Gooneydent G

Sunday I got to launch the Estes Red Flare on an E12-6 and my Gooneydent G on a D12-5! Much fun and sorely needed relief from craziness in the world today. Love rocketry!!

Ok, someone has to dig up the story behind the word "Gooneydent" because even Google, with a grand total of 48 results (forty-eight units of "1"), couldn't help me.

Funkworks said:

Ok, someone has to dig up the story behind the word "Gooneydent" because even Google, with a grand total of 48 results (forty-eight units of "1"), couldn't help me.

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Goonified Estes Trident.

kuririn said:

Goonified Estes Trident.

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Although factual, may not complete his understanding. Probably should explain Goon-scale and its origins as well. Not everyone knows the special languages in all corners of rocketry

Ah, yes. Perhaps I presume too much.
These are the original Estes "Goonybirds". Goonies for short.

https://www.ninfinger.org/rockets/catalogs/estes73/73est16.html
Typically uses a BT-60 size tube and Baby Bertha type nose cone.
Hallmark features are a short, stretched squatty body and blunt nose cone.
Cloners and Scratch builders have turned this into an entire genre of model rockets.
This thread:
https://www.rocketryforum.com/threads/goony.102187/
And this gallery:
https://www.rocketryforum.com/threads/goony-gallery.29022/
can explain it much better than I.

Edit: Meh, might as well throw this in. My Excelsior Honest Goon, in primer awaiting sanding, paint and decals.

...and you can make short, fat "cartoon" interpretations of other designs. Hence, a "goonified" Trident would be a Goonydent. Excelsior Rocketry/Sandman Decals used to sell plans and decals to make a number of these, including the Goonydent.

Generally one started with a Baby Bertha kit (or two for the Trident and Apogee II goonies) to make these.

Sadly now that Gordon can't print decals any more, these aren't currently available.

Don’t forget the Semeoc series. I think Carl made five or six. Saki was one of my favorites. And there was ghad, baby nuke, and a few others

The Semroc kits were called "Groonies", and were slightly larger in diameter (1.8", I believe).
Also they were powered by a larger motor, 18mm vs 13mm for the original Goonies.

While I'm at it I might as well plug two "Gooniesque" kits: Odd'l Rockets Little Green Man and Pigasus.

Ok got it. I’d seen “goonies” here before. Reminiscent of “super deformed” Japanese mechs. And bobble heads.

kuririn said:

The Semroc kits were called "Groonies", and were slightly larger in diameter (1.8", I believe).
Also they were powered by a larger motor, 18mm vs 13mm for the original Goonies.

While I'm at it I might as well plug two "Gooniesque" kits: Odd'l Rockets Little Green Man and Pigasus.

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FWIW Gordon Agnello's Goony plans all used 18mm motors (or at least plans I've gotten - Goony Goblin, Apogoon, Goony Max). I'm sure the Goonydent is also 18mm.

BEC said:

FWIW Gordon Agnello's Goony plans all used 18mm motors (or at least plans I've gotten - Goony Goblin

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Ed Chess of the Fox Valley Rocketeers has one of those he's flown over 60 times!

Ok guys, I would have elaborated on the Gooneydent G, but I've had it so long I'd forgotten where it came from. It must have been a Sandman design with decals! Yes it's based on the Trident with vented tube ejection...really goes on a D12 motor!

Funkworks said:

Ok got it. I’d seen “goonies” here before. Reminiscent of “super deformed” Japanese mechs. And bobble heads.

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And Hasegawa egg planes.