Summer Greetings from Deepsky - hot enough for you now? Complain about the British weather long enough and you get what you are asking for in spades! When you plead to the rocket gods for extended periods of perfect flying weather, however, you may be disappointed. But in between sweltering and getting a meteorological equivalent of a wash and blow dry, there's some great flying to be had.
Best to always have something ready to fly for all conditions. Slim altitude grabbing rockets for calm days with clear skies and UFO saucers for the days when the cloud blanket is glowering and the wind is a mite brisk. And when the crops and weeds are high, use a Microbeacon beeper! When there's thunder and lightning about, that's the worst time to leave a smoke trail into the heavens.
We are going to try something different in this new series of newsletters: organisation ;-) Not everyone is interested in model rockets, High Power Rocketry (HPR) motors, events or other topics we usually weave into our irregular and sometimes overlong postings. If this way of keeping you up to date is better let us know! Soon we will be splitting off the model rocket, educational and big rocket newsletters but until then we'll try for maximum relevance with headed sections.
*Model Rocket News*
At last, the Estes D-motor powered Cosmos Mariner rocket glider has arrived. Big thanks to our patient customers who first read about this fantastic kit last October. We haven't built ours yet but it looks to be pretty straightforward and will result in a sharp looking rocket that is light enough to fly well.
Other new arrivals include Dr Zooch's Space Shuttle kit as well as restocks of the popular Saturn V Apollo 11 and Saturn IB kits. They are reasonably close to scale, and you can build them in a couple of evenings. They fly on C motors.
More of the huge Estes Oracle video rockets have arrived... and left again! We have sold out three shipments so far! There have been a few problems reported with Windows XP but the rocket flies just great. We have alerted Estes and they are working with the owners - it seems to be a PC support issue. The Oracle cam takes 30 seconds of video at 9 frames per second. If you fancy a video challenge, you can fit a wireless video cam into one of our Elite Egg Lofters. With a PP3 battery it weighs the same as a large egg so it should fly just fine... but isn't a lot cheaper!
Paul Clark, master scale modeller with SpaceCraftUK, is working on a special kit exclusively for Deepsky. Soon the delta winged shape of the B-70 Valkyrie will be seen in our skies. We haven't finalised all the details but multi-motor configurations and radio control have been discussed.
The B-70, that was in many ways the predecessor of the Concorde, was the most expensive plane ever built. The Valkyrie wasn't rocket powered - but our World Champion says that a rocket motor is the best way to get a glider up in the air. I cannot argue! We still have a couple of copies of his gold medal rocket glider available...
Speaking of clusters, Clipwhips are back in stock. You use them to light clusters of two, three, four, or more motors with a strong battery and careful prep. We recommend the Pratt Go Box for a 12V zap. Alternately, you can use Quick Match and any old Estes controller.
We have E motors in stock. Someone came up at at recent event and asked about our E prices and reported that they were cheaper "elsewhere". But "elsewhere" didn't have any in stock ;-) We set our E price because we have then sent in legally via FedEx and pay full VAT and duty so that we can have a reliable stock... We can't ship, so they must be collected from Deepsky, our London office or at an event which takes a bit more bandwidth than just bunging them in a box for Postman Pat. We also import a large number of special Estes motors such as the 1/2 A6-2, A8-5s or C11s because they make certain rockets fly their best.
School rockets are a big part of our summer business. We have class packs for all sizes and can quote for any number - so far this year we have handled school projects of up to 200 rockets at a go. Many scouts and cadets get their first taste of rocketry from Deepsky. Check out the excellent Bright Hawk and Payloader One kits in group bargains as well as great deals on Sunward, Estes and Custom Rockets.
Our sister organisation, Blast Off for Britain, conducts workshops around the country. If you need more information, use the contact link on our web site for a fast response.
*Technical Issues*
Everybody wants to build a rocket that is strong enough to fly without "re-kitting" under boost and survive a bump on landing. Using the right glue is vital for strength and performance. Plastic parts need to be bonded with styrene cement like Humbrol, cardboard and balsa work great with white or yellow carpenters glue. Mid Power Rocketry (MPR) and HPR kits need epoxy.
While you can't build a rocket too strong, you can build them TOO HEAVY. Using excess glue or the wrong kind can turn your rocket model into something that flies more like a boat anchor. Read the instructions. Ask us if you have any doubts. Deepsky sells all kinds of rocket building adhesives with the exception of styrene cement (due to abuse potential) and are glad to advise.
