Here is a first flight 25 years in the making. I built this Gemini DC back when it was first released in 1997. I still remember seeing it in the catalog for the first time and waiting for the hobby shop to get one in stock. I can't tell you why I was excited for this one really as there were a number of other releases that year but this one caught my eye.
When reading over the instructions and seeing the rear ejection I immediately questioned it's function. I didn't see how the parachute would stay in the rocket on lift off and trying to pack those chutes into those tubes was going to be a nightmare. I decided to build this like a normal rocket with nose cone recovery. Shortly after building it I moved out of my parents house. This rocket somehow got left behind when I moved out. When my parents moved it was packed away in boxes where it has stayed until recently.
My mother passed away some years back and as some of you know, it's often hard to go through their things so I simply brought all of her items home with me and stored them in the basement. This past winter I was finally ready to start going through her stuff. About the 5th or 6th box I opened had the Gemini DC sitting right on top looking as good as the day I built it. I was shocked she kept it all those years and even more shocked that nothing bad happened to it.
I did replace the cracked shock cord with Kevlar and Elastic but otherwise it's stock Estes. Yesterday was my first chance to fly this year and I had to get this one in the air. Sent it up on a B6-4 so I was sure I'd get it back.
This one's for you mom!
When reading over the instructions and seeing the rear ejection I immediately questioned it's function. I didn't see how the parachute would stay in the rocket on lift off and trying to pack those chutes into those tubes was going to be a nightmare. I decided to build this like a normal rocket with nose cone recovery. Shortly after building it I moved out of my parents house. This rocket somehow got left behind when I moved out. When my parents moved it was packed away in boxes where it has stayed until recently.
My mother passed away some years back and as some of you know, it's often hard to go through their things so I simply brought all of her items home with me and stored them in the basement. This past winter I was finally ready to start going through her stuff. About the 5th or 6th box I opened had the Gemini DC sitting right on top looking as good as the day I built it. I was shocked she kept it all those years and even more shocked that nothing bad happened to it.
I did replace the cracked shock cord with Kevlar and Elastic but otherwise it's stock Estes. Yesterday was my first chance to fly this year and I had to get this one in the air. Sent it up on a B6-4 so I was sure I'd get it back.
This one's for you mom!
