BRC Returns! March Competition

**Pantherjon** · 1st March 2009, 02:52 PM

As the trumpets blare and the town criers, well.....cry, the Best Rocket Competition has returneth to TRF!

So, without further ado, lets get the competition for March started!
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This is the official location of The Rocketry Forum Best Rocket Competition. This is a monthly event to show off your "stuff" and find out who has THE BEST ROCKET OF THE MONTH! When entering, make sure you follow the criteria listed below and you will do fine. From the 21st until the end of the month we'll be polling to see who should win the Best Rocket Competition.

Da Rulez

1. Header of picture must include, name, what kit or was it custom, LPR, MPR or HPR.
2. A BRIEF description of rocket details. Anything that would make it apparent to somebody that yours is THE BEST.
3. Only ONE entry per month.
4. No extended off topic conversations.
5. Rockets made at any period of time may be used.Preferably one that is STILL in your fleet at the time of the competition!
6. Rocket may be entered into the competition only ONE time!
7. If there is a monthly specified type of contest (such as red, white and blue themed), you can only enter rockets that are applicable.
8. Entries will be taken first 3 weeks of month and after the 21st of every month the contest closes.
9. The last week of the month will be polling on who should win in each class.
10. Winners get bragging rights for a month!

THEME

The 'theme'..As contest coordinator this is/has always been the toughest call..LOL..But seeing as our sponsor(Pemberton Technologies) is all about sci-fi/fantasy/spacey/groovy designs we will go with that!

Go to Pemberton Tech to get a feel for the 'theme'..

So, show us your awesome builds!

Remember detail, details, details! So don't be shy, include extra photos of the little bits that make YOUR model extra special!
If your entry is a kit, let us know whose kit it is!

PRIZE(S)

In corresponding with Layne I forgot to ask what he was going to 'offer up' as a prize.

I know it will be something way cool tho! And hopefully no sloppy Llama kisses!

**BsSmith** · 2nd March 2009, 12:44 AM

How sci-fi is sci-fi enough for Pem Tech?

My entry (needs approval) is an Estes Renegade!

It is built to stock, not much special about that. I painted it to look more like an intergalactic fighter/bomber so the bottom has a flat brown airbrushed onto it and the cockpit is painted to look like a fighter jet cockpit. It flies great, most of the time. There was a few times that it tilted over while staging and flew horizontaly. It also flies very low for a two stager, so I can launch it in my neiborhood. Here is a photo sequence of it's first launch (taken by Greg Smith) on a B6-0 to C6-5. The B6-0 in the first stage almost makes it hover. It has a few more paint chips then it did back then, but it still flies good.

**Pantherjon** · 2nd March 2009, 04:39 AM

Originally Posted by BsSmith

How sci-fi is sci-fi enough for Pem Tech?

My entry (needs approval) is an Estes Renegade!

APPROVED!

See, that was easy! The rocket doesn't have to be 'way on out there' to be considered 'sci-fi'..Just the fact it is painted as an intergalactic fighter/bomber is good enough!

So we have our first contestant! Let's see those rockets peeps!

**rseazk5** · 3rd March 2009, 03:28 AM

BRC Welcome Back!!!

Here is my submission for this month’s contest. It was built as part of the EMRR 2008 Spaceship Design Competition. The goal was to replicate one of the pictures EMRR provided; the first picture is the rocket I selected. The balance of the pictures are of my rocket. The official name is EA Kestrel Shuttle; however, mine earned the name FWS (Falling with Style) – throughout many of its 12 flights including the last flight. Check out the video at the link below and you will see why. The rocket is vacuum formed body powered by 3-18 mm engine cluster. If you are interested in building this, the story of the build, prototype flights, templates, and final flights can be seen at: http://www.rocketreviews.com/reviews...sign_fws.shtml

Thanks,
Ray

**mjennings** · 13th March 2009, 05:22 PM

Clarification on rule 6.

"Rocket may be entered into the competition only ONE time!"

