ActingLikeAKid
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Nov 16, 2015
- Messages
- 1,134
- Reaction score
- 16
Great morning with my (four year old twin) boys doing rocket stuff. We'd put some CWF on the first of three Flutter-By kits (from everything I've heard, it's great as long as you keep it at B and under) and we were letting it dry. I had this cool idea for thrust rings for 29mm E and F Estes BP motors: Put a piece of masking tape on a metal straightedge, cut it carefully (using another straightedge) into three strips, then peel off a strip at a time and wrap the motor.
"Daddy, what's this tape on this ruler for?"
"Oh, well, that's to make a ring around a motor. Do you want to see?"
"YES!"
"Watch."
I wrapped it slowly and carefully and the boys were fascinated.
"Daddy, why do you put the tape on the rocket engine"
"Well, that's a great question. We're going to learn about Newton's Third Law. When we launch a rocket, what happens?"
"Fire and smoke come out of the engine!"
"Which way do they go?"
"up!"
"No, the *rocket* goes up. Which way do the fire and smoke go?"
"Down!"
"Yes! OK, so the fire and smoke go down, the rocket goes up! And see, when I put the engine in this rocket, the ring stops it from going up.... See, if I grab this engine... (I pick up an F15-6) and slide IT into the tube, it would go right up into the rocket!"
That's when I remember I have a baffle in this rocket and no, it won't go all the way through and yes, it's a tight fit and oh **** now this motor is IN THERE.
After a lot of internal cursing and some creativity I managed to get it out. That was.... a close one.
Also: A pair of tongue and groove/water pump pliers are a required part of my range box. If used judiciously, they make it a breeze to get out spent motors.
"Daddy, what's this tape on this ruler for?"
"Oh, well, that's to make a ring around a motor. Do you want to see?"
"YES!"
"Watch."
I wrapped it slowly and carefully and the boys were fascinated.
"Daddy, why do you put the tape on the rocket engine"
"Well, that's a great question. We're going to learn about Newton's Third Law. When we launch a rocket, what happens?"
"Fire and smoke come out of the engine!"
"Which way do they go?"
"up!"
"No, the *rocket* goes up. Which way do the fire and smoke go?"
"Down!"
"Yes! OK, so the fire and smoke go down, the rocket goes up! And see, when I put the engine in this rocket, the ring stops it from going up.... See, if I grab this engine... (I pick up an F15-6) and slide IT into the tube, it would go right up into the rocket!"
That's when I remember I have a baffle in this rocket and no, it won't go all the way through and yes, it's a tight fit and oh **** now this motor is IN THERE.
After a lot of internal cursing and some creativity I managed to get it out. That was.... a close one.
Also: A pair of tongue and groove/water pump pliers are a required part of my range box. If used judiciously, they make it a breeze to get out spent motors.
