Low Altitude, Big Show, Crowd Pleaser

[VinceC]

Good Morning,

Our High School Rocket Club has a great opportunity to participate in this years Homecoming weekend. The Club has a multi pad launch rail and a fiver launch system and would like to create some "safe fun" and grab some "attention" during the weekend.

The Club is discussing what standard B,C, and D rockets will give them the best "bang for attention", will look "big" but that they can keep at a low altitude for a safe recovery. Anyone have any suggestions?

As always thanks for sharing your past experiences and wisdom.

 

[Antares JS]

Mean Machines and Big Berthas immediately come to mind.

 

[WillMarchant]

http://www.squirrel-works.com/catalog/spool/tcfs.html is something I fly a lot for small field demos.

 

[neil_w]

Saucers are good. My 24mm Quinstar always puts on a nice show with a D12.

 

[Alan15578]

An Estes Saturn V,

 

[Back_at_it]

Mean Machine built stock using wood glue to keep it light is a nice slow flier that leaves the pad super slowly. Fly it on a D12-3

Big Bertha. When flown on a B6-4 it is a slow lift off with low altitude.

Super Big Bertha. Another low and slow flier on a D12-3. Just need to built it stock with attention to weight.

The Big Daddy on a C11-3 is a perfect small field rocket. Slow lift off and only about 200ft apogee.

 

[OC-Patrick]

Der Red Max on a B4-2

 

[jflis]

Decaffeinator, Frick-n-Frack. Both very good small field rockets that get attention

 

[BigMacDaddy]

Der Big Red Max can be launched on D12/E12 if you build it light...

 

[mjennings]

I'll end @jflis Frick n frack recommendation. It's not a large model but a 2 stage saucer is definitely a good low and slow show piece with a surprise. UFFO is a good one too.

 

[DigBaddy]

DBRM built stock on a Q-Jet E26-4. Loud and low.

 

[waltr]

Saucers or Spools are good.
My local club likes a large spool with an F67W for crowd pleasing attention getting.

 

[OKTurbo]

The Art Applewhite saucers and pyramids area always great. I'd like to try the 54mm Stealth. I've built and flown the 29mm Stealth and it's a blast! Super easy to build and cheap.
https://www.artapplewhite.com/free/index.htmlVideo linked from his website...

 

[jqavins]

The Big Daddy on a C11-3 is a perfect small field rocket. Slow lift off and only about 200ft apogee.

Big Daddy was my first thought. It's bigger diameter should make for good visibility. If you want even more visibility, double it's length with extra body tube.

Saucers, pyramids, and spools are good for the speed and altitude performance you're looking for, but if you want rocket club exposure, shouldn't you have a healthy proportion of rockets that look like rockets?

Whatever models you choose, use really vibrant paint, aluminized mylar streamers, and stuff like that. Tempera powder ejection markers. Make it flashy!

 

[BEC]

Mean Machine built stock using wood glue to keep it light is a nice slow flier that leaves the pad super slowly. Fly it on a D12-3

This is a great idea.

Big Bertha. When flown on a B6-4 it is a slow lift off with low altitude.

Super Big Bertha. Another low and slow flier on a D12-3. Just need to built it stock with attention to weight.

I just made this suggestion in the parallel thread on the NAR Members discussion board.

The Big Daddy on a C11-3 is a perfect small field rocket. Slow lift off and only about 200ft apogee.

That's an interesting idea.

I also suggested, on the NAR board, Boosted Bertha flown B6-0 to 1/2A6-2. Yes, it works. I've done it.

Also second the recommendations for Fliskits Frick-n-Frack. I use this one in demos myself and I generally don't let on it's two stages until after the flight.

 

[OC-Patrick]

Star Orbiter on a D12-3 - nice, slow, low and straight.

 

[jqavins]

Big Daddy was my first thought. It's bigger diameter should make for good visibility. If you want even more visibility, double it's length with extra body tube...

Whatever models you choose, use really vibrant paint, aluminized mylar streamers, and stuff like that. Tempera powder ejection markers. Make it flashy!

It occurs to me that I might be laboring under a false assumption. I'm picturing a launch from the football field with spectators in the bleachers. That's why I'm emphasizing visibility. If that's not the way it will be then, well, high visibility is still a good idea, just not as important.

 

[Sandy H.]

