Need help selecting appropriate rocket for school demonstration

I recently discovered my school might actually let me shoot off some rockets on school grounds as part of our Science Day. I haven't shot off a rocket since my Eggspress and Apogee II over 20 years ago, so I might become a BAR because of this.

What I need help on is selecting a rocket for the demo. I would like something that's big, with a nice slow, majestic liftoff. The catch is we have altitude restrictions, and I cannot try to punch holes in clouds. I need to keep it under 400 feet if possible. Maybe I can talk them into 500 feet, I'm not sure.

Looking through my collection of old (paper) Estes Catalogs, I came across the Maxi-Alpha 3. It says that the Maxi Alpha 3 goes to over 500 feet with the D12-3 and the D12-5 listed. I assume the over 500 feet is for the D12-5. Anyone know how high it would go on just a D12-3?

If that will not work, anyone else have some suggestions? I don't want something that difficult to build because I'm out of practice. I also would rather not use an engine above a D.

Thanks in advance.

The Fliskits Decaffeinator works quite well for that.

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Stuff at artapplewhite.com is great for small fields...

I'd say clone a Estes Magnum (2032)... Two stages (can be flown as an 18mm powered single stage rocket), clear payload section... Big Beautiful Rocket (Excelsior may still have decals too).

With an adapter, a clone of the Estes Maxi Icarus would also be possible.

Then there's the Estes Big Bertha. For me... Meh. But a lot of people swear by it.

for display and teaching purposes, you could also make a phantom type rocket like my Clearokee D: https://www.rocketryforum.com/showt...s-when-you-use-the-wrong-brand-of-Clear-Paint

I'll put in a couple plugs for odd-rocs. I don't know about slow and majestic (I like my Painkiller Micro on an F-240), but these are neat rockets that I have flown at small fields that will all stay below your ceiling, and are more exciting than an Estes Wizard on an A8-3.

The Rocketarium Mega Vortico keeps it pretty low, and is very different! A C11-0 or D12-0 [or D11-P] work just fine. https://www.rocketarium.com/Rockets/Mega-Vortico?cPath=111&

Art Applewhite has some simple rockets that can be built from cardstock - https://www.artapplewhite.com/free.html, then download the Cinco or Delta Flying Saucer - I just flew these as a demo at a youth organization. On a 1/2 A3-2T they go less than 50' up.

A Fliskits Trifecta https://fliskits.com/products/01prod_fs.htm is a fun 3-stage rocket that flies on A10-0 13mm motors and only goes 150' total.


For most rockets, if you download OpenRocket https://sourceforge.net/projects/openrocket/files/openrocket/15.03/ (free) or RockSim https://www.apogeerockets.com/RockSim/RockSim_Trial?pg=rocksim (free trial), you can find a design file at https://www.rocketreviews.com/ for most rockets, and compute predicted altitude for various motors. Maxi-Alpha 3 page is here https://www.rocketreviews.com/maxi-alpha-iii---estes-1321-1979-1985.html, and you can download the design file here https://www.rocketreviews.com/unknown-estes-maxi-alpah-3.html. Comments seem to indicate it will fly on C11-3 - looks like D12-3 might break your 400 foot ceiling.

If you are anywhere near Salt Lake City, happy to offer a Super Neon XL kit.

I used an Art Applewhite 13 mm saucer (free) and a small Estes 13 mm motor rocket. I weighed them both (the Estes rocket was almost twice the weight), and I asked the kids to divide into teams based on which one they thought would go higher. Then we drag raced them...the traditional rocket went 2-3x higher. This gave a good lead in to a discussion of aerodynamics and drag. This worked well for GT 1st and 3rd grades. Other kids from different grades skipped recess to watch. This is a good, and cheap, demo. I would suggest even making some extra saucers for each class...there should be a rocket hanging in every school classroom.

Maxi Alpha 3 on a C11-3 goes up about 200 feet, stops, then pops its chute out. Big and slow and very easy to see. A big Bertha an a B6-4 would go a little higher, and not require a pad with a 3/16 rod, and stay well within your altitude restriction but still be easy to see. If the field is small, reef the 'chute, or in the case of the Big Bertha use a 12 inches instead of the 18 it comes with.

Various odd rocs/saucers are great if, for your purposes, you don't need the demo to look like a rocket and have a conventional recovery system.

In addition to the clear rockets showing what's inside, there's also the Fliskits big cutaway motor: https://www.fliskits.com/products/accessories/motor.htm

I use both a Phantom (with a longer BT, so it's the same size as an Alpha III) and one of these Fliskits cutaways when doing the introductory sorts of presentations.

I like long burn times and so do kids -
B6 = .86 sec
C6 = 1.9 sec burn
C11 = .8 sec burn

D11= 1.9 sec (24mm)
E9-= 3.1 sec burn (24mm) my fav

C6, D11, E9 are just cool. But staying at 500 ' might be the challenging part.
Buy a bigger tube rocket .

I think an Estes Big Daddy on an E9-4 or 6 is about the coolest for exhibition. Big, fat , slow and long burn...and maybe around 500' or at least that is what I was told . Just make sure nose cone is not too tight.

Be careful though - this is the entry drug for BAR and MPR, HPR

Super Big Bertha! BT-80 based, laser cut fins available from Semroc/eRockets. I built mine with interchangeable motor mounts. It will fly on 2-18mm motors, 3-18mm motors, single 24mm, dual 24mm, or 29mm. It flew beautifully last weekend on dual C6-3 motors.

Chris

The Estes V2 is nice. I've flown the Canadian Arrow (which is basically the same thing) on a D12-5 for school demos and it works great. Big and easy to see, plus it has a classic rocket shape (which kids seem to respond well to, compared to oddrocs). You could scale back to a C11 if you're really worried about altitude.

The 24mm BP motors are nice, smoky, and loud (especially if the kids have been launching their puny Vikings on A8-3s all day ).

Thanks, everyone! I completely forgot about the Decaffeinator. Clearly it's been a while since I looked at a model rocket catalog. Never seen anything like the Mega Vortico. You've given me plenty of ideas.

Now it's just a matter of discussing the issue of insurance with the powers that be.

where are you located? maybe there's someone close by that might be willing to help?

I have used my old NCR 1/4 scale Patriot on a G80-4 AeroTech Blue Thunder motor for school demos. At 4 feet long and 4 inches in diameter it's hard to beat on the impressive scale. It struggles badly on a G64 reloadable so I never use it but the G80 is loud and the rocket maybe goes 350-400 feet and the whole event is easily seen from the ground. I think a Sumo or other 4" rocket would also be good.