well of the forwardenclosure after assembly of the rocket motor,pour a small amount of the ejection charge intothe well of the forward enclosure and gently tapthe casing. This will ensure that black powdergoes down through the orifice in the forwardenclosure and comes into contact with the delayelement. This insures that the ejection chargewill ignite when the delay element burns through.Once you have ensured the space between thedelay element and the orifice is full of black pow-der, apply the remainder of the ejection chargeand seal the ejection charge well.

• The delay element and delay o-ring(s) must becompressed against the forward enclosure inorder to seal. Any delay spacers go toward thepropellant end of the delay element.

• With 38mm motors, ensure the delay liner cham-fer in the forward enclosure is sealed withgrease. At initial motor pressurization, the greaseis forced around the delay liner, sealing it.

• Always lightly grease the outside of the propel-lant liner tube and the enclosure/casing threads.Greasing the liner aids in cleanup of the motorcasing after firing. It’s next to impossible toremove the propellant liner from a 38/480 casingwhen you forget to grease it. Failure to greasethe enclosure/casing threads may cause theenclosures to seize, making it impossible toremove the enclosures without damaging themor the motor casing. Do not grease the inside ofthe delay element liner tube or the delay cavity.

Many of us who enjoy the hobby of highpower rocketry find the assembly of the reload-able rocket motor is just as challenging andrewarding as the successful flight of a rocketvehicle. As long as you take your time, read andfollow the reload kit instructions, and ask forassistance from experienced rocketry enthusi-asts when needed, you should enjoy manyyears of trouble-free, successful flying.

page 20 May-June 2000 www.extremerocketry.compage 20 May-June 2000 www.extremerocketry.com

LDRS 2000Official Annual Tripoli Launch

Each year Tripoli Rocketry Association (TRA)holds a national launch at various loca-tions. LDRS stands for Large and

Dangerous Rocket Ships. The 19th Annual LDRSEvent will take place this year in Orangeburg,South Carolina.

Location: Orangeburg, South Carolina. This istruly a majestic and traditional southern town.Founded in 1704, incorporated in 1883,Orangeburg encompasses approximately 6.38miles and is home to an estimated population of13,739 citizens.

Airport: Orangeburg Municipal.

Weather: It is recommended that you check outthe local weather as the launch approaches,since the weather can vary depending onweather patterns. Moderate to High humiditylevels is possible during summer months.

Date: July 1-4, 2000

Times: Range will be open everyday from 9a.m. to 1 p.m. (closed for Lunch from 1 to 2p.m.) and reopens at 2 p.m. and stays openuntil 8 p.m. The range will close early onSunday at 6 p.m. The Banquet will be heldSunday night at 8 p.m.

Costs, Fees and Registration: The LDRS 2000site does have a registration form that you printout and mail in.

Launch fee (advance) . . .$30.00 (July 1-4) Advanced registration cut-off is 6/1/00.

Launch fee (on-site) . . . . . . . . . . . .$40.00Banquet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$14.00 each

Accommodations: This area is a popular traveldestination during the 4th of July Holiday andmost area lodgings will be fully booked early, somake your reservations now.

The LDRS 2000 site has several direct linksto area hotels/motels, in addition to listing spe-cial pricing and amenities. Organizers requestthat you ask for the Tripoli Rocketry Rate when

inquiring about accommodations. Here are afew of the lodging choices in the Orangeburgarea:

Days Inn 803-534-0500 (official Hotel ofLDRS). Booked as of 2/4/00.

Quality Inn 803-531-4600 (contact StephanieWilliamson) $55.00 per night.

Ramada Limited 803-534-7630 $47.00 pernight.

Hampton Inn 803-531-6400 $59.00 to $75.00per night.

Carolina Lodge 803-536-0528 call for avail-ability and rates

Comfort Inn 803-531-9200 call for availabilityand rates

Days Inn 803-531-2590 call for availabilityand rates

Southern Lodge 803-531-7333 call for avail-ability and rates

Nearby Santee State Park is already booked,but we also recommend you contact KOAon availability at nearby locations.

Nightlife: Orangeburg as well as the surround-ing communities are abundant with restaurants,lounges and other entertainment venues as wellas golf courses, lakes, gardens, a museum, andplanetarium.

Special Rules/Contests: LDRS 2000 Contest:AHPRA Bowling Ball Lite Arizona High PowerRocketry Association will be sponsoring thiscompetition. The objective is to loft an eight-pound bowling ball to the highest altitude, usinga single Tripoli certified motor. This is open toindividuals as well as teams of Tripoli Members.More than one rocket may be entered by acompetitor. Prizes: 3 Parachutes (RocketmanKytec); 6000ns M Motor Hardware (KosdonEast); Videos (Shadow Composites); T-shirt and6 issue subscription (Extreme Rocketry); andNosecone (Scotglas Manufacturing).

Other contests include: Best Cato, BestPaint & Finish, Most High Tech, Highest Altitude(under waiver) recorded by an Altimeter, andClosest to the Pad each day.

Only registered flyers will be allowed to fillout flight cards and launch their rockets.Children under the age of 18 are free. If childrenunder 18 want to launch low powered rockets,then that child must sign the waiver with the

parents signature under their own and must besupervised at the launch pad.

Any rocket meeting any of the followingconditions, must have the approval of theSpecial Projects Coordinator before launch willbe allowed: any rocket with a total of 6000newton-seconds; all M impulse and above rock-ets; or any unconventional design.

All special projects must be submitted nolater than May 31st to the Special ProjectsCoordinator and be pre-approved. Any projectsthat meet any of the above conditions and arenot pre-approved, will not be allowed to launch.

No motor vehicles allowed on sod farm.There will be no camping allowed at the launchsite.

All decisions made by an LDRS official arefinal. This will include anything and everythingconcerning the LDRS event and the grounds ofthe launch site itself.

Visit the LDRS 2000 website for the com-plete and detailed rules and regulations forLDRS 2000.

Vendors:Blacksky, Kosdon East, Sky-High Rocketry,

Photos by Nadine, Starship Enterprises, RobbysRockets, B2 Rocketry, Giant Leap Rocketry,Aerospace Specialty, Performance Hobbies, PrattHobbies, Kool Kones, Aerotech, Rocketman, StarRocketry, Atlantic Rockets, Lawndart Rocketry,Blackhawk R&D, LOC/Precision, Missile WorkCorporation, Magnum Plus Inc., PML, YankEnterprises and Rocket Vision.

Contact Information:Web: www.clt.quik.com/skybound/ldrs.htmSnail Mail: LDRS/Tripoli South Carolina, P.O.

Box 550441, Gastonia, NC 28055-0441

a simple guide tocompiled by steve moore


NARAM 2000Official Annual NAR Launch

National Association of Rocketrys 42ndAnnual Meet/National Launch. This is thesixth time NARAM has chosen Colorado

for its national launch. The annual event issanctioned by NAR, the oldest and largest sportrocketry organization in the world. Since 1957,over 80,000 modelers have become NAR mem-bers.

Location: Estesland, Colorado (5 miles east ofCanon City at the intersections of US Highway50 and Colorado Highway 67). Elevation 5,500feet above sea level. Headquarters for the eventwill be located at the Canon Inn (seeAccommodations), located at 3075 E. Highway50, Canon City, CO. 81212.

Airports: Denver International, ColoradoSprings, or Pueblo.

Weather: During July, there is an average hightemperature of 93 degrees and a low of 61degrees. The record high is 106, while therecord low is 44. Bring sunscreen, a hat, sun-glasses, and closed toe shoes (small cactus inthe area). Water consumption will be essentialdue the high altitude and the possibility of dehy-dration.

Date: July 29th-August 4th. The Sport Launchstarts the weekend before the contest and runsthe entire seven days of the event. The ContestLaunches will take place Monday (July 31st)through Friday (August 4th).

Agenda/Schedule:Sport Launch: Begins Saturday, July 29th andruns through Friday, August 4th.

Contest Launches: Begins Monday, July 31stand runs through Friday, August 4th.

• Research and Development • Giant Sport Scale• D Engine Superroc Altitude• 4xA Engine Cluster Altitude (no airstarts and

no boosted darts allowed)• *C Engine Eggloft Duration• 1/4a Engine Parachute Duration (Multi-

round)

• A Engine Boost Glider Duration• B Engine Streamer Duration• 1/2A Engine Helicopter Duration• D Engine Rocket Glider Duration

Banquet: Friday, August 4th

Other: Catered Picnic and possible tours of areafactories where real space launch vehicles areassembled.

Costs, Fees and Registration: Allows registration online and using snail mail.

Competition Flyers:Individual Contestant . . . . . . . . . . .$40.00Team . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$60.00Family Contestants . . . . . . . . . . . . .$60.00

(includes first 3 family members)Extra Family Contestants . . . . . . . .$15.00

(over 3 family members)Late Fee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$20.00

(entries postmarked after 6/30/2000)Sport Launch Only . . . . .$25.00 (All Week)

(18 years old and over, under 18 fly free)Extra Family Sport Flyer . . . . . . . . . .$5.00(18 & over with 1 fully paid family member)

NAR Championships BanquetAdult . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$17.00Child (10 and under) . . . . . . . . . . . . .$8.00Picnic, Meal and Entertainment . . . .$10.00Entertainment Only . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$3.00

(country western band/guest speaker)

Accommodations: The Canon City area offers arange of lodging options, everything from hotelsto camping. The NARAM 2000 website offersboth direct links to lodging sites and a discus-sion area concerning accommodations for thelaunch we suggest you check it out for moredetailed aspects of visiting the Canon City area.NARAM 2000 is being held in an area ofColorado that sees a lot of tourist activity. It isnot unusual for many places to be booked solidduring the time the launch will take place.Organizers strongly emphasize get your reser-vations in early!

As of 10/21/99 the Canon Inn (NARAM 2000headquarters) is sold out.

Best Western 1925 Fremont Dr., Canon City,CO. 81212 / 800-231-7317

Holy Cross Abby has low cost dorm stylerooms. Located about 1 block from the Canon

Inn. 888-588-8631 ext. 239, ask for PaulaSheagley. $14 per night/per person (maximum 2people per room), or $20 per night for singles.No in-room A/C, telephones or televisions. Noroom service. Each floor has a common areathat includes a lounge, microwave and televi-sion. The restrooms and showers are located oneach floor.

Check out the official website for discussiongroups and suggestions on other accommoda-tions, possible campsites and travel motels.

Nightlife: The Canon Inn is a full service hotelwith two restaurants; one lounge; six hot tubs;and a full size pool.

Check out the official website for possiblediscussion groups on entertainment as well asaccommodations.

Sponsors, Hosts, and Clubs: COSROCS(Colorado Springs Rocket Society) Operates inColorado Springs, Co. Excellent safety record noaccidents. Friendly club environment and rock-etry based educational efforts throughoutColorado. Promotes model rocketry as a safe,fun and exciting family oriented hobby. In addi-tion to sports flying, the club is active in con-tests and competes strongly in the areas ofBoost Gliders, Parachute Duration, StreamerDuration, Helicopter Recovery, Odd-Rocs, andAltitude events.

CRASH (Colorado Rocketry Association ofSpace Hobbyists) Sport launches 2 times permonth throughout the year. Launches are thefirst Sunday of each month starting at noon andon the third Sunday of the month starting at 10a.m. The NARAM 2000 website has a direct linkto this groups site where you can get theaddress of monthly launches as well as mem-ber and group information.

Tripoli Colorado Local chapter of the nation-al organization.

Vendors to date: Unknown at this time

Contact Information:Web: http://www.naram2000.orgEmail: [email protected] Mail: NARAM 2000, 9678-B East ArapahoeRd., Box 113, Englewood, Co. 80112

national launches


Rikki Rockett is best know as the drummerfor the rock group know as Poison.However, he is also an avid rocket flyer andhas built some of the largest rockets seen inthe hobby in recent years. The Jurassic Kickis just one such example.

Extreme: Where were you born and raised?I was born and raised in Mechanicsburg,Pennsylvania. The area is well known forsteel, railroads and glass.

Extreme: When did you launch yourfirst rocket?Rikki: Well, I was probably about 10 or 11years old. I was the typical kid thatbought, built, and flew the little Estes kitswith an A motor or half-A motor. Afterthat I went to a B motor, then a C motor,and then a D, which was the biggest at thetime. Then I started bundling D motorstogether, but they would break apart, gohaywire and all that kind of stuff. I guessthat was sort of typical for me to try topush the envelope. The biggest problems I had were the parachutes gettingcaught in trees and wires where I lived.

Extreme: Were all of the rockets built from kits?Rikki: Rockets were too expensive for us as kids, so we started making ourown components. I used toilet paper rolls and tried to glue them together. Ofcourse, we didn’t have the adhesives back then that we do now. Sometimes wewould use duct tape and it would look horrible. We actually got a lot of themto fly, but a lot of stuff didn’t.

Extreme: Did you give up rocketry as a kid?Rikki: I was into rocketry as a kid, but I realized I had taken it about as far as Icould go when I got older. Then I discovered girls and rock and roll, but I stillstayed interested in space. One of my teachers was really into astronomy. Myhigh school was one of the very few that actually had an observatory. Becauseof this, I’ve always been interested in astronomy. I had high grades in the sci-ences, but not in math, which became a problem for me in astronomy. I keptsticking my head back into rocketry every once in a while though, just to seewhat was going on. Each time, I realized nothing really was happening for anumber of years. A couple of companies came along, but they did pretty much

the same thing that Estes was doing. In high schoolI didn’t play around with that stuff as much as I didwhen I was 11. There was this one guy in schoolthough that I sat down with and we tried to planout a rocket. He was quite a nerd, and I loved himfor that. We drew up all of these diagrams of howthe rocket would be built. I wish I could find thosediagrams now. The project never got beyond thediagram stage. There was no way we could havebuilt it because it was pretty wild. I really didn’tstick my head back into rocketry until the late1980’s.