I agree a saucer or two can be good. If flying BP motors, follow the manufactrer's recommendation on booster motor or delay, as some saucers eject near or on the ground if there is a delay. If flying a composite motor, where the ejection charge can be removed, that can be a good option as well.

 

[K'Tesh]

Doesn't get much easier than these candy bowl rockets designed by the late George Gassaway

https://www.rocketryforum.com/threads/halloween-flying-saucer-model-for-little-over-a-dollar.70788/

 

[goose_in_co]

Low and Slow with lots of fire and smoke when you use a D12-0

Estes Hex-3 is a cardstock rocket with about the same flight profile.

Most of the Art Applewhite free designs will also work well, https://www.artapplewhite.com/
Click on the "Free Stuff" button


I Don't remember where I found this helicopter design, but it is a crowd pleaser. It uses a A10-PT.

Also the CD spool rockets are fun to fly. Several designs out there:
https://www.apogeerockets.com/education/downloads/Newsletter352.pdfhttp://modelrocketbuilding.blogspot.com/2011/08/spool-rocket-build-part-1-parts.html
And don't forget the Birdie!
https://www.apogeerockets.com/Rocket-Kits/Skill-Level-2-Model-Rocket-Kits/Birdie

 

[jqavins]

I suppose some one could downscale one of these:


But seriously, don't fail to include some rocket-shaped rockets.

 

[86mustang408w]

A Big Daddy with a D12-3 is always fun...And I've launched that on a very small high school baseball field many times, and still have it.



Or a Mega Der Red Max, Apogee Zephyr, etc...

 

[thecapotc]

The 4H club I run/ran has successfully launched and recovered both a LOC IV and an Apogee Zephyr on G motors in areas about the size of a little league field plus parking. Lots of smoke and fire and you can still see the 4' tall rocket at 800' quite easily.

 

[sed6]

Maxi Alpha III is a crowd favorite. This thread should be pinned, fun stuff!

 

[thecapotc]

The 4H club I run/ran has successfully launched and recovered both a LOC IV and an Apogee Zephyr on G motors in areas about the size of a little league field plus parking. Lots of smoke and fire and you can still see the 4' tall rocket at 800' quite easily.

Just as an update, the Zephyr probably veered into the area where you need to be L1 certified, but the LOC IV and a T-LOC 4 were both still big, fun, low and slow and stayed out of L1 territory with adapters, but be sure to check so you don't break the rules and get your club in trouble.

 

[bjphoenix]

The 4H club I run/ran has successfully launched and recovered both a LOC IV and an Apogee Zephyr on G motors in areas about the size of a little league field plus parking. Lots of smoke and fire and you can still see the 4' tall rocket at 800' quite easily.

I haven't done a sim but off the top of my head I would have thought a LOC IV would be too large for a G. I did L1 on a rocket that size with an H123 and got lots of comments that it would be more of a "lob" than a flight. I think it did fly well on the H123.
I've flown lots of BT60 rockets on B motors that were in the "lob" category. For a small field I think something like an Executioner on a D12 is not too bad, a little better than a "lob". For people used to watching Estes 18mm motors, the D12 puts on a good show. A good Aerotech G is fairly impressive.

 

[thecapotc]

I haven't done a sim but off the top of my head I would have thought a LOC IV would be too large for a G. I did L1 on a rocket that size with an H123 and got lots of comments that it would be more of a "lob" than a flight. I think it did fly well on the H123.

It was definitely more lob-ish than rocket flighty, but according to the tables I checked before getting it all set up apogee should have been right around 800ft for both the LOC IV and Zephyr. For what it's worth the Zephyr looked more rocket-y than the IV.

 

[Daddyisabar]

The DynaStar SHX on a D12 3 with the big stock Apogee chute was my school yard demo rocket. Big, fearsome, black Soviet airplane rocket going up. Nice slow descent and light rocket coming down.

 

[BABAR]

Anybody ever built and flown the Apogee Slo-Mo?

https://www.apogeerockets.com/Rocket-Kits/Skill-Level-3-Model-Rocket-Kits/Slo-Mo

 

[BEC]

I have not built one, but I have seen one in action at a launch. Very interesting model....probably the only one I know of that was designed specifically to win the NAR Drag Race event where the second and third points of the three awarded for a flight have directly conflicting requirements (lower altitude, last down).

Added: I might be wrong about it being designed for NAR drag race. But if I am, I can't recall the model that is/was.....