Born Again after 40 years or so

[Bone Daddy]

I rediscovered rockets this summer while on summer break - teaching is great. I teach chemistry and plan to get a team together for the rocketry challenge.

This is the second rocket I built. Loosely based on a missile in the xbox game Army of Two. It flies great and is one of my favorite rockets to fly. So far all of the rockets I've built have been scratch built. So far all have been stable So far they've all been considered prototypes. So far none of the prototypes have become nicely finished rockets. So far they are all still pretty rough.

Thanks for letting me be a part of this group.


Bone Daddy

 

[Bill P]

Welcome back, Bone Daddy.

Interesting rocket... I like it.

 

[U812]

Resistance is futile.

Welcome back to the hive.

Steve

 

[tibadoe]

Nice job on your build and welcome back.

 

[jflis]

Welcome to TRF and welcome back to rocketry! You're going to love both

 

[luke strawwalker]

I rediscovered rockets this summer while on summer break - teaching is great. I teach chemistry and plan to get a team together for the rocketry challenge.

This is the second rocket I built. Loosely based on a missile in the xbox game Army of Two. It flies great and is one of my favorite rockets to fly. So far all of the rockets I've built have been scratch built. So far all have been stable So far they've all been considered prototypes. So far none of the prototypes have become nicely finished rockets. So far they are all still pretty rough.

Thanks for letting me be a part of this group.


Bone Daddy

Cool! Always good to see another BAR and another scratchbuilder! You'll be AMAZED at all the new stuff that's come along in the 20 years I've been out of the hobby, now back for 2...

If you really like scratchbuilding, like me, and you're used to the TLAR method (that looks about right) for sizing fins on scratchbuilds, then you'll LOVE RockSim-- check it out at www.apogeerockets.com under the 'software' tab! You can download a free 30 day trial version or buy the program outright. I love it! You can build darn near anything using it in the computer, print templates for fins and centering rings, check the CP/CG balance and stability of your models, and make changes to see how it changes the stability, and load different engines and test fly your model, all in the computer. You can also print out parts lists and stuff to order the parts you'll need to build anything you can dream up! Apogee gives first-rate customer service and they have a wide selection of rocketry related supplies, kits, engines, parts, books, etc. They have a great online newsletter and workshop video series on youtube as well.

Good luck and welcome back, and post plenty of pics of your builds! OL JR

 

[n5wd]

I rediscovered rockets this summer while on summer break - teaching is great. I teach chemistry and plan to get a team together for the rocketry challenge.

BD, welcome back! Yep, having a few weeks during the summer to pursue other activities is a great benefit, isn't it? I got back into rocketry by taking a Texas Tech Engineering outreach course a couple of summers ago, and have been incorporating rocketry into my engineering classes since. I also teach multimedia, so we manage to bring in the A-V productions, as well.

You'll have a gas with TARC - we started entering two years ago, and have had a team in the finals each year since. The first year, my all-girls team beat the guys out for 32nd nationwide ... last year, our guys were 20th after the first round and 14th after the second round of the national finals. That got us into the NASA-SLI program, which we're doing this year in addition to fielding two TARC team.

It's not too late to get a TARC team together for this year's contest, so you might consider doing it this year... November 30 is the deadline (unless they fill all 750 slots before then).

Yell, if you have any questions we might be able to help with, ok?

Wayne

 

[Bone Daddy]

Thanks for all the encouragement.

Without a doubt, the biggest change has been in igniters. I have 24 or so launches under my belt without a single igniter failing. I kept waiting - and even still watch each launch with at least a fading trepidation.

I swing test my rockets - old school eh? - before launching them. I used the trial version of RockSim to model this rocket - after it had already been built. It checked out fine and flew fine. I asked Santa to bring me a full fledged version for Christmas (as well as a sculpture of the Bride of Frankenstein, but that's a whole 'nother story). I downloaded the open source program and plan to mess around with it this weekend.

It started life fluorescent green which blended in perfectly with the green grass field I fly at - so it was reborn fluorescent pink. I also fly it as a two stage beast. B6-0 and a 1/2A6-2. It's also stable and great fun to fly. I do love those 1/2A's as second stage motors. All the fun of staging with less chance of losing the second stage.


Hey Wayne.

We met at a DARS launch a few months ago. The email you gave me didn't work for some reason. I am looking into a team, but need to start with a club first to shake things out.

Can you send me a private message so we can exchange emails?

 

[n5wd]

...We met at a DARS launch a few months ago. The email you gave me didn't work for some reason. I am looking into a team, but need to start with a club first to shake things out. Can you send me a private message so we can exchange emails?

Sure! Check your PM.

 

[bob jablonski]

Welcome back. the more the Merryer.
Mr. Bob
Starlight Dude
www.starlightrocketry.com

 

[cls]

love the xbox rocket!! that's a great design.

as you've already figured out, some stuff hasn't changed (igniters cough cough), but everything else is vastly superior now - we have glues that actually work and don't take a week to cure, better materials, big selection of motors ... really unbounded creativity in designs, and just a great bunch of vendors ... I think it was Jim Flis that said it - this really is the golden age of rocketry.

And all the old stuff is still available.

 

[Bone Daddy]

Here's a screen shot of the missile. My plan is to build a more true to image rocket one day.

Does anyone recognize the missile?

Looks kind of like a scud, but not really. My guess is that it is a real missile, but couldn't find a match with google. But honestly, didn't look that hard.

 

[powderburner]

Looks like something from a video game?

At least, it doesn't look like anything from the "real world" that I am familiar with.

Do you have any more pix? Views from another angle?

 

[Bone Daddy]

Here are some more angles. That mean looking SOB? That's me. The axis of evil in its entirety quakes at the mere mention of my name.

Also 2 closeups of my rocket.

 

[cls]

clearly derived from S-75 Divina / SA-2 Guideline - one of my all-time favorites

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:SA-2-Guideline-1-1.jpg

 

[MarkII]

Well, you've got me beat. I was only "away" for 33 years! Welcome back!

MarkII

 

[Bone Daddy]

Thank you . That is great looking missile.