Extreme: When you finished high school, whatwere your career aspirations?Rikki: Well, I started playing drums when I was 12years old. Since my first drum set I always wantedto be a “rock star.” I wanted to be in a band. But, inPennsylvania it is very difficult to have a successfulrock band. You just don’t see many examples of suc-cessful people in rock bands from Pennsylvania. Yousee local bands that do okay for a couple of years,but then they go away. It has gotten better now witha few bands. After high school I had a lot of differ-

ent jobs. I was a lifeguard in the summer, and in the winter I worked in aclothing store. I also started taking classes to be an Emergency MedicalTechnician (EMT) because my father was an ambulance driver. I really didn’tknow what was going to happen. I knew I wanted to play drums, and by thelast year of high school I had met Bret Michaels and Bobby Dall and weformed the band which would later be known as Poison. We were playingclubs by then. Right after I got out of high school I went into cosmetologyschool. There was a Vo-Tech program in high school where they offered cos-metology. The year I went into that program, the teachers went on strike sothere was no Vo-Tech school. So, everybody that signed up for the course hadhalf a day they could work in the field they were interested in. So, I went andbecame an assistant at a hair salon. I fell in love with it because all I had to dowas shampoo women all day! There was probably only a 10 percent maleclientele. Ninety percent of the business was women and a lot of them werehigh school or college girls. So, I said,“Hey, this is kind of nice. This sure beatsselling suits in the mall!” So that’s what I did when I got out of high school.For about two years after high school I had a band, a job as an assistant hairdresser, and I was studying to be an EMT.

I N T E R V I E W W I T H

rikki rockettby brent mcneely

Rikki with Patriot Rocket

Left: Scott Allan, Rikki, and Jim Hart with Jurassic Kick.Above: Delemar Flight

centerfold specs


Jurassic KickOwner: Rikki Rockett & Steve Cello

Builder: Rikki Rockett & Steve Cello

Location: California

Rocket Name: Jurassic Kick

Height: 19 feet

Diameter: 22.5 inches

Weight: 289 pounds

Motor: Kosdon 0 motor

Recovery: 8 Rocketman chutes

Electronics:

(2) Cambridge Accelerometers

(1) Adept altimeter

Features: Modular construction, built from kickdrum shells from several drum sets.

Colors: Red, yellow & black

Flight ReportDelamar 3,400 Baby O motor

Lucerne 5,100 Full O motor

Number of flights to date: 2

Description of RocketA very large rocket weighing in at almost

300 pounds and over 19 feet tall, constructedprimarily from 22.5 inch kick drum shells.

About the Extreme Centerfold ContestEach issue, Extreme Rocketry will feature

one rocket in our centerfold. If you have a rock-et, or have a great photo, please submit it to usat PO Box 28974, Las Vegas, NV 89126 for ourExtreme Centerfold contest. If your photo isprinted as our centerfold, you will receive $100.

We expect the photo to be really impres-sive, and in some way extreme. Please includeextensive details about the rocket like thoselisted on this page. The submission must be anactual photo rather than a digital file (trans-parencies are also accepted). An accompanyingarticle is not required to win the contest.

$100 centerfold poster contest


Extreme: When did you really start playing forthe band full-time?Rikki: I was about 22 years old when the bandstarted really taking off. Before that we were play-ing mostly clubs. But we really wanted to play forpeople of all ages. Back there in Pennsylvania, youhad to be 21 years old to get into a bar. So what wewould do is rent out halls and skating rinks andput on our own shows. We would make up ourown tickets and sell them. It was then that thingsstarted taking off and we were doing really, reallywell.

Extreme: When did you move to California?Rikki: March of 1984. We heard Motley Crue onthe radio at the US Festival, and we said,“What theHell are we doing here? Let’s go to California!” Itwas cold in Pennsylvania all the way from fall untilspring. We wondered what we were doing truckingour equipment out in the snow. When we arrivedin California, we lived in a warehouse-like buildingwith one shower. We were dirt poor and built ourrooms out of plywood. I didn’t want my parents tocome out to see me for about a year because it wasso bad. Finally, we got a contract with EnigmaRecords and things took off. Later, Capital pickedus up with a couple of other bands. Our first tourwas horrible. We were the opening act for QuietRiot, but the important thing was we still got toplay. Later on we got to open for Ratt, and that’swhen our second single “Talk Dirty to Me” hit thecharts and things really started to explode. Duringthose years I was way too busy with the band toeven think about rocketry. It was probably the fur-thest thing from my mind at the time.

Extreme: Where did the name Rikki Rockettcome from?Rikki: Honestly, it came from the hair dresser Iworked for. He gave me the nickname “Rocket.”When I was working as a hair dresser I was tryingso hard to impress everyone. I was so hyper, fast,and energetic they called me “Rocket.”Unfortunately, the name doesn’t have anything todo with rocketry. But I kind of liked it because Idug rockets and all that kind of stuff, so the nick-name stuck. I put my nickname behind my realname which is Richard Ream. I’ve always gone byRicky, and Rikki Rockett sounds a whole lot moreRock ‘N Roll than Richard Ream.

Extreme: When did you get back into rocketry?Rikki: It was when C.C. Deville left the bandaround 1990 and I had the entire summer off. Mygirlfriend Malina and I were talking one day aboutrockets. I don’t even remember why, but I askedher,“Did you ever launch rockets as a kid?” Andshe had no idea what I was talking about. She said,“Are you serious?” I then told her how I built theselittle rockets and used a launcher and the wholething. She told me she had never seen anythinglike that. So I told her,“You know what, on my wayhome, I’ll drop by a hobby shop and pick up a kitfor both of us and we’ll go launch some rockets.”Well, I did, and on a second trip to the hobby shop

I saw a rocketry magazine with high power rocketson it. I just looked at it and said,“Holy Shit! Justlook where the hobby has gone!” I bought themagazine and started calling every manufacturerin it, wanting to get information on how to get intothis. I think the Vaughn Brothers were one of thefirst people I called and I ordered a kit from them.That’s pretty much how I got into the high powerstuff. I called Scott Bartel for motor reloads andthat ended up being a two hour conversation withhim. I accepted his invitation to come over, and hehelped me with getting ready for my first highpower launch and completing my level one certifi-cation.

Extreme: What were the first rockets you builtwhen you got back into rocketry?Rikki: My first rocket was a stretch Blobbo fromVaughn Brothers. I think I flew it on an AeroTechD motor. After that, my first real high power rocketwas a Public Missiles Phobos. I painted it purpleand put some Poison decals on it. When I flew itfor my certification, everything worked perfectly.Scott helped me a lot. At that time, there weren’tdifferent levels of certification, only one certifica-tion, and that was what I was going for at the time.Malina certified at the next launch we went to witha different rocket.

Extreme: What do you like about rocketry?Rikki: First of all, I’ve always been intrigued withspace, and I’ve always been mechanically inclined.I like to tear things apart and figure out how theywork. I also like to go the other way and buildsomething from scratch and try to make it work.It’s always intrigued me. Today, with all of the elec-tronics stuff we have, it is really becoming aninteresting hobby. A lot of people get into the rock-et hobby for different reasons. I’m definitely a hob-byist, and I like that aspect more than anything. Ilike to build something and get it to do somethingfor one reason or another. I don’t want to see howhigh I can go. Many people get into it because theywant to be the first amateur rocketeer to get intospace or to launch a satellite. While I think that isgreat, and I’d like to be a part of something like

that, that’s not why I got interested in high powerrocketry. I don’t think I’d become a guy who worksat Jet Propulsion Laboratory. I also love the camp-ing out part when attending launches.

Extreme: What is your biggest dislike aboutrocketry?Rikki: I don’t think this will surprise you. But Ithink it would have to be the limitations we haveon the motors right now and how the politicscome into play when the ATF gets involved. I hatethat. There should be some control over it, becauseGod knows what would happen right now if wedidn’t have some controls on rocketry with new-bies to the hobby. But it really does hold back a lotof the cutting edge stuff that we are all trying todo. With motors, the limitations we have right noware just over the top. There’s just so much legalmumbo-jumbo there and it just keeps gettingworse. I’m talking about the government here. Therocket clubs sometimes make it better and some-times they make it worse. Everyone has there ownviews on regulation. One person’s view is not nec-essarily right or wrong. It’s just we sure look divid-ed to the government agencies out there. I thinkthere does need to be rules, and a lot of people willdisagree. But without rules, who would have beenhurt by now? That goes without saying though.There are injuries in football and all sorts of otherhobbies and sports. I think comparatively speak-ing, the hobby of rocketry is pretty safe.

Extreme: Are you involved in the leadership ofthe Lucerne Test Range (LTR) rocket club?Rikki: Just my web site. At one point I was asked torun for Prefect, but I turned it down just because Iknew I wouldn’t have the time. I knew that if con-cert tours came up or recording contracts present-ed themselves, I would have to back out of my clubduties and that would hurt everyone in the club. SoI told Jim Hart that if there was anything I coulddo for the club just to let me know and I’d see whatI could do to help out.

Extreme: What were your favorite rocket proj-ects you’ve been involved in?Rikki: The one that blew my mind the most wasmy first big rocket. It was a PML Patriot whichflew on the AeroTech K-550 motor. I launched thatin Arizona. I worked my butt off on that rocket. Iwanted that thing to be perfect. That one was redwith flames. A guy had painted my truck and Iwanted to match the rocket to the truck. He toldme he would paint it for me, but that I would haveto do all the labor of prepping it.“I’ll spray it anddo the flames, but you are sanding it and every-thing.” And I said,“Okay, fine.” So I worked my assoff on that thing and I was scared to launch it.“If itcrashes—oh man! you know?” That was my firstproject that I spent real hours on and then have itpass or fail in one fell swoop. That’s the excitementof rocketry right there! On that first flight every-thing worked; it was a gorgeous flight. I have it onvideo and I will treasure it and the photos forever.That’s where I got the desire to do larger projects.

Left to right: Steve Cello, Rikki,Melina, Rat, and Frank Kosdon


Extreme: What was your next project?Rikki: My next rocket I called the Queen Bertha,which was an upscale version of the Estes BigBertha. We used 7.5 inch diameter airframe doneall with PML components except for the roundnose cone, which was done by Jim Cornwell. Wemade the fins out of Russian Birch plywood. Welaunched that rocket several times until it finallyblew up on an L motor; blew up right on the pad.It was terrible—just heart-wrenching. Steve Cellohad become involved in that project half waythrough. We had been talking on the phone and hewas representing Kosdon motors. I told him,“Whydon’t you come over. I’m working on this big proj-ect which I’m about 70 percent done with, but I’dlove to have you get involved.” He did, and afterthat we knew we had a pretty good match. What hedidn’t know, I did and vice-versa. However, if weboth were lost, we’d find out!

Extreme: What was your next project?Rikki: The rocket was called “Go to L.” This wasour first L project, and it was also made from PMLstuff. I still have that rocket. It’s in my barn rightnow with a broken fin. I keep threatening to fixthat fin and launch it again. After that, our nextproject was a Hott Rocket kit. (Hott Rockets wasthe Jim Hart company which has since been soldto Maximum Thrust Rocketry – ed.) The kit wasthe Phoenix and it came out great, but it was a lotof work. That was the first one where Steve and Iworked together from ground zero. The rocketcame out really good, but it only made two flights.On the second flight it catoed, and I know exactlywhy. We had the wrong nozzle so we went intotown to have it drilled out, but it didn’t work. Itwas a beautiful cato though.

Extreme: Where did you get the idea for theJurassic Kick rocket?Rikki: We came up with the idea at a launch inVegas. I think it was Springfest. It didn’t take longfor us to start building big. We sort of startedbuilding rockets exponentially, we just kept build-ing bigger stuff. I remember saying something toSteve at that launch that I’d like to build somethingreally big and over the top. I said,“I’d love to buildan O rocket; something to hold an O motor.” Wehad in our minds an idea for a cardboard O rocket.We wanted to show everyone we could build acardboard rocket to hold an O motor instead ofjust strapping the fins and nose cone to the motor.we weren’t sure how we were going to do it, but wedidn’t want to make it a metal rocket. We wantedto use model rocket technology to fly an O motor.So we started working on a rocket called,“O MyGod.” This was a rocket for an O motor, and thecomponents are still here. We just need the fins. Wehave everything else: the nose cone, the tubes, andall that other stuff. But we abandoned the projectwhen I found out that we could get ahold of sever-al 22 inch diameter kick drum shells. The drumcompany I was with called Drum Workshop aban-doned getting shells from an outside company, anddecided to start making their own. So they werestarting to toss a lot of these old shells which theycouldn’t sell. The 22 by 20 inch kick drum was nota popular size. So these shells were taking up valu-able space in the warehouse. So I said,“Pleasedon’t throw those out. How many do you have? I’lltake all of them.” And so I bought them and madethe Jurassic Kick out of them, which is essentiallyjust one big kick drum. That’s where we got thename Jurassic Kick! So we had to decide whetherto continue with the O My God project or abandonit to do the Jurassic Kick. I though about it and

said,“Let’s do the Jurassic Kick now. Let’s put an Oin this.”

Extreme: Was the construction difficult for theJurassic Kick?Rikki: We weren’t sure how to do it. It took a cou-ple of weeks of planning. We figured the best wayto build it was from the inside out, and from thebottom up. So we started thinking in that respect.Essentially, we started with the basic exteriordesign to figure out how big it was going to be,what kind of nose cone to use, what kind of fins itwould have, and what kind of motor it would taketo make it happen. After we figured out all of that,we started thinking about materials. At one pointwe were going to make a smaller version of it withan eight-inch diameter airframe primarily con-structed out of wood. But we decided to just jumpright into it and skip the smaller version. The finalJurassic Kick took about three months to build,which is actually kind of fast if you think about it.Only towards the end were we working more thanonce or twice a week. It was tough because Stevehad just started a new job. He would come over onsome nights and try to do something here orthere. The final rocket was about 19 feet tall. Thefins were 66 inches from side to side.

