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2017 Rocket Blues/ 2018 Rocket Resolutions
Comrades:
2017 was another bad year for building. I managed to complete only four rockets this year: a scratch 13mm BT-50 V-2 from BMS parts and Alway plans; a scratch BT-80 Hermes A-1 for 24mm power; a rescue Estes K-41 Mercury-Redstone that needs decals and a rescue Estes Sandhawk that now lies in pieces after an ejection-charge anomaly on its first flight. Out of 4 built, 2 need finishing, 2 were launched and one of those was destroyed. Absolutely pitiful. Launching wasn't much better. I had three family launches, one in January, one in February and one a few days ago. My planned launches at NSL and for October Sky 60th were both scrubbed at the very last minute by unforeseen family events. On the other hand, total flights were close to 50 so lots of powder burned! And I mostly cleared a years-old backlog of rockets needing successful first flights. 2018 should see some improvement as my bench has some fun projects: a very cool 24mm LTV Scout from Semroc and Sandman parts that needs fins and conduits; Two BT-60 V-2s from Semroc parts that have been extremely-long-term projects, but are now nearing completion as White Sands rounds 41 and 43; and a Sputnik and a Voskhod needing final assembly. I've sort of resolved not to buy any new kits until I finish some or all of the ones that have been sitting around partially completed for, in some cases, years. As for 2018 launching, I have the goal of completing my NARTrek Silver requirements early next year. I still need a glider, but we'll see how that goes . . . . I also want to eliminate ANY backlog of completed rockets needing launches; that's going to be a trick. So. How did you do in 2017 and what do you have planned for 2018? Happy New Year
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NAR 79743 NARTrek Silver I miss being SAM 062 Awaiting First Launch: Too numerous to count Finishing: Zooch Saturn V; Alway/Nau BioArcas; Estes Expedition; TLP Standard Repair/Rescue: Cherokee-D (2); Centuri Nike-Smoke; MX-774 On the Bench: 2650; Dream Stage: 1/39.37 R-7 |
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http://www.nar.org/wp-content/uploa...-BG-Russell.pdf
Fly Baby B Boost Glider Plans. Something that I have been flying since the late '70s. Last one I built for a Dallas contest flew away. The wind did have something to do with that, but they will thermal. I was the original NARTREK Chairman. It is a great challenge. Chas
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Charles Russell, MSgt,USAF (ret.) NAR 9790, Lvl 1 SAM "Balls Three" |
#3
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I flew your design with great success during the 90's. Even down scaled and up scaled. I've got my own design now, but still use the inverted stab from the FlyBaby.
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Quando Omni Flunkus Moritati |
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As near as I can tell, I built 60 rockets this year, a mix of kits, clones and "what have we got here?" builds. Of those I built, I flew 35 and wound up with a total of 88 flights on the year. I had everything prepped and ready for a post-Christmas flying session at B6-4 Field to grab that gold ring for 100 flights, but the cold weather plays hell with plastic chutes and streamers, and it was PLENTY cold here.
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Bill Eichelberger NAR 79563 http://wallyum.blogspot.com/ I miss being SAM 0058 Build floor: Centuri Mini Dactyl Estes - Low Boom SST Semroc - Marauder, Shrike, SST Shuttle In paint: Canaroc Starfighter Scorpion Estes F-22 Air Superiority Fighter, Multi-Roc, Solar Sailer II Semroc Cyber III Ready to fly: Estes - Solar Sailer II Semroc - Earmark, Groonie Der V 1/2 |
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Wow, Bill! Impressive all the same! 60 rockets built! More than one a week...........where did you ever find time for 88 flights?? Joe |
#6
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I fly the same way I build, a box-full at a time. In December alone I built three USR kits, an Estes Protostar, Estes Star Orbiter and three or four scratchers. Not pretty, but prolific.
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Bill Eichelberger NAR 79563 http://wallyum.blogspot.com/ I miss being SAM 0058 Build floor: Centuri Mini Dactyl Estes - Low Boom SST Semroc - Marauder, Shrike, SST Shuttle In paint: Canaroc Starfighter Scorpion Estes F-22 Air Superiority Fighter, Multi-Roc, Solar Sailer II Semroc Cyber III Ready to fly: Estes - Solar Sailer II Semroc - Earmark, Groonie Der V 1/2 |
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A good year for me. My normal average is 10 rockets a year. In 2017 I built 20! My highest number in any year. I traveled my longest distance to get to a rocket launch - 4.5 hour drive to LDRS 36 at Higgs Farm (before that my longest trip was 2 hours 15 min). But I only got to 2 other launches this year. For 2018 I hope attend the NSL at Geneseo and to get my L3 at URRF 5 I doubt I'll get another 20 built in 2018 though.... |
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I started about a half-dozen rockets, and finished to completion just a couple.
