ehroof

i have a huge collection of the estes rockets, most of them i built, still have the launch pad and engines. Suprisingly, i only lost two rockets out of the 25 plus that i have and used, it was a real thrill to use them and inexpensive too. now the engines are a little pricey but it is alot of fun. I havent used them in over 5 years but if this part of the forums start to take off, maybe i can take them out of the case they are in.

anyone else do this part of the hobby?

wsmalley

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A few years back, my kids were really into the rockets. We lived in the middle of a big cattle ranch so we could shoot, fly planes, fire rockets right in the backyard. Bought a BIG Saturn-3 or 4 motors, and decided to go to the local school to test it (why I don't know). The thing took off slowly, got about 4 or 5 feet up and did a right angle flying directly into the building! My favorite is my old space shuttle which I need some help with. I bought this years ago at the Smithsonian-I think it's an Estes. The shuttle needs some repair, as shown in the pic. Don't know how the elevator is supposed to work. It flew great! Have a new crop of grandkids to enjoy the thrills of flying with, so I'm dragging out the old toys-and buying some new ones!

Dirtee bug

Man does this forum bring back the memories. I used to be hardcore into model rockets ( estes) when I was a kid, had all the new ones that came out, my favorite was a 4foot one I think called prowler that was a beast. Its funny this forum came up because I was just cleaning out one of my basement closets and wouldnt ya know a new unopened estes rocket from 8 or so years ago.

ehroof

yeah, i have a few in the package too, some engines too. I had the omloid, you put an egg in it to see what happens to it, well, it did the right angle thing too, i was in a park in brooklyn so i just packed the kids and equipment up and left [X(], i went right twards a row of houses, i doubt it hit anything but i didnt want to stick around to fins out. i have a naboo fighter nib and another setup that has an altimeter built into the nose cone nib. will break them out when the weather gets a little warmer.

rideicon

when i was young i burnt down the neighbors shed which housed his riding lawnmower and gasoline with an estes rocket! lol

khodges

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COOL!!! I just saw this forum, when did it start? I got more rocket stories that Alan Shepard (not really). I started flying the Estes stuff when I was 12, built and flew the Saturn I-B, built but never flew the Saturn V. I had the Delta 2-stage, and the X-Ray, and the Ranger, which had a 3 engine cluster. We used to fly in a cornfield next to the local airport. I had only one engine ignite on the Ranger the first flight, and it veered off across the apron and just missed the gas pump. Second flight, after gluing the broken fins back on, I managed to get 2 of the engines to light; it made it out into the cornfield, hit the gound with an engine still burning, and by the time we got to it, the cornstalks in a ten foot circle were burning (early October, after the corn had been cut). Don't know why I quit messing with them then. (about 1968)

Fast forward to 1988. Married, kid on the way and I needed a hobby. I bought an Estes kit to build from the LHS, while I was there I saw a magazine on the rack called "High Power Rocketry" the magazine of Tripoli Rocketry Association. I asked the guy, "You mean they really fly these things?". I ordered a kit for G motors (Aerotech Arreaux) and there was no going back. For about 5 years I sent more money up in smoke than I really want to think about They kept getting bigger and bigger, and finally I built a 2-stage that boosted on an L and staged to a J, used electronic staging and altitude measurement, and radio controlled parachute deployment. I got over 11,000 feet altitude. Pretty soon after that, I had to say enough was enough. $250-$300 per launch was crazy. I still think about them, it was fun while it lasted.

ehroof

11,000 that must have been pretty amazing, i have seen those large rockets on tv on the discovery channel.

khodges

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Here was the upper stage, being prepared for launch, ca. 1991:

navysandman

wsmalley,
If I remember right, the elevator on the shuttle was set using a string on a lever that was attached to the shaft that controls the elevator angle. All was internal to the shuttle and the string ran out of the back of the shuttle through one of the exhaust cones. Pull the string to set the elevator angle and secure the string by hooking it into a slit on the exhaust cone.

wsmalley

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Yes, that's it! I remember now. Went through my junk collection and found the missing nozzle, with the hole in it! I will have to remake the elevator. Still has the elastic cord and the bellcrank/lever adjuster thingy. Man, I'm almost ready to launch. Thanks for the help! Apparently, that rocket goes back to the early '80's. Bill

wsmalley

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BTW, speaking of Alan Shepard, I was on the Cape and watched him go up-giving away my years. My first job after high school was working for an electical wholesale company in Orlando. Had a regular weekly delivery to many of the contractors and hangers at the Canaveral. That was pretty neat back then. I'll bet security there is whole lot tighter now! Saw my first UFO then, something I'll never forget-whether or not anyone cares to believe that!

navysandman

That Space Shuttle model came out in the mid 70s. I got one around '77, although I don't remember flying it until a few years later. It's nice to know my memory hasn't completely failed.

