3...2...1...wow...!!!

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Steward

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Man...I don't where to start...!!!

My 9yr old son came to me yesterday and asked for a new rocket...He said..."one i have to build dad...none of that plastic junk...

Wow...!!! out of nowhere...!!! Don't get me wrong...he's been around rockets all of his life (has several of his own RTF's)...he enjoys going to field and launching them most...really enjoys having friends go with us...you know...a great time to be a kid...

I of course dropped everything and out the door we went...I even forgot to tell his mom where we were going...Went for an "ALPHA"...saw one the other day...(all original paper and wood you know), but of course it was not to be found...So, he bought...I bought...a "WIZZARD"...

I told him as we walked in the door...that he was on his own...but that I'd be there if and when he felt like he needed me....I don't know who had more pride at that moment...

After checking out the model we decided to go with a heavier fin stock...everyone wish him luck. We'll post progress reports soon....

Life is good....Steward
 
My son will be 19 next week, and in spite of the fact that he has seen me building RC models and rockets literally all of his life, he is still (as eugenefl puts it) an "e-kid," or as I put it, part of the "instant gratification" generation. He definitely likes to go and launch rockets or fly RC planes, but he has zero, zip, zilch, nada interest in the "building" phase.

The only things I ever saw him take an interest in working on were his paintball markers and, once in a while, his car.

It was very gratifying to read your post, to know that there might still be kids that will seek to build, not just to fly. Unfortunately, I think those kinds of kids are becoming *extremely* rare.
 
good luck and congratulations! That has *got* to be a very rewarding feeling. It will also be rewarding for your son when he builds it and flys it too!

Be sure to post pix and *be sure* to invite him to read this thread with you. I think he will be pleasently surprise and tickled pink at the responses :)

jim
 
That's really super news Steward!
Another newbie YOUTH...this is what it's all about!!! The good ol'e boy Geezers (myself included) are getting pretty rickety.. need new blood to chase down those drifters:D:D
 
Steward you are a lucky lucky man in this day and age. There are so few families it seems that have common interests, this must make you very proud. Not only because you son wants to build a rocket (good reason) but because you son wants to do things with you and share a common bond. Congratulations.
 
I am only one-for-three among my kids at finding any interest in building (or flying) rockets. Oh well, I guess that's why God makes us all a little different, so we won't get bored.
 
You've got an exceptional boy. Most of the kids I come in contact with have no appreciation of the building phase of anything. I also build styrene sci-fi models, and it never fails
that after almost every christmas I get a call from my cousin asking me to build the model that they got thier son. He wants the finished product, but no desire to build......
 
That is great!! I sure hope he stays with it!!

I have many nieces and nephews. A number have come out to launch with me, and several have expressed a desire for their own rockets. I tel them: Draw a picture of a rocket, and then we will build it". Depending on their ages, each requires more or less help in building, but they all have thir own rockets that they all designd and at least assisted in building.

All of the interested ones get kits from me for their birthdays as well.


Here is a link to some photos of the kid's rockets:

https://towrowrow.tripod.com/astronboy/id9.html
 
Three and a half years ago I joined the Big Brother program and I was matched up with Nate (12 years old at the time) He's 15 now and the first thing he says when he comes to my house is.

"What rocket can we build?"

sandman
 


Well...this didn't take long....

I got home yesterday and this is what he had done....
The engine block is off just a tad...nothing too bad...It was his decision to modify (change?) the fins...I'm certainly not going to complain...except I didn't get any video of him working....

going now to fillet the fins...he wants to paint it tomorrow...
I don't remember ever building one this fast...except maybe when I was his age...LOL
 
Nothing like sharing this hobby with your kids :) I am learning more and more about mine as we build and fly together :)
 
Originally posted by Steward


FINS close up...

Steward, I wish I could find pictures of my friend's original <a href="https://www.ninfinger.org/~sven/rockets/catalogs/estes91/91est16.html">Estes Wizard</a>. When we were about 8 or 9 years old his favorite kit was the Wizard and mine was the <a href="https://www.ninfinger.org/~sven/rockets/catalogs/estes91/91est12.html">Estes Yankee</a>. We would fly them regularly on C6-7s and watch them vanish! At the time, he had two Wizards. One he built one to kit specs and the other just as you have it pictured here. It flew just fine! As a precaution, you may want to coat the fins in yellow glue or CyA. If your son is handling the glue I certainly wouldn't suggest he mess with the CyA *at all*. That stuff has some serious fumes and the potential for skin to be adhered is high. I doubt you'll get a fin to split, but as Doug mentioned the balsa tends to be weaker with the grain runs parallel to the body tube. (Or, there is a greater possibility of snapping a fin with the grain in this direction.)

Great work! Now, for Christmas run out and get him an Estes Big Bertha or FlisKits Rhino. He'll think it's HUGE! Nice job on encouraging the kids!
 
Originally posted by Steward
Well...this didn't take long....


Boy that looks great.......... I do not have a son, but my daughter loves to watch me work on my rockets...... Maybe in a few years she will ask for her own rocket (she is only 4)
 
Yup, mine watched wistfully as my son and I built rockets...here she is (at 6) sanding the fins on the big streak I showed earlier.


(ok enough proud pappa stuff)
 


I'm not too proud...The little guy has done a great job so far...beefed up the fins last night...Too cold to paint today so now we wait...patience is one of the toughest things to teach...
 
Stew:
Be sure to tell him what a great job he's doing.. I've flown my wizzard for a long time. It's still one of those old stand-by's "check the completion date" when ya just need a quick fun flight:D
 
I like the way the fins look!

This "Wizard" rocket design with the alternate fin arrangement should fly stable on A and B motors. However, if you want to fly it on a C motors or larger I suggest adding about 1/2 ounce of nose weight (clay) especially if you used a heavier fin stock. I don't recommend flying this model on C motors though (max altitude over 1500 ft AGL); I lost quite a few Wizards that way!

See attached RockSim 5 file that you can open with the demo version of the software available from the Apogee Rockets web site.

Bruce S. Levison, NAR #69055
 


Thanks Bruce...the rocsim is great....one step ahead of you on the nose weight.....

Little guy is getting a "BIG BERTHA" for his birthday tomorrow...
That'll impress the neighborhood kids...LOL
 
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