Any Oddball Contest Ideas?

[JAL3]

My NAR section usually has a monthly informal contest. Many of these contests are based upon Pinkbook competitions but others are not. These are friendly events where the competition is ruthless and the sarcastic comments are worse but nobody takes it too seriously. As I said, these are not sanctioned events.

I like some of the oddball contest proposals and am solicitiing for more ideas. Keep in mind that these launches are mostly LPR.

Some of the ones we have come up with are:

Paper Rocket Beauty Pagent: rocket must be be made of paper or cardstock and is judged on appearance. It must make a qualifying flight.

Egg Scrambler: Its like an eggloft duration but the goal is to get the payload back on the ground as FAST as possible without damage. Tumble/streamer egglofters anyone?

MMX Original design: No kits and is judged on originality, appearance and must make a safe, recovered flight

Cluster Buster: Cluster a rocket. Use lots of motors. The more
motors, the more points. Fly it successfully. Unlit motors reduce
score by twice the number of unlit motors. Duration breaks the ties.

Staged Space Race: How many stages can you successfully deploy AND
get all the stages back.

Booster Duration: Its a timed competition but its the booster that gets timed and the Sustainer must ignite and be recovered. Staging from a G to MMX has proven problematical

These are a few ideas for the promotion of "thinking outside the box" Anyone out there have any great ideas?

 

[gpoehlein]

How about a "Classic Rocket Scale-up/Scale-Down" contest?

The idea would be to present either a scaled-up or scaled-down version of a classic Estes or Centuri rocket (could expand to other companies as well). Possibly make the cut-off around 1983 (the last year Centuri produced rockets) or 1985 just to round things off nicely.

 

[JAL3]

How about a "Classic Rocket Scale-up/Scale-Down" contest?

The idea would be to present either a scaled-up or scaled-down version of a classic Estes or Centuri rocket (could expand to other companies as well). Possibly make the cut-off around 1983 (the last year Centuri produced rockets) or 1985 just to round things off nicely.

Thanks for the suggestion and I'll pass it on. I have a BT60 based Vulcan that might be a contender.

 

[mswiggins]

www.sears572.com has had a lot of themed launches.
These are some I can remember.

Billiard ball loft... similar to bowling ball loft. I think we said E motor max.
Winner has longest flight duration.

Peep spot landing. The rocket eject candy Peeps (with streamer or chute) and you aim for a spot.

No parachute day...

Fatboy day... upscale and downscale Fatboys.

Tis the Season... Christmas themed rockets.

 

[JAL3]

www.sears572.com has had a lot of themed launches.
These are some I can remember.

Billiard ball loft... similar to bowling ball loft. I think we said E motor max.
Winner has longest flight duration.

Peep spot landing. The rocket eject candy Peeps (with streamer or chute) and you aim for a spot.

No parachute day...

Fatboy day... upscale and downscale Fatboys.

Tis the Season... Christmas themed rockets.

Thanks for the link. The billiard ball idea sounds interesting.

 

[AstronMike]

Well, I have been a proponent of Rocket Egg Glider over the years, this works as a combo of RG plus Egglofting. You must use a rocket glider that recovers in ONE piece while also carrying an egg as well. Its hard to do this on a D motor and not many guys even attempt this let alone do it successfully.

Along this line, back in 1994 I did fly an HPR RG that had multiple eggs in it, using an I motor but this is actually too easy at that scale.

Even farther off the path of insanity is Rocket Egg Flexie Glider, where you now must not only use an all up RG but it has to use flexible wings! Even I have had fits with this, as larger flexie RGs dont seem to like weight anyways and adding that egg/payload section gimps you badly.

My old club, the recently debanded THOR, used to have an annual Parachute Free Eggloft contest every April. I won just about all of these using streamers as egg gliders just dont do well on a single D12. Egg copters worked ok, but not nearly as well a designed streamer model. OH yeah, a whole lot easier too......

Might have to goad some guys into Rocket Egg Glider someday. Brian and Roger seem to build everything else......

 

[JAL3]

Well, I have been a proponent of Rocket Egg Glider over the years, this works as a combo of RG plus Egglofting. You must use a rocket glider that recovers in ONE piece while also carrying an egg as well. Its hard to do this on a D motor and not many guys even attempt this let alone do it successfully.

Along this line, back in 1994 I did fly an HPR RG that had multiple eggs in it, using an I motor but this is actually too easy at that scale.

Even farther off the path of insanity is Rocket Egg Flexie Glider, where you now must not only use an all up RG but it has to use flexible wings! Even I have had fits with this, as larger flexie RGs dont seem to like weight anyways and adding that egg/payload section gimps you badly.

My old club, the recently debanded THOR, used to have an annual Parachute Free Eggloft contest every April. I won just about all of these using streamers as egg gliders just dont do well on a single D12. Egg copters worked ok, but not nearly as well a designed streamer model. OH yeah, a whole lot easier too......

Might have to goad some guys into Rocket Egg Glider someday. Brian and Roger seem to build everything else......

Egg gliders? Wow. That is out of the box, er, carton. I'd like to see that!

 

[Gillard]

how about a distance competition.
a rocket has to split into at least two separate parts.
when they land, the distance between the two parts is measured, greatest distance wins.
(parasite gliders work well here)

 

[JAL3]

how about a distance competition.
a rocket has to split into at least two separate parts.
when they land, the distance between the two parts is measured, greatest distance wins.
(parasite gliders work well here)

That's an interesting idea. It's different enough to appeal and yet easy enough to garner some participation.

