Returning to Rocketry as an Adult

[laizalott]

I have been lurking in these forums for a few months after making an account (so I could see photos), but have yet to introduce myself or post anything really.

My name is Lydia and I have been flying building and flying rockets for a couple of months now, after visiting the Space and Rocketry Center in Huntsville around my 40th birthday. My boyfriend and I basically bought and built every rocket kit available from the local Hobby Lobby afterwards, then moved on to the Internet to get some nice medium power kits like the Estes Mean Machine, Estes Der Big Red Max, Apogee Katana Jr, and Apogee Quick Draw.

We've had a lot of failures, but thankfully even more success. Most recently I completed a LOC Goblin 4" and am planning to do my NAR Level 1 cert flight with an H100 DMS at a club in Huntsville in mid-October. While waiting for that, I bought a BT-60 dual-deploy kit from Apogee and converted my Estes Hi-Flier XL to dual deploy, using the Altus Metrum Easy Mini taken from my Katana Jr...The Katana no longer needs it, since after my final launch I lost the rocket for 24 hours, and the overnight rain absolutely destroyed the tube and e-bay paper...but it was still beeping out the max altitude when I found it!

As of today, I have 3/4 successful dual-deployments under the belt (even losing the rocket is a success if both chutes came out, right?). The one failure being my first flight where I forgot to turn on the Easy Mini...the rocket still deployed the drogue, and was thankfully undamaged, but oh man did I feel silly when I realized I had done that. Checklists FTW.

So yeah, that's me. Hope to meet some cool rocketry folks in person next month at that club launch.

 

[smstachwick]

I have been lurking in these forums for a few months after making an account (so I could see photos), but have yet to introduce myself or post anything really.

My name is Lydia and I have been flying building and flying rockets for a couple of months now, after visiting the Space and Rocketry Center in Huntsville around my 40th birthday. My boyfriend and I basically bought and built every rocket kit available from the local Hobby Lobby afterwards, then moved on to the Internet to get some nice medium power kits like the Estes Mean Machine, Estes Der Big Red Max, Apogee Katana Jr, and Apogee Quick Draw.

We've had a lot of failures, but thankfully even more success. Most recently I completed a LOC Goblin 4" and am planning to do my NAR Level 1 cert flight with an H100 DMS at a club in Huntsville in mid-October. While waiting for that, I bought a BT-60 dual-deploy kit from Apogee and converted my Estes Hi-Flier XL to dual deploy, using the Altus Metrum Easy Mini taken from my Katana Jr...The Katana no longer needs it, since after my final launch I lost the rocket for 24 hours, and the overnight rain absolutely destroyed the tube and e-bay paper...but it was still beeping out the max altitude when I found it!

As of today, I have 3/4 successful dual-deployments under the belt (even losing the rocket is a success if both chutes came out, right?). The one failure being my first flight where I forgot to turn on the Easy Mini...the rocket still deployed the drogue, and was thankfully undamaged, but oh man did I feel silly when I realized I had done that. Checklists FTW.

So yeah, that's me. Hope to meet some cool rocketry folks in person next month at that club launch.

That’s a nice-sized fleet you’ve got there.

Good call converting that HFXL, the thing is a bit of a hot rod, I’ve noticed.

 

[Hobie1dog]

to the forum.

 

[BEC]

....and it looks as if you've already discovered that the rocketry bug bites harder the second time....

 

[Wrightme43]

Welcome! Glad you are here. Lydia is a cool name. I always dug that name. I want to wish you success on your L1. I am preparing to build a Nike Smoke 4" for mine. Still collecting things as I can afford them. LOL

Thanks for the photos!

Bummer on the ruined rocket though.

Steve

 

[laizalott]

Good call converting that HFXL, the thing is a bit of a hot rod, I’ve noticed.

You're not kidding! On a D12-6 it is still going up when the parachute comes out. It was my first D/E kit, and has not failed to disappoint

....and it looks as if you've already discovered that the rocketry bug bites harder the second time....

I was not expecting it. I do RC stuff also, really into lots of geeky hobbies, but just assumed rocketry was gonna be a one-weekend thing. Did not expect it to take over our lives and living room, LOL

Welcome! Glad you are here. Lydia is a cool name. I always dug that name. I want to wish you success on your L1. I am preparing to build a Nike Smoke 4" for mine. Still collecting things as I can afford them. LOL

Thanks, and good luck to you also! Will that be for a level 1 or level 2 for you? My LOC Goblin claims it can do J and L motors for higher power flights, but it is still paper...I have no fiberglass rockets, yet

 

[BEC]

I was not expecting it. I do RC stuff also, really into lots of geeky hobbies, but just assumed rocketry was gonna be a one-weekend thing. Did not expect it to take over our lives and living room, LOL

Yup, that's pretty much the situation at my house. And, amazingly, now my wife (who is NOT returning to the hobby) has the bug, too. She jokes about being a 66-year-old beginner, but she's learning fast. She has lots of complementary skills, so the actual building is not really giving her any trouble.

 

[Wrightme43]

Just level 1. I have built a Cherokee E and Aspire with instructions. I have built a Wolverine 2.6" with out instructions. Waiting to start the 4" Nike Smoke kit, untill I verify my construction, launch, and recovery techniques on D, E, F, and G motors.
Lots of open rocket sims, digging on thrust curve now.
I need one ball bearing swivel, to attach quick link to 30" parachute, to finish the Wolverine. I know its a little big, but it will open with Jolly Logic chute release.

I am about to chew my own leg off to tear into the Nike kit, but I am not going to do anything other than nose cone smoothing, since it it 3D printed, and I am deciding exactly how I want to set up my eggtime tracker before I buy it. I want to make a good plan for electronics and tracking so I only have to buy the stuff once, and be able to transfer between rockets.

This is great. It fills my need to think down difficult pathways and problem solve. I think I like building, and thinking about building, as much as launching.
I hope you have a blast!
Steve.

 

[Joel Shepherd]

As of today, I have 3/4 successful dual-deployments under the belt (even losing the rocket is a success if both chutes came out, right?). The one failure being my first flight where I forgot to turn on the Easy Mini

By that measure, I’m at about 5 out of 8. Forgetting to arm the altimeter was failure #2 (very moderate damage thankfully). Failures #1 and #3 were more or less catastrophic failures of the drogue recovery harness due to using motors with ejection charges that went off right at apogee (ie, were too short for a DD recovery). The first failure broke a Kevlar cord at a knot; the second one tore off the plywood “eye” on the electronics bay where the cord attaches. No real damage to the main rocket body otherwise. But, hey, no better way to really learn something than to fail at it once (or twice, if you’re slow and lucky). Have fun!