FlisKits DOM??

[illini]

What's going on with FlisKits DOM contest? Stopped by there to take a look at the cool entries...and there have hardly been any this year. I'm encouraging my son to enter his first scratch build design soon (the one he did for his NARTREK Skylab requirement). I'd love to see more of what people are cooking up at home.

 

[DJ Delorie]

It's rocket flying season, not rocket designing season

 

[jflis]

The initial excitement of the contest and the folks here at TRF comprised the bulk of the entries after we first announced. Right now I beleive that the audience is too small and we need to get the word out to a larger audience.

I am looking at ways to do this.

Also, I am behind a month in getting things posted. We had one entry and winner for last month and have one entry so far for this month...

We may put a hold on the contest until I can figure out a way to get the word out to a larger audiance...

jim

 

[DJ Delorie]

At a minimum, you should be posting once a month on TRF and RMR about the previous month's status and a reminder of the upcoming month.

Curious: What's the legal status of submitting mods of designs from other vendors? I.e. how original do designs have to be to qualify? I'm assuming mods are not ok...

 

[eugenefl]

Perhaps the interval may be too frequent? I think Estes had a "Design of the Quarter" or some other longer interval.

I also tend to think that with the ease of the internet more people are into selling their own designs as opposed to submitting them for others to use freely. Personally, I wish I had more time to dedicate to entering these different contests.

 

[illini]

Well let's take an informal survey here and maybe help Jim out with some ideas at the same time.

1. What would increase your interest in submitting an entry?

2. How much do you pay attention to the results of the contest now?

3. What would increase your interest in the outcome of the contest?

 

[jflis]

Originally posted by DJ Delorie
At a minimum, you should be posting once a month on TRF and RMR about the previous month's status and a reminder of the upcoming month.

Curious: What's the legal status of submitting mods of designs from other vendors? I.e. how original do designs have to be to qualify? I'm assuming mods are not ok...

I would (personally) object to a modification to an existing design unless the actuall DOM *entry* is for the mod itself. For example, let say you had an estes astrocam and designed a device that would auto advance the film and take multiple pix in one flight. The "modification" would certainly be suitable.

But if you took, lets say, an Estes Big Bertha, added fin tabs for appearance and submitted the "new" rocket as a DOM entry it would be rejected.

jim

 

[jflis]

Thank you for that. THese questions (and answers) will certainly help.

I am seriously considering going to a DOQ (Design of the Quarter) contest instead. I am also reconsidering my earlier decision to not post entries till after the contest. We actually had more activity when folks could see entries appearing throughout the given contest period.

At some point we hope to be able to increase the prize money too.

I already know that keeping the DOM page up to date would be a big help. When someone gets their clone machine working again, let me know...

jim

 

[Mike]

I think changing to DOQ would be a good thing, I have a couple of other suggestions too.

I don't have a recent Fliskit to hand so this may already be incoorporated, could you place an ad or message about DOM on the back of the facecard. Fliskits seem to be reaching people just starting out in the hobby through the retailer program, these people may not hang around TRF or RMR so may not have heard of DOM yet, plugging it through the kits would reach lots more people.

Also, I think some people may be put off by the amount of detail the write-up needs. I understand this allows people to try and make the rockets but it would seem very daunting to someone who's only built one or two kits.

 

[jflis]

I agree about putting an ad or sorts on the kits cover art. For the time being, I will be including something in the letters that I include with orders.

Also, about the amount of documentation, none of it is required, heck you could just send a sketch without dimensions to actually *qualify*, but a similar design with full documentation, dimensions and parts list would have a much better chance of winning. It all depends on how much work you wish to put into it.

All submissions are presents as received by FlisKits. We do no error checking, or prettying up of the docs. Nor do we provide any more information (eg: if you leave out a parts list, it will be posted without a parts list).

There is no question that it is time for me to review the rules, however, and make some changes.

keep watch
jim

 

[illini]

I seem to remember Estes including plans from design contest winners in packaged orders. Am I remembering that right? I don't recall ever building any of those plans, but it was good advertising for the contest, and I always looked them over to see if there were any new ideas I could borrow. Realize that's a lot of work, but its a thought.

 

[BobH48]

Originally posted by illini868891

I seem to remember Estes including plans from design contest winners in packaged orders. Am I remembering that right?

Yes you are, I still have several of those plans and here is a picture of the Design of the Month for June 1971.