 

[Gillard]

That's an interesting idea. It's different enough to appeal and yet easy enough to garner some participation.

but you need a really long tape measure - I used a trundle wheel.

 

[Peartree]

I've seen some folk find new and interesting ways to warp ordinary contests.

Try MMX parachute duration or D, E, F, or G streamer duration.

Look at the usual contests and let your warped side free...

 

[Pem Tech]

Egg Scrambler: Its like an eggloft duration but the goal is to get the payload back on the ground as FAST as possible without damage. Tumble/streamer egglofters anyone?



OOHHHHH
How about a low altitude eggloft along the same lines?
That would be fun to see.

 

[Pem Tech]

"Egg Scrambler: Its like an eggloft duration but the goal is to get the payload back on the ground as FAST as possible without damage. Tumble/streamer egglofters anyone?"



OOHHHHH
How about a low altitude high duration eggloft?
That would be fun to see.

 

[JAL3]

but you need a really long tape measure - I used a trundle wheel.

We happen to have one of those for our spot landings.

 

[JAL3]

I've seen some folk find new and interesting ways to warp ordinary contests.

Try MMX parachute duration or D, E, F, or G streamer duration.

Look at the usual contests and let your warped side free...

SHE WHO MUST BE OBEYED objects strenuously to any mention of freeing my warped side.

We won't tell her!

 

[JAL3]

"Egg Scrambler: Its like an eggloft duration but the goal is to get the payload back on the ground as FAST as possible without damage. Tumble/streamer egglofters anyone?"



OOHHHHH
How about a low altitude high duration eggloft?
That would be fun to see.

We've never done an altitude competition because we don't have the equipment/people to do it right.

Besides, a tape measure often works for me.

 

[gpoehlein]

I've seen some folk find new and interesting ways to warp ordinary contests.

Try MMX parachute duration or D, E, F, or G streamer duration.

Look at the usual contests and let your warped side free...

I suppose there is always G Superroc - oh wait, we did that last year!

 

[Pem Tech]

We've never done an altitude competition because we don't have the equipment/people to do it right.

Besides, a tape measure often works for me.

Require an altimeter....

 

[JAL3]

Try MMX parachute duration or D, E, F, or G streamer duration.

Look at the usual contests and let your warped side free...

What about... A MMX Cluster Eggloft!!!!!!!!!

 

[BsSmith]

What about a no fins competition? The rocket that flies the highest with no fins wins!

"look ma, no fins!"

 

[JAL3]

What about a no fins competition? The rocket that flies the highest with no fins wins!

"look ma, no fins!"

Now that sounds cool and VERY exciting!

 

[Peartree]

What about a no fins competition? The rocket that flies the highest with no fins wins!

"look ma, no fins!"

Hardhats and face shields required...

 

[sailmike]

How about one that does the most loops wins?

Mike

 

[brianc]

Most of our informal events/launch themes tend to follow Pink Book
events (serves to introduce newcomers to NAR competition). But in February
ROCK, Section 622 is having a 'Build the ROCK Rocket' event.

This started with our club logo, but evolved into "pick any club logo with a rocket
and build it. Judging done on best reproduction, construction and finish, and
flight stability/performance."

 

[JAL3]

Most of our informal events/launch themes tend to follow Pink Book
events (serves to introduce newcomers to NAR competition). But in February
ROCK, Section 622 is having a 'Build the ROCK Rocket' event.

This started with our club logo, but evolved into "pick any club logo with a rocket
and build it. Judging done on best reproduction, construction and finish, and
flight stability/performance."

I'd say most of our contests are informal versions of Pink Book competitions but I really like the odd ones. I get to see novel approaches to solving problems.

 

[jflis]

Egg Scrambler: Its like an eggloft duration but the goal is to get the payload back on the ground as FAST as possible without damage. Tumble/streamer egglofters anyone?



OOHHHHH
How about a low altitude eggloft along the same lines?
That would be fun to see.

There you go...

...egg-lofting saucers...

Another idea is an old classic, Kit-Bash. Everyone gets the same kit and the only rules are that you can build anything EXCEPT the kit as shown on the cover AND you can use any/every thing in the bag, including all the paper (cover art, header card, instructions, etc) in the build.

Designs are judged based on imagination, appearance, flight performance, etc.

jim

 

[JAL3]

There you go...

...egg-lofting saucers...

Another idea is an old classic, Kit-Bash. Everyone gets the same kit and the only rules are that you can build anything EXCEPT the kit as shown on the cover AND you can use any/every thing in the bag, including all the paper (cover art, header card, instructions, etc) in the build.

Designs are judged based on imagination, appearance, flight performance, etc.

jim

That sounds like a good one especially for some kids.

Thanks

 

[FlyBack]

...Last man standing wins.

Rules:

1. Everyone uses the same kit and it must survive until the end (no substitutions).

2. Drag race start - launch in heats of at least 5 (or more).

3. Last glider on the ground wins the heat.

4. Contest winner must fly at least twice.

5. No spitting, kicking, biting, or eye gouging (although almost as much fun, this isn't a knife fight).


Regards,

FlyBack

 

[BsSmith]

Now that sounds cool and VERY exciting!

Monocopters, cone fins, saucers, and spinning fan rockets encouraged!

 

[brianc]

...egg-lofting saucers...

LOL!

I wonder how many eggs can be stuffed into the
coffee cups of my UFFO and still get some altitude???


mmmmm, maybe if I use my 18mm D24 RMS....