I'd like to do a bit more building, and to finally finish the deploy bay of my maybe-someday level 2 cert rocket.
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NAR #27085 - Oregon Rocketry - SAM |
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Geez ! 60 rockets? In a year?
I've been BAR-ing for a year and a half now and only have a dozen flyable rockets to show for it! I do have a somewhat more aggressive build schedule on the docket for this year that will more than double my fleet, if it all gets done Currently on the bench right now are: Lunar Patrol (only lacks painting) Satellite Interceptor (Ready for primer) Star Seeker (Just needs decals) Repair of the Star Trooper and its accompanying booster stage. (Both are done except for decals / markings) New projects for 2018: Mercury Redstone Apollo Little Joe II FlatCat Boost/Glider FlatCat modified as R/G Alpha (In my entire rocketry career, I never got around to building one of those!) Canopus II (A self-designed old-fleet cluster rocket that I had published in a long ago issue of Model Rocketeer.) Cobra-1500 WAC-Corporal / Tiny Tim boilerplate test model - to work out staging. WAC-Corporal / Tiny Tim - the real-deal scale build. Rascal R/G Big Bertha Nike Smoke Starblazer (the old K kit version) Orbital Transport I seriously doubt that I will accomplish ALL of this, but I'm definitely going to take a run at it!
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Just remember...G. Harry Stine's first ever model rocket was an RTF ! Check out my wonderful model rocketry blog here: https://castlerocketeer.blogspot.com/ |
#10
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Near as I can tell, this is what I built in 2017.
Canaroc - Eager Beaver Canaroc - Orion Canaroc - Tornado Two Centuri Engineering Co. - Vector V Coaster - Saturn Coaster - Space Probe I Custom Rockets - Ion Pulsar Estes - Astron Apogee II Estes - BLU 97B Cluster Bomb Estes - Big Dawg Estes - Goblin Estes - Guardian Estes - Hi-Flier XL Estes - Mosquito Estes - Neptune Estes - Prowler Estes - Quinstar Estes - Ranger Estes - Rat Bite Estes - Rogue Voyager Estes - Screamin' Mimi Estes - Sequoia Estes - Super Alpha (Silver & Black) Estes - Super Flea Estes D.O.M. - Loadlifter 1-A Estes D.O.M. - Top Secret FSI - Hornet Fishhead Rocketry - Golden Knight Fishhead Rocketry - Mega Mighty Moe Fishhead Rocketry - Mini Jet Freak Fishhead Rocketry - Mohawk Fishhead Rocketry - Rumble Bee Fishhead Rocketry - Runt Fishhead Rocketry - Scrapper Fishhead Rocketry - Scythe Fishhead Rocketry - The Rook Kopter Rotor Recovery Rockets - Eagle Kopter Rotor Recovery Rockets - Hawk Kopter Rotor Recovery Rockets - XK-1 LOC/Precision - Aura MPC - Aquarius MPC - Microsonde 3 Payloader MPC - Taurus-1 NAR - Jet Freak 2 NAR - Jet Freak 3 National Association of Rocketry - Jet-Freak Quest - Intruder Quest - Super Cruiser Rocket Development Corporation - Starflite Semroc - Baby Orion Semroc - Red Eye Semroc - Satellite Killer Semroc - Scrambler Semroc - Sky Hook Semroc - Starfire Semroc - Taurus Starlight Rocketry - Super Tiger Starlight Rockets - F-32 Avenger U.S. Rockets - Hammerhead U.S. Rockets - STUB 2.2 U.S. Rockets - Scout U.S. Rockets - Stripper U.S. Rockets - Supersonic
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Bill Eichelberger NAR 79563 http://wallyum.blogspot.com/ I miss being SAM 0058 Build floor: Centuri Mini Dactyl Estes - Low Boom SST Semroc - Marauder, Shrike, SST Shuttle In paint: Canaroc Starfighter Scorpion Estes F-22 Air Superiority Fighter, Multi-Roc, Solar Sailer II Semroc Cyber III Ready to fly: Estes - Solar Sailer II Semroc - Earmark, Groonie Der V 1/2 |
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