Extreme: How did you construct the nose cone?Rikki: We talked to Jim Cornwell. We looked at sev-eral different methods. Eventually we tried to get asix foot cylindrical hunk of foam. We then builtthis big Barney Rubble lathe. Jim Cornwell told uspretty much how to do it. You need a lathe motor, aself-centering bearing and so on. We built thisthing, started it up and it almost flew up and hitus. It was just uncontrollable. So we ended upstrapping the lathe into the back of Jim Hart’s

A younger Rikki Rikki and the Queen Bertha Cato of Hott Rocket’s Phoenix


pick-up using hack saws to kind of get the shapeof it. It looked like winter time in the back end ofthe pickup. We cut the foam down right in thedrive way, and people were driving by wonderingto themselves,“What the Hell are you guys doing?”We finally got that thing trimmed down. We spentabout two weeks just laminating it with fiberglass,putting on a couple of coats a day. We would let itdry for four or five hours, then sand it down andput another layer on it. We finally put about eightor ten layers on it. With just the fiberglass itself thenose cone ended up weighing about 40 pounds.Then we turned it over and poured gasoline into itto clean out and dissolve as much Styrofoam as wecould. Next, we went in there with a drill with aflapper on it and knocked all the remaining stuffclinging to the inside. We then built some center-ing rings and put them inside the nose cone. Thefinal nose cone ended up weighing somewhere inthe 80 pound range, which is what we wanted.

Extreme: What was the final weight of theJurassic Kick?Rikki: With the motor the rocket ended up weigh-ing in at 289 pounds.

Extreme: How tall was the Jurassic Kick?Rikki: It was about 19 feet tall.

Extreme: Which motor did you fly the rocketon?Rikki: The rocket made two flights. Both were onKosdon O motors.

Extreme: How long did the paint job take?Rikki: I spent a week in a friend’s auto body shoppainting it. He basically gave me free reign exceptfor the power tools because his employees wereusing those. The paint job really turned out nice. Iasked my friend Mark,“Hey, what paint do youhave?” So we just used some left-over paint.

Extreme: What were your concerns before thefirst flight?Rikki: We figured the motor would either gut therocket and just shoot through it, or it would have anice, slow lift-off. Our biggest fear was trying tofigure out a way to construct it strong enough sothat the motor would stay in the rocket. We built itmore like an airplane, with a stuffer tube and 14

centering rings, which we cut as much out of aspossible to reduce weight. The extra holes helpedus in being able to reach inside to fiberglass fromone to the next. We ended up using the Jim Hartnine inch tubing for our stuffer tube, which wasfor the inside of our centering rings. We then hadouter centering rings which went between the nineinch tube and the 22 inch kick drum tubes. Wealso made triangular shaped braces that wereabout a foot in size to go up the inside of the rock-et. All of these butted up against the centeringrings to support each other. We figured with a suc-cession of those that the concussion of the motorwould be absorbed by the honeycomb-like struc-ture.

Extreme: How did you transport the JurassicKick?Rikki: I had a toy hauler trailer I pulled with theHumvee which made transporting it really easy.We made the rocket with a modular design so thatit broke up into three parts. Steve will give mecredit for this idea. If you can imagine a top hat,actually two of them turned back to back, using acentering ring instead of a piston. One side goesinto one end, and the other side goes into the otherend. I think the length of it was about three feet, so

we would end up with about a foot-and-a-half ofpiston. The centering ring would be the blastguard on each side. It doesn’t matter which chargegoes first; we put charges in the nose cone and inthe booster section. No matter what happens, onewill throw the other side out. We thought we wereonto something here. We figured one chute was notenough. It was too much of a risk, so we used eightparachutes and three of those stripped. I think thecable was actually stronger than the parachutematerial. We used a ton of black powder and threeelectronic units. We had a fourth unit, but wecouldn’t get it working before the launch. But allthree of the other units worked perfectly.

Extreme: In your opinion, how did the launchof the rocket go?Rikki: The day of the launch, I don’t know how tosay it any different, but I was,“scared shitless.” Iwas thinking, if this thing crashes, I’ve lost thewhole summer. But, if it works, it will be thebiggest rocket ever flown 100 percent successful-ly—meaning I could immediately fly it again. Thatwas our goal, to have a 100 percent successfullaunch where we could immediately fly it again ifwe wanted to. The biggest rocket ever flown thatI’m aware of was called “Down Right Ignorant.”But that rocket wasn’t re-launchable after it land-ed. I have to say hats off to those guys. They werethe first to do a rocket of that size and scale and

they set a precedent for all of us. To many of usinto large sized rockets, these guys were the pio-neers. I’m a bit boastful of the fact that our rocketdid work and could fly it again. The only damagewe had was the very tip of the nose cone. We madea tiny wood nose cone at the very tip about 3 inch-es long that cracked on impact. We weren’t sur-prised. It was designed to take the impact on land-ing and it worked. We figured we would replace thetip each time.

Extreme: What altitude did you get off yourfirst flight?Rikki: It was only about 5,000 feet. The motoractually chuffed and would have got a little morealtitude than that . We blamed Kosdon and heblames us (laughing). So when we looked at thecomputer data, we later agreed that it did chuff.This happened about 20 feet off the ground, andthat was scary.

Extreme: What projects are you planning ondoing in the future?Rikki: Well, I haven’t hooked up with Steve for alittle while. There’s just a lot of stuff going on withPoison, etc. But there are two things we want to do.One, we want to build Godzilla. We want to buildthis huge, monstrous thing. We want to go 36 inch-es in diameter and over 30 feet tall. We want topower it with four O motors or a P motor. The sec-ond project I’d like to do down the road in aboutfive years. I’d love to launch myself in a rocket. I’dlike to build a project that I could put myself inand launch it. I know it would have to be done onan Indian Reservation, and that Tripoli wouldn’thave anything to do with it. We would have to fig-ure out a way where I could push the button. Ireally think is should be done on hybrid motors. Ithink hybrids would be safer. Whether I ever reachthat goal, I don’t know. But I’d like to be the firstperson to launch himself. Believe me, I’d have to beheavily medicated the day of the launch! Thebiggest trick would be to build a design whichwould not pull enough G’s to make you pass out.That’s the trick right there. I think the rocketwould need to look a lot like the Mosquito rocket,with those fins and a lot of drag.

Extreme: What advice can you give other rock-eteers in the hobby?Rikki: Launch a lot of smaller rockets. Get outthere and experiment with all sorts of differentdesigns. Read some of those rocketry books andget some good information and put it to use. Buildstuff based on those designs and get a feel forwhat works and what doesn’t. Also, pay attentionto every detail as you build and envision launchday and the steps involved in getting off theground and down again. Really, really keep safetyin mind both in the shop and on the field. Life isgood, don’t let a safety glitch ruin it.Finally, don’tuse animals in your rockets. It’s cruel and it’s allbeen done before. Besides, it’s against Tripoli rules!

Jim Hart works with lathe to make nose cone


springfest 2000E

ach year the Lucerne Test Range (LTR)rocket club (Tripoli 007) makes its annualtrek across state lines from California tothe small dry lake bed just southwest ofLas Vegas. The El Dorado dry lakebed is

known by the locals as a great place to fly RC air-planes, race motorcycles, and for launching hobbyrockets. Of the two large invitational launches held atthe lake bed, Springfest is the largest, while the TurkeyShoot held over Thanksgiving weekend is the smallerlaunch. Turkey Shoot is sponsored by the Tripoli Vegasrocket club, which also helps in co-sponsoringSpringfest with LTR. Springfest draws a very goodcrowd of people from across the nation and interna-tionally. One family came all the way from Sweden toattend the event!

FridayFriday has always been designated as the official

setup day for Springfest and this year was no excep-tion but did have one slight difference: an open FAAwaiver making launching possible after the launchsystem was set up. Most of the vendors showed uparound noon along with about 60 rocket flyers.Perhaps a dozen motor homes spent Thursday nighton the lakebed. Stiff winds made setting up difficult,but not impossible. However, for launching rockets,only the brave ventured to put a rocket on the pad andactually push the button. Mostly people huddledaround their campers and cars socializing in anticipa-tion of better weather. Some took advantage of thewind and flew kites. The better weather only cameafter dark when a handful of rockets were launchedfor some very nice night flights. Many of the rocke-teers made the trek into Boulder City and gathered ata Mexican restaurant.

SaturdayThe range was set up and ready for business at

8:00 a.m. After the rocketeers managed to get theirbodies moving in the cool air, they began preppingrockets for flight. Unfortunately, the wind kicked upshortly after the waiver opened when many adopted a“wait and see” attitude toward the launch. A few rock-ets were put on the pads, but overall the number offlights before noon was relatively low.

In the afternoon the wind backed off to a slightbreeze and the lakebed warmed up to a comfortablelevel. It was at this point people rushed to the rangehead getting in line to put their rockets on the pads. Anumber of impressive flights took place. The first ofthese was the Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Rocket builtby Ron McGough and sponsored by Rocketman KyMichaelson (who was in attendance and filming theevent). The large 19 foot, 100 pound, Big Kahunarocket was loaded with an AeroTech M-1939 and afull set of Rocketman chutes. Ripley’s left the padwithout a hitch and climbed into the air for a verynice flight paving the way as if to encourage otherrocketeers to get their rockets out there. The wholeevent was captured by a film crew who was on loca-tion.

The worst flight of the day, and the most impres-sive, was by Rick DuVall, flying his Saturn V scalerocket. Powered by a single use K250, something verystrange happened on take-off. The motor lit andsmoke just pumped out the back of the rocket while itstayed on the pad. The smoke intensified over a peri-od of about 30 seconds until finally flames started jet-ting from the bottom of the rocket. Then, after whatseemed an eternity the rocket started to slowly moveup the launch rod. However, after getting about threefeet off the pad, the rocket ceased gaining altitude andtipped sideways and fell to the ground where it con-

by carl delzell and brent mcneely



tinued to smolder and burn for another five min-utes.

AeroTech had a very nice demo flight in RobinMeredith’s upscale of an Estes Yellow Jacket. Thenew motor under development was a Turbo-Hybrid L690. What made this hybrid truly fun towatch was a seven second burn which was impres-sive to see climb into the air. The rocket hit theground a bit too hard and reset the altimeter soRobin was unable to determine the actual altitude(which should have been about 8,900 feet).

Barry Forrest scored the highest recorded alti-tude of the event with a rocket he calls “NoLaughing Matter” under Kosdon K-280 motor.Official altitude on the Cambridge was 12,986 ft.and the Missile Works RRC showed 12,997 ft. RickMagee launched a Quantum Leap two stage for abeautiful boost and stage. The sustainer continuedto a very high altitude, but the ground crew losttrack of it. Three days later it was recovered, how-ever the batteries had gone dead in the electronics.

A most impressive flight was made with arocket called Big Purple. Built by Kurt Gugisburgand powered by an L-850 motor, this 36 pounderraced up to 3450 ft. with a video camera on board.Kurt won praise for his spectacular triple chuterecovery system by Rocket Rage. Bill Seiders wasimpressed and said “that is the most stable videoplatform I have seen to date.” Another of the neatrocket flights was the Smok’n Rocket’s “Chubsy”

which flew on a K550 motor (this rocket was anupscale of an Estes Fat Boy). George Perezlaunched his Sky Raider on an L-1120 to about7000 ft. for a perfect flight and a long distancerecovery.

Many V-2 rockets in several sizes made a niceshowing at the launch. One large V-2 build by AlanOvermoe made an awesome lift off from the farpads. You could see the ground blast away from thepressure of the motor on the lakebed by the pad.The rocket looked more like a football leaping outof a volcanic mushroom cloud. This rocket waspowered by AeroTech’s biggest motor, the N-2000and was equipped with two Olsen Altimeters. Eachof the electronics recorded only a nine-foot differ-ence in apogee (7,462 and 7,471 feet). Not only

was the lift off impressive, the landing quite literal-ly stopped traffic when the rocket drifted down toearth landing right in the middle of the highwaybordering the dry lake bed. A handful of carsstopped until some brave driver moved the rocketand chutes off to the side of the road so that trafficcould continue. Not many can claim their rocketshave literally stopped traffic!

Hypertek showed off a very nice motor on agray rocket. The 14 foot rocket was powered by a

Hypertek N2200 motor. Wayne Mrazek showed upwith an N hybrid project that was about 6 monthsin the making. It had a 14 foot airframe was madefrom 7.5 phenolic tubing, weighing in at 51pounds without the motor. After a 1 1/2 minutefill, it jumped off the pad on a column of smoke! Itdeployed it’s drogue at 7,093 feet, and popped the15 foot surplus cargo chute at about 1,000 feet.Wayne said “with the certification of an N2200, theera of only long burn low thrust hybrids will beover!”

Saturday’s launch ended with Frank Kosdondoing a static motor test of a new O2800. Themotor had an impressive short burn of approxi-mately two seconds. Near the end of the burn aloud pop could be heard when apparently the noz-zle gave way to the thrust of the motor. After that,everyone pretty much gathered up their gear andeither left the lakebed or packed it in for some din-ner. Many of the rocket folk gathered in BoulderCity for dinner at Toto’s Mexican Restaurant beforeheading to nearby motels.

SundayAll that can be said about Sunday was it was

perfect. The sun warmed up the lakebed into thelow 70s and there was just a slight breeze, enoughto make the whole day warm and wonderful.People were walking around with big happy grinson their faces just because of the weather.

