Klatuso
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jan 18, 2018
- Messages
- 154
- Reaction score
- 18
When I saw my first model rocket flight at age 13 I was hooked. My brothers and I bought rockets and slapped them together with duck tape and bad paint jobs. Back then the goal was to fly them.
When my sister told me I should get a hobby I immediately remembered those model rockets. Now at age 54 I bought an Apogee Aspire and decided to make it right. papered the fins, wood filled the gaps, sanded and sanded again. Now I enjoy making the rocket more than flying it!
Now I have an Apogee Blue Streak on my workbench and am learning that smaller rockets are not easier than big. Small fins, gluing becomes hard, filleting the fins are super small and very difficult. I am having a blast though and I haven't even launched a rocket yet.
I attended my local Albuquerque club launch (without a rocket) and was warmly received. One guy launched a rocket over 15,000 feet and used a GPS tracker to retrieve it. There were kids launching 18mm motors and having many parachute failures which taught me to pack the recovery system well. I was amazed by one two stage rocket over 1,000 feet that returned within 30 feet of the launch pad.
Here is what is lined up on my workbench:
Apogee Blue Streak 18mm
Orion Transort 24mm
Atlantis 24mm
SA-14 Archer 29mm
Orbital Transport 18mm
Aerotech Initiator 29mm
Ordered a wide variety of engines. bought a dremel, various sandpaper, spray paints, adhesives and set up my workbench. Wow.
If you have any advice for a returning newbie let me know and happy to be a member of Rocketry Forum.
When my sister told me I should get a hobby I immediately remembered those model rockets. Now at age 54 I bought an Apogee Aspire and decided to make it right. papered the fins, wood filled the gaps, sanded and sanded again. Now I enjoy making the rocket more than flying it!
Now I have an Apogee Blue Streak on my workbench and am learning that smaller rockets are not easier than big. Small fins, gluing becomes hard, filleting the fins are super small and very difficult. I am having a blast though and I haven't even launched a rocket yet.
I attended my local Albuquerque club launch (without a rocket) and was warmly received. One guy launched a rocket over 15,000 feet and used a GPS tracker to retrieve it. There were kids launching 18mm motors and having many parachute failures which taught me to pack the recovery system well. I was amazed by one two stage rocket over 1,000 feet that returned within 30 feet of the launch pad.
Here is what is lined up on my workbench:
Apogee Blue Streak 18mm
Orion Transort 24mm
Atlantis 24mm
SA-14 Archer 29mm
Orbital Transport 18mm
Aerotech Initiator 29mm
Ordered a wide variety of engines. bought a dremel, various sandpaper, spray paints, adhesives and set up my workbench. Wow.
If you have any advice for a returning newbie let me know and happy to be a member of Rocketry Forum.