I have been wondering what exactly will cause me to become un-addicted now, if anything. Hard to envision...
First model rocket experience
- Thread starter tmazanec1
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Would have been around 1965 as I was in 5th grade. The rich kid in the class brought in a model rocket---don't recall which one---and launched it. I was hooked immediately. Pestered Mom & Dad enough to get a couple of Astron Streaks (forerunner of the Mosquito) for me and my brother, and a pack of 1/4A motors. Parents were pissed when they found out you could only use the motors once...
Finally launched mine and lost it. Bro never launched his. I quickly became the model rocket addict of the school.
Finally launched mine and lost it. Bro never launched his. I quickly became the model rocket addict of the school.
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Totally agree! I can't imagine losing interest!
It was sometime in 1967 - went with a buddy to watch some guys at the park shoot off some rockets. Got me hooked! Went home and convinced my Dad to get some. We ordered the Skyhook and Arcas - got a free Gyroc for ordering!
Got the Skyhook and Arcas built - first time at park - shot off the Skyhook first with a good flight and recovery. Next was the Arcas ( it had 2 small launch lugs at upper & lower parts of body). The upper lug broke off going up the rod and it did a 90 degree turn and then burrowed into the ground. Bent up the tube just a little. I still have the Arcas to this day - having repaired the lug and flew several more times successfully. Someday I may fly it again after replacing the shock cord.
Steve
Got the Skyhook and Arcas built - first time at park - shot off the Skyhook first with a good flight and recovery. Next was the Arcas ( it had 2 small launch lugs at upper & lower parts of body). The upper lug broke off going up the rod and it did a 90 degree turn and then burrowed into the ground. Bent up the tube just a little. I still have the Arcas to this day - having repaired the lug and flew several more times successfully. Someday I may fly it again after replacing the shock cord.
Steve
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Late 60's to 1970. Local hobby shop got some Estes kits, and being big on the Apollo program several of us from the neighborhood bought kits. No guidance but we got them together and they all flew. Mine was the V-2. We just flew in the front yard with trees all through the neighborhood. We didn't care and my brother was a good tree climber. Lost several and just went and picked up something new. Not sure if we did it from day 1, but we eventually ran extension cords from behind the couch in the living room. On the 2nd cord we cut off the receptacle, stripped the wires and attached alligator clips. On the countdown, at zero, you just plugged the 2nd cord into the first cord. Never had much trouble getting ignitors to light on 110 volts. 
1971 I got a driver license and we could drive to a much better launch field and had a launcher we could run off the car battery. One neighbor kid bought a mosquito and launched it at night with a C6. We thought there was going to be a shoot star effect, but of course it was pffft, and it was gone. Good times.
1971 I got a driver license and we could drive to a much better launch field and had a launcher we could run off the car battery. One neighbor kid bought a mosquito and launched it at night with a C6. We thought there was going to be a shoot star effect, but of course it was pffft, and it was gone. Good times.Late 60's to 1970. Local hobby shop got some Estes kits, and being big on the Apollo program several of us from the neighborhood bought kits. No guidance but we got them together and they all flew. Mine was the V-2. We just flew in the front yard with trees all through the neighborhood. We didn't care and my brother was a good tree climber. Lost several and just went and picked up something new. Not sure if we did it from day 1, but we eventually ran extension cords from behind the couch in the living room. On the 2nd cord we cut off the receptacle, stripped the wires and attached alligator clips. On the countdown, at zero, you just plugged the 2nd cord into the first cord. Never had much trouble getting ignitors to light on 110 volts.
Ha! I did the same thing (in the late 1960's) with the 120 volt AC launch hook up. It never failed to lauch in a fraction of a second. At some point, I wired up a momentary push button switch, in the name of safety (in case I forgot and left it plugged in). ;o)
probably when I was in middle school like 9th grade I think? I remember building ESTES Der Red Max. There was a hobby shop 3 miles from my house. I use to ride my bike down there to buy rockets etc. I think I paid something like $3.99 for that kit.Funny it flew great. All we had back then was sand paper school glue and hobby knife. no Primer and whatever paint we found laying around we used. Rockets would be built in hours not days. My neighbor had the ESTES SV and at the time I think he said he paid $19.99 for the kit. Not sure if he ever finished building it, but I never remember him launching it.
gldknght
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I lived in Wisconsin in the early 70's. My uncle came out from Milwaukee and flew small rockets in our front yard. My brother and I thought the whole idea was to catch the rockets before they could hit the ground! A couple moves later found us in Minnesota living on 40 acres of farm land. I was around 12 at the time, my first "built it myself" rocket was the Challenger 2 starter set.
I never really lost interest in rockets, but had other priorities for a couple decades, until I discovered Hpr. Now living in Nebraska, I have more low power rockets than hpr ones, and my son is into lpr also. We fly mostly during the spring and fall when the fields are empty.
I never really lost interest in rockets, but had other priorities for a couple decades, until I discovered Hpr. Now living in Nebraska, I have more low power rockets than hpr ones, and my son is into lpr also. We fly mostly during the spring and fall when the fields are empty.
