Best Educator's Pack?

[shreadvector]

Having helped with well over 10,000 student model rocket launches on school yards (with legal permits), I can tell you that A motor or 1/2A motor flights to 300 feet are *NOT* "Lame". They go up thirty stories high. The kids cannot see much past that distance. The rockets safely recover on the school yard. The kids are 100% excited and thrilled. ZERO children considered them "lame".

We did use B6-4 motors for the egglofters for the advanced kids in junior high and high school. They also went about 300 feet high. When these advanced students did boost gliders, I had them build CMR Manta clones and fly them with 1/2A6-2 or A8-3 motors.

For a demonstration model, many people use somthing in the Big Bertha/Betty size range with a B4-4 motor. It also only goes up a few hundred feet but it is larger and slower and it has a nice parachute.

naturally, if you have a super large school yard without neighbors or busy highways right up against the field boundary, then your field size might accommodate larger motor/higher altitude flights with the students far enough back to actually see the flights.

 

[Cougar93]

We're not limited to a school yard... so that opens up our options a little bit more.

 

[shinbone]

I would strongly suggest that with Cub Scout-aged children, you opt for a rocket with a single-piece plastic fin can.
Even though the parents will be helping, it's a tough task the first time you try to glue on individual balsa fins. Plus the waiting time for the glue to set can allow boredom to set in.
You could end up with lots of crooked fins or, worse yet, fins that peel away when you launch. And that could pose a hazard.
I did a build with younger Girl Scouts a while back with the Alpha III and the only concern was making sure all launch lugs were on straight and tacked down sufficiently.
I also pre-cut the slots where the engine hooks go into the motor mount tubes so that the kids didn't have to handle hobby knives.

 

[TWRackers]

Originally posted by shinbone
I would strongly suggest that with Cub Scout-aged children, you opt for a rocket with a single-piece plastic fin can.
Even though the parents will be helping, it's a tough task the first time you try to glue on individual balsa fins. Plus the waiting time for the glue to set can allow boredom to set in.
You could end up with lots of crooked fins or, worse yet, fins that peel away when you launch. And that could pose a hazard.
I did a build with younger Girl Scouts a while back with the Alpha III and the only concern was making sure all launch lugs were on straight and tacked down sufficiently.

Or choose a kit that comes with a fin-alignment jig, and use Super-Tacky Glue to put the fins on. I tried the stuff on my most recent build, and I was impressed how much easier it was to use than Elmer's White Glue.

 

[m85476585]

I disagree. I think that they should use Balsa fins. If they use plastic fins they don't have to align them or glue them on straight or anything. If their rockets don't fly straight or fins come off, then they know they did something wrong (or they do it again next time because they like to watch a rocket fly dangerously). The kids that have rockets that fly well will be proud of them and hopefully get into rocketry.

When I built rockets in my science class I thought mine was the best (I don't remember if it <i>really</i> was, but that's what I thought), but I also liked to watch ones that didn't fly right. If they are all the same (plastic fins) it is less exciting.

 

[shinbone]

Well, we'll have to agree to disagree.
I'd much rather raise the chance of success for each of the flyers.
The kids whose rockets didn't perform as well as some others could leave discouraged.

 

[RoyGreen]

Originally posted by m85476585
I disagree. I think that they should use Balsa fins. If they use plastic fins they don't have to align them or glue them on straight or anything. If their rockets don't fly straight or fins come off, then they know they did something wrong (or they do it again next time because they like to watch a rocket fly dangerously). The kids that have rockets that fly well will be proud of them and hopefully get into rocketry.

When I built rockets in my science class I thought mine was the best (I don't remember if it <i>really</i> was, but that's what I thought), but I also liked to watch ones that didn't fly right. If they are all the same (plastic fins) it is less exciting.

I'd agree if they were 9 or so, but IIRC these are six year olds. They don't quite have the skills needed. In fact, my preference is that rockets shouldn't be introduced to kids until age 9.

In a family situation, of course, where the whole family does rockets, six is okay.

 

[m85476585]

I guess if they are 6 plastic might be better. But they will be working with their parents, so either way might be OK.

 

[troj]

Originally posted by shinbone
Well, we'll have to agree to disagree.
I'd much rather raise the chance of success for each of the flyers.
The kids whose rockets didn't perform as well as some others could leave discouraged.

That's where I really like the Edmonds Aerospace Tinee for stuff like this. It's all balsa (except the motor tube and launch lug), so they have to assemble it, but it's REALLY tough to assemble it in such a way that it won't work.

I've seen 'em with motor tubes a little bit cockeyed, and they fly just fine.

-Kevin

 

[AKPilot]

Honestly, we wall want the kids to have the best experience, but does it really matter which kit - as long as they have a successful launch?

I haven't heard anyone mention anything, or any model, that would prevent this from happening.

(Just) Do it!

 

[JRThro]

Originally posted by Cougar93
We're not limited to a school yard... so that opens up our options a little bit more.

Cougar93, where will you be launching from?

 

[troj]

Originally posted by Cougar93
We're not limited to a school yard... so that opens up our options a little bit more.

Be careful about going too high -- one of the fastest ways to take the fun out of it for a young child is for them to lose their rocket on its first flight.

I think you're better off thinking small for what the kids fly, so they have their rocket to take home with them. Sprinkle in amongst theirs some flights of your own rockets with more performance, to give 'em the "wow!" factor, without risking their models.

-Kevin

 

[Cougar93]

I live in a sub-division pretty far away from the city of Houston. We have a very large area designed for baseball and soccer. There are fields around the soccer and baseball fields (planned for more fields in the future). For flights under 700 feet, if the wind is less than 10 MPH, it shouldn't be a problem.

As to the debate regarding balsa fins, I hate plastic parts and think it makes our hobby look cheap and simplistic. You can do balsa fins and keep it on a low skill level. The Astra kit has slots cut in the body tube. There's no harm in giving the kids a challenge. AND, since Scouting is a family activity, it's a good rocket since Mom and Dad really should help with assembly.