Connor

I fly R/C planes but have started to get back into the rockets a little bit. My buddy and I take them ice fishing with us and if the weather is decent we launch. The frozen lake is a sweet spot for doing it. 2 years ago my buddy had about 6 or 7 really great flights out on the ice, the wind was calm and not a cloud in the sky and about 34 degrees, it was beautiful !!! The other guys around really get a kick out of it too. Ice fishing is alot of fun no matter what you do when you get out there!!!! Rocket On!!!

sollie

Wow, i used to be really into this like 6/8 years ago. Tried to pick it up again last summer, but it's next to mission impossible to get engines arround here in Norway. A shame, I loved my estes mean machine , a real thrill to launch, for me an bystanders.

Came across some norwegians hompages, with some pics/movies. Have a look, you should be able to get arround eveen though it's in Norwegian

http://folk.ntnu.no/tokheim/Web-page/Flaten.jsp
http://folk.ntnu.no/tokheim/Web-page/Filmer.jsp
http://folk.ntnu.no/tokheim/Web-page/Link.jsp

http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaver...FArchive1.html

http://home.online.no/~ji-hande/rocketfilmer1.cfm

http://home.online.no/~ji-hande/modelrocket.cfm
http://home.online.no/~ji-hande/dklasse.cfm
http://home.online.no/~ji-hande/efgklasse.cfm
http://home.online.no/~ji-hande/rocketfilmer.cfm
http://home.online.no/~ji-hande/oracledigitalvideo.cfm

50+AirYears

Haven't launched in 3 or 4 years, but this weekend, I loaned several of my rockets to a local library for a show they are putting on. Last year they borrowed several of my display sailing ship models for a display they had at the same branch. And about 4 years ago, they came to my club for a number of RC planes.

They give out some nice letters of appreciation, and even mention the groups and individual donors names in their publicity.

phatbob02

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Cool Thread !!
I did it in the 60's when I was a kid, again in the 80's with my kids, and started back up last fall when I was invited to a rocket party by buds that I grew up with.
The rocket party was a blast. We had five couples and the wives would have wine and crackers while the guys ran around like 10 year olds. Looks like it's going to be a regular event a few times a year now.

Now I'm scratch building because all the rockets I loved, you can't get. I built the pershing 1A based on a BT101 tube and a Mercury Redstone based on a BT80 tube. At the moment I'm building a Saturn 1B and what a pain in the butt that is.

wsmalley

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Explain what, and where, you get 'BT80', etc. tubes, please. Sounds like a neat way to spend an afternoon. I am only familiar with the kitted stuff but making a scale Saturn looks like fun. Years ago I had a huge plastic one.

phatbob02

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BT is how Estes sized there tubes. Here's a link to a chart: http://www.ninfinger.org/~sven/rockets/body_tubes.html

Here is one of the places I buy materials:
http://www.unclemikesrocketshack.com/index.html

dr_wogz

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Another vote for Uncle mike! A great guy!

The majority of vendors will sell Body tubes. 'BT' was the 'Estes term, and kinda became the norm. There are a few other sizes too, that are in decimal; 2.6" OD, 3"OD, etc..

see also http://www.balsamachining.com/ for all your 'scratch buidling needs' Custom & 'Pershing' nose cones!


There are probably at least a dozen suppliers..

http://www.rocketreviews.com/cgi-bin...List&&VenLinks is another valuable link... As mentioned, pretty much most will sell tubes.

50+AirYears

The availability of the various body tube, motor mounts, nose cones and such can really let one give in to creative impulses and freelance a one-of.

dr_wogz

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And, if you want to create, but don't want to spend...

http://www.apogeerockets.com/rocksim_demo.asp

a fun simulator, but the trail is limited.

Not cheap, but considering what Real flight costs....

khodges

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If you are really into scratch building, look into getting a copy of a book called "Rockets of the World" by Peter Alway. I'm not sure if it's still in print; I bought mine in the late '80s. It has very nice, scaled line drawings perfect for scratchbuilding. Here are a few pics. I built the IRIS, the Black Brant, and the Standard from Alway's Book. The Honest John was scaled up from the Estes Kit and data from the Alway book. I routinely launched the Black Brant over a mile, best altitiude was 6800 feet. Everything but the H.J. had a 38mm motor mount, allowing up to "I" power. The Honest John had a 54mm mount, would hold up to a short (not a full) "L". I could get 8500 feet on a K-550 with it. The picture of it launching was with a J-460 "Blue Thunder" motor.

These pictures are from about 1989. I'm a lot grayer now

46u

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Now that I am getting back in to rockets I just wish I had all the rocket stuff I throw away over 30 years ago. [>:]

50+AirYears

We tried to get the local rocket club to come out and shoot at our annual RC show next monh, but apparently they have another event already scheduled, so a couple of us have been asked to bring ours out.

TraxxasTrucks

It has been ages since I launched a model rocket. Do they even call them model rockets these days? lol I have a step daughter that might be interested in doing this some times. At least I think she might. hehe