Around 1979 my dad had a friend whose CB handle was "rocket man". One day we visited his home and he had 3 rockets hanging from the ceiling. An Omega, andromeda and I forget the 3rd. When I found out you could launch these and get them back over and over again I was hooked! The next day I begged dad to bring me to the hobby shop. I got a der red max and skylab (I think, had a ring at the base n was on the catalog cover). On a cool note, rocket man moved to California and gave me the Omega and andromeda. Andromeda lawn darted on the first flight.
milehigh
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August 1969...
A neighborhood buddy took me with him to a large model rocket meet going on at the Air Force Academy near Colorado Springs. Turns out it was NARAM 11. I didn't actually start building and flying rockets until 1973. Became very active in a local club and the NAR. Check out my blog listed below for a lot more details about all of this...
A neighborhood buddy took me with him to a large model rocket meet going on at the Air Force Academy near Colorado Springs. Turns out it was NARAM 11. I didn't actually start building and flying rockets until 1973. Became very active in a local club and the NAR. Check out my blog listed below for a lot more details about all of this...
jlabrasca
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From another thread
https://www.rocketryforum.com/threads/your-story.149177/#post-1831111
and another
https://www.rocketryforum.com/threads/estes-k-11-wac-corporal-clone.143903/#post-1751612
and another
https://www.rocketryforum.com/threads/what-was-your-first-rocket.84796/page-3#post-1760906
if anyone is inclined to compare those posts:
1) You have a LOT of time on your hands
2) A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds. R.W. Emerson
I am well-along in rocket de-tox. My kid brought me back to the hobby, and my interest waxes and wanes with hers -- but it is an expensive and time-intensive hobby (at the HPR end). The road trips out to the desert are fun, and really hard to fit in an already crowded schedule. If all goes to plan (it won't) I will fly a few big rockets this year, and maybe complete one complex rocket project. Complex projects are more engaging, but present a very narrow risk-reward margin (it is more stressful than exciting for me to send up $100s worth of electronics on a 100-person-hour rocket loaded with a $100 motor). While I've got a lot of rocket-related stuff I want to do (for instance, I have an idea for a no-adhesive field-buildable rocket kit that we could hand out to kids who come to the club LPR launches), it is starting to feel like rockets are in the way of other interests.
https://www.rocketryforum.com/threads/your-story.149177/#post-1831111
and another
https://www.rocketryforum.com/threads/estes-k-11-wac-corporal-clone.143903/#post-1751612
and another
https://www.rocketryforum.com/threads/what-was-your-first-rocket.84796/page-3#post-1760906
if anyone is inclined to compare those posts:
1) You have a LOT of time on your hands
2) A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds. R.W. Emerson
I am well-along in rocket de-tox. My kid brought me back to the hobby, and my interest waxes and wanes with hers -- but it is an expensive and time-intensive hobby (at the HPR end). The road trips out to the desert are fun, and really hard to fit in an already crowded schedule. If all goes to plan (it won't) I will fly a few big rockets this year, and maybe complete one complex rocket project. Complex projects are more engaging, but present a very narrow risk-reward margin (it is more stressful than exciting for me to send up $100s worth of electronics on a 100-person-hour rocket loaded with a $100 motor). While I've got a lot of rocket-related stuff I want to do (for instance, I have an idea for a no-adhesive field-buildable rocket kit that we could hand out to kids who come to the club LPR launches), it is starting to feel like rockets are in the way of other interests.
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Mr Rocket
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In 1973 I received an Aeronautics Kit for Christmas that was in the Sears catalog that year
In the kit were 2 rockets, one was launched by a slingshot and had a trap door on the side that the parachute came out of
The other was an 18mm minimum diameter rocket with a small parachute and one black powder motor. The launch system was included, but you needed to provide your own block of wood for the base of the launch rod, and your own wire for the launch controller that you needed to assemble yourself. As I recall, it took longer to make the controller than the rocket. Never the less, I was hooked.
I started saving my money to buy rockets at the local Gold Circle Department store, as well as from the Estes catalog. We had a park right across the street from our house with very few trees. It was about 1200' long and ranged from 500' to 800' wide. I would launch rockets there all through the 70's and early 80's. I remember taking my grandfather over with me to watch me launch rockets. He was born in a log cabin in the 1800's with no electricity or running water. I think it blew his mind to watch a 10 year old kid launching rockets.
In the kit were 2 rockets, one was launched by a slingshot and had a trap door on the side that the parachute came out of
The other was an 18mm minimum diameter rocket with a small parachute and one black powder motor. The launch system was included, but you needed to provide your own block of wood for the base of the launch rod, and your own wire for the launch controller that you needed to assemble yourself. As I recall, it took longer to make the controller than the rocket. Never the less, I was hooked.
I started saving my money to buy rockets at the local Gold Circle Department store, as well as from the Estes catalog. We had a park right across the street from our house with very few trees. It was about 1200' long and ranged from 500' to 800' wide. I would launch rockets there all through the 70's and early 80's. I remember taking my grandfather over with me to watch me launch rockets. He was born in a log cabin in the 1800's with no electricity or running water. I think it blew his mind to watch a 10 year old kid launching rockets.
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