*Safety*
The weather at UKRA wasn't very encouraging but it didn't prevent many good flights. However, there were at least seven flights that it should have prevented. Flight into cloud is forbidden under the UKRA Safety Code and it is a mystery how so many launches in violation of that regulation took place.
Who is responsible for flight safety? The guy that owns the rocket and pushes the launch button has ultimate responsibility. If a ballistic re-entry causes injury or property damage, it won't be the RSO's fault - don't blame them. Each flyer is solely responsible for adhering to the safety code regardless of the judgement of the officiating RSO.
RSOs are there to help and to guard the insurance cover provided by the BMFA - but it's your rocket, buddy! Sometimes an individual RSO's conservatism can block flights that could otherwise have been conducted safely and successfully but to err on the side of caution with heavy and high speed HPR rockets is surely no bad thing. And sometimes RSOs should be a bit more conservative when it comes to enforcing black letter elements of the safety code.
At UKRA, we spoke with someone who came as close as anyone yet to being the first UK rocketry-related injury or fatality. She was sitting in her car when a large, heavy HPR rocket came down and smashed the windscreen to within inches of her nose. She was well shaken but uninjured and we are all glad it wasn't worse. And it hasn't put her off coming back to rocket events!
If you are at a rocket launch, standing with attention directed to launch and recovery operations is necessary to avoid any repeats that could have dire consequences. Does this mean they should take the doors off the Porta Potties and face them towards the flight line? Probably not but neither should they be located anywhere near launch and recovery sites, unfortunately ;-)
Security is a problem for rocketeers, not just safety. One Deepsky customer had his garden shed broken into recently and a large fraction of his rocketry gear stolen. Be on the lookout for the sale of finished and part finished MPR and HPR rockets from LOC and PML being sold (perhaps on eBay?) by people who don't really know much about what they are selling. If you see something suspicious of this sort, get in touch with us via the contact page on the web site.
*Order! Order!*
To get your rockets and motors to you fast, we need good addresses. We are modifying the site so that multi-line addresses can be accommodated. Until then, use commas! We have had too many returned parcels and phone calls from our courier because of bad addresses. Check and correct yours today!
We are in the middle of our seasonal rush caused by schools and good weather. Orders may take a day or two longer than usual. We only have three heads and six hands! Some items can be out of stock for a while longer than usual. We always try to keep you informed of any delays via our order updates. Your patience is appreciated. If you change your mind or want to cancel due to delay, please let us know.
We work hard to keep our website the best rocketry resource in the world. It's available 24 x 7 for browsing or ordering but we take orders by telephone, fax, email and snail mail, too. Orders through the site are processed first and get to you faster with fewer hiccups. We are a small organisation staffed by humans but the web order system goes a long way towards compensating for any lapses in our memory or our deficiencies of understanding. It must work because we are near 2000 orders, having just passed the 1000 order mark in February!
Despite our efforts, a distinguished senior rocketeer has the hump with us, however, because he says that he ordered something and paid cash at an event but never got his goods. It has never been our policy to take orders at events for items not in stock. Our policy has been to take the request onboard and get the item into stock and onto the web site ASAP and then invite an order in the normal course of business.
Two diligent searches have failed to turn up any record of this purchase and we apologise for any oversight. We'd apologise by private email but this distinguished senior rocketeer has never registered on our site as a customer so it would be difficult to send him compensation for any confusion on our part. We do our best for our customers - let us know if we can do better and make sure we have your current contact details.
*Events*
We helped Blast Off for Britain fly over 200 rockets over last weekend at the Think Tank in Birmingham. Whew! A lot of kids got their first taste of rocketry.
Our next major foray for the Deepsky Expeditionary Force will be at Milson for Black Knight's BK Flamer - a hugely enjoyable weekend of flying if last year's event was any indication. Warm (but not too hot) weather, clear skies and calm zehphyrs are anticipated.
Then it's off to the U.S. for NARAM 47, an annual week-long gathering of the mad keen American rocket tribes. Deepsky is a sponsor of this world-class event. We hope to meet a lot of our friends and customers across the pond, check out a raft of new products and maybe even do a bit of rocket flying.
Tripoli Rocketry Association has a new Mid Power certification scheme open to under-18s. The youngest member of the Deepsky flight crew is keen to add to her rating while in the U.S. The new Tripoli LF and LG ratings are available here - it's just that the motors are easier to get there! Stay tuned for information on joining Tripoli Rocketry UK and availability of Aerotech motors.
