How long have you had your model rocket?

[Kirra Labas]

I was wondering, how long do model rockets last? Is there a limit to how much we can fly them before they break down, or does it just depend on how we maintain them? And if so, how do I take care of my rocket?
Thank you for any input!

 

[MadRocketer]

I was wondering, how long do model rockets last? Is there a limit to how much we can fly them before they break down, or does it just depend on how we maintain them? And if so, how do I take care of my rocket?
Thank you for any input!

I know someone who has one in his shop from about 1964. Rubber shock cord had degraded, but it was replaced with a new parachute and launched four years ago successfully.

 

[dr wogz]

Rockets have a finite number of flights in them. It is up to you to determine what that number is!

I've had & seen rockets disintegrate on their first flight.

I've seen rockets fly that are almost as old as me!

I have some that are 20-25 yrs old..

 

[teepot]

I've got 3 that are 15 years old and a few more that are 10 years old.

 

[Cape Byron]

Plenty that are 15+ years old. If I don't park them in a tree I tend to get 50+ flights before retirement. Usually that's from having a new toy to play with, not through damage or being 'worn out'.

Making them last longer is usually a matter of replacing parachutes, repairing any minor damage and most importantly, replacing shock cords when worn, old, or visibly damaged. A tug test is a good idea.

 

[PhilC]

I still fly one of my first rockets from over 20 years ago - an Estes Big Bertha. The airframe's OK but the paint's seen better days. It must be on its third or fourth shock cord and the plastic chute has been replaced with a nylon one.

I regularly fly rockets which are over 10 years old.

 

[Rocketjunkie]

I have a Der V3 i built in the early 1970's. When I flew it in the early 2000s the glue had gone brittle and the motor mount went up through the rocket. Still have it but it needs repair before flying again. (BT80, 24 mm mount.)

 

[caveduck]

You have to watch out for some of the plastics that Estes has used over the years. I had a vintage 1980 Maxi Alpha III...about 10 years ago the red plastic nose cone just shattered from normal handling. Post-mortem showed the plastic had become extremely brittle, despite indoor storage at reasonable temperatures the whole time.

On the other hand, I have an EZI and a Graduator both built 35 years ago with 5-minute epoxy that still fly today. Those #$%! hard to paint polypropylene nose cones seem destined for the lifetime of pyramids and the glue is fine. Both have been repainted multiple times and had the shock cords replaced every few years, and the original big launch lugs changed to conformal rail guides. The graduator also has an external fiberglass patch around the tube just forward of the motor mount due to internal erosion from many ejection charges.

 

[berlinetta]

Although I cannot fly it anymore, I still have my Estes Gnome, which I built 28 years ago. The shock cord snapped after quite a few flights.

 

[Old School Doug]

I haven't flown it in a while, but I still have my Estes Astron Sprint from the original 1970 release (yep...50 years old and counting). Pretty sure if I replaced the shock cord and added a mylar streamer I could probably coax another launch or two out of it.

 

[JPalmer621]

I have several old rockets some from the 70s. My favorite kit is a Saturn V from 1985. I have launch it probably 30 times. After a refurbishing mostly launch on E20s and 30s. I now use the bottom half as part of a Skylab launches

 

[afadeev]

I was wondering, how long do model rockets last? Is there a limit to how much we can fly them before they break down, or does it just depend on how we maintain them? And if so, how do I take care of my rocket?

That depends largely on what materials were used in the rocket, and how much abuse (aka non-stationary time) it has accumulated over its lifespan.
My oldest surviving paper-tube rocket is an Estes V2. It doesn't look all that great, but still flies straight after 10+ years and 20+ flights, including a few hard landings (tangled shoots, CATO, etc).

My oldest surviving fiber-glass rocket is younger than that, but looks virtually brand new. Despite a few hard landing and one picture-perfect lawn dart. Dug it out with a shovel, and the only tiny scratch on the nose cone is from that said shovel.

I don't maintain either type of rockets. They fly till they require a rebuild or recycling due to a flying or a transportation mishap.
The latter are much more frequent.

a

 

[Sooner Boomer]

I've got a Fat Boy that's over 20 years old.

A friend told me his family has the hatchet that George Washington used to cut down the cherry tree. 'Of course, the handle has had to be replaced a few times, and the head fell off one time and we had a new one made - but it's the same exact hatchet that George used".

 

[K'Tesh]

I have a couple of built* rockets that are easily 50+ years old that I would be willing to fly. Mind you that I would be replacing the shock cords and parachutes, but they could easily be flown. One is an Estes Trident and the other is a Centuri V2. The Mach 10 needs more work to be brought back into active flight status.

*By my old band teacher.

 

[DeltaVee]

My Estes K21 Gemini Titan is still flying... is nearly 50 years old. I did have to reglue the motor mount when I pulled it out trying to remove a stuck b6-4 casing using pliers!

 

[GlennW]

My oldest rocket that is still flyable is an Estes Javelin (yes, the one from the Javelin/Super Flea combo kit) and it dates to about 1980 or so. The Super Flea ended up in a tree about 10 years ago so that was the end of that.....

 

[user 35280]

My oldest rockets are a combo pack from around 1973,

 

[green dragon]

Mine never last that long before lost or broken or abused, lol.

We do still have my brothers Alien Invader built in 1978, however.