Vendors:High Power Model Rocketry of CaliforniaMaximum Thrust RocketryHigh Power RocketryRocketman EnterprisesAccess RocketryRocket RageVaughn BrothersExtreme RocketryAeroTech, Inc.Dr. RocketOlsen ElectronicsBlack Sky Research

El Dorado Dry Lake Bed Facts:Waiver: 7,500 FeetWindows: Up to 15,000 FeetAverage Temp in March: 60-75 degreesGround Type: Dry Lake Bed (see photo)

Contact Information:LTR: Rick Magee (805) 584-6934Tripoli Vegas: Dave Pacheco: 702-432-9293

Lodging: Railroad Pass Hotel: 800-654-0877Super 8 Boulder City: 800-800-8000Camping: Free

Facilities: Four port-a-johns

Fees:Launch fees: $10/two days

springfest trivia


certificationsLeft to right, top to bottom

Level One:

Jeff Steele, PML Explorer, AeroTech

H242T

Brian Ronald, PML Io, AeroTech

H242T

Justin Hutter, Kim’s Nightmare,

AeroTech H242T

Russel Cooper, AeroTech Aereaux,

AeroTech H128

Bill Wilson, LOC/Precision EZI-65,

AeroTech I154J

Hampden Kuhns, Cirrus Dart,

AeroTech H55W

Level Two:

David Urbanek, Pork Chop Special,

Kosden J280

Larry Freson, Patriot Missile, K650

Level Three:

Philip Abshier, M-Deavour, AeroTech

M1315W

Larry Freson, Patriot Missile,

M1315W (shown at launch pad)

motors flownA motors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

B motors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

C motors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22

D motors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

E motors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

F motors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

g motors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42

h motors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59

i motors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58

j motors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39

k motors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35

l motors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

m motors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

n motors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

o motors . . . . . . . . .(2) static tests

Participation at the launch pads equaled the perfect day.People were putting rockets on the pads as fast as they couldprep them and get the LCO to push the launch buttons.

One of the most interesting rockets seen at the launchwas called “Chuff Goes the Weasel” built by Bill Seiders. Thisvery unique motor made a chuffing pulse sound as it climbedinto the sky. The exhaust trail had small puffs of smoke whereeach “chuff ” had occurred during its flight.

At about 10:00 a.m. Sunday morning one of the bestrocket drag races seen at any launch occurred. On pads sixand seven were two Vaughn Brothers’ King Blobbo rocketsloaded with K-550s. The rockets had an almost simultaneouslift off and both climbed side by side like twin columns ofsmoke until reaching apogee. Because of the perfect flyingconditions it was difficult to tell who won the drag race, but iswas great to watch!

Another impressive flight was made by Phil Abshier wholaunched his M-Devor on an M-1315 to 10,660 ft. for a per-fect flight. Larry Freson managed to snag two certifications atSpringfest. He did his Level Two certification on a half scale

Patriot Missile powered by a K650 motor and then followedthis with his Level Three certification flight to 8,800 ft. on anM1315. It seems as though the big rockets just kept showingup on the far pads. One such rocket was launched by TerryMcKiernan on an M1315. Terry’s Jupiter C used a dualdeployment recover system (two Olsen altimeters). This isTerry’s second upscale of the Jupiter C, his first being a fourinch diameter version which he used for his level one and twocertifications.

Big launches always provide an excellent opportunity towalk the flight line and check out interesting designs andconstruction techniques. It is like walking in and out of class-es at the University of Advanced Rocketry (Hmmm!). Andgetting to know of few of the people you have read about orseen on video somewhere is always a treat. It seems rocketenthusiasts are always ready to brainstorm and share ideas tomake something work. The sense of community is strong inrocketry these days.

Did we mention how good the weather was on Sunday?

page 34 May-June 2000 www.extremerocketry.compage 34 May-June 2000 www.extremerocketry.compage 34 May-June 2000 www.extremerocketry.com

H O W T O B U I L D A

camera rocketH O W T O B U I L D A

camera rocket


part oneby doug gerrard

Adding a camera to your rocket isnot only more challenging, but italso gives an additional purpose toflying your rocket. Building and

flying a camera rocket can be difficult butthe rewards are worth it. There is a certainamount of pride in being able to design,build, and fly a camera rocket and have greatphotographs to show for your effort. Ofcourse there is a certain amount of risk. Ittakes something special to take a perfectlygood camera, open it up and solder wires toit making it useless for casual use, put thissophisticated piece of equipment into arocket and launch it up several thousandfeet and have it come back on a parachute.

In the next several issues there will be a seriesof articles that will give you the basics of cameras,and complete directions for building your owncamera rocket and pointers for getting more satis-fying photographs. Some photographs will beshown and the results that can be achieved fromflying Camera Rockets.

Photography BasicsMost standard film is made of plastic with

layers of emulsions that are designed to be sensi-tive to the same light spectrum that we see. Filmemulsion is approximately 0.005 inches thick andis made of several different layers. The top layer isa protective coating to reduce the potential dam-age to the gelatin. The gelatin layer is comprised ofapproximately 60% gelatin and 40% light sensitivesilver-halide crystals. It is these crystals that storethe image. These layers are attached to a cellulose-acetate film base with an adhesive. The back of thefilm base consists of an anti-halation coatingwhich absorbs the remainder of the light thatpasses through the gelatin so that it is not reflectedback to the silver crystals again.

The image is formed by a chemical reactionbetween the light molecules and the silver-halidecrystals. As more light that reaches the film, thesilver density of the negative increases. Standardphotographic film produces a negative or reversedimage of the scene. As bright objects in the scenereflect more light onto the film, they create the

more dense areas of exposure. Darker subjectsemit less light, resulting in less density in the neg-ative.

Great photographs start with properly expos-ing the film to the correct amount of light. Properexposure of the film is based on three factors thatare all interrelated.

• The shutter speed is to amount of time thefilm is exposed to the light.

• The aperture is essentially the diameter ofthe hole where the light passes through.

• Film speed is a property of the film thatdetermines how much light is required toproperly expose the film.

Film size is also a factor that determines toquality of the photograph, but not with the properexposure.

SHUTTER SPEED: When it comes to taking clearpictures from a rocket the most important factor isthe shutter speed. A rocket flight moves the cam-era violently from either the rapid acceleration orfrom dangling from a parachute. Having the fastestpossible shutter speed is the only way to freeze theimage on the film. Manually setting the shutterspeed is the best option. However, with automaticcameras this not available. You can look at thespecifications listed in the back of the handbookof a camera before you buy to see its fastest shut-ter speed available. Keep in mind that there mustbe the right amount of light to achieve this shutterspeed before the camera will set it automatically.

APERTURE: The aperture is essentially a measureof the diameter of the hole with an inverse rela-

tionship. It is actually a ratio of the focallength of the lens to the diameter of thehole . Since the focal length of the lens isfixed, you can think of it as the diameter ofthe hole this light passes through. The larg-er the hole, the smaller the aperture num-ber. For a given film, the larger the opening(smaller the aperture number) the fasterthe shutter speed required for proper expo-sure.

Another aspect of the aperture is thedepth of field of focus. Depth of field is thedistance that the camera will see that is infocus. Anything outside the depth of fieldwill be blurry. Since most applications in

high power rocketry deals with focusing onimages very far away this usually isn’t a problem. Ifyou are trying to capture something close like thebooster falling away but want the ground to be infocus too there can be a problem. The larger theaperture diameter (smaller number) the smallerthe depth of field. This means that if you arefocused on infinity, the closest an object will alsobe in focus is say 50 feet. The depth of field is alsoa function of the focal length of the lens and howfar the object is away from the camera.

FILM SPEED: Together the shutter speed and theaperture control one thing: the amount of lightthat reaches the film. Slowing the shutter speed oropening up the aperture allows more light to reachthe film. Different film speeds, measured in ASA,require different amounts of light to properlyexpose them. Slow film speeds (ASA 25 to ASA100) require more light than fast film speeds (ASA400 to ASA 1000). The slower the film speed, thesmaller the size of the silver-halide crystals on thefilm. This results in better quality photographs.This is analogous to having finer resolution moni-tor or printer for your computer.

FILM SIZE: The quality of a photograph dependsnot only on proper exposure and film speeds butalso on film size. Which film speed you use deter-mines the size of the silver-halide crystals on thenegative. Slower speed films have smaller crystalstherefor finer details can be stored on the negative.The more details that are stored on the negativeresults in better pictures after enlarging. The sizeof the film determines how much you have toenlarge the picture. For example, if you want an 8”X 10” you must enlarge a smaller (110) negative

Left: Taken in Connecticut using Kodak Gold100 speed film. An example of what Point &Shoot cameras are capable of. Right: Also Point& Shoot camera. Taken at Hayburner Launch in1997 using Royal Gold 100 film

page 36 May-June 2000 www.extremerocketry.compage 36 May-June 2000 www.extremerocketry.compage 36 May-June 2000 www.extremerocketry.com

more that a larger (35mm) negative because the110 negative is much smaller. Therefor the 8” X10” from a 110 negative will appear grainy even ifthe film speed are the same.

For cameras on board rockets the best photo-graphs come from a combination of a high shutterspeed to freeze the image, slow film speed formore detail, and a large negative for better qualityprints. This combination is difficult to achieve.Automatic cameras need faster film speed in orderto increase the shutter speed, but the faster thefilm speed, the grainier the photographs onenlargement. It is a trade off for automatic cam-eras to use a fast film to increase the shutter speedand the use of grainier films.

Choosing the Right CameraFor on board a rocket, the best combination is

to use a camera with a fast shutter speed, use slowfilm, and preferably have a large negative. Thisarticle will discuss a few different types of cam-eras, the ways they can be mounted in a rocket,and the advantages and disadvantages of each.

CAMERA CHOICES: Cameras on board rocketsshould have a built in motor drive to advance the

film so you can take the entire roll of film on eachflight. There is practically no way to point at a par-ticular object and take the picture so the camera isset to take a photograph at a particular time dur-ing the rocket flight. By taking the entire roll offilm, chances are that you will see something thatyou’re interested in. This shotgun method may notbe efficient but it can result in some spectacularphotographs.

Also you should use cameras that have anelectronically controlled shutter release switch.This way you can utilize electronic timers to driverelays and accurately control when the camera willtake the pictures. The relay is wired in parallelwith the cameras own shutter button. Other meth-ods to activate the camera include using a servo ormotor driven cam to push down the actual shutterbutton on the camera. However, this method addsmore weight and size to the required payloadspace. It’s only advantage is that you do not have toopen up the camera for the connections.

Choices of different types of cameras includethe Disc, 110, APS, and even Polaroid® cameras,but by far the most popular for a camera rocket isthe 35mm cameras. The Disc and 110 camerashave smaller and fewer negatives than 35mm and

the Polaroid® cameras are very large. The APS filmis larger than 110 film but still only about 2/3 thesize of standard 35mm film. The two types of35mm cameras that will be discussed are the point& shoot and the single lens reflex (SLR) cameras.

Point & shoot cameras are small, lightweight,inexpensive, and fully automatic which makesthem very popular for high power rockets. They dohave some disadvantages to SLR cameras.Generally they have a slow shutter speed (theirfastest shutter speeds are from 1/200th to 1/500thsecond), slow film advance speeds (typically onepicture every 2 seconds) which limit the numberof shots that can be taken during accent. Sincethey are completely automatic you cannot manual-ly set them for the highest shutter speed whichmakes you need to put the grainier faster film inthe camera. With point & shoot cameras you arefrequently deciding between using the faster filmto freeze more shots or using a slower film speedto get the better quality photographs (from theones that are not blurred).

SLR’s have very fast shutter speeds (1/1000thto 1/8000th second) to freeze every picture, veryfast film advance rates (2 to 5 pictures per sec-ond), and manual exposure allows precise shutterspeed and exposure control. Most of the recentSLR cameras have replaced the old plunger cablerelease with an external cable/switch. This meansthat there are the external contacts for triggeringthe camera without having to open the camera up.However SLR’s are more expensive, larger, andheavier than point & shoot cameras, which requirebigger rockets and motors. However, because ofthe faster shutter speed and manual control of theaperture, the photographs are clear and properlyexposed thereby making SLR cameras by far thebest for high power rocketry if you are willing totake the chance and spend the amount of moneyrequired to fly these large rockets.

Mounting StylesThe three basic ways that most people mount

the camera inside the rocket are looking down theside of the rocket via a mirror, looking straightdown after separation, and looking straight out theside of the rocket. Each has its own advantagesand disadvantages.

One common design is to have the cameralooking straight out the side of the rocket and thenreflect the view via a first surface mirror down the

Top: 1996 Hayburner Launch with Royal Gold

100 at 1/2000th second shutter speed. Smoke

trail leaves a nice shadow. Bottom: LDRS 18

with Royal Gold 100 at 1/2000th second.

Booster is captured adding dimension to

photo. Right: Bend, OR launch. Photo using a

first surface mirror looking down side of rock-

et using an SLR camera and Royal Gold 100

film. Dry Lake beds are not usually good for

pictures unless you can capture something

else in the photo.


side of the rocket. This gives very nice shots downbelow the rocket during takeoff so there’s plenty tophotograph. If you design your recovery system forthe payload section just right you can also get pic-tures during decent too. Some disadvantages tothis type of design are mounting of the mirror andthe greatly increased drag due to the mirror stick-ing off the side of the rocket. Since altitudeattempts are not generally associated with a cam-era payload this is not a problem other than tryingto determine the center of pressure of the rocket.One method for taking this into account for calcu-lating the center of pressure is to treat the cowlingas a fin. This is not very good assumption, but bet-ter than ignoring it in your calculations. Anotherconcern is that the camera must advance the filmrather fast even to get a few shots during the burnof the motor. The flame and smoke are very nice tocapture as well as the booster falling away at sepa-

ration. This makes SLR cameras the best choicewith this method.

Some cameras are mounted so they lookstraight down on decent with the parachute. Theseshots are excellent for general aerial surveillancephotography if you want to map out your launchsite. You can also try to capture your booster as itdescends below the payload section. Because thisdesign has no mirror, which itself can be difficultto get the right size and angle, you can get a lotmore altitude for a given motor. Its great for pointand shoot cameras which have a wider angle lensand the slow film advance rates (since the decentof a rocket doesn’t change relatively quickly duringdecent over a 2 second period).

Having the camera look straight out the sideof the rocket gives nice horizon shots like lookingout of a plane. It does allow pictures to be takenduring boost, coast, and decent phases and you

don’t have to mount any mirror. Both SLR andPoint & Shoot cameras work with this method.

In summary, if you wish to photograph theflame of your rocket during take-off or the boosterfalling away at separation, a SLR camera is best.But for your first camera rocket, or to just photo-graph the launch area, a Point & Shoot camera isyour choice.

