Built a rocket you didn't like?

:rofl:
I just pulled out the Nose Cone to see what I did for recovery on that Rocket! LOLOL!!!
An 18" Sunward Nylon Chute on the original TLP Elastic Shock Cord, which itself measures about 4 Feet.:lol:

TopRamen said:

Thanks.
It was my first TLP Kit, but if you look at it close it is all sloppy compared to what I do now.

Click to expand...

Is it all about how good it looks? DOOD! Aesthetics is secondary to performance. Hell, we all have a, "less than average" job in our fleet. Give yourself a break! I have a Big Bertha I built 30 years ago that I plan to get autographed by Vern Estes, if I ever get the chance. And it's a slop job by my standards today. It was built as a shelf queen on purpose. And it has one more destination. Sure, it would be nice to present it with my better and improved skills, but getting it signed, means a whole lot more. For what it's worth, people don't care what it looks like on the launch pad. And it's very likely, that it will suffer dings and scratches anyway.

Heck, I've been building disappointing rockets since the Nixon administration. Sometimes it was because an original design turned out to be more appealing on paper than in reality, or flew like a scalded squirrel. I've fubar'd finishes. I've fallen in love with a specific kit just to find out that the build was just not that much fun (the original Mars Snooper comes to mind). But...

I've learned new techniques. I developed an innate ability to understand materials and structural stability. I continue to improve my craftsmanship. I've built and flown things that most "normal" people have never conceived in their wildest dreams.

Yeah, I still disappoint myself. My most recent MPR, Blue Fire, is quite underwhelming.

Nevertheless, I keep on building and I keep enjoying myself.