ThreeJsDad
Well-Known Member
I struggled with the title so I am sure I will stumble through the rest of this. FIRST and FOREMOST this is not meant to start arguments but simply as a fun discussion based on an observation I have made about what draws me to rocketry. Even more specifically what I like to build and watch fly.
I find myself more interested in Odd Rocks, saucers and goofy rockets these days. This may be because I love to build, design and sort out fabrication problems. They are never simple builds and most of the time there is no kit or even pre-made parts I can use.
I like to watch videos of club launches or large events. After about six K motors or my third O motor I start looking for Odd Rocks or kids flying their LPRs.
I believe this is because most of the action with the big HPRs happens before the pad and when the recovery system fires. I say this because for me the actually burn is really cool the first time I saw one or if I have not seen one for a while. However, all the details and work that goes into that launch prior to it going to the pad will always be impressive to me.
The attention to detail that is required to fly L2 rockets with DD and other systems such as staging is no joke. The folks who can scratch build something like that have put in some serious time and a lot of mental effort to get that right. I think if they showed more of the set-up and prep that goes into the more advanced HPR's they would be more interesting to me on the videos.
Then I have the issue of how far away all the action is. I like watching the whole launch from the pad all the way back to the ground. With those massive two stage beasts that simply is not possible in many cases. These rockets simply fly too high to "experience" the whole flight. Flying that high can also be cool in it's own right.
Now we have the kids, their enthusiasm for even a C motor gives me a huge smile. I was watching a video of a club in Australia. These were mostly HPR's and then they let a little kid push the button for his C powered rocket. He was literally bouncing with excitement when it launched. When the chute popped the level of excitement went even higher.
Most of the HPR's are are very traditional looking because they are optimized for speed and altitude. There are also some extreme forces involved that require certain materials and methods that can make Odd Rockets not really practical. I realize there are a few HPRs that are non traditional but there are not very many and I have not seen an kits for them.
I am still very much like the little kid. Every launch is cool but when I can watch the whole thing it's even more exciting.
I find myself more interested in Odd Rocks, saucers and goofy rockets these days. This may be because I love to build, design and sort out fabrication problems. They are never simple builds and most of the time there is no kit or even pre-made parts I can use.
I like to watch videos of club launches or large events. After about six K motors or my third O motor I start looking for Odd Rocks or kids flying their LPRs.
I believe this is because most of the action with the big HPRs happens before the pad and when the recovery system fires. I say this because for me the actually burn is really cool the first time I saw one or if I have not seen one for a while. However, all the details and work that goes into that launch prior to it going to the pad will always be impressive to me.
The attention to detail that is required to fly L2 rockets with DD and other systems such as staging is no joke. The folks who can scratch build something like that have put in some serious time and a lot of mental effort to get that right. I think if they showed more of the set-up and prep that goes into the more advanced HPR's they would be more interesting to me on the videos.
Then I have the issue of how far away all the action is. I like watching the whole launch from the pad all the way back to the ground. With those massive two stage beasts that simply is not possible in many cases. These rockets simply fly too high to "experience" the whole flight. Flying that high can also be cool in it's own right.
Now we have the kids, their enthusiasm for even a C motor gives me a huge smile. I was watching a video of a club in Australia. These were mostly HPR's and then they let a little kid push the button for his C powered rocket. He was literally bouncing with excitement when it launched. When the chute popped the level of excitement went even higher.
Most of the HPR's are are very traditional looking because they are optimized for speed and altitude. There are also some extreme forces involved that require certain materials and methods that can make Odd Rockets not really practical. I realize there are a few HPRs that are non traditional but there are not very many and I have not seen an kits for them.
I am still very much like the little kid. Every launch is cool but when I can watch the whole thing it's even more exciting.
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