Rowes Retainers and Space Craft UK have generously added Made in Britain prizes to the Deepsky swag bag for the NARAM 47 raffle and auction.
See you around the planet!
Deepsky Team
Best to always have something ready to fly for all conditions. Slim altitude grabbing rockets for calm days with clear skies and UFO saucers for the days when the cloud blanket is glowering and the wind is a mite brisk. And when the crops and weeds are high, use a Microbeacon beeper! When there's thunder and lightning about, that's the worst time to leave a smoke trail into the heavens.
We are going to try something different in this new series of newsletters: organisation ;-) Not everyone is interested in model rockets, High Power Rocketry (HPR) motors, events or other topics we usually weave into our irregular and sometimes overlong postings. If this way of keeping you up to date is better let us know! Soon we will be splitting off the model rocket, educational and big rocket newsletters but until then we'll try for maximum relevance with headed sections.
*Model Rocket News*
At last, the Estes D-motor powered Cosmos Mariner rocket glider has arrived. Big thanks to our patient customers who first read about this fantastic kit last October. We haven't built ours yet but it looks to be pretty straightforward and will result in a sharp looking rocket that is light enough to fly well.
Other new arrivals include Dr Zooch's Space Shuttle kit as well as restocks of the popular Saturn V Apollo 11 and Saturn IB kits. They are reasonably close to scale, and you can build them in a couple of evenings. They fly on C motors.
More of the huge Estes Oracle video rockets have arrived... and left again! We have sold out three shipments so far! There have been a few problems reported with Windows XP but the rocket flies just great. We have alerted Estes and they are working with the owners - it seems to be a PC support issue. The Oracle cam takes 30 seconds of video at 9 frames per second. If you fancy a video challenge, you can fit a wireless video cam into one of our Elite Egg Lofters. With a PP3 battery it weighs the same as a large egg so it should fly just fine... but isn't a lot cheaper!
Paul Clark, master scale modeller with SpaceCraftUK, is working on a special kit exclusively for Deepsky. Soon the delta winged shape of the B-70 Valkyrie will be seen in our skies. We haven't finalised all the details but multi-motor configurations and radio control have been discussed.
The B-70, that was in many ways the predecessor of the Concorde, was the most expensive plane ever built. The Valkyrie wasn't rocket powered - but our World Champion says that a rocket motor is the best way to get a glider up in the air. I cannot argue! We still have a couple of copies of his gold medal rocket glider available...
Speaking of clusters, Clipwhips are back in stock. You use them to light clusters of two, three, four, or more motors with a strong battery and careful prep. We recommend the Pratt Go Box for a 12V zap. Alternately, you can use Quick Match and any old Estes controller.
We have E motors in stock. Someone came up at at recent event and asked about our E prices and reported that they were cheaper "elsewhere". But "elsewhere" didn't have any in stock ;-) We set our E price because we have then sent in legally via FedEx and pay full VAT and duty so that we can have a reliable stock... We can't ship, so they must be collected from Deepsky, our London office or at an event which takes a bit more bandwidth than just bunging them in a box for Postman Pat. We also import a large number of special Estes motors such as the 1/2 A6-2, A8-5s or C11s because they make certain rockets fly their best.
School rockets are a big part of our summer business. We have class packs for all sizes and can quote for any number - so far this year we have handled school projects of up to 200 rockets at a go. Many scouts and cadets get their first taste of rocketry from Deepsky. Check out the excellent Bright Hawk and Payloader One kits in group bargains as well as great deals on Sunward, Estes and Custom Rockets.
Our sister organisation, Blast Off for Britain, conducts workshops around the country. If you need more information, use the contact link on our web site for a fast response.
*Technical Issues*
Everybody wants to build a rocket that is strong enough to fly without "re-kitting" under boost and survive a bump on landing. Using the right glue is vital for strength and performance. Plastic parts need to be bonded with styrene cement like Humbrol, cardboard and balsa work great with white or yellow carpenters glue. Mid Power Rocketry (MPR) and HPR kits need epoxy.
While you can't build a rocket too strong, you can build them TOO HEAVY. Using excess glue or the wrong kind can turn your rocket model into something that flies more like a boat anchor. Read the instructions. Ask us if you have any doubts. Deepsky sells all kinds of rocket building adhesives with the exception of styrene cement (due to abuse potential) and are glad to advise.
*Safety*
The weather at UKRA wasn't very encouraging but it didn't prevent many good flights. However, there were at least seven flights that it should have prevented. Flight into cloud is forbidden under the UKRA Safety Code and it is a mystery how so many launches in violation of that regulation took place.
