This post is pure opinion and story telling so take it with a grain of salt.
Circa 1061-1962 the age of Sputnik and “A-OK” was in full bloom. As a young teenager the feats of Goddard and Von Braun filled my head with hope and promise that rockets were indeed in my future. So, the first step in that quest I reasoned was to build one. After disastrous attempts to engineer rocket motors for what charitability were flying pipe bombs (we did dig kid sized WWI class trenches to survive the expected shrapnel) a new venture for young rocketeers emerged. An Estes catalogue came to the rescue. After a few mailing cycles cardboard tubes, balsa sheets and nose cones were everywhere in the house, and those little black powder rocket motors were a wonder.
Within days the adjoining farmers spotted scores of model rocket smoke arc skyward, but that was just the beginning. Soon experimentation ruled the day. Before CAD-CAM simulations, the Internet, and Tripoli Association Inc. local boys worked on exciting rocket designs that sprung from their imagination. Sometimes we did a “swing” test sometimes not. The “space movie look” was king. Hey if the model looks like a cross between a V-2 and a Viking missile, it will fly right? Well sometimes no. Cardboard and balsa wood became permanent a part of the rich farm soil. Three stage rockets (if they worked) flew so high and drifted so far the chance of recovery was statistically between zero and none.
Model rocket safety was spotty at best. As we began to buy larger motors, the failure rate of motors and airframes increased. I am sure it had nothing to do with transporting the black powder motors and builds in the basket of a bicycle right next to the 22-rifle ammunition for miles over county roads. If an Estes wire igniter would not “light the candle” the solution was quick and simple stick a fuse up the motor and run (Yes open pyrotechnic fuses were sold by model rocket motor vendors). Heck fear was fun and laughter at model rocket failures filled the air.
Within a few years the model rocket craze lost it’s luster but was never fully forgotten. Fast forward to the present as a desire was born in my seventy-second trip around the sun to return to an old hobby. A trip to the nearest hobby store netted the biggest Estes kit and motor I could find. A cursory glance at the instructions and purchase of what looked like really cool glue was all I thought I needed. My mindset was “been there done that” while glossing over the words “epoxy” in the instructions and later notes surfaced about “launch only in calm wind conditions”. In a brief afternoon the model was done and an old launch pad from grandchildren rocket days was resurrected.
In the process of looking for a launch site I began to review the National Association of Rockery (NAR) website. The effect was stunning. Oh my gosh was I out of step with current model rocket technologies and techniques. The more I read and digested information about modern model rocket safety procedures and methods the more I was convinced that simply buying kits and motors either retail or online would not work for me. The obvious solution was to find experienced and organized model rocketeers and commence the learning process in a more human yet structured way. The jury of practicality and reality combined with the fear of failure had spoken. My first build would never fly and was ultimately trashed. Lesson Number One-Safety First and Build Strong Second learned the expensive way.
The NAR website and magazine was invaluable. Books about model rocket building and safety were devoured. Soon linking up with experienced and dedicated rocketeers of the Wright Stuff Rocketeers Section 703 and WVSOAR NAR 564 clubs bore fruit. The advice was crisp and clear “start slow and grow”. I began to have a healthy respect for the very real “fear of failure” in Mid- Power and High-Power class rockets. New words with specific model rocket meanings entered my vocabulary- “CATO”, “Ballistic”, “Zipper”, “FAA Waiver”, and “RSO”. It was like drinking from a fire hose. My builds improved as the knowledge base widened. I marveled at the creativity of my mentors. From seven engine clusters to flying rocket creatures like the “Air-Shark” the club builds were amazing. The NAR sanctioned rocket club approach paid handsome dividends. The mantra was crystal clear learn and build with the best. In a relatively short order a successful L1 flight and certification attempt was achieved with solid support from club members enriching the model rocketry experience. For those that shared their time and experience I am truly grateful.
While the ultimate destination of High-Powered Rocketry may be a model rocket touching the edge of space the greater journey of model rocketry in all of its aspects begins here on earth. The circle is now complete for that boy of fourteen. Yes, rocketry is in my future as L2 or even L3 certifications loom on the horizon. I have begun to form a youth rocket building class at our local library to provide an introduction to model rocketry with no or little cost to the children. Sooner than I imagined the true glory of model rocketry shines bright and clear in a morning sky.