1. That means if a rocket was in any other BRC it is ineligible to enter another
i.e. I entered my Alpha III a year ago and I can never enter it again
or
2. A rocket can only be entered once per month
i.e. I can't enter my Alpha III more than once this month but if it fits the category next month I can enter it.

**Pantherjon** · 14th March 2009, 02:55 PM

Originally Posted by mjennings

Clarification on rule 6.

"Rocket may be entered into the competition only ONE time!"

1. That means if a rocket was in any other BRC it is ineligible to enter another
i.e. I entered my Alpha III a year ago and I can never enter it again
or
2. A rocket can only be entered once per month
i.e. I can't enter my Alpha III more than once this month but if it fits the category next month I can enter it.

My interpretation from when the BRC first started it was #1..At least, that is how I interpreted it when I was a CONTESTANT and the contest was being run by someone else.Not sure if that interpretation was correct or not, I never asked..
Ideally, I would like to see it that way..But, I am not going to go research and see if this rocket had been entered in a previous months competition..So, I guess it is kind of a hybrid of 1 and 2..
Scenario:
You enter rocket A into the contest in March..You don't get the top votes..Come April and it fits that months 'theme' so you enter rocket A into the contest..Will I reject it? Most likely no..

It's an integrity thing..I just don't want to see the same thing month after month..Something new and different is always a good thing!

**mjennings** · 14th March 2009, 03:56 PM

So it is more of a no repeat winners policy, but don't enter the same rocket every month. Ok that is cool I can live with that. I won't enter my Deadman's Deuce, since it already one on TRF 1.0. I need to get my USS Odyssey done before the 21st. Sp it can compete.

Thanks glad to see the contest back!

**Chicagonative17** · 15th March 2009, 04:24 PM

Pantherjon, those rules I created were just guidelines for the most part. Feel free to re-write any of those as those were included in the first BRC here at the forum. Basically, use your best judgment to make BRC a quality contest. I think my original thought with that rule was to prevent (winners) from constantly sweeping the contests. But I could totally see a rocket fitting 2 different themes and therefore probably be allowed to get a 2nd entry as long as it's clearly themed. Again, use your best judgement... and to the contestants, integrity first.

I'm still very impressed at how popular BRC has gotten even though it took a hit when the forum went down. Your doing an amazing job Pantherjon, better than when I was running it.

**Pippen** · 16th March 2009, 11:40 AM

Originally Posted by mjennings

So it is more of a no repeat winners policy, but don't enter the same rocket every month. Ok that is cool I can live with that. I won't enter my Deadman's Deuce, since it already one on TRF 1.0. I need to get my USS Odyssey done before the 21st. Sp it can compete.

Thanks glad to see the contest back!

It probably makes sense to leave some flexibility with non-winning rockets, especially since themes vary from general to specific. ie someone may enter the first time in a general best rocket month and didn't win, but find the next month the theme is sci fi and it fits better there.

**Pantherjon** · 16th March 2009, 02:37 PM

Y'all will find that I will be very flexible as far as 'the rules' are concerned..

Are there more rockets worthy for consideration??? Only 2 contestants so far, I KNOW we can do better then that! I KNOW you peeps have a TON of cool(or is it 'kewl'?) 'futuristic'/sci-fi lookin rockets! Post your rockets! Please!

ONE WEEK UNTIL DEADLINE!!

**Pem Tech** · 17th March 2009, 08:47 AM

Originally Posted by Pantherjon

Y'all will find that I will be very flexible as far as 'the rules' are concerned..

Are there more rockets worthy for consideration??? Only 2 contestants so far, I KNOW we can do better then that! I KNOW you peeps have a TON of cool(or is it 'kewl'?) 'futuristic'/sci-fi lookin rockets! Post your rockets! Please!

ONE WEEK UNTIL DEADLINE!!

Yeah, what he said...
Come on folks, let's see those entries!

