Launch Poll

I'm curious... considering your entire fleet, how many times does the average rocket get launched, before being considered retired or semi-retired?

Until a soccer hooligan stomps it or spikes it....

I launch till it's too broken to launch anymore

I think I fall into the 4-6 times catagory with most of my rockets. Of course some are only 1-3 times, and a few are 20+.

1) Some rockets, I don't put a lot of effort into finishing (beyond the basics), because I build it knowing that I'm going to launch it a lot.

2) Some I build knowing they will launch only a few times, but put I great effort into the finishing, knowing they are more for intended for display.

I weigh all the factors and decide which catagory the rocket will fall into and finish accordingly. I build them all with the same quality... I'm talking strictly about the finsihing.

With finishing - I think it's almost like reaching a point of diminishing returns at times, where time and effort grow exponentialy. For example: you can finish a model to say... 80% perfect with 1 hour of labor, to go to 90% make take another 2 hours of labor, to get that next 5% make take another 2 hours, and so on.

I know, I'm probably over thinking this, but I have to use some kind of decision model in order to set aside (or balance) my perfectionism. On one hand, I don't want to finish it less than perfect - one the other, I don't want to put lots of time into finishing it if it's just going to be lost, broken, or get worn out.

Does anyone else think like this?

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Mine are usually in the 7-12 range. Past that, since most of my fleet is Estes stuff, they break I've got a few that have made it to 20 flights.

Originally posted by Rock_It
I look for my vehicles to fly 100's if not 1000's of flights, so basically they'll last as long as I am alive.

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Good luck with that. I don't think anyone's ever done that before

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Originally posted by Rock_It
Don't need luck. If you rely on luck it's just a prelude to failure, and check my signature for what I think about failure.

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On the other hand, you can't calculate everything, and luck is ALWAYS part of the equation, whether you want to believe it or not.

I'll eat my fleet if your talon makes it to >1000 launches without major repairs along the way.

Originally posted by BlueNinja
Mine are usually in the 7-12 range. Past that, since most of my fleet is Estes stuff, they break I've got a few that have made it to 20 flights.




Good luck with that. I don't think anyone's ever done that before

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Most I know of is 500 flights, though that was with low power which tend to last longer (for me at least) without any major repairs.

all of my rockets and saucer fly till death

my best is a 38mm rocket called "Skypup" with over 50 flights from G64's to J350's and as far as I know theres still 50 more to go!!!

my woarst is GravityKills my L3 project and she has 7 flights on her, but built for many more to come

None of my rockets are built for display. They are built to try new construction techniques and design theories and fly until lost, shredded or with model rockets until my 2 year old grandson gets his hands on it.

Jim Flis has a rocket that he's flown at least two hundred times as I remember him telling us. That's a solid testament to his design and building abilities.

Andrew

I guess I am a modeler. I would much rather build than fly. Thats not to say I dont like to launch them I do . I have more rockets that I have built verses rockets I have built and flown. Really I know what my problem is I need to join a club. Anyways I build them for display but I do like to launch them at least once. Looking back at my flight logs it seems seven is my unlucky number. They are claimed by the trees. Another I lost on the thirteenth flight. Same with r/c airplanes. Flew once I didnt like it my eyes arent good enough I guess but I sure do like to build them. I think I will probably be one of the few to admit it though .

I had my Astron Sprint fly 500 times and it was no easy task, let me tell you

As far as I know I set the record there. The model is now in the hands of Vern and Gleda Estes, as they launched her on her 500th flight. You can read more about that here.

It was great too And before you ask, it wasn't like "Granpa's hammer"...

The only changes made to the model over the 32 years of flying were replacement of the shock cord, streamer and launch lugs.

Heck, the body tube even split wide open in the late 400's and had to be super glued back together... LOL

jim

I voted 4-6 flights. The reason is not because I'm willing to take the risk. It's because I did take the risk. I almost completely lost my fleet a few months ago, so most of the rockets I have now are new, as replacements. My Fat Boy is an exception. It has over 20 flights, because it flys low. If it flew to about 500 ft, I doubt I would still have it.

Originally posted by Starfire73
...I know, I'm probably over thinking this, but I have to use some kind of decision model in order to set aside (or balance) my perfectionism. On one hand, I don't want to finish it less than perfect - one the other, I don't want to put lots of time into finishing it if it's just going to be lost, broken, or get worn out....Does anyone else think like this?

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Yes Doug, I agree completely with your analysis, and use a similar analysis when I build a model. I have been accused, just on occasion, of overanalyzing decisions.

If you love a rocket, set it free(launch it!!)
If it comes back, it is yours to keep, and launch again.
If it dosen't.. well, an excuse for a new one

(or to cut down teh tree, spend days & nights wandering aroudn, looking for it)

launch them till they break, then fix them, then launch them untill they're lost!!

"No hangar queens here"

Retired?

I've never considered retiring a rocket. They'll fly 'til lost or destroyed. Now, some will sit for a quite a while between flights while I concentrate on the newer ones, but I expect to eventually get back to every one of my rockets, eventually destroying or losing all of them. <grin>

I have a rocket I call #9.

That's how many times it has been rebuilt.

Current configuration is nothing like the origonal.

