Cub Scouts - Bear Den Rocket Project

[jorpet]

OK, have to admit that I have been slower than slow in getting this posted.

I decided last year that the first thing we would do this year as a Bear den was a rocket build and launch. After looking at and building several different rockets I decided on the Triskelion as the rocket to build. I ordered the rockets from Jim back in August and had them all ready to go when we started up in September.

The build on these took three week nights over about a month and a half due to other meeting agendas that had to take precedence. My older son came each build meeting and helped out which was HUGE, since the parents of some of the kids where, well, um, useless when it came to even gluing things.

It was a lot of fun, but with all the work my son and I had to help with we didn't get any build pictures. Just some with the rockets done/ mostly done.

Then we planned a launch at a small park that the whole pack was doing a hike at. That way a lot of the other boys got to see the rockets fly as well. During the launch a photographer from our small neighborhood newspaper stopped by and liked the launch so much that we actually made it into the paper that week.

First picture is after the boys had painted their rockets.

Second Pic is at the launch

 

[jorpet]

I have to admit that this rocket has really impressed me. It was an easy enough build for all of the first time builders. It flies amazingly well. I also think it is a cool looking rocket. In fact, so cool that I haven't been able to relegate it to the rocket table down in the work room yet. It still sits on my desk...

The blue and yellow rocket was built and painted by my older son. The bright one is the one I built with them.

 

[jorpet]

Finally, the picture from the newspaper.

 

[NjCo]

So did you get all the rockets back after launch? Those are some BIG trees not far behind you! Hope all went well.

 

[jorpet]

I was trying to leave that part out...

The field is more like a football field (actually about two fields long), but narrow. We got all of the rockets back on the first flights on A8-3s. I then gave the kids the option of another A8-3 or a B motor. Some opted for the A's again and were recovered fine.

The way it was working was the A's were not putting the rockets higher than the trees and they were landing about 20-30 feet from the pads. Then my older son tried his on a B and it went well above the trees, but a south wind just pushed it to the far end of the field. I tried mine and it landed about half way down the field.

Well a couple of the boys decided they wanted to do B's as well (risking losing one into the trees). The first one goes up and WHAM it goes due east... Well the field is narrow and it of course went into the trees. Another boy still thought is worth the risk and so we pointed the rocket towards the west, still went way, way east.

So we lost two rockets (which I replaced). The boys were very good after losing their rockets knowing that they had risked them on a small field with increasing wind.

Still, want them all to have a rocket in the spring and we will go to 60 Acres park and launch them where we can use C motors without concern.

 

[jflis]

I love the shots of the kids with their rockets

Looks like they had the time of their lives! Great job and thanks for keeping us posted on your project.

jim

 

[dragon_rider10]

Now this, to me, is what sets Model Rocketry apart from other hobbies. I love seeing these community projects. I need to do one myself for my church or something. Who knows what these children will take from the experience? Nothing but positive, I'm sure.

 

[kgrimm]

I organized a couple of launches for my sons' Cub Scout pack over the recent years. I used Estes Alpha IIIs (available in 12-kit educator packs) which were simple to assemble (molded fin unit, etc.). I also launched a few of my bigger rockets, and the kids and adults all had a fun time. We had a pair of adjacent soccer fields available, so we didn't lose any rockets in the trees.

Such activities are great for building interest in rocketry! I hope you plan another in the future (and post photos).

 

[NjCo]

I used Estes Alpha IIIs (available in 12-kit educator packs) which were simple to assemble (molded fin unit, etc.).

You really need to try this with FlisKits kits. They have some great beginner kits and that doesn't mean that the kits are plastic. The Estes beginner kits mostly have plastic fin cans. I always thought that using those with group builds leaves the kids with less of a feeling of actually having accomplished something. Try a FlisKits Triskelion or Thing-a-ma-Jig or any of the other great educational kits and I think you'll find that they are very easy to build even for young kids. The kids will get so much more satisfaction out of having built the entire thing themselves.

 

[loopy]

Very cool! I helped my wife's scout pack with Whatchamacallits, and we had a great time! Perfect kit for the range of kids we have, and they flew beautifully, all of them recovering. A couple of the larger model rockets I flew at the launch were not so lucky, however...lol Great job!

 

[dragon_rider10]

Very cool! I helped my wife's scout pack with Whatchamacallits, and we had a great time! Perfect kit for the range of kids we have, and they flew beautifully, all of them recovering. A couple of the larger model rockets I flew at the launch were not so lucky, however...lol Great job!

Be careful associating your wife and girl scouts. See what I went through here:

https://www.rocketryforum.com/showpost.php?p=64953&postcount=31

 

[loopy]

Be careful associating your wife and girl scouts. See what I went through here:

https://www.rocketryforum.com/showpost.php?p=64953&postcount=31

lol...well, luckily, my wife is the den leader and assistant cub master for our middle sons cub scouts. No girl scouts here...lol

 

[kgrimm]

I used the Alpha IIIs because that was my first attempt at a Cub Scout launch and I had no real idea what the boys would be capable of building. Next time I'll try something a little more complex. Still, one of the Alphas got put together wrong...and that was by a DAD! (so much for letting the kids do the work...)

 

[dragon_rider10]

I used the Alpha IIIs because that was my first attempt at a Cub Scout launch and I had no real idea what the boys would be capable of building. Next time I'll try something a little more complex. Still, one of the Alphas got put together wrong...and that was by a DAD! (so much for letting the kids do the work...)

$20 says he messed up something do with the shock cord.

 

[troj]

I used the Alpha IIIs because that was my first attempt at a Cub Scout launch and I had no real idea what the boys would be capable of building. Next time I'll try something a little more complex. Still, one of the Alphas got put together wrong...and that was by a DAD! (so much for letting the kids do the work...)

My experience in working with kids is that the parents are the ones most likely to mess something up when they "help".

The kids pay attention and follow directions, usually moving slowly enough that you can catch problems before it's too late.

The parents, however, think they know what they're doing and the end results can be....interesting.

-Kevin

 

[loopy]

My experience in working with kids is that the parents are the ones most likely to mess something up when they "help".

The kids pay attention and follow directions, usually moving slowly enough that you can catch problems before it's too late.

The parents, however, think they know what they're doing and the end results can be....interesting.

-Kevin

Amen, brother. Exactly my experience with the scouts...kids know they don't know what they're doing. Dads don't know they don't know what they're doing...

 

[kgrimm]

$20 says he messed up something do with the shock cord.

Actually it was the motor mount-he had it so far up in the body tube you couldn't get the motor out without a long pair of needle nose pliers.