The next article will provide the necessarysteps to open up a Point & Shoot camera and sol-der wires to the camera to electronically controlthe camera. Because of the smaller size and lowerprice, the Point & Shoot camera make the bestchoice for a first camera rocket.

extreme product review


I’m really lousy when it comes to mathemati-cal computations of any kind. So it goes with-out saying that math was not one of my bet-

ter subjects in high school. Due to this, I hadsome real doubts about my future in modelrocketry when first introduced to the hobby in1975. Barrowman calculations were horrendousfor me, as were Coefficient of Drag computa-tions. Thank the Rocket Gods that the advent ofthe home computer also brought with itadvancements in software that now take care ofthese tedious computations. Software programssuch as WinRoc, Rocksim and wRASP havetaken much of the hardship away from thehobby for most of us who are “numerically chal-lenged.”

Unfortunately, many of the most commonlyused and widely recommended rocketry-relatedsoftware programs are also rather expensive.And to make matters even worse, some ofthese computer programs only run in DOS,which can be difficult for those of us who onlyspeak “Windows.” My personal criteria are sim-ple; it must be inexpensive but accurate,Windows compatible and it must be user-friend-ly. Enter John Cipolla of AeroRocket, and hisnew and exciting product, AeroDRAG 4.1.

I sent a personal check for $18.00 ($15.00for the software plus $3.00 S&H) along with theorder form I downloaded from AeroRocketswebsite. I had the two diskettes in my hand (viaPriority Mail) seven days later. Most impressive!At first, I experienced a couple of problems

when I attempted to install the program into mycomputer. However, these were problems notrelated to the software, but rather were a directresult of “operator error, headspace and tim-ing.” A couple of quick e-mails to John, whichwere answered almost immediately (the manmust live by the computer!) and the problemswere resolved.

First off I have to tell you AeroDRAG is onenice little bit of computer work! AeroDRAG caninteractively predict rocket drag coefficient forinput into WinRoc or wRASP to more accuratelypredict flight performance. (I use WinRoc exten-sively, and the “wide open guess method” ofcalculating Cd always troubled me). In addition,AeroDRAG includes the ability to predict theflight performance of multi-staged rockets using the dragcoefficient computed in themain routine. Rockets havingup to three stages can be ana-lyzed. AeroDRAG also computessupersonic and hypersonicdrag up to Mach 10!

During the course of my 2-week analysis, I received sev-eral more e-mails from Johninquiring how I liked the soft-ware, if I was having any prob-lems, and to also advise me hehad created an upgrade to thesoftware. John had initially pro-vided me with AeroDRAG ver-

sion 4.0. He had already upgraded to AeroDRAG4.1! This guy had been busy! John sent me theupgrade for free via e-mail. Unfortunately, mycomputer once again experienced problems try-ing to download the .exe file. (again, NOT aproblem of the software). After advising John ofmy problems via e-mail, I received a second setof discs via Priority Mail in 3 days.....AeroDRAG4.1 at no extra charge! Now, this IS service!

What impressed me the most aboutAeroDRAG 4.1 (other than the stellar customerservice) was its simplicity. Anyone with a basicknowledge of Windows 95 who can operate amouse and a tape measure can use this soft-ware. The program itself is equipped with anextensive help file, which contains copiousinstructions. There is no question of what isneeded, and how to do it with AeroDRAG.

The program consists of a single, large win-dow with individual sub-sections to input thevarious measurements taken from your rocketvehicle. Across the top of the main window is atoolbar you can click on. Each button opens asub-window for the insertion of measurementstaken from the airframe, launch lugs and fins ofyour rocket vehicle. All one has to do is start atthe left of the toolbar, and work their wayacross it, filling in the measurements for eachwindow as it pops up. Starting with the air-frame, a secondary pop-up window requestsyou to fill in blanks for body diameter, nosecone type (i.e. ogive, parabola, etc), body tubelength, finish quality and base shape. You willalso be prompted to add the nose cone length,and boat tail diameter if your rocket is soequipped. As soon as you click on the “close”button, the secondary window disappears, andyour measurements have been miraculouslyinputted into the airframe section within themain window!

For the launch lugs, you insert measure-ments for the length, inside diameter and out-

aerodrag 4.1 softwareby tim quigg


side diameter. Again, clicking the “close” buttoninserts this data into the corresponding sectionon the main window.

The fin section has a provision for up to 3sets of fins (no doubt designed for those of youwho incorporate canards and strakes into yourdesigns). Required measurements include thenumber of fin sets, the number of fins in eachfin set, fin edge shape, fin thickness, fin rootchord, fin span and fin planform shape. Ifrequired, you will also be prompted to includethe fin tip chord. Again, clicking the “close” but-ton transfers this data to the main window. Ifanyone has a problem understanding thenomenclature and exactly what is being askedfor, a simple click on the “help” file brings up aschematic diagram identifying each rocket part.A very simple yet crucial feature for beginningrocketry enthusiasts.

There is also an options options sectionwithin the main window toolbar to input finsweep angle, calculate average drag coefficientand maximum Mach number. Once all of the

measurements have been input into the system,all one has to do is click the Velocity Selectionbutton on the main window and the softwarecomputes your subsonic aerodynamic drag (aswell as your Cd adjusted for the specific Machnumber you selected). Truly a slick bit of work.And that’s not all AeroDRAG does.

AeroDRAG also has a rocket flight perform-ance analysis feature that will help you to com-pute your ballistic coefficient [lb/ft^2], burnoutaltitude, burnout velocity [ft/sec] and averageacceleration in G’s. AeroDRAG will also computeyour upper stage coasting results, relaying airdensity [lb-sec^2/ft^4], coasting ballistic coeffi-cient [lb/ft^2], coasting altitude, time delay-coast time in seconds, and total altitudeachieved. And if THAT weren’t enough,AeroDRAG also computes optimal mass, andconducts both altitude and velocity plots aswell. And all of this for only $18.00!

I was so intrigued by the AeroDRAG 4.1software, I had to learn more about the manbehind the program. I contacted John Cipolla

again, and let the cat out of the bag as to who Iwas, and what I intended to do. Needless to say,John was taken back by my plans.

ConclusionIn summation, my recommendation is if you

use WinRoc or wRASP, you should getAeroDRAG. If you are like many entering hobby-ist who can’t afford a great deal without cuttinginto your flying budget, AeroDRAG is a verycost-effective, viable alternative to the higherpriced computer programs on the market thatperform some of the similar, basic functions. Asof this writing, AeroDRAG contains only 108motors in the master motor list to make flightand altitude predictions.

Pros: Low price, Windows 95 compatible, veryuser friendly with extensive help file, and greatcustomer service. Cons: Limited number ofmotors in master file. Company: AeroRocket(www.aerorocket.com). List Price: $15.00.

extreme product review


mach buster rocket kitby jeff brundt

Are you looking for high performance ina small package? Do you want to fly highpower for less than $50 (airframe andmotor)? Do you want a rocket guaranteedto break the speed of sound? If youanswered yes to any of these questionsthen Rocket Vision’s Mach Buster might justbe what you are looking for. This 24mmminimum diameter rocket [is] guaranteed tobreak the sound barrier. It is definitely highperformance in a small package.

For a price less than a tank of gas, gasyou get a durable rocket made from cuttingedge aerospace components. The kit comesneatly packed in a resealable clear plasticbag. Individual items such as the nosecone, recovery system, fins and nose

weight all come individuallypackaged in their ownresealable baggies. Thebody tube is made fromwoven cloth phenolic and isincredibly strong. It has awall thickness of .090inch. The nose cone is asingle piece made fromplastic and has no uglyseam line, which requiressanding or filling. Fins aremade from G-10 fiber-glass. Their shape is a 30-60 triangle designed forless drag.Basic Construction

Assembly is straight-forward by following theinstructions provided. Theonly criticism I have isthat there are no photosprovided to aid in thebuilding process. Certainsteps performed laterwould certainly benefitfrom having an includedphoto or sketch. Rocket

Vision recommends using5 and 20-minute epoxy

in assembly of the kit. Iused Bob Smith’s

brand epoxy inmine. There is acardboard linertube for the

motor that needs tobe epoxied in place. Be

extra careful when you do this so no excessepoxy fills the precut fin slots or piles up atthe forward edge of the tube. A long bam-boo skewer works well to remove anyexcess build up when sliding the motortube in. If you don’t remove the excess theninstallation of a longer motor will be pro-hibited.

The instructions recommend attachingthe fins on one at a time using tape to holdthem in alignment. I found this was unnec-essary since they were a very tight fit inthe precut body tube slots and would holdtheir position easily. The fins were glued inplace using 5-min epoxy first. Then each finwas given a fillet using 20-minute epoxywith some microballoons mixed in. Thisprovides a strong, durable fin to body joint.A little light sanding was all that was need-ed to clean up the fillets after the epoxycured. The launch lug provided is a 1/8” lugmade from plastic tube. I roughed up oneside of this plastic with some sandpaperand epoxied the lug in place, giving it anice fillet as well.

Rocket Vision includes an addendum tothe kit requiring clay be added to the to thenose cone for additional stabilizing weight.A separate bag with two 1” squares of clayis provided for this. I recommend puttingthe clay into the nose cone before youinstall the crossbar for the shock cordattachment. It will certainly be easier thanif you do this later. Roll the clay into a stripand tamp it in place with a small diameterdowel and that’s it. You can then assemblethe nose cone per the instructions. You alsomay need to sand down the shoulder of thenose cone to get a good fit to the bodytube. My kit had a very tight fit between thetwo, so much that an ejection charge wouldnot have separated them. A little 350-gritsandpaper cured that problem.Recovery System

The recovery system consists of a 10”dia. rip-stop nylon parachute, severalpieces of kevlar cord, six small split ringsand a nomex cloth to protect the chute fromhot ejection gasses. Use of the nomex pro-tector is highly recommended since there isvery little room for wadding of any sort.This portion of the assembly is where agood photo or sketch would help.Fortunately, Rocket Vision has assemblyguides with photos on their web site. This

is great for those with Internet access, butnot everyone has web access. There is alsonothing in the instructions I had that refer-enced any sort of on-line assembly guidesavailable. The instructions do not note thatan online assembly guide is available.However, I was able to find the informationI needed to complete this task. The kevlarshock cord is attached to the inside of thebody tube by using a small section of linertube type material. The cord passes behindthis section and is knotted on the end thenepoxied in place inside the body tube. Thecord is then sandwiched between the cou-pler tube section and the inside wall of thebody tube. Do not place this cord holder toofar down inside the tube or you will not beable to install a long G55 motor.Finishing

All that was left to do was paint andfinish the rocket. The body tube has no spi-ral grooves to fill and is nice and smooth.The fins, launch lug and nose cone aresmooth as well. The only thing required isto give the rocket a light primer coat thencolor. I used Krylon white primer on thewhole rocket. The body was painted inter-national orange and the nose cone waspainted black. The kit comes with laserprinted decals that require you to cut andtrim. Their only drawback is that they mareasily. I had something laid on top of mineand some of the decal was scratched. Becareful if you use a straightedge and knifeto cut the decals. After the decals wereapplied and let dry, the whole rocket wasclear-coated with Top Flite Gloss clear. Thisproduct is compatible with Krylon and pro-vides a good durable finish.Flight Performance

Ready for flight the rocket weighs fourounces, less motor. Rocket Vision suggestsseveral motors. The mildest is an EstesD12-7 and the wildest is their own G55-10.On a G55 this rocket will break the soundbarrier and go over a mile high. I haveknown a few people in our club that haveflown this rocket on a G55. Not one has yetto recover their Mach Buster and we flyfrom an 80-acre farm. For my first flight Iused an Estes D12-7. I wanted the rocketback and to get at least a few flights beforegoing ‘all the way’. The motor is friction fitusing masking tape. The nomex cloth isinserted first followed by the parachute and


shock cord. With the recovery system inplace and motor loaded, it was ready forlaunch. Since this rocket has a 1/8” launchlug it could be launched from a basic Porta-pad. If you use the G55 it’s recommendedto follow the safe pad distances in thesafety code. The sky was slightly overcastwith little wind. At ignition, the rocketquickly disappeared off the pad. This rocketreally moves, even on a ‘D’. Right at apogeethe ejection pop could be heard and thechute deployed perfectly. The rocketdescended rather quickly but knowing howtough it was constructed there was noworry. The Mach Buster recovered undam-aged ready for another flight.Final Thoughts

This was a nice, easy fun kit to build. Itis easily completed by someone with one ortwo rockets under their belt. I would saythat if you are going to go for performance,be prepared to lose the rocket. Single usemotors are the way to go. I have seen andheard plenty of stories of folks flying theMach Buster on reloads that have neverseen the rocket or the reload case everagain. It would certainly help if a locatingdevice could be put in the rocket, however,there is no room for it. A G55 motor takesup most of the body tube with little or noroom left for even the parachute. A fellowclub member tried suggesting to RocketVision to lengthen the body tube by twoinches to accommodate a locating beaconbut they declined saying it would be unsta-ble. Replacing the parachute with a long,reflective mylar streamer might help.However, remember this thing goes a milehigh on a G55 and at 13” long it is not easyto spot. It is definitely an eye test when try-ing to locate the rocket on descent. Showup with the Mach Buster at a launch and beprepared for everyone to tell you to kissyour rocket good-bye. Even so, you’ll havethe satisfaction of breaking the sound bar-rier and a mile in altitude for less than$50—not bad in my book

Pros: Excellent materials, Ease of construc-tion, Good price and value. Cons: Lack of con-struction photos, decal qualityCompany: Rocket Vision (800-568-2785).List Price: $19.50.

extreme club reports


Black Rock and Aero-PacIt’s a big place. If the daytime

panorama doesn’t seem largeenough the night sky fills in thedetails. Open, huge, vast, and end-less flat are some of the adjectivesthat best fit – yet still are lacking.There’s not much there except somerocks that appear from nowhere, anoccasional bird, a flat disc-like lensof water that is pushed around theplaya by the afternoon winds, andpeople. Mostly crazy people doingodd things like land sailing, BurningMan, land speed record attempts,and impromptu displays of pyrospec-tacular. The only sane people thatvisit the region are the rocketeers,everyone else is just plain nuts. Butthat’s what makes it fun!

