Welcome! If you haven't already seen it or heard about it,
OpenRocket is great fun and is absolutely free! Build a virtual rocket, insert a virtual motor, see how high she'll go, best delay time, top speed, speed off the rod/rail, etc. If you're building a kit you'll probably be able to find a file for it, there are files for hundreds of kits and even more for scratchbuilts.
A lot has happened in 20 years of rocketry! The big one: It took eleven years and an appeal, but the GoodGuys won over the StinkyFaces. A few dozen pages of science- and evidence-based affidavits, plus a video (I think), prevailed over (literally) thousands of pages of blather and bluster in the court battle over APCP. T:he judge ruled that BATFE had not demonstrated its claim that APCP was an exp***ive (had not been able to do so despite using
their own criteria...) So federal permits, storage units, inspections, limitations on amounts, etc., etc. are no longer needed to purchase and store APCP rocket motors. And a few other random items:
- Railbuttons for every rocket size; launch rails are far superior to rods IMHO.
- Chute releases (JLCR) lets you do dual-deploy recovery in single-deploy rockets; some do not need ematches or BP charges.
- Q-Jet composite motors are the same size as Estes (18x70mm) but in A thru D impulse; there are also 24mm Q-Jets in E and F impulse.
- Almost all APCP motors of G-impulse and lower can be shipped without hazmat fees! (very recent development)
- Altimeters, flight computers, GPS transmitters and receivers, and kits for same. Eggtimer Quark kit will fit a BT50 (even a BT20 with minor modifications), does dual deploy, beeps out the altitude, all for under $25. Rocketeers are finding it practical to have an altimeter for every rocket.
- Mach1 rocketry has fiberglass tubing in the same sizes as Estes body tubes if you want to build a hard-to-destroy rocket.
- In addition to regular single-use motors and reload kits, Aerotech has "Disposable Motors" with adjustable delays.
- Delays can be adjusted in most reload kits, too. Buy an H220-14 reload, drill the element to get any delay from about 4-13 seconds.
- All sorts of propellants to choose from; newer ones include Black Max, Warp9, Super Thunder, Propellant X, Metalstorm, Dark Matter, etc., etc.
- Lots of model, mid-power, and high-power kits from multiple vendors.
- Wireless remote systems for launching anywhere from one to 64 rockets.
- Research rocketry is here: Tripoli L2's may make and fly their own APCP (or "sugar") motors at TRA launches.
I'm pretty sure I've missed a few dozen important items and a hundred less-critical ones. Have fun; that's an order!
PS: Great thing, getting your kids interested in rocketry! Take a few minutes to teach them some basics on safety: wait until dad says it's ok if the rocket doesn't launch; likewise, wait for his ok before running after the rocket; don't try to catch it, etc. It'd be to their advantage to know this stuff (esp. if you take 'em to a club launch, which should absolutely be on the future menu).
