Apollo Command Module Panel

Steve has some nice toys! Click through for the tagged version, a rear view and some history.

Apollo Command Module Panel, originally uploaded by jurvetson.

One man's CATO is another man's OOPS

In today's Space Review:  Launch failures: the “Oops!” factor by Wayne Eleazer. 

The consequence of an "oops": a piece of debris from a Thor splits a trailer home in two. (credit: USAF)

A big V-2 history post

The images below document a V-2 launch circa 1950. They were part of an article in the October 1950 issue of National Geographic, which was written by Clyde T. Holliday.  Mr. Holliday  was an employee of the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab under contract to the Navy.  Click to see the biggest copies. (The image above documents two V-2 launches circa 2008.)

Update:  The photos below are of round No. 56, launched November 18, 1949.  Along with the pictured camera, it carried a Pirani temperature probe, air sampling bottles  (U. Mich.) and a 'grenade experiment' (Army Signal Corps.).  It reached an altitude of 77 miles. (via ROTW,  Peter Alway,   pp. 21-22.)

Now, back to your regularly scheduled programming...

Phew!  My obsessive-compulsive quest to port my reviews to the Dungeon is just about complete.  There are a handful that I didn't want to move over right now and one that is awaiting a flight. The latter is my Tarkus II, which got a major face lift since its first flight (even though the flight was 100% successful).

Anyway, I won't be clogging my top page with the daily installment of old rocket reviews.  Hopefully, I'll get a chance to fly soon so I can clog it with the new reviews that are in the queue.  I will continue to document my rocket builds as they progress but, after they have flown, I will follow-up with a comprehensive review post.

As a final note, it's been years since I looked at some of these reviews.  It was a nice trip down memory lane that also led to other explorations, such as thumbing through the EMRR r.m.r. Descon archives. Along the way, I updated the vast majority of the reviews with at least additional launch reports. (At least, the reviews of actual rockets, as opposed to books, parts, videos, etc.)  I was surprised at how many of my rockets had been rebuilt, or received a major face lift, since the original review was published.

Mega Review: Four missile-aneous scratch builds

This post includes:

• Scrap Rocket 2 - once of my oldest, no wadding required
• One Shot - may not have broken Mach, but who could tell?
• Mini-Toobah - my tiniest tube finned rocket
• Spikor - one of my newest, so all my readers already know about it

Review: Landshark 2.0/3.0

My original Landshark (V1.0) flew on 38mm Js and sported some cool shark fin-shaped fins from Giant Leap. Since there was little hope it would ever fly again, I decided to reuse the fins on a much smaller and lighter model. The new version is 3" in diameter and flies on 29mm power.  Version 2.0 suffered damage and since returned as 3.0. [We now know that HPR motors are no longer regulated, so I guess the original could have flown again...oh well.]

Scratch: G125

Basically, this is G125 motor with fins and a nosecone. Would your RSO let it fly?

Review: D-Fusion Bomb

Denny's serves(-ed) kid's drinks in this cool retro-styled rocket cup. I whined until our waitress gave me one.

I originally wanted to make this fly on 29mm motors without added fins. The dimensions of the base made me change to 24mm. I then designed a RockSIM model without added fins and it looked like it would be stable. It wasn't. So, I back-pedaled again and added a set of fins. This review will only describe the successful, finned version.

Review: 12 Pack

Just your basic 3" rocket with twelve 18mm motor mounts. Made with mailing tube and an Aqua-Pod water bottle as a nose cone.

Conosphere motors

In his latest blog entry, Scott Lowther describes a unique motor geometry proposed by JPL in 1972.  In the conosphere concept, the solid rocket motors in a multi-stage rocket would be nestled in one another. This strategy would optimize the use of space in the rocket.  For example, the 2nd stage nozzle would also serve as the froward closure for the 1st stage, and so on. Scott, has a lengthier description and a couple of diagrams, one of which I've cross-posted.  I'd like to see the thrust curve for such a motor. 

Update: R2K points out that the proposed ARCA Haas vehicle resembles the first step in the evolution from a standard staged rocket to the conosphere. (see the other diagram on the Unwanted Blog post linked above)

The fire breathing Snowzilla of Bel Air

The spawn of Thunderslushpocalypse!

Review: Killer Bee

The Killer Bee is a 3" diameter rocket that I built around a set of Aerospace Composite fins from Giant Leap Rocketry. It sports a 29mm motor mount and zipperless construction.

Review: Two models made from Aquapod bottles

Aquapods are short, stubby, bulbous bottles whose shape is self-described as orbastic.  These things scream ROCKETS! I've used them for a nose cone, a tail cone, and for the bodies of the following rockets...

Review: Shadow Composites - Video Set

The three volume Shadow Composites video set presents basic and advanced fiberglassing techniques for rocketry.  I received  the videos as my DESCON 8 prize. Although I am not the most qualified reviewer in this area, I thought I would share my opinions anyway.

Review: Model Minutes - G-200 Carrier

The G-200 was a large paper rocket that flies on 24mm motors. The diameter of the lower tube was about 2 3/8" vs the 2" in the specs--just a skosh too small to fit a Fat Boy cone. It featured a clear payload section (one of the few non-paper components) and two build options. The Orbital Launcher option deployed a paper satellite that would come down on its own chute, while the Payloader option left the payload section open. I chose the latter but built the satellite sans chute and inserted it in the payload section.

Reviews: Two scratch stand-off scale models

The Little Joe I is stand-off and the Talos is quasi-scale (i.e. even less accurate).

Scratch: Gone Batty

This is a Halloween-themed rocket with jack-o-lantern nose cone and bat wings. The original flew on two 24mm motors. After two flights, I decided it needed more power so I added two 24mm outboard pods. Four D12's are much better than two!

Reviews: Two Cognis Aerospace kits

This post reviews the Cognis Aerospace Lunar Lander and Eenie Meanie. Cognis is long since OOP.

