"Going to the Darkside"

[Tom Flint]

When I flew with a certain Tripoli club, going to the dark side meant flying uncertified motors made by a certain Californian manufacturer. Never underestimate the power of the dark side!

 

[icyclops]

The Dark Side of model rocketry is simply doing things that some may see as UNNATURAL in order to fly the rockets you love. For some it might include widely spaced pods, for others the abandonment of traditional, proven 3-4FNC designs.

It can start as innocently placed fins at the front of a scratch built, paper towel tubed rocket to make it look cool. The young Padawan makes their way to the RSO table only to be rejected and sent away to that old guy in back to get it flyable.

Just say No. The gateway drug to the Dark Side is oddrocs. Anything funny looking that will immediately draw the RSO stink eye. A young Padawan once tried to fly a very funny looking soccer field rocket and was required by the Jedi to reduce 29mm to 24mm and use a D12. It did not even move off the pad. Yes! A good lesson to the lad about safety and acceptable designs. A nice chuckel to be had, surely setting him on the straight and narrow! He eventually found his way to the oddroc scum and successfuly flew it on a composite G with shortest delay possible. Got his Jr Level one and flew it higher on an H. Base drag was his friend, trust in thrust, the path was set.

For ME PERSONALLY, it all started with PM's to Douglas Shrox about airplane rockets. He warned me of THE DARK ARTS of rocket design. I went on to WWI Triplanes, Biplanes, WWII fighters and bombers and many other Dark Side oddroc abominations. I once used the term "mindsim" and it frankly did not go over that well when first uttered at the RSO table. Those were the truly fun times.

Sorry, but if you don’t push the envelope then you will never advance and I believe odd roc’s do that….otherwise just keep launching your classic long tube and 4 fin variety…..safe but blah…..
those of us who have been building and experimenting for years may gravitate to doing something really different….this is how you will get your variety of flight and retrieval techniques. Odd roc’s are part of this process….I see nothing Dark about this.

 

[ghostfather]

The gateway drug to the Dark Side is oddrocs.

Then I'm already lost.
(see avatar) yes, it actually flew.

 

[fyrwrxz]

You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy!

Hey! I resemble that remark! But then, nothing helps cure hurt feelings like a good old fashioned explosion. At night. With stars. With colours. Bring yer mom and kids. and a cuppa sponge Ti.