Beginner Build

[andbeyond]

Hey everyone, im kind of new to rocketry ( Ive built pop bottle rockets and potato guns) but im really interested into making something that will go higher and eventually something that ill be able to mount a camera on. Anyway i was just wondering what a good from scratch beginner build would be from design to propulsion. Any suggestions would be awesome. Thanks

[Dr. Quigley]

I don't think you wanna just start out building scratch rockets, there's a lot of stuff to be careful about when designing it, making sure that the rocket is balanced correctly, making sure you can recover it, etc. I'd suggest buying a kit, and figuring out the internals from that, looking at things like where the centering rings are, how big the parachute is, etc. If you haven't done much with precise builds of any kind, then buy an Estes kit, that's a good place to start. Once you get the hang of it, build a few more, maybe try designing and building one, then move on to mid-power rocketry (MPR). This is the level at which the rockets are generally powerful enough to allow for small cameras on board.

I'd suggest you get OpenRocket- it's a free rocket design software, and it'll let you mess around with it and see what happens. If you have any questions, just post a thread in the electronics and support forum.

[JStarStar]

Keychain video cameras can be mounted successfully on rockets bigger than 1" in diameter. With rockets smaller than that size keychain cams can cause erratic flights due to off-center drag forces on the nose.

Estes has some basic level rockets such as the Monarch which would do well to both introduce you to rocket construction plus be usable as a camera-flying rocket once it's built. The Big Bertha would be a good pick too.

Other companies such as Semroc and FlisKits have a bunch of rockets which could work fine for you as well.

As Dr. Q says above, build a couple kits, read up on some of the resources on how and why rockets fly and what makes them fly straight, and you'll be ready to tackle a scratch build.

[Rocketbuilder]

Do you have a launch system already? If not, definitely look into getting a launch set. These include the launch pad, launch controller, and one or two rockets. A good one to get is the Tandem X launch set. It includes two beginner level rockets, both of which fly well (they were my first two rockets), and they're both large enough to mount a keychain camera on. If you have a Michaels's craft store near you, they sell this set (at least the ones I've been in do), and you can find a weekly 40% off coupon online or in the paper. They sell motors, too. Also, if you have a Hobby Lobby near you, they also sell kits and motors and issue a weekly 40% off coupon.
If you want to scratch build, you'll definitely need OpenRocket, unless you want to pay $123.60 for Rocksim.
Good luck, and have fun!

[blackbrandt]

. A good one to get is the Tandem X launch set. It includes two beginner level rockets, both of which fly well (they were my first two rockets).

Hey, those were my first 2rockets too!

[Rocketbuilder]

And my neighbor just got that set, too. Must be popular...

[JPVegh]

Paper tubes from wrapping paper, paper towels, TP, etc. can be used for the airframe. Centering rings and fins can be made from card board, laminated cereal boxes, balsa wood etc. Nosecones from plastic easter eggs, styrofoam balls, carved from balsa wood etc. Use your imagination and look around for materials. An entire rocket can be built from cardstock, see the cardstock rocketry sub forum.

One place where you don't want to scratch build is propulsion. Only use certified commercially manufactured rocket motors from companies like Estes or Quest.