Reviews: MODifications to the Apogee V2 and Semroc Tau Zero

On the 10.5mm Micro V2, I added a stretched fin section (the Blitzkrieg Booster) to allow it to fly on 13mm motors. On the Tau Zero, I merely put the fins on upside down. This is now a designer approved option. So sayeth YORF's Jay "Centuri Guy" Goemmer :D

Review: Powered FLICS

When I read that Hans "Chris" Michielssen had converted a Quest FLICS rubber band powered rocket to MicroMaxx power, I immediately gave it a try. I too have had a stash of these freebies with no plans for what to do with them. I have converted them for MicroMaxx and 13mm power.

Review: Three scratch saucer-like objects

This post documents three totally different saucer-like designs.  The Half-Spool Jack-o-Lantern is made from a used CD-ROM and a small jack-o-lantern, the Instructables Frisbee Saucer is a paper design made from, well, a DIY paper Frisbee, and the Quadrophenia is a quasi-scale lander inspired by Armadillo's Quad Lander.

The future of the Future Space Assess Database is here

Once upon a time, I thought I create and maintain a database of all 'new-space' companies (the so-called Future Space Assess Database).  I started publishing it to a web page and later moved is to Google Docs as a shared document. Then, I mirrored the Docs page back on my web page.   I added government programs and commercial launchers too.  This thing took a lot of effort and it finally did me in.  I retired it in April 2009 after extended periods of inactivity.  Now, I see there is an eerily similar list on Wikipedia: List of private spaceflight companies.  Wikipedia seems to be a good place for such a list, although on first glance it looks like it needs  some work too.  Jusk for kicks, I re-enabled sharing on the FSAdb.

Clarification:  I re-opened access to my list, but haven't updated it in years. Think of it more as a snapshot in time. 

Review: Loki 38mm Motor System

This is a review of Loki's 38mm line, circa mid-2005.

Remembering Challenger - 25 years later

Challenger, STS-51-L, lost January 28, 1986
(L-to-R, top-to-bottom)
Ellison S. Onizuka, Mission Specialist
Sharon Christa McAuliffe
Gregory B. Jarvis, Payload Specialist
Judith A. Resnik, Mission Specialist
Michael J. Smith, Pilot
Francis R. (Dick) Scobee, Commander
Ronald E. McNair, Mission Specialist




And, not to forget the others who were lost...

Columbia, STS-107, lost February 1, 2003
Rick D. Husband, Commander
William C. McCool, Pilot
Michael P. Anderson, Payload Commander
David M. Brown, Mission Specialist
Kalpana Chawla, Mission Specialist
Laurel Blair Salton Clark, Mission Specialist
Ilan Ramon, Payload Specialist

Apollo One, AS-204, lost January 27, 1967
Lt. Col. Virgil I. “Gus” Grissom, USAF
Lt. Col. Edward H. White II, USAF
Lt. Roger B. Chaffee, USN

Review: Giant Leap Avionics Bay (4")

This avionics bay is made to be used with Giant Leap’s 4-inch flexible phenolic tubing. It also fits in LOC’s 4” tubing, but you should check the detailed dimensions on Giant Leap’s web site before planning to use it with anyone else’s tubes. It features dual threaded rods and an O-Ring seal on one end. I added ejection cannons, electrical connectors, audio plugs to break the ejection charge circuits, and a mounting board for my G-Wiz altimeter.

Review: Three Estes MODifications

This post includes:

• Big Dipper Daddy
• Fat Boy 7x18mm Motor Eater
• Phinagain Cruise Missile

Review: Squishy Foam Rockets

Rigid foam is commonly used in rocketry, mostly for custom nose cones. However, you don't see flexible foam rubber, such as that used in pool noodles, very often.  Way back in 2001, EMRR conducted a Stomp Rocket™ photo contest. All though the title pointed to the commercially available foam rubber rockets, the contest was actually open to all foam-based rockets.  This contest spawned the boink form of rocket recovery.  Boink recovery is basically an intentional lawn dart.  But then, these rockets are naturally bouncy.  I had two entries.  My pool-noodle based scale Fat Boy, the Fat Boi-nk, won first place!  Buy other entry, Give 'Em the Finger, placed fourth and, together, they snagged me some good loot.

This post will describe Give 'Em the Finger and the Noodle Toober, which was built much later.

Worst rush hour traffic ever - Thunderslushpocalypse of 2011

Worst rush hour traffic ever, originally uploaded by BrianMKA.

Car lights, snaking off into the wasteland.

Reviews: Three Nike Smoke-like objects

This post describes: a Quest Nike Smoke modified for 29mm motors; a cloned, stretched Smoke with a functional nose cone; and some Nike Smoke parts merged with a Tiny Tim booster.

Reviews: Two General Modeling Books

This post presents reviews of the Modeler's Notebook Model Design & Blueprinting and the CultTVMan Ultimate Modeling Guide to Classic Sci-Fi Movies.

Review: Quickburst - Rocket Rack

This is a brief review of QuickBurst's 18" PVC rocket rack.

The Thunderslushpocalypse of 2011!

We are just finishing up the first major snow of the season.  We only ended up with 7 - 8 inches of heavy snow on our deck, but that amount has wreaked havoc on the roads, with gridlock and all freeway lanes closed.  My son-in-law has been on the road for 6 hours and is only half way home (normally, a 1 hour trip)!  It was also thunder snow so we had numerous power glitches.  Lightning flashes look eerie when the snow is coming down at 1.5 - 2 inches/hour.

OK, I know you want a snow girl...

Review: Qmodeling Stiletto

This is one of QModeling's Mega Retro Series (MRS) kits. It's a 1.68:1 upscale of the classic Estes kit and flies on 24mm motors. It is a great looking kit and the parts are of exceptional quality.

Rocket Videos: Tape v. DVD

This post describes the Point 39 Productions LDRS XIX (on VHS tape) and the ROCKETS Magazine/Liberty Launch Systems Red Glare IV (on DVD) videos.

Review: Heavenly Hobbies - Backdraft

The Heavenly Hobbies Backdraft is a BT-60-based, 24mm-powered rocket that on face value looks like a standard 2-stager. If you've read the previous reviews, you'll know that there is one major difference--the upper motor is used as a retro rocket. Heavenly Hobbies calls this the TailWind delayed deployment system. The upper stage is ignited with a slow-burning fuse ('green cannon fuse'), so the flight prep will be out of the experience base of most rocketeers. Heavenly Hobbies includes an electronic spreadsheet, H.H. Simit, to help with the motor/delay selection.