Since it’s such a large place peo-ple generally fly rockets that go pret-ty high, makes sense right? That’swhy Aero-Pac, the Association ofExperimental Rocketry of the Pacific,likes to fly there. And it just so hap-pens that the club will be on theplaya in the months of June, July,and September. There will be a50,000 foot waiver in place for allflying hours everyday at each event.It’s reduced for the night launch, ofcourse, to 7,500 feet.

June’s launch is called MudRocgiven the chance that the playa issometimes a bit muddy whichalways makes things interesting. Thisyear Mudroc 7.0 is happening June24 and 25, a weekend of Fun on thePlaya. You might be able to catch ahop in one of the airplanes that fly infor the launch or bum a jaunt in aland sailer. Bring your rockets andcome on out.

The July launch is a 4 day WestCoast 4 day affair called Aeronaut2000, a midsummer bash at BlackRock. Friday, Saturday, Sunday, andMonday July 28 through 31 with anight launch on Saturday evening.Sleeping out under the Black Rockstars is not to be missed, the nightsare often blessed with meteor show-ers and an endless show of stars.

Then in September is the grandfinale, Black Rock XII and Black RockEX3, a three day launch startingSeptember 9 culminating with anexperimental launch on Monday the11th. Very, very fun, lots of greatpeople and cool rockets.

Tripoli South FloridaThe March launch was to be the

day of reckoning for John Taylor andhis upscale Quasar newly renamed“2Xtreme”. This 6” diameter beastcomes equipped with a 3” motormount, dual deployment, front airbags, and a killer paint/decalscheme. A quick announcement tothe eager crowd and the countdowncommenced. At zero the KosdonM1130 quickly came to life and liftedthe rocket majestically into the air. Atapogee the rocket arched over, andthe charge went off to the joy of JTand everyone watching. From 7254’the slight breeze brought the rocketstraight towards the pads. At 600 thelarge main chutes ever so gracefullyunfurled. Landing within a hundredfeet of the pads, JT was almost thereto catch it. This textbook launch andrecovery has gained JT entrance intothe world of level 3. Jeff Levine flewhis Big Banana on a K1100 with aredecorated nose cone, coated inglitter. Guk Kress flew his 1/4 Patrioton an I357 and I300. Matt Youngattempted Cert 1 with a Cirrus Darton an H123. Prefect John Schultz’Thunder’N’Lightning took to the skieswith an aggressive two stage.

Derek Deville’s Video Mirandawas ready to fly on a Kosdon K280C-slot. With most everyone gatheredaround the video monitor theannouncement was made, and thecountdown started. At OE3’ someoneshouted, “plane,” we stopped and alllooked. Much to everyone’s excite-ment, it was four F-16’s inbound athigh speed less than 1000’ off theground. Flying in formation, the jetscame in straight over our heads andone by one from the back of thepack began to peal off in high bankturns. The crowd began to cheerwildly but could barely be heard overto roar of the jets. The red orangeglow off the jet engines shined andvapor tails formed over the leadingedges. It was a magnificent sight.And as quickly as they had come,they were gone. A fantastic treat!

Tripoli Southern MinnesotaNow in our second year with over

20 members, TSM prepares for theflying season.

The last winter meeting for TSMwas held on March 25, 2000 atHeritage Halls Museum in Owatonna.Issues discussed at the meetingincluded; Large project rail launcherfor Level 3 and larger projects- JonNordmann finallizing design: willincorporate a Black Sky High Powerrail. Dan Braam to have lunch avail-able on site at all launches, proceedsgo to the club. TSM t-shirts were dis-tributed to those who ordered them-profits went back to the club. ScottYoung will do a Level 3 cert attemptat the Maple Island launch site April22nd. Many large projects in theworks for this year, including RonFreiheit’s 3 stage M-M-K (to fly atBlack Rock), The Tripoli MN groupsBig Honkin’ Rocket (BHR) that will beflown at North Branch and possiblyour site, plus several others. An alu-minum plank will be purchased foraccess across the drainage ditch-estimated cost $400. Ron Freiheitwill incorporate a wireless mic intothe PA system and put in the relaybox on the rail launcher. M.a.D.Missiles to sponsor the porta-john forthe first launch.

First launch of the season to beApril 22, 2000 at Maple Island, MN.Launches to be held fourth Saturdayof each month through October.Waiver to 7,300’ AGL. Large field,mostly small crops= onions, potatoesand beans. Windows to higher alti-tudes available with prior arrange-ments. Experimental launches willalso be held the Sunday following anormal launch when interest war-rants.

SLRA Launch ReportOvercast skies and a westerly

breeze (toward Creve Coeur Lake)were the rule for the February 19launch. The field was soggy due toheavy rains earlier in the week, andlow-lying areas had standing water.Despite the conditions, we had agood turnout, with around 25 flyers,who made a total of 75 flights. Theday also marked our first competitionof the year.

We had a couple of new flyersjoin us for (I think) the first time,Dave Aston and Matt Mahoney.Welcome, guys! Troy Manzella alsomade an appearance and put in sev-eral good flights with his Banshee.Lane Douglas was the most frequentflyer, putting up 8 flights during theday. Mitchell Walsh made severalgood flights with his Snitch UFO.Mike Walsh Jr. flew the day’s small-est rocket, his Micro-Maxx Saturn,along with his Barracuda.

Dave and Emily Mulawa also putup several flights, including the oldstandby Fat Boy. Kevin Souers winsthe cluster award for a good flight ofhis modified Phoenix with a D12-5plus four C6’s – spectacular! Chris,Matt, and John Pennington all put inflights. John added to his fleet ofscale models of Orbital Sciencesrockets with a good-flying PegasusXL. RMR regular Dan Schneiderbrought out a new Tomahawk CruiseMissile for a good flight. Along withtheir contest flights, the McCoys(Amanda, Greg, and Jeff) and theSears family (Peter, Timothy, andMichael) put up several good sportflights.

The contest began with selectionof a target time for Random Duration,by drawing a number from a hat. Thetarget time of 65 seconds causedsome groans, since it looked like a65-second flight might go for a swimin Creve Coeur Lake. Paul Graf putup a promising flight, but was dis-qualified due to ejection of hisengine. Newcomer Lane Douglasmade a great flight of 73 seconds totake the gold medal.

Krista Brown and Chad Ring, fly-ing as the Two Launch Crue team,joined us from Indiana. They put in agood showing, taking second inRandom Duration, as well as first inB Streamer with a fantastic 313-sec-ond flight. (That’s right, over five


minutes.) This may set a new U.S.record in Team Division. This flight,as well as many of the other goodones, ended up in the lake. JohnBuckley took second in B SD withtwo consistent flights, also losing amodel to the lake. Jeff McCoy andTimothy Sears followed up in thirdand fourth place. Ron Hale put up agood qualified flight for contestpoints.

Paul Graf had a nice lookingclone of the old original Flat Catdesign, and put up a good flight for ABoost-Glide. Unfortunately, the lakeclaimed it, so Paul could only getflight points. Tom McAtee lost hisfoam-wing Delta Sierra to the lakeon a 133-second flight, but was ableto fly a backup model for a returnedflight to take first place. JohnBuckley again made two consistentflights for second place, with MichaelSears third with his veteran MiniGolden Girl. Jeff McCoy put in a goodfirst flight with his Deltie, but wasshot down by the Red Baron on hissecond flight (i.e. the glider tangledwith the pod streamer), resulting infourth place. Lane Douglas impro-vised well, flying his ARV Condor witha single glider for a good qualifiedflight.

Tripoli San DiegoUnder warm March skies the

Tripoli San Diego Ocotillo Test Rangegroup held a banner event. Therewere 6 Level 1 attempts and 5 suc-cesses, 4 Level II tests passed, and 6Level II attempts and 5 successes.The motor of choice for the weekendwas either the H180 or the J350,we’re not quite sure of the exactcount, but close to 10 of each ofthese went up, followed by theincredible new I200 29mm reload.Aerotech, you are great! There waslittle to no wind, negligible clouds,and plenty of people and motors tomake life interesting.

Aerotech & Dr Rockets localdealer John Thompson (TerminalVelocity RMS) kept us all in stock forwhatever we needed, and boy onweekends like this the “AP Habit”was roaring! The Most Loud Launchwas Andy Woerner’s scratch rocketon a K1100, made totally from HomeDepot parts, and not only did it holdtogether, it flew very well. JonMartin, Chris Grainger, Frank, andcompany wowed us all with manyJ350 flights mostly on very smalldiameter rockets, punching holes inthe sky up to nearly 8,000’. Hey,that’s OK! Our waiver is 12,500’!Most motors sold goes to JohnThompson, most AP burned goes toAndy Woener, and most hair pulledout goes to the prefect for trying tokeep track of everything.

Coming up in April, an M-motor

night flight on a Maximum ThrustRocketry “Mach III” on an AerotechM-1315! and possibly DaveWentworth’s LOC Esoteric on a fullcomplement of five 54mm reloads!GAWD!

Tri-City Sky BustersMother nature again looked

favorably upon us in Northern Ohio.What at first looked like doubtfulconditions for our Sunday launch,turned out to be just great. Full sun,no clouds, temps in the 50’s but itwas a little on the windy side. Thefield had dried up enough so that wecould drive on it to get to our pre-ferred launch location some waysback into the site. 21 flyers made 59flights from A to J impulse class.

The rocket gods finally grantedBarry Lynch what he has been hop-ing for some time. L-2!! He made aperfect flight of his LOC Magnum ona J-350 with altimeter apogee ejec-tion. Congratulations Barry.

Mark and Josh Hanna made aspectacular flight of a two stagescratch built rocket. The Nike Ajaxhad a I211-s in the booster, stagedto a H123-m in the sustainer. It hadan ALTS-2 altimeter in the sustainerwith a remote control to stage theH123. The flight started out great.The staging went perfectly. The chuteon the booster became tangled upondeployment. The booster receivedsome damage on landing but isrepairable. The sustainer went unsta-ble immediately after motor ignition,flying about in a cork screw pattern.The altimeter did its job though andthe sustainer was recovered in goodshape.

Wolf Von Kiparski flew a NikeSmoke on an Apogee D-10. Themotor CATOed on ignition but gaveenough thrust to propel the rocketinto the air about 100 feet. With noburning motor to ignite the ejectioncharge, the rocket crashed but isrepairable.

Jacob Hahn made the mostflights of the day with 7. Next wasEric Jones with 6 flights. It’s good tosee the young-uns taking an activeinterest in our hobby!

Three new members joined ourranks on Sunday. They are DanLedenican, Robert Faud, and GregPhillip. Please join me in welcomingthem to our rocket family at our nextlaunch!

Pete Pfingsten, our Vice Pres,brought the first finished high powerpad to the launch for an examinationby all. Pete did an outstanding jobfabricating this pad. It has removablelegs, VERY wide foot print for thosebig ones, rod angle is adjustable witha turnbuckle and the whole launchhead swivels on the base! The padwill handle up to a one inch rod.

Excellent job Pete!! We will use it afew times and see if we need tomake any modifications beforehemakes the next one.

Blue Mountain RocketeersThe first Blue Mountain

Rocketeers launch of the new mille-nium occured on March 25th. 46people attended, and we logged 106flights for the day. Broken overcastdominated the day, with tempera-tures around 48 degrees. We had aslight sprinkle in the morning, but itlasted less than 5 minutes and didn’treturn. Winds were relatively calm(for Dayon anyway!) from 3 to 7miles per hour. For the first time in 6years, our launch control panel brokedown, and there was a 1 hour lay-over while the panel was being fieldrepaired (thanks to Ben Sauve forhaving a push button switch in hispocket!) The cheap launch push-but-tons used in both VBR panels aregoing to be replaced before the nextlaunch, so this won’t happen again!The All Hobbies table was wellattended, and sales appeared to bebrisk. Scott Binder of BSD Rocketrywas on hand as well. He sold severalHorizon rocket kits, stickers and vinylfor rocket applications. His “namethe rocket” contest was also verywell supported. But I think he said aperson who gave him a name overthe Northwest Rocketry web ringwon the contest. Congratulations towho ever won! Our October Skyposter raffle made a few more dol-lars, and we are at about $50 rightnow. We still have lots of tickets leftfolks!

I was pleased to see quite a fewkids attend the launch from theschool presentation I gave last weekat Dayton Elementary. I saw severalkids walking around with big smileson their faces, and Estes Starter setsfrom the All Hobbies tables. Inbetween stints at LCO and flyingrockets (yes, I managed to get 3 inthe air!) I was able to help 4 kidstake their first steps into model rock-etry by helping them prep their firstflights.

There were 53 model rocketflights of A through D, 39 mid-powerflights of E through G, and 14 HPRflights of H through I. There werelot’s of great flights logged.Northwest Rocketry’s own GregDeputy and family attended thelaunch. Greg wowed the crowd withthe flight of his 3xH180 Triad. Therocket experienced a hard landingdue to a fowled main chute however,and suffered heavy damage. Gregshrugged it off though, and with asmile assured me it will live to flyagain. Chuck Layton treated us to aflight of the new I200 29mm rocket

in a 3” diameter rocket. WOW! Whata screamer! Chuck’s comment on theflight card read, “What the Hell am Idoing?!” Chuck also flew a PMLQuasar on an H238 for a killer flight.And if that were’nt enough, he flewan odd roc pumpkin on a D12-3.Very cool flight Chuck! Chuck andRyan Layton also flew a modifiedStarburst on an H180. John Marbachkicked up his new PML QT BlackBrant VB twice on H128’s. TomLedgerwood flew an IROC on anH123. Scott Binder flew the new BSDRocketry Horizon on an H128, prov-ing the rocket is ideally suited for itsintended purpose of level 1 certifica-tion. He also flew the new BSDRocketry Diablo on an F62-4 DarkStar. He also flew a scratch built 4”Honest John on an I211. I managedto fly my Area 51 on an E18, but afowled chute resulted in a core sam-ple. I also flew a BSD Excel Plus onan H180. Jim Downey made severalflights, but the one that reallyscreamed was his “Hammer Down”on an I211. John Reynolds madeseveral flightsfor the day. He made areal screaming flight with his Archeron a H242. Dave Emery also made asuccessful NAR level 1 flight with hisPML Patriot on an H128. Welcome tohigh Power Dave! My thanks to JimDowney for conducting the Level 1certificaton documentation for Dave.

