Model Rocketry Sightings In Media

The Rocketry Forum

Help Support The Rocketry Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

vcp

Well-Known Member
TRF Supporter
Joined
Jan 27, 2009
Messages
1,464
Reaction score
563
Location
Meridian, ID
Browsing thru Prime and out of boredom started watching the movie "Treasure" (2019). Looks like a 'Lifetime' movie perhaps; not the worst but not exactly an Oscar contender. But in the middle, there is a one or two minute scene of a father/daughter building an Estes Saturn V, and another at the end of them launching it. And the most shocking thing: The scenes are totally accurate!

Interestingly, IMDB lists a (2017) date for this movie but doesn't have a trailer. Oh, but there's a web site for the movie, with a trailer (no rockets though).
 
Last edited:
A few weeks ago, they re-broadcast the Wonder Woman episode featuring the blaze orange Estes Maxi-Brute Pershing (9:05). It was a mind-controlled missile project for the Army. One scene even shows a wooden Estes Tilt-A-Pad launcher atop a platform (23:58).
 
Last edited:
Browsing thru Prime and out of boredom started watching the movie "Treasure" (2019). Looks like a 'Lifetime' movie perhaps; not the worst but not exactly an Oscar contender. But in the middle, there is a one or two minute scene of a father/daughter building an Estes Saturn V, and another at the end of them launching it. And the most shocking thing: The scenes are totally accurate!

Thanks. I had not seen the movie and didn't know that it was on Prime until seeing your post.

One of our local club members, Tom Dennen, helped them launch the rocket for the final scene. I gave him some Aerotech E motors and Estes D12 motors to use. I heard that there was an issue getting the composites to ignite, so they used a D12.
 
The launch scene at the end of "Treasure" was originally scripted to take place on a boat. But, the logistics of filming a launch from a boat, including recovering the rocket for additional takes, were probably too complicated.
 
watch
 
On the Big Bang Theory the scenes about rockets are often wrong or inaccurate.

In one episode the conversation was something like:
Leonard: Is that a two stage rocket?
Howard: Three, if I could get my hands on some of the top secret fuel the government is developing.

So you need a super secret special liquid fuel to make a three stage rocket?
It was a premise to another story, just a reason to bring up the fuel, but still. Would've been better had it just been "How high will it go?". " Not as high as it would with...said fuel"

On one episode of Young Sheldon he lit a rocket in his garage and it flew through the house...or something like that. Don't remember exactly but rockets are often seen in the background in that series.
 
Which episode?
Season 4 episode 6 “A Connection is Made”

A bunch of SoAR members (including me) built the rockets. I think it’s been about 3 years now, so my memory is getting hazy. In total, we built 5 of each rocket used in the show. We did most of the work in two nights.

They gave us a tour of the set. I never heard of the show when they called us asking for help. Ended up watching the entire run. Seasons 3 and 4 are really good, IMO (and not just because of the rockets).

I really like the rocket scene in this show, and I’m glad I got to be a part of it. It’s portrayed the way I imagine most of us see it — as a bonding moment.
 
On the Big Bang Theory the scenes about rockets are often wrong or inaccurate.

In one episode the conversation was something like:
Leonard: Is that a two stage rocket?
Howard: Three, if I could get my hands on some of the top secret fuel the government is developing.

So you need a super secret special liquid fuel to make a three stage rocket?
It was a premise to another story, just a reason to bring up the fuel, but still. Would've been better had it just been "How high will it go?". " Not as high as it would with...said fuel"

On one episode of Young Sheldon he lit a rocket in his garage and it flew through the house...or something like that. Don't remember exactly but rockets are often seen in the background in that series.
Another problem with that scene, as I recall, there was clearly one set of fins at the aft end of the model and I don't recall seeing any breaks in the body tube for the upper stages. Not a big point; it is nice to see model rockets in the popular culture.
 
Another problem with that scene, as I recall, there was clearly one set of fins at the aft end of the model and I don't recall seeing any breaks in the body tube for the upper stages. Not a big point; it is nice to see model rockets in the popular culture.

Yep. Probably written by folks like that guy who set up a kickstarter for his rocket with two stage motor made from AP and CP.
 
On one episode of Young Sheldon he lit a rocket in his garage and it flew through the house...or something like that. Don't remember exactly but rockets are often seen in the background in that series.

I don't recall that, but have spotted an Alpha or similar rocket sitting on his garage workbench.

And ... though it isn't very surprising, I have a tiny bit of inside knowledge that model rockets will play a part in an upcoming episode of Young Sheldon.
 
True, but that doesn't look like Blue Thunder....and it would be a trick to light one with an Electron Beam...though I suppose if you made the right igniter....
 
You’d have to ask @RoyAtl or @PropellantHead. They were at the shoot and might be available to provide the details.

I’m pretty sure they used SoAR’s launch system, not the Estes launchers.
 
On the Big Bang Theory the scenes about rockets are often wrong or inaccurate.

In one episode the conversation was something like:
Leonard: Is that a two stage rocket?
Howard: Three, if I could get my hands on some of the top secret fuel the government is developing.

So you need a super secret special liquid fuel to make a three stage rocket?
It was a premise to another story, just a reason to bring up the fuel, but still. Would've been better had it just been "How high will it go?". " Not as high as it would with...said fuel"

On one episode of Young Sheldon he lit a rocket in his garage and it flew through the house...or something like that. Don't remember exactly but rockets are often seen in the background in that series.

come on, it's for comedy ;)
 
A rare sighting: A commercial accurately depicting model rocketry as a wholesome family activity. It even followed the entire activity; building,
prepping and flying. You can even ignore the hype for whatever product it was, and just enjoy the little rocketry episode.

Only two relatively minor gripes: It opens with an unexpected launch, scaring the father into a potential heart-attack, which the advertised medicine heroically prevents, and, they just had to enhance the exhaust of the model rocket motor at the end.

This appeared on the ABC evening news on Sunday night.

Some club had to be responsible for participating in this, who's going to own up?
(Sorry about the on-screen captions, my wife needs 'em.)
ngMR comm unex build.jpgMR comm launch.jpgMR comm unex launch.jpgMR comm exhaust.jpg
 
The CBS evening news had a segment last night in their 'On the Road' article that was highly positive about rocketry as a learning tool. I would expect the piece to appear on the CBS page in a day or so: On The Road
 
Back
Top