The glossy sheet provided with the kit says it is s/n number 17. This kit was fun!

Reviews: A Pair of FlisKits

In my opinion, these are new classics:  A.C.M.E. Spitfire and Deuces Wild!

Big a$$ rocket of the day - 1/2 scale MLAS

That will make it 9' in diameter and over 15' long!  You can follow the progress of this project on the Arizona Rocket Consortium blog.  The Nozzle Exit is best portal for MLAS info.

The best of the r.m.r. DesCon

Here are rockets that I think are worth checking out - for the first time or again.  Links are to the new EMRR (except for my entries).  There are so many good ones that are not listed.

1. 3-Stage Cluster Cone  - Art Applewhite (...of Death?)
2. And Now For Something Completely Different... - Robert Galejs {and he means really different!)
3. Augie Sport - Frank Ross (2-Stage, single-piece, ducted sport flier)
4. BiC Arcas - Jeff Hove (this one inspire so many copycats!)
5. Big Bad Bertha - Bob Fortune (barely longer than that 38mm J570!)
6. Cosmotrader - Drake 'Doc' Damerau (possibly, the best one)
7. Crazy Dave's Gun Launched Rocket - Dave Hall (removed due to safety issues)
8. Deuce XL5 - Dick Stafford (I like it, what else can I say? Link is to the updated review here on the Dungeon.)
9. Flying Traffic Barrel of Death - Mark Simpson (full scale!)
10. Fat-Ass-Tron Sprint - Jim Sekol (pretty basic, but classic lines)
11. Flight Registration Form - Adrian Hurt (simple, but funny)
12. Flying Purple People Eater - Robert Galejs {now, maybe this is my favorite...other than my entries, of course)
13. Fur-Lined Cole Weather Rocket - Richard Hickok (included because it reminds me of all the interesting stuff he drags out to MDRA)
14. Gemini Strikefighter - David Chen (the next best thing to the original)
15. Imperial Lambda Shuttle (29mm) - Nick 'EMRR' Esselman (I built its small relative.  Wish he'd kitted the big one.)
16. Junk Food Junkie - Glen Overby (Simple idea, but I always liked this junk rocket.)
17. Lander - Spooge Prospector - Kelo Wavio (ditto)
18. Macroprobe - Ronald Orr (recycle your old electronics)
19. Meanie x2 -  Nick 'EMRR' Esselman (I like the simple lines)
20. Mercury Transport (29mm)  - Nick 'EMRR' Esselman (paint stirrers...hmmm)
21. MicroMaxx Monocopter - Art Applewhite (updated version is available here)
22. Navajo G-26 - Tim Wilson (this cruise missile will actually cruise!)
23. Project Pluto - Mark Schrader (gotta add this to the build list)
24. Project X - Tater Schuld  (good example of frame construction)
25. Scream - Richard Hickok (another from my build session bud)
26. Scroton - Chris Eilbeck (awesome spinning thing; forgot it was a DesCon entry)
27. SkyWriter - Bob Fortune (Sharpie...or not?)
28. SpaceLiner 100 - Nick 'EMRR' Esselman (what a finish...I love stubby)
29. The Grand Whazoo - me, again; and the link points to my updated review on the Dungeon; this one inspired builds by other rocketeers
30. The Monthly Missile - Chris Kiekens (you gotta laugh at this one!)
31. The Whole Enchilada - (from you-know-who; I'm still proud of this idea)
32. Three-Fin Snelson - Robert Galejs (wow, can you believe the fins don't touch the BT...or any structural member?)
33. Thunderbird 3 - Darren Longhorn (someday, I've gotta build one)
34. TinTin - Michel Demey (in case my XFLR-7 is lost or destroyed...)
35. Tintinique - Darren Longhorn (ditto) 
36. The Tower Ring Infernal - Ted Cochran (is this a fractionator, deethanizer, or a debutanizer?)
37. Two Fin - Evan Ross (I'm fascinated with two fin designs.)

Review: Pratt GO Box

The Pratt Hobbies GO Box is a simple, sturdy launch controller that is powered by your car's battery. (Which you conveniently charged on the way to the launch!)

Reviews: Estes SpaceShipOne

After many months with breathless anticipation, the Estes SpaceShipOne® finally arrived (circa 2005, this is a republished review). This kit is a 1/30th sport-scale kit based on a BT-200 tube, which is 2" in diameter. This was the first time I noticed the SS1 being attributed to Mojave Aerospace Ventures vs. Scaled Composites. There are some issues for the scale fans out there. For instance, if you look at the rear nozzle, it looks like the test flight configuration, however, the markings appear to be those on the final X-Prize flight. Still, the resulting kit looks pretty sweet and I'm really glad Estes got it out.

Mega Review: r.m.r. DesCon

This post presents several of my DesCon entries.  I've listed all of them below.  Shaded items with links point to rockets documented in other posts.

1. DesCon 07 - Skyrocket A rocket made with left over fireworks parts.
2. DesCon 08 - Stratosphere Made from a plastic daiquiri glass. 'Never drink and fly!'
3. DesCon 08 - The Whole Enchilada Made from tortillas and a jalapeno pepper. 'The name is the rocket, the rocket is the food.'
4. DesCon 09 - The Grand Whazoo  8" diameter paper rocket, light enough for mid-power. (-- Descon 3rd Place Winner --)
5. DesCon 10 - DC Pod Racer Gemini DC turned into a Star Wars Pod Racer.
6. DesCon 11 - Dust Devil A 2 x 24mm + 32mm clustered monocopter.
7. DesCon 12 - M.M.X. (MicroMech-X) A flying Mech-X Robot? Yep. (MicroMaxx)
8. DesCon 13 - Deuce XL5 Fireball XL5 taken to new heights with a Deuce's Wild Cluster.
9. DesCon 14 - Fat Boy - 3 x 4 3" diameter stretched upscale of the Estes Fat Boy (4x24mm)
10. DesCon 15 - Hot Rod II (Project Orion Test Vehicle) Quasi scale model of Project Orion's 'Hot Rod' pulse detonation test vehicle. Mine flies on 29mm power.

