Getting back into Rocketry

[ShakyShane99]

Hello when I was a kid I had an uncle that built 100s of rockets, he got me into it along with everything in the hobby world plans, trains, RC, you name it. Anyway i needed something to keep me sane so i ordered a Estes Bull Pup 12D a rocket I had memory of as a 8 year old. I’m 24 now. Anyway I put it together painted it and wow i ended up ordering 4 more rockets. Estes 220 swift, Estes Wizard, and the Estes Big Bertha. I also had a Estes Alpha (not the rtf alpha 3) but for some reason the shipper put the rocket into a plastic bag and the tube was damaged so bad I can’t see using it. I am looking for recommendations on rocket brands other than Estes I recently discovered Quest and I’m eyeballing that super bird model. I am sad that a lot of the rockets I liked as a kid aren’t available now. Such as the cosmic cobra for example. There was a cool rocket called the screaming Mimi. Here’s my collection so far.

 

[smstachwick]

Hello when I was a kid I had an uncle that built 100s of rockets, he got me into it along with everything in the hobby world plans, trains, RC, you name it. Anyway i needed something to keep me sane so i ordered a Estes Bull Pup 12D a rocket I had memory of as a 8 year old. I’m 24 now. Anyway I put it together painted it and wow i ended up ordering 4 more rockets. Estes 220 swift, Estes Wizard, and the Estes Big Bertha. I also had a Estes Alpha (not the rtf alpha 3) but for some reason the shipper put the rocket into a plastic bag and the tube was damaged so bad I can’t see using it. I am looking for recommendations on rocket brands other than Estes I recently discovered Quest and I’m eyeballing that super bird model. I am sad that a lot of the rockets I liked as a kid aren’t available now. Such as the cosmic cobra for example. There was a cool rocket called the screaming Mimi. Here’s my collection so far.

Nice collection!

EDIT: Try not to worry about that tube, it’s a pretty standard size. You can get a BT-50 tube for cheap and cut it to size pretty easy.

Fliskits makes some good stuff, including a two-stager using MicroMaxx motors.

North Coast Rocketry has a cool mid-power lineup, including their Cluster Duck (6x18mm mounts, 1x24mm mount).

Apogee sells kits and accessories in most size ranges and they have a TON of information on their website. They also publish the RockSim software and a few other useful digital tools. Also be sure to check out their DynaStar brand of lightweight mid-power kits.

Last one I’ll recommend is Klima. They’re a German manufacturer that’s starting to make inroads in the US via Apogee’s online store.

There are a TON of others as well. Some are big names in high-power, some are small-timer boutique manufacturers, others are primarily resellers that explored manufacturing some of their own kits and accessories.

-the not-so-shaky Shane

 

[Hobie1dog]

to the forum. Don't know where in NC you are but we have a club in Charlotte, There's a great place near Sumpter, SC that flies monthly and has, Low, Mid, and High power.

 

[Wrightme43]

Welcome!

We got to fly with Bluesrocks club in Elizabethtown KY yesterday. We met new people, and got to all kinds of different rockets fly.
Hobie1dog is right. Head to one of the meets, and you can learn and have lots of fun.
Glad you are here!
Steve

 

[neil_w]

Welcome. There are tons of great vendors these days.

For parts, Balsa Machining is my go-to but there are plenty of others.

For low powered kits, let's see... Estes, Semroc, Fliskits, Newway, Odd'l, Squirrel Works, Quest, ASP, Rocketarium, Sirius. All good stuff. If you go to erockets.biz you'll see most of the available vendors, those guys carry almost everything. Not all of the old stuff is available but there's a ton of great new stuff.

 

[ShakyShane99]

Nice collection!

EDIT: Try not to worry about that tube, it’s a pretty standard size. You can get a BT-50 tube for cheap and cut it to size pretty easy.

Fliskits makes some good stuff, including a two-stager using MicroMaxx motors.

North Coast Rocketry has a cool mid-power lineup, including their Cluster Duck (6x18mm mounts, 1x24mm mount).

Apogee sells kits and accessories in most size ranges and they have a TON of information on their website. They also publish the RockSim software and a few other useful digital tools. Also be sure to check out their DynaStar brand of lightweight mid-power kits.

Last one I’ll recommend is Klima. They’re a German manufacturer that’s starting to make inroads in the US via Apogee’s online store.

