Anyone know these guys...
 

Been reading Mark Canepa's new book "Large and Dangerous Rocket Ships: The History of High-power Rocketry’s Ascent to the Edges of Outer Space". So far it's pretty interesting, though the author clearly doesn't know much about NAR. Anyway, ran across this bit on page 149 (paperback edition)

There has to be more to this story - has anyone encountered these dudes?

Bill, sounds like they are from your neck of the woods :)

I've never heard of those guys.

Those guys knew how to make a rocket trip! :cool:

I wonder if they were testing some form of mobile redneck surface to air launcher?

I wonder if they bothered using something like a hubcap under that radio antenna launch rod, to protect the paint ... :rolleyes:

I’ve heard various high power stories and have been to Lucerne and have talked with and interviewed Chris Pearson on the roots of LDRS and other groups at Steel Creek, Black Rock, etc., but I gotta admit I’ve never heard of this group. BUT, I can imagine it for sure. Been some ‘characters’ in the high power side of things over the years.

Jerry may know or have heard of these guys, if anyone here has.


Earl

It looks like they were the “Dukes of Hazardous.” :D

I think I recall these folks.

I definitely remember the station wagon.

Occasionally they would show up in Tipolitan and/or High Power Research magazines.

The father's name was Tav Niche and he and his sons operated ACS Reaction Labs who produced inexpensive HPR rocket motors. My roomie called the company 'Reaction Slabs'.

Their motors were, how should I say it, 'exciting' to watch.
Some of their 'flights' were very scary.

I can't attest to their flying rockets off their car's antenna but I do know it was done by someone out at Lucerne. The rockets I saw Niche or his sons fly used regular launch pads.

Another money making project they did (I think it was these folks) was to go around the Lucerne launch site and take pictures of rocket people and their rockets.

These folks would then find a one-hour film developing place, take the developed pictures, cut them up, stick the pictures to sheets of paper, color copy them, bind copies of the pictures sheets together and sell them on the lakebed the next day for $10 a booklet.

The picture quality wasn't very good.

A friend bought one of the booklets and I asked him why he did it.
"They look like they needed the money," was his answer.

I only saw them out at Lucerne for a year or two.

Are you sure those guys aren't a bunch of Canucks? Sound a lot like some guys I know..........

It's not Red Green. No mention of duct tape.