Our next launch is Odd Roc 4 onApril 8 at the Smith Hollow site.Weird and wacky rocketry willabound that day. Hmmm, where did Iput that rubber chicken...

aerotech launch calendar


May 6Event: MSRS “Test & Tune” LaunchLocation: Shelby Farms, Memphis, TNSponsor: MSRS, Nar #550Contact: Mike Hollihan([email protected])Description: MSRS Secondarylaunch, a new club launch in theevaluation phase. If we get a regularattendance, we will make it a regularevent!May 5,6 & 7Range: Culpeper, VaEvent: Tripoli East and CentralVirginiaWaiver: 15,000 AGLContact: Ed Rowe, 757-566-8012Email: [email protected] 6 & 7“SP-2000”AHPRA, Arizona High Power RocketryAssocRange: Flagstaff, ArizonaSponsor: Tripoli Paradise Valley #50 Waiver:40,000 foot waivers (Pending)Contacts: Mark Clark, [email protected] 7First Sunday every monthRange: Monroe, WASponsor: Tripoli Puget Sound, TRAPSWaiver:5,000 ft AGLContacts: Christopher Scott, [email protected] 13Range: North Branch, MinnesotaSponsor: Tripoli-Minnesota #45Waiver: 10,000 MSLContact: Richard Weyrauch, 651-430-8006Email: [email protected]: www.tripoli-minnesota.orgMay 13Range: Ironwood Apache Junction AZRainbow ValleyWaiver: 7,500 ft – windows to12,000 ft possibleContacts: see web pageWeb Page:http://www.sssrocketry.org/Sponsor: NAR SuperstitionSpacemodeling SocietyMay 13Range: Bob Evan’s Farms RioGrande, OhioWaiver: 3,000 ft AGLContacts: Jerry Myers, [email protected] Page:www.geocities.com/wvsoar.geoSponsor: West Virginia Society ofAmateur RocketryMay 13Sponsor: ROC – RocketryOrganization of CaliforniaTripoli Anaheim (#48) (CA)Range: Lucerne Dry LakebedContacts: Rick O’Neil, 909-427-9157after 6PM M-FRon McGough, 562-867-0419Web: rocstock.org

May 13Range: Rio Rancho Balloon ParkSponsors: Tripoli Albuquerque # 87,Albuquerque Rocket SocietyWeb: www.arsabq.orgMike Bernard (Club Contact Person),(505) 281 4462Email:[email protected] 13 & 14Sponsor: Tripoli Las Vegas #26Range: Delamar Dry Lake Bed – NearAlamo, NVContacts: Mike Alber, (702) [email protected] site:www.mcneely.net/tripoli_vegasMay 13-14Location: Dallas, TX (Windom)Event: Mini-OlympicsSponsor: DARS, NAR 308Contact: Bob Wilson, 1337 KesserDr., Plano, TX 75025 orcall (972)517-1434May 14Event: B&B Hobbies ClassicLocation: Cartersville, GASponsor: Southern Area RocketryContact: [email protected] 14Range: Tuscola Airport (Just west ofTuscola on Rt 36, About half a mile)Sponsor: Tripoli Central Illinois #059,Rocket R&DContacts: Don Reasor, President –Tripoli Central Illinois(217) 253-2586Paul Adam, (309) 829-5254Gary Buck, (217) 344-2449 eveningsMay 20Event: MSRS Monthly LaunchLocation: Shelby Farms, Memphis, TNSponsor: MSRS, Nar #550Contact: Mike Hollihan([email protected])Description: Monthly Club Launch.Visit http://msrs.mem.net for fulldetails.May 20Range: Alamogordo, New MexicoSponsoring Prefecture(s):Tripoli New Mexico, White Sands #61and SMRA (NAR 488)Contacts: Bob Turner (TRA #647),(800) 545-4021E-mail: [email protected] 20Range: Argonia, KSSponsors: Tripoli KansasKloudbustersContacts: John BaumfalkEmail: [email protected] Page: www.kloudbusters.orgMay 20 and 21“Dairy Aire 2000”Sponsor: Tripoli Central CaliforniaRange: Maddox Farms, Southwest ofFresno, on Kamm Avenue next to theriver.Contacts: Prefect, Jeff Engelman,Email: [email protected]

May 20 & 21Event: SpudRoc-VLocation: Mountain Home, IdahoSponsor: Tripoli IdahoContact: Vern Knowles (208) 939-1076Event status hotline: (208) 376-1704Visit our web sitewww.tripoliidaho.orgE-mail us [email protected] 20-21Range: Millican, OregonDesert StormSponsor: OREOContact: [email protected]: http://www.oregonrocketry.comfor more information and maps.May 20-21Range: launch 3 miles south ofWayside,Tx in the Texas Panhandle,(approx 40 miles south of Amarillo) Sponsor: Tripoli Amarillo #92,POTROCSWaiver: 21,500’ MSL,approx 18,000’ AGLContacts: Pat Gordzelik – Prefect,806-488-2756, 806-353-4618Email: [email protected]: www.potrocs.orgMay 20 & 21Event: Pioneer 2000 Regional & SportLaunchLocation: Pony Express Test Range,UtahSponsor: UROCContact: David Urbanek:[email protected] 20 & 21Range: Ocotillo CaliforniaLaunch site directions: TakeInterstate 8 to Ocotillo exit. Drivesouth on Hwy 98 for 9.8 miles. Turnwest on Coyote #2 procede 2 milesto site on right fork of Y in road.Sponsoring Prefecture: Tripoli SanDiego #5, DARTContacts: Kevin Harness, 2717 E.14th St., National City, CA 91950(619) 267-5133Email:[email protected] 21Event: ROCC Monthly NC LaunchLocation: Monroe NC (Charlotte Area)Contact: [email protected]: ROCC Central CarolinaLaunch.Website:http://hometown.aol.com/scondy1/rocc1.htmlMay 21Event: SARA Monthly LaunchRange: Tucson, AZSponsor: Southern Arizona RocketryAssociationContact: Stephen Lubliner, (520)296-1689,[email protected] Hotline (520)617-2617.Web:http://www.primenet.com/~tmor-gan/rockets/sara

May 21Range: Maddox Farms on Kamm Ave.near Caruthers, Southwest of FresnoSeveral thousand acres to launch onwith few obstaclesSponsors: Tripoli Central CaliforniaContacts: Prefect, Brian LiggettEmail:[email protected]: Tripoli Central CaliforniaPhone Line: 559-435-3342 the nightbefore each launch for updates andlast minute informationMay 218:00AM to 1:00PMRange: Saboba Indian ReservationIn the fields behind Soboba Casino,San Jacinto, CAContacts:Lee Rouse, (909) 658-6581Email:[email protected]: http://www.ivic.net/~lemi/May 21(weather permitting)Range: Indianola Baloon Field, JustEast of Indianola Iowa12:00 noon to 5:00 PMSponsor: Tripoli Des MoinesContacts: ISOAR President Email:Mike KirkpatrickWeb Page: ISOARMay 21NEBRASKA HEAT REGIONALRange: LaVista, NEBreda Iowa – near Carroll, IAPickrell NE – So. of Lincoln, NESponsors:Tripoli Nebraska – T.H.O.R.,F.O.T.F., Tripoli Nebraska THOR, andTripoli Des Moines ISOARContacts: Mark Uhlenkamp, 712-663-4521, [email protected] Page: tripoli.org/tra_ne/nebras-ka.htmHotline: 402-896-206May 26-29Location: Houston, TXMars 2000Sponsor: Challenger, NAR 498Contact: John Pursley,[email protected] 27Range: Ardmore (Huntsville), ALSponsor: Huntsville Area RocketryAssociation (HARA)Contact: Brian Day, 256/881-9149Email: [email protected]: http://hiwaay.net/~bday/haraMay 27AHPRAArizona High Power Rocketry AssocRange: Rainbow Valley, AZSponsor: Tripoli Paradise Valley #50AHPRAContacts: Mark Clark, [email protected]: www.ahpra.orgMay 27Sponsors: Tripoli Southern Minnesota#112Range: Maple Island, MN.Scott Young (507) 835-1288Email: [email protected] Page:geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Station


/8691/tsm.htmlMay 27Event: High PowerLocation: Bong Recreational StateParkSponsor: Tripoli WisconsinAssociationContact: Frank Nobile [email protected] 27–28Note: 28th is experimental only, Nocertified motorsRange: Whitakers North CarolinaSponsors: Tripoli North Carolina #40,Tripoli East North Carolina #65, TripoliEastern Virginia #8Dennis Hill, [email protected]/937-6294 (home)252/450-2351 (work)May 27, 28 & 29, 2000NYPOWER 2000/NSLRange: Geneseo, NYSponsors: Tripoli Western New York#085Web Page: members.aol.com/nypower99/Contacts: Lloyd Wood, (716) [email protected] 28Range: Tuscola Airport (Just west ofTuscola on Rt 36, About half a mile)Sponsor: Tripoli Central Illinois #059,Rocket R&DContacts: Don Reasor, President –Tripoli Central Illinois(217) 253-2586June 2, 3 & 4Range: PICKRELL NEBRASKASponsors:Tripoli Nebraska – T.H.O.R., F.O.T.F.,Tripoli Nebraska THOR, and TripoliDes Moines ISOARContacts: Mark Uhlenkamp, 712-663-4521, [email protected] Page: tripoli.org/tra_ne/nebras-ka.htmHotline: 402-896-2069June 4Location: Monroe,WASponsor: TRAPSContact: Christopher [email protected] 253-858-7256Web: www.NorthwestRocketry.comJune 4First Sunday every monthRange: Monroe, WASponsor: Tripoli Puget Sound, TRAPSContacts: Christopher Scott, [email protected]: Bruce Johnson, (425) 228-7292 [email protected]: www.northwestrocketry.comJune 9 – 11ROCstock XI Sponsor: ROC – RocketryOrganization of CaliforniaTripoli Anaheim (#48) (CA)Range: Lucerne Dry LakebedContacts: Rick O’Neil, 909-427-9157after 6PM M-FWeb: rocstock.org

June 10Range: North Branch, MinnesotaSponsor: Tripoli-Minnesota #45Waiver: 10,000 MSLContact: Richard Weyrauch, 651-430-8006Email: [email protected]: www.tripoli-minnesota.orgJune 108:00AM to 12:00PMRange: Ironwood Apache Junction AZRainbow ValleyContacts: see web pageWeb Page:http://www.sssrocketry.org/Sponsor: NAR SuperstitionSpacemodeling SocietyJune 10Range: Bob Evan’s FarmsRio Grande, OhioContacts: Jerry Myers, [email protected] Page:www.geocities.com/wvsoar.geoSponsor: West Virginia Society ofAmateur RocketryJune 10Range: launch site to be determinedSponsors: Tripoli Albuquerque # 87,Albuquerque Rocket SocietyWeb: www.arsabq.orgMike Bernard (Club Contact Person),(505) 281 4462Email:[email protected] 10Range: LaBelle FloridaSponsor: Tripoli West Palm #57Contacts:Bruce Kilby – Prefect649 US HWY 1 Ste. 5N Palm Beach, FL 33408Home – (561) 746-4683Office – (561) [email protected] Page:http://community.gopbi.com/FSA-TWPJune 11Event: Bush Fire 2000Location: Timmering, Victoria,AustraliaSponsor: Tripoli AustraliaContact: David Wilkins([email protected]) or RogerDavey ([email protected])June 11Event: B&B Hobbies ClassicLocation: Cartersville, GASponsor: Southern Area RocketryContact: [email protected] 17Sponsor: Tripoli Las Vegas #26Range: El Dorado Dry Lake Bed –Boulder City, NV20 minutes from Las VegasContacts: Mike Alber, (702) [email protected] site:www.mcneely.net/tripoli_vegasJune 17Range: Alamogordo, New Mexicolaunches begin at 9 AM

Sponsoring Prefecture(s):Tripoli New Mexico, White Sands #61and SMRA (NAR 488)Contacts: Bob Turner (TRA #647),(800) 545-4021E-mail: [email protected] 17 & 18Range: Ocotillo CaliforniaMap available atwww.tns.net/dart/mapoct.html orhttp://members.home.net/2dum/DART317/html/ocotillo.htmlSponsoring Prefecture: Tripoli SanDiego #5, DARTContacts: Kevin Harness(619) 267-5133Email:[email protected] Page: DARThttp://www.cadesert.com/June 17-18Range: launch 3 miles south ofWayside,Tx in the Texas Panhandle,Sponsor: Tripoli Amarillo #92,POTROCSWaiver: 21,500’ MSL,approx 18,000’ AGLContacts: Pat Gordzelik – Prefect,806-488-2756, 806-353-4618Email: [email protected]: www.potrocs.orgJune 17 & 18Alamogordo, NMSponsors: TRA 61-Tripoli NM-WhiteSands & NAR 488 – Spaceport ModelRocket Assn.Contact: Bob Turner, (505)437-2840Night (505)434-0405Email: [email protected]:www.zianet.com/mdsalamo/alam-orocketryJune 17 & 18Note: EXP days are experimentalonly, No certified motorsRange: Whitakers North CarolinaSponsors: Tripoli North Carolina #40,Tripoli East North Carolina #65, TripoliEastern Virginia #82Contacts:Jim Scarpine30 Parnell LaneHurdie Mills, NC 27541Phone: 336-364-1321Prefect: Tripoli North Carolina(TRA#40)Web: Colonial Virginia HPRJune 17 & 18Location: Pony Express Test Range,UtahSponsor: UROCContact: David Urbanek:[email protected]: www.uroc.orgDescription: Sport Launch with6,500’ waiver.June 18Range: Maddox Farms on Kamm Ave.near Caruthers, Southwest of FresnoSponsors: Tripoli Central CaliforniaContacts: Prefect, Brian LiggettEmail:[email protected]: Tripoli Central California