**Gillard** · 17th March 2009, 03:08 PM

My rocket "Twin Jet TR5 Fighter" was an entry for EMRR design this spaceship 2008 competition. (same comp as Ray's FWS above)
What makes it good - IMO - is that it is a x2 18mm cluster where the motors are spaced apart. Each tube had a different delay, so that there was less drift. It also used green floral block to build the canopy - which was new to me.
The flights were surprisingly good considering its unusual shape and design.
The first pic is of the model i tried to reproduce, the next are my efforts.

**Pantherjon** · 18th March 2009, 05:34 AM

PRIZE ANNOUNCEMENT!

I am sure some of you have been wondering, if I enter the contest what will I have the opportunity to win? Well, fret no longer and here is what you can win if you enter your cool futuristic/sci-fi/fantasy in this months contest! You get YOUR CHOICE either :

OR

Is that cool or what? Do you need any more?...So, lets see some rockets!!!!

**El Cheapo** · 18th March 2009, 07:47 PM

My March Entry is the Sirian Space Racer 5 (SSR-5) Designed by Clive Davis with a few modifications. It is made entirely of cardstock including motor mount, centering rings, 18mm-13mm adapter and baffle. Modifications are the motor adapter as well as baffle and extended nose cone shoulder. Recovery is achieved w/100lb Kevlar attached through the baffle to 1/8" elastic cord and brought down safe and sound via 12" Top Flight nylon chute.

It has flown approximately 15 times on everything from an A3-4T/A10-3T to A8-3 through C6-5's. I have to say the best flights are on the 13mm and A8-3's as they keep it relatively close, 250'-300', with one complete very slow roll just prior to apogee. The slow roll is amazingly realistic to watch. I love this little cardstock model so much, I've even climbed a prickley rocket eating tree to retrieve it and had to drag a picnic bench about 150' just to get a boost up to the first branch...lol

**mtshark** · 19th March 2009, 11:37 PM

Alright, this is one of my favs. I built it for a 4H project a couple of years ago and I won it all.

**Chicagonative17** · 20th March 2009, 04:31 PM

Shark, really nice paint job on that bird... looks great!

**TheRocketNerd** · 20th March 2009, 11:03 PM

This is a scratchbuild design that came to me one day last summer.
Rocket Name: Star Taxi

Diameter: 1.637

What makes this rocket different is: the tailcone is a PNC-60AH with hand cut fin tab slots that allow TTW mounting to the motor mount tube. On the other fins, I split half of an Estes PNC-20 nose cone in half and used one half one each fine. So this model required a lot of "plastic work" to give it some real sci-fi styling. It has a friction fit 24mm motor mount and metallic gold paint job.

**JAL3** · 21st March 2009, 05:20 AM

OK. I'm in with this one. It's probably the most carefully constructed rocket I have made to date and was featured in a build thread on the old TRF. It straddles the line between LPR and MPR and has flown on Cs, Ds and Es.

Vids of the a few flights can be seen here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/2369499...7608779356453/

and here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/2369499...7608162654379/

and on an E where I almost lost it here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/2369499...7608162654379/

This rocket is well designed by Sirius Rocketry and taught me much about using fillers and applying decals. It has LOTS of decals.

**dpower** · 21st March 2009, 05:35 AM

I'll submit my Squirrel Works Spacecruiser FFE. I built this one a while ago, but still like its simple design, crisp graphics (gotta love that ladder decal!), and D-Power. This is one of a number of nice sci-fi designs from Squirrel Works, and seems to have been based on a ship from "Battle In Outer Space", a Japanese movie from 1959 (the last pic, is, I believe, a screen capture from that movie). It is a bit more dinged up now than in these pics, but is still a great flier.

**mjennings** · 21st March 2009, 08:26 PM

This is my USS Odyssey. See a partial build thread at http://www.rocketryforum.com/showthr...hlight=odyssey

Scott (Rokitflite) did an excellent job designing this LPR kit and is well worth every penny! I built her over the 3 days I had off for TS Fay last summer and have been working on finishing ever since. She's flown once and I added a lot of little details through the use of polystyrene, creative use of decals, and some scratch building to add a small shuttle for missions planet side