Rockets Made By Kids And For Kids

[Pippen]

When I was a kid when we bothered painting our rockets at all (which wasn't often) we usually went with the colors on the packaging. One of the things that tickled me when I found TRF was how creative members were in working in kid-friendly themes and color schemes. I thought it would be fun to do a thread to show off those rockets made by kids and for kids.

1) This is a little Quest rocket (Payloader maybe?) that my son transformed into "Vader" with a little help of images from the front of a sticker book and some Tacky Glue.

2) My second kiddo built one rocket from a kit at age 9 and the next year wanted to do his own design and that's what he's done ever since. This one is called "Inferno".

3) Triskelion + 6 year old girl + pink paint + purple Glitter = Glitter Girl!!!

4) The last one was my oldest's fair project from last summer, a Fliskits Acme Spitfire, Jason Foxtrot style. It's a challenging rocket to build--definitely not a beginner level--but I included it because he covered it with his favorite comics and then clear coated it and that technique could be used with easier rockets.

 

[jflis]

Very cool! I will dig up some of the pix from my Boys & Girls club rockets later today

 

[DAllen]

That's one of the things I have always liked about FlisKits is that there are no decals included. In a subtle way, Jim is nudging people to think creatively in how to finish their rockets. It's a great concept.

-DAllen

 

[mjennings]

I try to build / fly when I'm with my sisters two oldest kids when I'm back home. (Number 3 will need to be included soon since she is getting old enough) My dad and I took them when they were very young to fly. In fact my sister wound up living way out in a small town when my nephew was in Kindergarten and they were building rockets out of TP tubes and egg cartons , and the teacher was very confused when he asked what motors they would use to fly them, needless to say my sister had an interesting parent teacher conference when report cards came out.

Nephews Alpha III

Nieces Triskelion

Me imparting some for of wisdom to them

 

[jflis]

That's one of the things I have always liked about FlisKits is that there are no decals included. In a subtle way, Jim is nudging people to think creatively in how to finish their rockets. It's a great concept.

-DAllen

And that *is* what I am doing... I get very frustrated when I see a group of Scouts show up at our CMASS launching having built a rocket and they are all SO identical that the kids actually have to sign them in order to tell whose is who's...

When I do a class with something like the Triskelion or Thing-a-ma-Jig, no names are needed... The kids have no problems identifying which one is theres...

I tell them that the package includes MY imagination, but when they paint them up I want to see THEIR imagination, and I do

Good stuff, for sure.

 

[DAllen]

I know what you are saying Jim. I was asked to help out with a build session for a local boys club (sorta like boy scouts) and I told the leaders they need to let me know when so I could recommend a good kit (Fliskits Triskeleon) and get it ordered. I got a surprising call one day from one of the leaders and he said, "Hey, we got the rockets!" and I show up and there was a box full of Estes Gnomes. I of course went ahead with the build session. And of course, all the rockets looked the same...of course all the kids had to sign them to tell them apart...

-DAllen

 

[Pippen]

I try to build / fly when I'm with my sisters two oldest kids when I'm back home.

I bet you're a popular uncle.

 

[Peartree]

How about these guys? The boys are just a few of our Cub Scouts at our Fall hayride/picnic/rocket launch and the rockets are Fliskits Triskelions.

 

[mjennings]

I bet you're a popular uncle.

Pippen, Thanks! Yeah they do really enjoy the time I get to spend with them, I miss them lots.

 

[brianc]

~2 minute video.

https://www.ocls.info/Virtual/Videos/Family/howtobuildapaperrocket.asp?bhcp=1

HD Version
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WoodKiyFd0&fmt=22


"Lt. Col. John Lynn, director of Aerospace Education for the State of
Florida Civil Air Patrol, teaches Orange County Library System patrons
how to easily build a paper rocket. Then, they blast them into the sky
with compressed air!"

And be sure to check out the fin alignment technique!

 

[troj]

FWIW, the easy answer to "the rockets all look the same" is a bucket of colored Sharpies.

Plastic, cardboard, balsa... Doesn't matter -- a Sharpie works well on all of them, and is an easy way to let the kids personalize and color their rockets!

I've used that when I needed to avoid using paint with the kids.

-Kevin

 

[jflis]

How about these guys? The boys are just a few of our Cub Scouts at our Fall hayride/picnic/rocket launch and the rockets are Fliskits Triskelions.

View attachment 2270

Great picture! I love it. Reminds me of this one from Pollard Elementary School in Plaistow, NH.

A bunch of Flea models, with no names...

 

[Pippen]

Those are all great photos!

Brian, that video was sure neat. For all the fuss we can make it out to be, the paper and scotch tape yielded just as many happy faces.

 

[El Cheapo]

Here's my 6yro boys first build on his own. His birthday was a few days ago but he built this just after Xmas when he was five. It's his own kit bash of the Estes Fireflash.

It was a Xmas gift, one of the kits I have stored away that they haven't seen. He liked the rocket but for some reason it just didn't suit him in its stated form. Lucky for us as the EMRR reports are less than rosey. He used a number of the parts and we have a few left over. The only thin I helped with was the plastic cement and placing the larger vinyl stickers. It flies great on A's and B's but haven't had the field to put it up on a C.

I'm so proud that he has developed an eye for creativity and was able to figure out everything that was needed to assemble and bash this kit.

The first picture is his bash and the second is the Estes version

 

[BsSmith]

I guess this is the place to put my group photo, I'm 15, so I don't know how much of a 'kid' I am anymore, but everything here started with a Seastrike D, an Omega, and that little blue rocket in the front. My dad took me to launch his old rockets from when he was a kid when I was about 6, I was scared of the noise so I would run really far away or wait in the car for it to launch. I got over it eventually and started liking the rockets as a fun thing to do every now and then, nothing big. When I was in 5th grade and had just moved to Illinois. I was excited that my neiborhood was open enough to launch rockets in it, and I had just bought a High Flier at Kennedy Space Center before we moved (ripoff prices too, $10 for the High Flier). After I flew the High Flier a few times, I wanted another rocket! We were new to the town and didn't know of any hobby stores around, so I went to the internet and found Apogee. Wow, at that time I didn't even know that anything existed over a D engine, and here was Apogee talking about the mighty E engines! I wanted one, so after awhile I talked my parents into letting me get a Dynastar Rising Star for the insane price of $30, it was the best rocket ever. Then I found out about a rocket club close by, CIA, when my dad had a day off we went to one of their launches to check it out. When we went, I had never flown a composite motor at all, had never seen one, and had never heard one. And they were flying Gs and Hs there. One of the club members gave me an E30 to put in my Rising Star, and I was hooked. I wanted more, bigger, better rockets like these people had. I didn't get any until my birthday the next year, an Aerotech Mustang and a LOC Little Nuke (sitting in the front). The next year, a Yank Mysic Buzz, later to be my certification rocket. And then 6 months later, the Gemini Titan. I certified Jr L1 over the fall at 14 years old. I accomplished my dream.

 

[jflis]

Brian,

Nice looking Nomad you got in there very nice!

 

[BsSmith]

Thanks!

It broke a few fins when it landed, so it is being repaired now, it will fly again soon.