Circa 1061-1962 the age of Sputnik and “A-OK” was in full bloom. As a young teenager the feats of Goddard and Von Braun filled my head with hope and promise that rockets were indeed in my future. So, the first step in that quest I reasoned was to build one. After disastrous attempts to engineer rocket motors for what charitability were flying pipe bombs (we did dig kid sized WWI class trenches to survive the expected shrapnel) a new venture for young rocketeers emerged. An Estes catalogue came to the rescue. After a few mailing cycles cardboard tubes, balsa sheets and nose cones were everywhere in the house, and those little black powder rocket motors were a wonder.
Within days the adjoining farmers spotted scores of model rocket smoke arc skyward, but that was just the beginning. Soon experimentation ruled the day. Before CAD-CAM simulations, the Internet, and Tripoli Association Inc. local boys worked on exciting rocket designs that sprung from their imagination. Sometimes we did a “swing” test sometimes not. The “space movie look” was king. Hey if the model looks like a cross between a V-2 and a Viking missile, it will fly right? Well sometimes no. Cardboard and balsa wood became permanent a part of the rich farm soil. Three stage rockets (if they worked) flew so high and drifted so far the chance of recovery was statistically between zero and none.
Model rocket safety was spotty at best. As we began to buy larger motors, the failure rate of motors and airframes increased. I am sure it had nothing to do with transporting the black powder motors and builds in the basket of a bicycle right next to the 22-rifle ammunition for miles over county roads. If an Estes wire igniter would not “light the candle” the solution was quick and simple stick a fuse up the motor and run (Yes open pyrotechnic fuses were sold by model rocket motor vendors). Heck fear was fun and laughter at model rocket failures filled the air.
Within a few years the model rocket craze lost it’s luster but was never fully forgotten. Fast forward to the present as a desire was born in my seventy-second trip around the sun to return to an old hobby. A trip to the nearest hobby store netted the biggest Estes kit and motor I could find. A cursory glance at the instructions and purchase of what looked like really cool glue was all I thought I needed. My mindset was “been there done that” while glossing over the words “epoxy” in the instructions and later notes surfaced about “launch only in calm wind conditions”. In a brief afternoon the model was done and an old launch pad from grandchildren rocket days was resurrected.
In the process of looking for a launch site I began to review the National Association of Rockery (NAR) website. The effect was stunning. Oh my gosh was I out of step with current model rocket technologies and techniques. The more I read and digested information about modern model rocket safety procedures and methods the more I was convinced that simply buying kits and motors either retail or online would not work for me. The obvious solution was to find experienced and organized model rocketeers and commence the learning process in a more human yet structured way. The jury of practicality and reality combined with the fear of failure had spoken. My first build would never fly and was ultimately trashed. Lesson Number One-Safety First and Build Strong Second learned the expensive way.
The NAR website and magazine was invaluable. Books about model rocket building and safety were devoured. Soon linking up with experienced and dedicated rocketeers of the Wright Stuff Rocketeers Section 703 and WVSOAR NAR 564 clubs bore fruit. The advice was crisp and clear “start slow and grow”. I began to have a healthy respect for the very real “fear of failure” in Mid- Power and High-Power class rockets. New words with specific model rocket meanings entered my vocabulary- “CATO”, “Ballistic”, “Zipper”, “FAA Waiver”, and “RSO”. It was like drinking from a fire hose. My builds improved as the knowledge base widened. I marveled at the creativity of my mentors. From seven engine clusters to flying rocket creatures like the “Air-Shark” the club builds were amazing. The NAR sanctioned rocket club approach paid handsome dividends. The mantra was crystal clear learn and build with the best. In a relatively short order a successful L1 flight and certification attempt was achieved with solid support from club members enriching the model rocketry experience. For those that shared their time and experience I am truly grateful.
While the ultimate destination of High-Powered Rocketry may be a model rocket touching the edge of space the greater journey of model rocketry in all of its aspects begins here on earth. The circle is now complete for that boy of fourteen. Yes, rocketry is in my future as L2 or even L3 certifications loom on the horizon. I have begun to form a youth rocket building class at our local library to provide an introduction to model rocketry with no or little cost to the children. Sooner than I imagined the true glory of model rocketry shines bright and clear in a morning sky.