Reviews: Three Simple Rockets

From easiest to hardest:  RTF, ARF, 3FNC

XXX

First shalt thou build. Then, shalt thou count to XXX. No more. No less. XXX shalt be the number thou shalt count, and the number of the counting shall be XXX. XXXI shalt thou not count, neither count thou XXIX, excepting that thou then proceed to XXX.

Official LDRS-30 Site

TRF LDRS-30 Sub-Forum

Delta IV Heavy NROL-49 Launch Highlights

From CollectSpace via the Bayourat. Whitney also relays that amateur satellite watchers now are tracking NROL-49.

Mega Review: Art Applewhite Catch-All

This post presents several additional Art Applewhite products:

Cone Rocket
Hourglass 24mm
Super Cinco
MicroMaxx Flying Saucer Plans

Mega Review: Motors

Here are my motor reviews from EMRR.

AeroTech G77R (updated!)
AeroTech G79W (updated!)
Quest D5-0 Plugged
Ellis Mountain SU J110 (out-of-production)
Ellis Mountain SU J228 (out-of-production)

Mega Review: Parachutes

This post presents reviews of various parachutes, several of which were received via EMRR.  A couple are out-of-production (OOP) and are only included for historical purposes.

RocketChutes - Nylon Parachutes (12" and 18")
Aerocon - Surplus Nylon Parachutes (36" and 66")
Giant Leap - Spherachute PLUS+ (48")
OOP - RocketHead Rockets - Mylar Parachutes (12")
OOP - RocketChutes (unaffiliated with the previous manufacturer with this name) 18" Drogue

Rocket Monuments and Monuments to Rockets

The Web Urbanist presents a compendium of Rocket Signs: Space Race Monuments Of The USA & USSR.

Armadillo goes totally tubular

Armadillo's Ben Brockert has more info on Armadillo's latest.  Their rockets are looking more and more like rockets (i.e. long and pointy). Here's is a photo from weldsman's Flickr stream. (two hat tips to Clark Lindsey)

DSCF3166, originally uploaded by weldsman.

Mega Review: A Semroc Flood!

This post covers several from my Semroc Fleet:

Gee'hod
SLS Sky Hook
Recruiter Space Probe
LAUNCH Missile

Gee'hod

This is the latest in Semroc's line of Groonies (Grown-up Goonies). Inspired by the "insanity of 9/11 and its aftermath", the Gee'hod is a parody on fanaticism. It has lots of fin area, lots of decals, and flies on 18mm motors. Mine is production #10.

Construction:
For a small kit, this one has a lot of parts. It has two balsa nose cones: the main elliptical cone and the small one for the 'RPG' mounted on the dorsal fin. When I bought the kit, I thought the RPG nose would be cut from flat fin stock. The cone makes this kit look so much cooler. It has 8 fin components. There are 4 main fins, 2 simulated wheels, and 2 pieces that give the lower fin its 'bomb' look. Recovery includes a Kevlar® leader, an elastic strap, plastic chute and a hook eye. The nose cone assembly includes the latter, a plywood plug, and clay nose weight. The main cone is pre-drilled for the clay. The motor mount is typical rings, tube, block, and hook.

As for parts quality, the cones are good and the laser cut fins are precise. However, the fin stock was the most flexible that I have ever seen. More about that below.

Assembling the nose cone involves packing the clay and capping it with the plywood plug. I packed the clay in three pieces but didn't glue in the clay right away. That was a good decision as I added about 10g of extra weight. I usually use epoxy to help hold screw eyes in plywood plates, but decided to use wood glue as directed.

The motor mount is typical, however, the instructions don't say exactly where to place the motor hook on the mount. Luckily, Semroc's instructions have excellent illustrations. I placed it so the motor block just fits in the top of the mount. This gives maybe 1/8 of an inch clearance at the business end. The Kevlar® leader is attached under the motor hook. I've never done this before but it seems like a good method.

As I mentioned above, the fin stock was terrible. Since the lower fin is short and has a bomb-shaped piece glued to either side, it seemed OK. The wheels are small so they seemed OK. However, the side and top fins just seemed way too flimsy. I added a 2nd layer to each with the grain running the opposite direction. I weighed the before and after and added lead shot to the nose cone clay to compensate. Thus, my model comes in at about 0.7 oz over the stock model.

There were no detailed dimensions for the placement of the 'wheels', but again the detailed drawings got you pretty close.

Finishing:
Filling was done with Elmer's Fill 'n' Finish and primer. The base coat is Model Masters Modern Desert Tan. I painted the RPG with a brush-on Testor's. It's a pretty red but is a bit too dark for the black decals. The decals--there are a bunch of them! Most can be positioned based on the cover art and I punted with the rest. These were great quality. I'm famous for destroying waterslide decals but all of these survived. Semroc included a decal spec sheet with the kit's serial number and I also used it. I used Testor's Dull Coat to cover the decals. Finally, I used a black Sharpie to color the edged of the wheels between the black decals. All in all, this model actually looks great up close!

I think the kit's design is cool in a goony sort of way. However, I have to think about the balsa stock. I rate it 3 points and an extra 1/2 for the coolness factor.

Flight/Recovery:
The space available for the recovery components is fairly small since the motor mount is offset up into the body. This also means the plastic chute will be very close to the ejection gases. I started by packing dog barf wadding into the top of the motor tube. I then used a section of Estes wadding stuffed with dog barf and finally wrapped the chute in another piece of wadding. There isn't any extra room but it all fit fine.

I loaded it up with a C6-3 given the weight I added. It flew great but passed the sun so I missed where it ejected.  The chute didn't open fully but it landed fairly slowly. You can see compression damage on the RPG tube atop of the dorsal fin. It's still stiff but the paint cracked.

For the second flight, also on a C6-3, I changed pilots!







SLS Sky Hook

This upscale of an old Estes kit is one of Semroc's new Semroc Large-Scale (SLS) line. It flies on 24mm and 29mm motors in the C to F range. The kit features thick walled body tubes, laser cut basswood fins, nylon chutes, a laser slotted tube, and a Kevlar recovery leader.