I voted 4-6. Most of my rockets are hanger queens for most of the year due to living in the dreaded corn belt. I fly mainly locally in spring and fall when the crops are out. But in the 30 some years that I've had my Centuri 1/45 Little Joe 2, I think it's only had like 3 flights...LOL.

Originally posted by Starfire73
I'm curious... considering your entire fleet, how many times does the average rocket get launched, before being considered retired or semi-retired?

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I retired my original 1973 built Saturn-V at 139 flights, our section number
with over 250 flyable standard and LMR's and 120+ Micro's it's Hard to get bored with one model or another. That's one of the reasons I record every flight, since I started back in the stone age 60's Had the largest part of my !st Fleet not be ripped from their storage place and destroyed by vandals most would likely still be flying like the 6 or 7 that were salvaged.

Originally posted by Micromeister
...That's one of the reasons I record every flight, since I started back in the stone age 60's

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I tried recording flights for the first time this year (after 30 years of launching). I just couldn't do it consistently. I would record them incompletely, or not at all. I would record some and not others. I found that I was becoming a slave to the record process, and not just plain enjoying the launches as I usualy do - I guess it kinda' took some of the fun out of it for me. I really do wish I did have a record of each launch (and I envy those who do)... but, oh well. I'll just have to launch 'em and enjoy it without the record.

They fly till they die...

Or fry...

Or get taken by a rocket eating tree.

There are exceptions, like my first own design rocket. Eight flights and I retired it.

My fleet members generally last quite a while. Most of them have over a dozen flights with a just a very few that are over a year old with less than six flights. I build 'em to fly! A couple get flown a lot. There's an original Holverson Tangent with over 30 flights, an upscale Tangent with over a dozen and it isn't even six months old, and a Maxi-Alpha that has over 75 flights (and it looks it too).

The exceptions are the gliders, which generally either don't fly 'cause they aren't really airworthy, or get cracked up, or a car runs over 'em or something (which is what happened at KRAMO last year.)

It's a rare rocket that gets retired, I generally will keep right on launching any given rocket until it's lost or damaged so badly that it isn't repairable anymore.

Originally posted by jflis
I had my Astron Sprint fly 500 times and it was no easy task, let me tell you

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What I want to know is how did you keep from losing it?! I've lost dozens of those. They're probably still hanging from trees and rooftops all over the old West side of Colorado Springs. I lost 'em at Camp Alexander, too.

The Astron Sprint is prob'ly my all time favorite kit - I've upscaled 'em, won competitions with 'em, and when I stick a C6-7 in one and hit the button I feel like I've gone with it just like when I was still 14.

Originally posted by timb
What I want to know is how did you keep from losing it?! I've lost dozens of those.
when I stick a C6-7 in one and hit the button I feel like I've gone with it just like when I was still 14.

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timb, I think I see your problem!

I build to fly and don't believe in "retirement", that is for people, not rockets. Nothing ticks me off more than when I hear a fellow rocketeer say that the latest build came out so nice he won't fly it. To me that's just a crying shame.

Glenn

Originally posted by GlennW
timb, I think I see your problem!

I build to fly and don't believe in "retirement", that is for people, not rockets. Nothing ticks me off more than when I hear a fellow rocketeer say that the latest build came out so nice he won't fly it. To me that's just a crying shame.

Glenn

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Problem!? [looking confused] What problem? Who's gotta problem?!

I have to agree; fly 'em if ya got 'em!

Seriously, I can understand being careful and only flying that Saturn V that cost $200 and took two years to build and finish in calm winds on big fields. But to never fly it? No, that's worse than flying it and losing it to the rocket gods. And I confess that I have a couple rockets around here that I think aren't stable or have proven that they're too squirrely to fly safely and those NEED retired.

With a little fleet maintenance from time to time rockets can be kept looking nice even after they've been flown many times.

(And I still think the ultimate is a C6 in an Astron Sprint, H and I motors not withstanding.)

I genaraly fly mine until they start to get unstable from so many repairs, I lose it, or I only fly it about 5-15 times max because it cost so much to fly. I have flown my amraam 2 about 30 times. I have also flown my Airspike about 35-40 times. But most of my rockets get at least 20+ flights.

I've never retired a rocket. Individual rockets don't get a huge number of flights because I have alot of rockets to fly! Helps them last longer...

Originally posted by Loopy
I've never retired a rocket. Individual rockets don't get a huge number of flights because I have alot of rockets to fly! Helps them last longer...

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Bingo! That's best describes me. I have a large enough fleet (about 40-50) to spead the launches out. Say for instance... if it's a nice night, and I'm just going to run out and launch a few for an hour - here's how I choose.

1) Any rocket that hasn't flown yet gets top priority.
2) I'll bring the last 3 - 4 that I've built.
3) Finaly, I'll pick the 1 rocket that I think has had the longest time since it was launched last.

I don't think I've ever actualy "retired" a rocket. But there are a few that I may not launch for a long time to come, if I ever do again... I keep that open.

Since I'm a bit of a perfectionist, it can be hard for me some times to put a real nice rocket up, but I know I MUST. We have a saying around here when dad (that's me) hesitates to launch one. You have to say it like the old lady from Mystery Men, the one who keeps telling Mr. Furious to junk the armored vehicle. She just keeps telling him to JUNK IT. My son says it in the same voice to me, but says LAUNCH IT.

If you haven't already... ya' gotta' see Mystery Men, it was so funny!