Thanks for the Model Rocket Safety: For Educators... A cautionary tale article. It was a good primer.
In the next few weeks we'll be launching rockets with the cub scouts. Last week and this this week we'll be building Quest Aerospace Starhawk Model Rockets. The are a very simple rocket. Initially it was just going to be 14 Bear scouts, now another 16 Webelos will be joining us. We will be launching the rockets twice, the first time with an A8-3 motor the second launch will be with a B6-4 motor.
In the interest of time I was thinking of doing a Drag Race and having the scouts launch two rockets at the same time. We will have each den draw number from 1 to 14/16 , this will determine the launch order. To keep the Scouts safe all scouts will be kept on the gravel road back from the launch area except the scout currently launching and their adult. The road is typically upwind of the area that we'll be launching. We have review the some of the Estes education on Newton's laws and their flyer on a typical model rocket flight. Last week the bears finished their rockets and we showed them how in install the recovery wadding in the rockets. Last but not least we reviewed the NAR rules.
We are fortunate that a local park has given us permission to launch in a field near their Administration building, it is currently unused and was bush hogged last fall. It's fenced on two sides and has a road on the other two, it's 600' x 800'. There are two 8' x 16" concrete slabs near the center that we will use to launch from.
The process will be as follows:
We plan on having two 5 Gallon buckets filled with water near the road if there's a fire issue. I don't suspect that it'll be a problem with as soggy as everything is right now but you never know.
So what am I missing?
Thanks
Joe
In the next few weeks we'll be launching rockets with the cub scouts. Last week and this this week we'll be building Quest Aerospace Starhawk Model Rockets. The are a very simple rocket. Initially it was just going to be 14 Bear scouts, now another 16 Webelos will be joining us. We will be launching the rockets twice, the first time with an A8-3 motor the second launch will be with a B6-4 motor.
In the interest of time I was thinking of doing a Drag Race and having the scouts launch two rockets at the same time. We will have each den draw number from 1 to 14/16 , this will determine the launch order. To keep the Scouts safe all scouts will be kept on the gravel road back from the launch area except the scout currently launching and their adult. The road is typically upwind of the area that we'll be launching. We have review the some of the Estes education on Newton's laws and their flyer on a typical model rocket flight. Last week the bears finished their rockets and we showed them how in install the recovery wadding in the rockets. Last but not least we reviewed the NAR rules.
We are fortunate that a local park has given us permission to launch in a field near their Administration building, it is currently unused and was bush hogged last fall. It's fenced on two sides and has a road on the other two, it's 600' x 800'. There are two 8' x 16" concrete slabs near the center that we will use to launch from.
The process will be as follows:
- The two scouts on-deck will have two adult leaders help them prepare the rocket for launch.
- They will look into the unprepared rocket and make sure that it is clear.
- Put 3 sheets of wadding in each rocket
- Fold the streamer and put the streamer and shock cord in the rocket.
- Put the nose cone on the rocket and make sure that it still fits correctly. We checked the Bears and will check the Webelos after they're built but I'm sure some of them will get a little messed up over the time that the scouts have them.
- Two scouts will proceed to the launch pad where the Range Officers will place an engine with an igniter in each of the rockets, put them on the launch rod and connect the electrical connections. Each of the two range officers will have one of the launch keys for the controllers. We have two Estes launch controllers and lots of spare batteries.
- The Range Officers will put the keys in the launch controllers and the scouts will count down from 10 and push the launch button on 1.
- There will be only two scouts and the Range Officers on the launch field at any one time. They will launch their rocket and then recover it and proceed off the field back to the gravel road where an adult leader will take the engines out of the rockets and put them in a metal bucket. (We're working on the leave no trace, or as little as possible)
We plan on having two 5 Gallon buckets filled with water near the road if there's a fire issue. I don't suspect that it'll be a problem with as soggy as everything is right now but you never know.
So what am I missing?
Thanks
Joe