Construction:
The kit from BRS Hobbies came nicely packed with a colorful insert, which also holds the instructions. As you can see in the photos, individual parts such as the motor mount, chute, fins, and miscellaneous small parts are all individually packaged. No more dropping some small item followed by the associated searching. The parts themselves are of outstanding quality. The fins are flat and identical, the body tubes are very thick, the balsa nose cone is smooth and hard. The instructions are short but clear and include plenty of diagrams. There is even a brief history of Estes and of the kit itself. If you should be unhappy with the kit, no problemo as Semroc has a 100% satisfaction guarantee!



The parts included:
* one 1.34" diameter body tube, 12.25" long
* one 29mm motor tube
* one balsa nose cone, 4.75" long (exposed)
* three laser cut, basswood, through the wall fins
* one 3/16" lug
* one thrust ring
* one screw eye
* one elastic cord
* one Kevlar® thread
* one 18" nylon chute
* one 24mm engine mount adapter kit, consisting of
  o one motor tube
  o two centering rings
  o one engine block
  o one engine hook (for long 24mm motors)
  o one spacer tube (to adapt short 24mm motors)
* one large waterslide decal
* one small specification decal, including the s/n (mine is #00040)

To build the kit, you require all the normal tools and supplies: white or wood glue, filler, paint, sandpaper, etc. I used wood glue throughout.

This was a simple kit to build and I followed the order of the instructions. I started with the 24mm motor mount, which had its own instructions. The slot for the motor clip was pre-cut and from there you glue in the motor block and the two wide and thick centering rings. These were actually pieces of tube that telescoped over the 24mm tube.

From there I proceeded to glue the motor block in the 29mm tube. You first tie the Kevlar® twine around the block. My first impulse was to go for the epoxy, but I decided to keep with the recommended wood glue.

The next step was to round the edges of the fins and test their fit. They required a few swipes of sandpaper along their tabs. As you can see, since the motor tube fits directly into the body tube, there isn't much of a tab. You weren't asked to fill the grain at this point, so I didn't. On the EMRR review of another SLS kit, I noticed a fin popped off. I decided to see how this kit fared. If I have to make repairs, I'll try the epoxy.

To install the motor mount, you swab a liberal amount of glue just ahead of the fin tabs and push in the mount. The fit of the tube is a little loose and you immediately glue on the fins. I set the tube fins up to dry and noticed the motor tube was sliding further into the body. Glad I caught that one! The TTW fins, despite being shallow, should add a lot of strength and made fin alignment trivial. Up to this point, everything was done in one sitting. I then paused to let the motor mount and fins dry. I went back later and added an internal fillet above the motor mount.

Next came fillets, adding the eye hook to the cone, and completing the recovery system. I didn't tie on the chute but instead added a snap swivel and added it to my stable of reusable chutes. After it was all together, I went to slide on the nose cone and found the shoulder was too large. Being balsa, sanding it down wasn't a problem and the result is a nice snug fit.

So far the PROs are: Great parts, clear instructions, straightforward build, very sturdy.

The one CON is that you have to make sure the motor tube doesn't slide out of place. This could be avoided if you let the glue set first, but the instructions say to proceed. Some sanding on the fins and cone was required, but this not a big deal and was discussed in the instructions. As a result, I don't really consider them CONs.

Finishing:
There are finishing instructions and they are typical. Minimal filling is required due to the fine grain of the cone and basswood fins. I painted the body white, nose black, and fins red, just like the cover drawing. The main decal sheet includes one large wrap that covers the top half of the body tube and a blue strip to go just below the fins. There is also a small specs decal. On the plus side, the decals are thick and easy to work with. This is a very good thing since it took me a month of Sundays to get the large decal positioned. I also swabbed the bubbles forever, and there are still a few. Anyway, I shot a clear coat to help the decals stay put. The decal color is reasonably good, especially if the background is white.

Flight/Recovery:
The recommended motors include a C11-5, D12-7, E9-8, and F25-9. I suspect it will fly well on any other motor in this range, such a 24mm F21 or a 29mm F20. As built, mine weighs in at 3.46oz without the adapter and 4.12oz with. This is heavier than the specified 3.0 oz.

For its maiden flight, I loaded it with the 24mm adapter and a C11-7. This is a longer delay than recommended but it's what I had. Plus I had added a strip of 'anti-zipper' cloth tape where the Kevlar® meets the top of the body tube, so I went for it. I held the adapter in with a lot of masking tape. The wadding was dog barf wrapped in Quest wadding. The flight was nice but ejection was late as predicted. Recovery was good on the largish chute. When I got to the rocket I found the eye-hook had pulled out of the cone, which was gone, and it also spat the adapter. I will split the blame on the cone since I used the wrong delay and the adapter was probably user error. All parts were recovered.

I CAed the eye hook back in, reseated the adapter, and swapped the chute for a 12 incher--there was a bit of wind early and I didn't want to feed the trees. The motor choice was a D12-5. This time the delay was shorter than recommended, but I angled the rod some to keep it from the tree line. It tore off like a bat and I didn't see where it ejected. However, recovery was 100% good this time. It was a grass landing and there were no cracked fillets even with the smaller chute.

I increased the thrust level again with an E9-8 flight.  The flight was really up there and recovered about 40 yards from the pad.  On the 2nd E9-8 launch, I lost it the sun and never saw it again.

Summary:
The materials in this kit were as good as I've ever seen and it was a pleasure to build. The only build issue is to make sure the motor tube doesn't slip while the fins dry. This could be fixed by a piece of tape or a watchful eye, but it is a potential major "gotcha". I had to deduct a construction point here.

This is a very sturdy kit and would be a great choice for someone who wants to move on from Estes kits to mid power. With the bigger motors, you better have a nice sized field!

My thanks to Brian at BRS Hobbies for sponsoring this review!

Recruiter Space Probe

The Recruiter Space Probe, kit # KV-22, is a 'RetroRepro' version of the original Centuri kit (KC-30, circa 1967). It features a "Gemini-styled" capsule and six "Redstone type" fins. The fins thickness was increased to 3/32", the 'chute was downsized to reduce drift, and the rubber shock cord was replaced with a Kevlar and elastic combo. This limited edition kit was provided as a 'thank you' to people who have reviewed Semroc's products or otherwise promoted the company. Very classy!