Phone Line: 559-435-3342 the nightbefore each launch for updates andlast minute informationJune 188:00AM to 1:00PMRange: Saboba Indian ReservationIn the fields behind Soboba Casino,San Jacinto, CASponsor: NAR Section #567Waiver:6,000 ft AGLContacts:Lee Rouse, (909) 658-6581Email:[email protected]: http://www.ivic.net/~lemi/June 18(weather permitting)Range: Indianola Baloon Field, JustEast of Indianola IowaSponsor: Tripoli Des MoinesContacts: ISOAR President Email:Mike KirkpatrickPrefect Email: Lanie CrossWeb Page: ISOARJune 24Range: Ardmore (Huntsville), ALSponsor: Huntsville Area RocketryAssociation (HARA)Waiver: 10,000 AGLContact: Brian Day, 256/881-9149Email: [email protected]: http://hiwaay.net/~bday/haraJune 24AHPRAArizona High Power Rocketry AssocRange: Rainbow Valley, AZSponsor: Tripoli Paradise Valley #50AHPRAContacts: Mark Clark, [email protected]: www.ahpra.orgJune 2410 AM – 3PMSponsors: Tripoli Southern Minnesota#112Range: Maple Island, MNScott Young902 Elkdom AveWaseca, MN 56093(507) 835-1288Email: [email protected] Page:geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Station/8691/tsm.htmlJune 24 & 25MUDROC 4.0Range: Aero-Pac: Black Rock Desertin Gerlach, NevadaSponsor: AERO-PAC TRA #23Tripoli No. CA & NVContact : William Walby,[email protected] or (916)-739-0404Web: AeroPAC – Black Rock

aft closure


The opinions expressed in this article arethose of the author and do not necessarilyreflect the opinions our attitudes of ExtremeRocketry magazine.

It is a hard, cold reality that rocketry is a regu-lated hobby—regulated by tort and insuranceconcerns. These regulations supercede even

those of local fire marshals, state fireworks,state explosives, interstate commerce, and fed-eral explosives laws. It is also sadly true we arean imperfectly regulated hobby. Rocketry iscomposed of inconsistent, poorly articulated,often ignorantly administered, and mutuallyincompatible rules (overseen by multiple agen-cies with much better things to do). It is con-struct by default, a maze of regulations makingrocket hobbiests appear to be either outlaws orpotential terrorists. All of this makes it extraor-dinarily hard to reap the benefits of our passionfor rocketry.

The eighth grade class at my son’s schoolcancelled their rocket science project becausethey could not figure out where it was legal tolaunch rockets in our metropolitan area. As itturns out there were a number of appropriatelocations, but finding them and their rules was adaunting task. Is this the fault of the regulatorsor the fault of a hobby that has inadequatelycommunicated its message?

Some of us respond to regulation by choos-ing to place responsibility on the regulators,accusing them of some conspiracy to regulateour hobby out of existence. I disagree. This isvictim’s thinking. Regulators, in my experience,vastly prefer administering easily regulated andself-managing groups, and they amazingly dis-appear when such groups take charge. Largeorganizations like the government have enor-mous bureaucratic inertia in making new deci-sions, and they emphatically require the guid-ance from informed, patient, persistent publicopinion to nudge them in the right direction.Imperfect regulation is our collective responsi-bility. It is our job to effectively communicatethat the benefits of our hobby far outweigh therisks.

The government listens to those with theloudest and most clearly articulated voices. Ibelieve we need to make ourselves heard abovethe voices of risk aversion. While the foundersof our hobby began the task of making rocketrylegitimate (a pioneering relationship with theFAA, deregulation of black powder motors, thebeginnings of a uniform fire code), technologyand a new generation have changed the rules.Higher power composite motors, new materials,near-space altitude attempts, sophisticatedavionics, and the powerful tool of the Internet

have recreated theenvironment of ourhobby. I believewe need to reformthe hobby in orderto match thetimes.

We have anincredibly grandmessage to deliv-er. We have ahobby that cham-pions learning foradults and chil-dren. Rocketry is ahobby of passion,dreams, accom-plishment, skill,

science, and inspiration. Any of us who havementored children in building their first rocket,and watched the pride and success on theirfaces as a parachute brings their project backsafely, know what we have is to be treasured.Any of us who have had the satisfaction of thepersonal challenge of certifying for high powerknow what we have.

• Our hobby provides tools to train the nextgeneration of rocket scientists and commu-nications specialists—the ARLISS programfrom Stanford University is a wonderfulexample (http://ssdl.stanford.edu/arliss/ andhttp://nasa.asu.edu/CanSat/cansat1/index.html) These programs help pioneer new,cheaper ways to get to near earth orbit.The CATS prize teams are prime examplesof this theme.

• Our hobby provides a nurturing environmentto inspire children to strive for the best.Rocketry programs in schools and extracur-ricular groups have inspired many (includ-ing some reading this) to strive for the best.

• Our hobby inspires both children and adultsto have fun and to teach themselves thefoundations of aerodynamics, electronics,chemistry, and fluid dynamics.

All of these points can be bound togetherwith fun and an incredible safety record.

What can we do to make this messageheard over those voices worried over risk? It isirresponsible to simply believe regulators will goaway, and it is insufficient (and likely highlyinefficient) to simply make litigious war on reg-ulators. Rather we, as citizen hobbiests, musttake the responsibility for action—to workproactively, responsibly, and fanatically. It isus, the hobbiests, who must make the changehappen. The key to competent regulation is not

simply in the courts or with regulatory agencies,but rather it lies with our own responsibility todo the following:

• Unify in common cause• Educate others about the real benefits of

our hobby• Act responsibly to make our cause heard

The current joint action of the NationalAssociation of Rocketry and the Tripoli RocketryAssociation, with respect to anticipated BATFregulations, is necessary, but late, and an ulti-mately insufficient effort. We must worktogether not simply in reactive litigation, butmore importantly in pro-active education. Wemust unite vendors, hobbiests, and hobbyorganizations in a common theme and commonpurpose. The hobby is small enough that noone group has sufficient resources to workalone. We must work together and find new andbetter ways to joint concerted powerful action.

The second key is education—informingthe general public, regulators, local, state andfederal governments, ourselves, and our fami-lies about the benefits of rocketry. We haveastonishing new tools to accomplish this educa-tion. The Internet, television, and other effectivepublic relations give us underutilized tools tofoster communication with all our audiences.

The foundation of all this is responsibleaction. We must create a culture of perpetualimprovement, much like amateur radio, whowith an extraordinary record of self-regulation,education, and public service have a powerfulvoice with regulators and legislators. Weshould emulate their example. We have longdepended on our small size as a hobby to beunnoticed. Our success no longer permits this.

So this is my call to make the peace.• A peace that recognizes the outstanding

success and safety of the hobby• A peace that values and appreciates the

learning and fun we provide to children andadults.

• A peace that embeds respect for safety andresponsibility in the hobby, rather than asan imagined evil of the regulators.

• A peace that we persistently pursue for thelong term – engaging in the hard, butrewarding work of patiently, consistentlyeducating our public.

Join me in stepping up to the responsibilityand unabashed fun of making the peace—forourselves and the fliers to follow us.

time to make peaceby ken biba

photo contestenter the extreme centerfold photo contest and win $100.

visit www.extremerocketry.com for details

1955

S. P

alm

St.

, Su

ite

15L

as V

egas

, NV

891

04(7

02)

641-

2301

(P

h)

(702

)641

-188

3 (F

ax)

EN

GIN

EE

RIN

G C

HA

NG

E O

RD

ER

PAR

T N

UM

BE

R:

DE

SC

RIP

TIO

N:

RE

VIS

ION

C/L

:

DA

TE

:R

EA

SO

N F

OR

CH

AN

GE

:

AP

PR

OVA

L IN

FO

RM

AT

ION

DE

SIG

N E

NG

:

CH

EC

K E

NG

:

AC

CO

UN

TIN

G:

MF

G E

NG

:

PU

RC

HA

SIN

G:

PL

AN

NIN

G:

PR

OD

UC

TIO

N:

SPA

RE

S IN

V:

SH

EE

T

STO

CK

RO

OM

HA

ND

LIN

G IN

ST

RU

CT

ION

:(1

) S

CR

AP

/ SA

LVA

GE

(2)

US

E R

EM

AIN

ING

(3)

SPA

RE

S O

NLY

TY

PE

1T

YP

E 2

1 O

F 1

0916

1M

10 D

EC

99

I161

W-M

RE

LOA

D K

ITB

X

XR

MS

-PLU

S“

DE

LAY

SY

ST

EM

G. R

OS

EN

FIE

LD

G. R

OS

EN

FIE

LDB

. RO

SE

NF

IELD

WA

S:

IS:

1. D

ELA

Y IN

SU

LAT

OR

: .8

07"

O.D

. X .6

20"

I.D. X

.719

LO

NG

P

AR

T N

UM

BE

R:

0330

2

2. A

FT

DE

LAY

SP

AC

ER

: .6

15"

O.D

. X .2

50"

LON

G

PA

RT

NU

MB

ER

: 03

320

(OR

AN

GE

)

3. F

OR

WA

RD

DE

LAY

SP

AC

ER

: 13

/16"

O.D

. X .0

31"

TH

ICK

NE

OP

RE

NE

WA

SH

ER

P

AR

T N

UM

BE

R:

0335

0

4. D

ELA

Y O

-RIN

G:

15M

M I.

D. X

3M

M T

HIC

K

PA

RT

NU

MB

ER

: 00

001

5. D

ELA

Y G

RA

IN:

RM

S-P

LUS

“ .6

1" O

.D. X

.594

" LO

NG

802

3D R

EG

ULA

R

PA

RT

NU

MB

ER

: 03

369

1. D

ELA

Y IN

SU

LAT

OR

: .8

07"

O.D

. X .6

2" I.

D. X

.875

" LO

NG

P

AR

T N

UM

BE

R:

0307

6

2. D

ELA

Y S

PA

CE

R:

.62"

O.D

. X .1

35"

LON

G

PA

RT

NU

MB

ER

: 03

060

3. D

ELA

Y O

-RIN

G:

5/8"

O.D

. X 3

/32"

TH

ICK

(11

1)

PA

RT

NU

MB

ER

: 00

111

4. D

ELA

Y G

RA

IN:

.62"

O.D

. X .7

19"

LON

G (

RE

GU

LAR

)

PA

RT

NU

MB

ER

: 03

241

AE

RO

TE

CH

, IN

C. P

RO

PR

IETA

RY

INF

OR

MA

TIO

NT

HE

INF

OR

MA

TIO

N O

N T

HIS

DO

CU

ME

NT

IS T

HE

SO

LE A

ND

EX

CLU

SIV

E P

RO

PE

RT

Y O

F A

ER

OT

EC

HIN

CO

RP

OR

AT

ED

. DIS

CLO

SU

RE

OF

TH

IS IN

FO

RM

AT

ION

TO

AN

YO

NE

FO

R A

NY

RE

AS

ON

WIT

HO

UT

TH

E E

XP

RE

SS

WR

ITT

EN

PE

RM

ISS

ION

OF

TH

E P

RE

SID

EN

T O

F A

ER

OT

EC

H IN

CO

RP

OR

AT

ED

ISP

RO

HIB

ITE

D. D

ISC

LOS

UR

E O

F T

HIS

INF

OR

MA

TIO

N W

ITH

OU

T A

UT

HO

RIZ

AT

ION

MA

Y B

E A

VIO

LAT

ION

OF

TH

E T

RA

DE

SE

CR

ET

S A

CT

18

US

C ⁄

1905

AN

D U

NA

UT

HO

RIZ

ED

DIS

CLO

SU

RE

MA

Y B

E S

UB

JEC

TT

O C

IVIL

AN

D C

RIM

INA

L P

EN

ALT

IES

UN

DE

R T

HE

FE

DE

RA

L T

OR

T C

LAIM

S A

CT,

28

US

C ⁄

1346

(b)

.

ADVANCED COMPOSITE ROCKET MOTORS

ADV

ANCED DELAY

SE

ALING SYSTEM

PLUSRMS

AeroTech, Inc., 1955 S. Palm St., Suite 15, Las Vegas, NV 89104 • Telephone: 702-641-2301 • www.aerotech-rocketry.com© 2000 AeroTech, Inc. All rights reserved.

New RMS-Plus™ Delay Sealing SystemThe new AeroTech RMS-Plus™ delay sealing system pro-vides for more precise delay times, reduced chancesof forward closure blow-by, easier cleanup,and more! This new design seals radiallyrather than axially as in previous RMS™

reload kits. Motors may now be leftassembled indefinitely, and there is noneed to remove the delay charge assembly ifthe closures are loosened. All RMS-Plus™ reload kits comewith new improved illustrated instructions. Best of all, nonew hardware purchase is necessary—RMS-Plus™ tech-nology is completely compatible with existing AeroTechand Dr. Rocket™ RMS™ motors!

RMS-Plus™ is now available in all 29 & 38mm EasyAccess™ RMS™ reload kits and in new 29 & 38mm RMS™

Reload Delay Kits ("RDK's"). For more information on theRMS-Plus™ design or to view and download RMS-Plus™

motor reload kit and RDK assembly instructions, pleasevisit the Resource Library on the AeroTech website atwww.aerotech-rocketry.com.

H I G H P O W E R

RMSR E L O A D A B L EM O T O R S Y S T E M

29mm RMS-Plus™

38mm RMS-Plus™

Documents

THE FLIGHT OF A 289 POUND ROCKET How to Build a Camera ... · taking rocketr y to the extremetaking rocketr y to the extreme $4.95 u.s. $5.95 can. the flight of a 289 pound rocket