TARC Rocket in Carry on Luggage?

[doug_kosty]

So... heading to VA for the TARC finals with the school group that I have been mentoring. I have conflicting information about transporting rockets - in checked luggage vs in carry on luggage. Any experiences?
The rockets are well used, so they do have BP residue on them. Hard to imagine TSA getting all excited about paper tubes and plywood, but also hate to have a problem at the gate.

Motors were ordered for delivery to the finals, so we are o.k. on that score.

I'd prefer to transport them in the cabin since I have had... interesting experiences with luggage through they years.

Thanks for any thoughts.

 

[K'Tesh]

Can't help you, but I can remind you of this...

[video=youtube;5YGc4zOqozo]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YGc4zOqozo[/video]

 

[KevinM]

I went carry-on with an Estes Loadstar II while on a business trip last year. The Loadstar had been flown before so it had the same residue issues you mention. I flew from Toronto, Canada to Yuma AZ, then a week later (with it freshly flown) from Yuma to Newport News VA, then a week later again from Newport back to Toronto. For all the security checks I went through no one even asked me to open the box for a secondary inspection.

 

[K'Tesh]

I would suspect that if it is not being transported completely assembled (eg nosecone on) it would be fairly innocent looking on X-ray.

 

[Abyssal Vortex]

TARC has a print out about it somewhere, or maybe it was in the packet of info that you get when you confirm. You ARE 100% allowed to bring it on. Make sure you have the motor out, and I would disassemble it as well, maybe even tell the guy, hey, there's a model rocket. Make sure to bring a copy of the hand out tarc has. See you there!