Construction:
The kit came nicely packed with a colorful insert, which also holds the instructions. As you can see in the photos, individual parts such as the motor mount, chute, fins, and miscellaneous small parts are all individually packaged. The instructions are clear and include plenty of diagrams. There is even a brief history of Centuri and of the kit itself. As with other Semroc kits, this one comes with a 100% satisfaction guarantee.

So the parts include (roughly from stem to stern):

* 1 balsa nose cone, 3.75" long (exposed)
* 1 0.908" diameter body tube, 5.5" long
* 1 balsa transition, 1.625" long
* 1 1.34" diameter body tube, 8" long
* 1 screw eye
* 1 elastic cord
* 1 Kevlar® thread
* Semroc Recruiter
* 1 12" plastic chute (including tape discs and shroud lines)
* 2 1/8" lugs
* 6 laser cut balsa fins
* 1 thrust ring
* 1 engine hook
* 1 18mm motor tube
* 1 fiber retainer ring
* 2 centering rings
* 1 fiber coupler
* 1 waterslide decal sheet
* 1 small 'specification decal', including the s/n (mine is #00033)

To build the kit, you require all the normal tools and supplies: white or wood glue, filler, paint, sandpaper, etc. I used wood glue throughout. This is a straightforward build and these are the highlights:

* The Recruiter sports a cool capsule-style balsa nosecone. The thin neck got some reinforcement with thin CA.
* The motor mount features both a hook and thrust ring. The Kevlar® leader is tied to the motor hook, and both are retained with a fiber ring. The centering rings are thick and a fiber coupler, which fits between the rings, further strengthens the mount.
* The six laser-cut fins are perfect. I'm now a big fan of lasers.

PROs: Great parts, clear instructions, cool spacecraft styling, strong motor mount, Kevlar®/elastic shock cord.

CONs: The thrust ring was missing. It probably isn't really necessary, but I replaced it with an Apogee 18mm-13mm centering ring.

Finishing:
Finishing started with Fill 'n' Finish and Plasticote white primer. I couldn't resist making this look more 'Mercury Redstone-like' than the cover art. I painted the body of the cone and fin roll patterns black (Testor's brush-on), and the tip of the cone red (Painter's Touch spray).

Semroc Recruiter The decals are nice and thick. They were generally placed as shown on the cover art. The thin stripe on the cone was left off since the whole cone portion was black and I added the Semroc logo to one of the white fins. I also left off the specification decal as it seemed too big for the rocket.

I finished the recruiter off with a coat of Krylon clear coat. ARGH! Another case of not testing for compatibility! The clear coat made the black paint run slightly. The black both rolled down and wicked upward along the border of the white and black patterns. Very odd--this was a first for me. Maybe the black paint was not fully dry? I scraped and retouched and have it looking OK.

The kit was easy to finish and the decals are nice. The clear coat problem was mine and not a fault of the kit.

Flight/Recovery:
The recommended motors include the A8-3 (200'), B6-4 (500'), and C6-5 (950'). So far, I only have tried the B6-4. The flight was nice with ejection just past apogee. I used dog barf wadding and a square of Estes paper to wrap the chute. The 12" parachute was perfect for this sized model.

Summary:
This is cool looking limited edition rendition of a Centuri classic. The materials are great and the finished product is solid. My thanks again to Carl and Sheryl at Semroc!

LAUNCH Missile

Not long before they closed shop, LAUNCH Magazine commissioned Semroc to produce a kit based on the missile depicted in their logo. The result is the LAUNCH Missile (i.e. The Rocket that Launched a Magazine). The first 300 kits were reserved for LAUNCH subscribers. As you can see, I got one.

The LAUNCH Missile is a 4FNC kit that flies on 18mm motors and is recovered by parachute. The main distinguishing feature is a ribbed tail section and the custom decal set.

Construction:
The kit consists of 1.34" diameter main body and a 0.759" diameter payload. The nose cone and transition are balsa and were very smooth. The balsa fins, centering rings, and tail cone vanes are all precision laser-cut. The nominally 18mm motor mount includes both a spring hook and cardboard block. Recovery is handled with a Kevlar® leader, a elastic cord, and a plastic chute. These are connected to the transition with a hefty screw eye, which undoubtedly also is used for nose weight.

The motor mount assembly is assembled like any other mount. The slit for the spring hook was pre-cut in the mount. Semroc instructs you to tie a loop in the Kevlar® cord and hook it under the motor hook. The cardboard block sits in the end of the motor tube and abuts the tab on the motor hook. The motor hook is held down with a pair of centering rings. The rear ring is slotted to mate with tabs on the laser-cut vanes. I am so happy they invented lasers! These tabs fit nicely and made the installation of the vanes a snap. The only 'extra' I did was to wick some thin CA into the thin tips of the vanes once they were attached. Once dry, the mount is easily inserted into the main tube,

The four fins and launch lug are positioned via a marking guide in the instructions. The elastic is then tied to the Kevlar® cord and the screw eye.

Finishing:
I 'painted' mine with white primer covered with a clear coat to make a semi-gloss finish. The kit comes with decals, which I also coated with a clear coat before application. These went on fine except for the inverted-U shaped decals that were to fit over the root of each fin. It appears that I am not alone here. The edge of a couple of these flipped on themselves and it was difficult to straighten them out. As a result, I removed them all.

Flight/Recovery:
I used a piece of Quest wadding crumpled into a ball and some dog barf. Unlike many of my models, I decided to use the stock chute. Since the wind was brisk, I decided to fly the Launch Missile on a B6-4. The boost was quick and straight considering the wind. Eject appeared to be at apogee and the stock chute did its job. A C6-5 really got this little rocket moving and, because of a tangle 'chute, didn't require too much of a walk.

Review: Boot Hill

This is a Halloween-themed oddroc based on a toy coffin. It features a 24mm mount and patented Coffin Lid Recovery.