There are a TON of others as well. Some are big names in high-power, some are small-timer boutique manufacturers, others are primarily resellers that explored manufacturing some of their own kits and accessories.

-the not-so-shaky

to the forum. Don't know where in NC you are but we have a club in Charlotte, There's a great place near Sumpter, SC that flies monthly and has, Low, Mid, and High power.

That’s awesome I am about 4 and a half ours away. Closer to the water and VA

 

[ShakyShane99]

Nice collection!

EDIT: Try not to worry about that tube, it’s a pretty standard size. You can get a BT-50 tube for cheap and cut it to size pretty easy.

Fliskits makes some good stuff, including a two-stager using MicroMaxx motors.

North Coast Rocketry has a cool mid-power lineup, including their Cluster Duck (6x18mm mounts, 1x24mm mount).

Apogee sells kits and accessories in most size ranges and they have a TON of information on their website. They also publish the RockSim software and a few other useful digital tools. Also be sure to check out their DynaStar brand of lightweight mid-power kits.

Last one I’ll recommend is Klima. They’re a German manufacturer that’s starting to make inroads in the US via Apogee’s online store.

There are a TON of others as well. Some are big names in high-power, some are small-timer boutique manufacturers, others are primarily resellers that explored manufacturing some of their own kits and accessories.

-the not-so-shaky Shane

Thank you for the information, I’ll be checking out all the brands you mentioned.

 

[ShakyShane99]

Welcome!

We got to fly with Bluesrocks club in Elizabethtown KY yesterday. We met new people, and got to all kinds of different rockets fly.
Hobie1dog is right. Head to one of the meets, and you can learn and have lots of fun.
Glad you are here!
Steve

I’ll definitely go to one if I find one close enough

 

[ShakyShane99]

Welcome. There are tons of great vendors these days.

For parts, Balsa Machining is my go-to but there are plenty of others.

For low powered kits, let's see... Estes, Semroc, Fliskits, Newway, Odd'l, Squirrel Works, Quest, ASP, Rocketarium, Sirius. All good stuff. If you go to erockets.biz you'll see most of the available vendors, those guys carry almost everything. Not all of the old stuff is available but there's a ton of great new stuff.

Awesome, thanks for the information! Gonna keep that in mind and check them all out. Thanks

 

[Dane Ronnow]

Welcome to the forum! Nice looking rockets! That wouldn't happen to be an Eddy Bros straw hat, would it? I've got one that looks just like it—my go-to hat when I'm launching rockets in the desert sun.

 

[JeffBigg]

Welcome to the forum, that Bull Pup looks great.

You can find a local club using either of these links.

www.nar.org

www.tripolI.org

I hope you have fun

 

[prfesser]

Welcome! You might take a look at JimZ's site, lots of plans for old rockets, some are almost as old as me. I didn't find a Cosmic Cobra or a Screaming Mimi but they might be under different names. I'll also plug Balsa Machining as they have virtually all the parts needed to scratchbuild almost any model you can think of (you'll have to go old-school and cut balsa fins with a hobby knife, unless you have a laser cutter). Their 3" School Rocket with 29mm motor mount makes an inexpensive introduction to mid-power and even low-end high power flights.

OpenRocket is a great piece of free software for designing and simulating rockets. Loads of fun to use. There are hundreds (thousands?) of OR files out there for current models as well as old ones. OR will load Rocksim files too. Find the file for the rocket you want, print the fin, transition, nose cone templates and start cutting.

Oh, and K'Tesh is the undisputed Emperor Of OpenRocket. His latest files can be found here. What he does, and can do, with OR is simply dizzying.

A final note. This hobby is not rocketry, despite what people here might have you believe. It is The Hobby Of Sanding, Filling, And Sanding Some More.

 

[Antares JS]

A final note. This hobby is not rocketry, despite what people here might have you believe. It is The Hobby Of Sanding, Filling, And Sanding Some More.

Shush! Don't scare the newbies!

 

[ShakyShane99]

Welcome to the forum! Nice looking rockets! That wouldn't happen to be an Eddy Bros straw hat, would it? I've got one that looks just like it—my go-to hat when I'm launching rockets in the desert sun.

Hey thanks! No it is a Justin hat from tractor supply.