Who is responsible for flight safety? The guy that owns the rocket and pushes the launch button has ultimate responsibility. If a ballistic re-entry causes injury or property damage, it won't be the RSO's fault - don't blame them. Each flyer is solely responsible for adhering to the safety code regardless of the judgement of the officiating RSO.
RSOs are there to help and to guard the insurance cover provided by the BMFA - but it's your rocket, buddy! Sometimes an individual RSO's conservatism can block flights that could otherwise have been conducted safely and successfully but to err on the side of caution with heavy and high speed HPR rockets is surely no bad thing. And sometimes RSOs should be a bit more conservative when it comes to enforcing black letter elements of the safety code.
At UKRA, we spoke with someone who came as close as anyone yet to being the first UK rocketry-related injury or fatality. She was sitting in her car when a large, heavy HPR rocket came down and smashed the windscreen to within inches of her nose. She was well shaken but uninjured and we are all glad it wasn't worse. And it hasn't put her off coming back to rocket events!
If you are at a rocket launch, standing with attention directed to launch and recovery operations is necessary to avoid any repeats that could have dire consequences. Does this mean they should take the doors off the Porta Potties and face them towards the flight line? Probably not but neither should they be located anywhere near launch and recovery sites, unfortunately ;-)
Security is a problem for rocketeers, not just safety. One Deepsky customer had his garden shed broken into recently and a large fraction of his rocketry gear stolen. Be on the lookout for the sale of finished and part finished MPR and HPR rockets from LOC and PML being sold (perhaps on eBay?) by people who don't really know much about what they are selling. If you see something suspicious of this sort, get in touch with us via the contact page on the web site.
*Order! Order!*
To get your rockets and motors to you fast, we need good addresses. We are modifying the site so that multi-line addresses can be accommodated. Until then, use commas! We have had too many returned parcels and phone calls from our courier because of bad addresses. Check and correct yours today!
We are in the middle of our seasonal rush caused by schools and good weather. Orders may take a day or two longer than usual. We only have three heads and six hands! Some items can be out of stock for a while longer than usual. We always try to keep you informed of any delays via our order updates. Your patience is appreciated. If you change your mind or want to cancel due to delay, please let us know.
We work hard to keep our website the best rocketry resource in the world. It's available 24 x 7 for browsing or ordering but we take orders by telephone, fax, email and snail mail, too. Orders through the site are processed first and get to you faster with fewer hiccups. We are a small organisation staffed by humans but the web order system goes a long way towards compensating for any lapses in our memory or our deficiencies of understanding. It must work because we are near 2000 orders, having just passed the 1000 order mark in February!
Despite our efforts, a distinguished senior rocketeer has the hump with us, however, because he says that he ordered something and paid cash at an event but never got his goods. It has never been our policy to take orders at events for items not in stock. Our policy has been to take the request onboard and get the item into stock and onto the web site ASAP and then invite an order in the normal course of business.
Two diligent searches have failed to turn up any record of this purchase and we apologise for any oversight. We'd apologise by private email but this distinguished senior rocketeer has never registered on our site as a customer so it would be difficult to send him compensation for any confusion on our part. We do our best for our customers - let us know if we can do better and make sure we have your current contact details.
*Events*
We helped Blast Off for Britain fly over 200 rockets over last weekend at the Think Tank in Birmingham. Whew! A lot of kids got their first taste of rocketry.
Our next major foray for the Deepsky Expeditionary Force will be at Milson for Black Knight's BK Flamer - a hugely enjoyable weekend of flying if last year's event was any indication. Warm (but not too hot) weather, clear skies and calm zehphyrs are anticipated.
Then it's off to the U.S. for NARAM 47, an annual week-long gathering of the mad keen American rocket tribes. Deepsky is a sponsor of this world-class event. We hope to meet a lot of our friends and customers across the pond, check out a raft of new products and maybe even do a bit of rocket flying.
Tripoli Rocketry Association has a new Mid Power certification scheme open to under-18s. The youngest member of the Deepsky flight crew is keen to add to her rating while in the U.S. The new Tripoli LF and LG ratings are available here - it's just that the motors are easier to get there! Stay tuned for information on joining Tripoli Rocketry UK and availability of Aerotech motors.
Rowes Retainers and Space Craft UK have generously added Made in Britain prizes to the Deepsky swag bag for the NARAM 47 raffle and auction.
See you around the planet!
Deepsky Team