Review: 58mm JATO

The 58mm JATO is a 29mm-powered rocket that resembles a rifle cartridge. The lower section is 3" in diameter and it transitions to 54mm. I bounced around between names and settled on this one, which is a take off on ammunition nomenclature such as 5.56mm NATO. Of course, all my readers know what a JATO is :)

... early test rocket- late 1940's

... early test rocket- late 1940's, originally uploaded by x-ray delta one.

Review: Massive Gassive

This is a cluster rocket based on a Crayon bank, which will help eat up my stash of D12-0s. It has one central 24mm motor mount surrounded by a ring of six motor mounts. On three sides, there is an additional 24mm mount, for a total of 10. The name of this rocket just popped into my head one day. I hadn't heard or thought of this phrase for years. My thanks to The Greaseman!

Review: Deanston Marauder

This is a ducted, stubby, 24mm-powered rocket that sports replaceable foamcore fins. It flew nicely, but recovery was less than optimal. The name Deanston came from the source of the larger tube--a bottle of single malt scotch.

Review: Art Applewhite - Stealth D5 (Beta)

This was a Beta test version Art’s popular Stealth Qubit that was specifically designed exclusively for the new Quest D5-P 20mm diameter, long burn motor. The motor's long burn and thin wall, combined with a lot of spinning, led to questionable flight profiles and even a case burn through. As a result, this kit was never released to production. (That's why you test!) I offer it mostly as a caution for the users of these motors.

"Home, home on the range, "Where the Ajax and Hercules soar..."

Back in the 60's, the Army at Ft. Bliss, TX hired cowboys to heard cattle.  They rode the (missile) range, not to keep cattle inside the one million acre area, but to keep them out. (via The Morgue)

Reviews: BiC® Pen-Rocs

This post present two rockets based on BiC® pens.  Once is scratch and one is from Art Applewhite.

Reviews: Micro Viking and Micro Titan III-C MOL

This post presents a review of semi-scale Micro Viking and Micro Titan III-C MOL  models.

El-cheapo helicopter rocket in MAKE

MAKE Magazine, Vol. #25, and now the MAKE Blog, features plans for a $5 Heli-Rocket.

Delta IV Heavy Launch of the NROL-49

I'm trying the 'deep linking' trick with this video (i.e. append #t=??m??s to the link). On my system, the first click doesn't play the video but, when the start frame returns, a second click jumps the 50 sec in. I'm on FireFox so your experience may vary. For a mere 50 seconds, this doesn't save me much time. But the footage is cool in any event!

The Ol' Commander

Back To The Ship!, originally uploaded by paul.malon.

1. "Southbound" (Hoyt Axton, Dawson) - 2:20
2. "Don't Let Go" (Jesse Stone) - 2:40
3. "California Okie" (Kevin "Blackie" Farrell) - 2:48
4. "Willin' " (Lowell George) - 3:38
5. "The Boogie Man Boogie" (Billy C. Farlow, George Frayne, Richards, Andy Stein, John Tichy) - 3:35
6. "Hawaii Blues" (Billy C. Farlow, Ernie Hagar, Richards, Andy Stein) - 3:05
7. "House of Blue Lights" (Don Raye, Freddie Slack)- 2:41
8. "Keep on Lovin' Her" (Billy C. Farlow, John Tichy) - 3:13
9. "Devil and Me" (George Frayne, John Tichy) - 3:11
10. "Four or Five Times" (Byron Gay, Marco H. Hellman) - 2:30
11. "That's What I Like About the South" (Wynonie Harris, Andy Razaf) - 2:35

Bunny Yeager

Any relation to Chuck?

BE050615, originally uploaded by webgox.

Mega Review: When a Stock Saucer Isn't Enough

This post will describe goofy modifications to otherwise normal flying saucers. Three started life as Art Applewhite paper kits and one was a Quest MicroMaxx 'brick'.

Mega Review: Scale Paper

This post presents four scale paper kit conversions.  A couple fly great, one OK, and one was mainly a curiosity.

1. Mercury Redstone (Delta-7 Studios)
2. Little Joe I (Cards in Space)
3. SpaceShipOne (Currell Graphics)
4. Airship R-100 (Currell Graphics)

Review: McCoy's Micro Wonder Works - microBomarc

This scale model of the Bomarc surface-to-air missile flies on MMX II motors and uses streamer recovery. The model was built from plans drawn by John McCoy, aka micromeister.  The plans are available on the Yahoo MicroMax group (along with a lot more). If interested, you can learn more about the Bomarc here.

Ahhh, the warm glow of nuclear waste

Photo of railroad cars carrying some 123 tons of nuclear waste glow red-hot in an infrared picture taken in Valognes, France, in November and released by Greenpeace International...(Via National Geographic News)

East coast night launch advisory - January 22

Via SpaceRef (link and highlights are mine)

WALLOPS ISLAND, VA - A Terrier-Oriole suborbital rocket is schedule for launch January 22 for the U.S. Navy from NASA's Launch Range at the Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. Based on the approved range schedule, the rocket is set for launch between midnight and 4 a.m. The backup launch days are January 23 - 25. The rocket may be visible to residents on Delmarva. This launch will not be web casted nor will launch status updates be provided once the countdown begins. The NASA Visitor Center at Wallops will not be open for viewing the launch. 

 This should be visible far and wide, weather permitting.

Mythbusters rocket sled redux

I was just watching a replay of Part II of the Mythbusters' Demolition Derby special episode in which they destroy cars in head-on collisions between two semi trucks, by dropping them from the sky and, most importantly, with rocket sleds.  I think I've posted about this before and the video is well documented on YouTube, but it's worth repeating myself. The boys travel to New Mexico Tech's Energetic Material Research Testing Center to run the 'test'. They proceed to use a 2-stage rocket sled to basically vaporize a car.  Each stage is propelled by 12 Korean War era (~55 year old) 5" HVAR rockets.  Each stage provided around 75,000 lb of thrust and collectively propelled the sled to 650 mph.  Linky.

What car?

Review: Aardvark Rockets - AIM-4C Falcon

Aardvark Rockets was a manufacturer of low and mid-power rockets. Most of their products were scale but they also had a few sport fliers. Their mid-power line was acquired from Blackhawk R&D.

This post reviews their BT-50-based scale model of the AIM-4C Falcon that flies on 18mm motors and recovers on a streamer.

Review: Semroc - Golden Scout

When buying some parts and supplies, I decided to go ahead and grab a Golden Scout to commemorate Vern and Gleda Estes' 50 years of contributions to this educational and fun hobby. Without their efforts, sport rocketry might not even exist today. To celebrate this anniversary, Semroc organized the Sky of Gold program.  Under this program, participants would fly their Golden Scouts during the month of July, 2008 and preferably at NARAM-50.  Participants received, along with the satisfaction of saluting Vern and Gleda, a certificate and a replica of the original kit.  The certificate was mailed from Vern and Gleda's post office in Penrose.

It's a football field and an airstrip

Rice Field, circa 1917 (via the Trout family)

The best waste of a K motor...

...is a Christmas Tree spinning on a 'K' Skidmark.

Review: Art Applewhite Qubits

The Qubit is another saucer-like object from Art Applewhite's lab. Once built, the Qubit resembles a cube that flies with one of its corners facing upward. I say the Qubit resembles a cube because the bottom faces are missing, which allows the motor mount to be recessed into its body structure. The Qubit comes is several configurations. The basic model features square faces, the Stealth features a serrated trailing edge and the Scimitar features a 's' shaped trailing edge. Only one of the two trailing edges are shaped as mentioned and thus the latter versions spin on the way up. The basic and Scimitar models come with 29mm, 24mm or 18mm motor mounts. The Stealth is also offered in larger 38mm and 54mm sizes. A 13mm version of all varieties can be downloaded for free.

This post will discuss the basic 24mm model, all three 18mm models, and a basic 13mm too. From smallest to largest:

First report from the MDRA Christmas tree recycling event, 2011

Globalstar antenna @ Waco

This was the genesis of the Sweat Stained Clifton Tracking Station Hat of Death. (Photo credit: Bill Dusterwald)

Review: Ringer

This is a ring-fin design that flies on 29mm motors. It uses several unique components: a poured foam, yarn wrapped cone and an engine bell built from Aquapod water bottles. The body is a 3" window tint tube. This is reportedly the same material as PML's Quantum Tubing.

Review: DG&A Lazarus

The DG&A Lazarus was a straight-forward high power rocket kit with a 38mm motor mount. It would make a good Level-1 cert rocket and has a small payload bay suitable for your electronics. Unfortunately, DG&A is OOP.

Review: El Tubo Loco

This is another simple, "el cheapo" tube fin rocket based on my patented tube can concept. A tube can is a fin can with tube fins of course, built using the telescoping inside tube from a Container Store mailing tube. 'Real' rocket coupler tubes can also be used.

Construction:
The parts list:

* 4" mailing tube (~13.25) and liner (~26")
* one 4" nose cone (in this case recycled from a grounded HPR bird)
* plywood centering rings (2)
* 29mm motor tube
* 3' of thin wire rope and two crimp terminals
* heavy Kevlar® twine
* buttons from railbuttons.com
* one FirstFire tube
* 2 small nylon rivets from Giant Leap
* chute and protector to be selected on the field

I cut the six tube fins from the mailing tube liner and attached them to a longer piece of that tubing using carpenter's glue. A 29mm motor tube is mounted between two plywood centering rings on the ends, forming a fin can. The fin can slips into a short body tube that I liberated from my daughter (it held a bottle of wine) and is connected to the body tube by the lower rail button and a nylon pop rivet.

The recovery harness is a long piece of thin steel cable mounted through the top ring and a longer piece of thick Kevlar® twine. I forget where I came across the wire, but it was found, not bought. It is held in place by two crimp terminals (these were bought). I don't know if I have the right term, but you slide them on the cable and crimp them on (read: beat them with a big hammer).

For motor retention, I mounted a thin aluminum tube through the two rings. A hook made out of a coat hanger is then run through this tube. On the top, a bend in the wire keeps it in and on the bottom it is bent to mate with the motor. This is the same technique I used on my Fat Boy 3x4. The hook pivots to allow the motor to be inserted and removed and masking tape is used to keep it in the locked position.

Finishing:
I finished mine in a camo style using Model Master dark tan and medium green that was left over from my AquaBottleBat. The cone was previously painted black and I left it that way.

Flight and Recovery:
I used a chute protector and a 48" chute for recovery duties. I also added just a tad of dog barf as usual. The motor of choice was a G64-7W with the delay drilled down to 4 seconds. When I installed the motor, I found that, since my wire retainer was custom made for the 29/120 casing, it didn't mate properly with the 29/40-120 hobby line case. I quickly fashioned a spacer from a tube that, if my memory is correct, came with a pack of G20s. I used a few wraps of masking tape to hold this spacer tight against the motor and ensure the retainer stayed in place.

The El Tubo Loco flew nicely, however, the delay seemed closer to the original 7 seconds than the desired 4. Nevertheless, it call came down undamaged. This rocket would fly really nicely on a 29mm H, but for now that ain't happening.

O its second flight, I had the honor or drag racing Dave Webber's Tuber, which was on its 220th flight. He flew Tuber on an H100 sparky, mine went up on another G64-4.  I got moving first but he won overall. Good stuff!

Summary:
I like cheap rockets. I liked the idea of using up the extra tubing that I had laying around. And I'm now liking tube fins. Not much else to say...

EMRR transition observation

My reviews now seem to be accessible from the new site, including the scratch/plans/MODS, etc.  To look for yours, click 'Site Features' on the left, select 'Rocket Kit Reviews', and select 'By Reviewer'.  As noted on the bottom, some items listed may not be yours.  In some cases, where other people had reviewed the same item, their review is listed as yours (and presumably vice-versa). This issue is being worked.  The new format has an improved commenting system, but doesn't link to RockSims or flight logs :(

Are Quadrotors the precursors to Skynet?

9m tracking antenna at the USNA

This antenna was relocated from the Goddard Space Flight Center in the late 80's.  Originally part of the Spaceflight Tracking and Data Network, it had been used in the Network Test and Training facility (NTTF) prior to its relocation.   (At least I think that's what this is.) 

WSGT