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  #21  
Old 08-09-2020, 01:34 AM
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blackshire blackshire is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mwtoelle
As far as skinnier than BT-5 kits for beginners, I include both Micro-Maxx and Apogee 10.5mm Micro Motor kits. I have not tried the Quest MMX kit offering, but the FlisKit Micro-to-the-Maxx series of kits require some extra tools that most beginner kits do not need, such as tweezers and a glue applicator, to deal with the very small parts that are included with those kits. IMHO, FlisKits should have added 1 to the skill level that was printed on the kit instructions. The Apogee Centrix is not that much skinnier than a BT-5, but it has the same caveats to flight prep as a BT-5 model. It is interesting to watch the people get surprised by what a one of those little motors can do. The smaller tubes of a MicroMaxx rocket (BT-2.5. BT-3, and BT-4) also need a bit of extra care when prepping for flight.
I wish Apogee Rockets would begin offering the Centrix kits and Centrix booster kits again; they could fly on MicroMaxx (and MicroMax NE, for the boosters) motors, using adapter mounts. Having more experience with these tiny rockets than I, you know better than I regarding building and prepping them (I kept envisioning tweezers, too). Having a good supply of MicroMaxx motors in a drawer, I'm going to order some of Quest's MicroMaxx rocket parts and FlisKits' MicroMaxx kits, partly out of curiosity and partly because I might be able to fly and recover them on a relatively small patch of open, grassy ground in my neighborhood (my full-size flying field became unavailable when its free-leased user, a local horseman of my acquaintance, died a few years ago). Also:

While these "fairy unicorn" & "fairy pony" ( https://www.google.com/search?sxsrf...HVn9Ah4Q4dUDCAw )-size model rockets would definitely be small to build and prep for younger children, and even for older students and youth group members, I don't think that's necessarily a "show-stopper." Before construction of the kits (or rockets built from plans--Quest's and FlisKits' MicroMaxx rocket parts could be purchased in quantity to do that) began, the children could first practice, with the teacher's or group leader's help, precision handling and building, using tweezers, clips, and even jewelers loupes, working with scrap materials. (Similarly, Professor Neal A. Brown, the former director of the Poker Flat Research Range [Alaska's sounding rocket range, 30 miles north of Fairbanks], has for several years been teaching Elementary and Middle School pupils at the isolated Eagle, Alaska Community School how to build radios--after first teaching them to solder [and de-solder] connections correctly--over a Skype link, and he also prepares them to get their FCC amateur radio Novice-level licenses; the soldering is precision work, yet 8+ year-olds at the Eagle school have learned it with his help.)
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  #22  
Old 08-09-2020, 09:46 AM
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jadebox jadebox is offline
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A few years ago, we helped a class of first graders build and launch Gnomes. The kit would not have been my first choice and the kids were younger than I would have preferred, but things went well.

The Gnome was chosen because it is inexpensive and the motors are a little cheaper.

As with all the group builds we support, we prebuilt a few of the kits to different stages of construction. They are used both to demonstrate the results of build steps and as replacements if a child messes up or cannot complete a step.

There is one step in the build where a knife is used to create a slot for the engine hook. We had the kids take a break then while the adults did that step.

There isn't much room for creative finishing of a Gnome, but we did give the kids Sharpies to personalize their rockets and had them write their name on their rockets.

I don't recall any real issues with packing the streamers. We always had adults to help if a child had problems.
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  #23  
Old 08-09-2020, 10:54 PM
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blackshire blackshire is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jadebox
A few years ago, we helped a class of first graders build and launch Gnomes. The kit would not have been my first choice and the kids were younger than I would have preferred, but things went well.

The Gnome was chosen because it is inexpensive and the motors are a little cheaper.

As with all the group builds we support, we prebuilt a few of the kits to different stages of construction. They are used both to demonstrate the results of build steps and as replacements if a child messes up or cannot complete a step.
In addition to that excellent idea for showing the kids, in steps, how the Gnome goes together, a Gnome "Phantom"-type kit--complete with a clear plastic body tube and a Phantom-type cutaway 13 mm motor--would make a great demonstration & explanatory kit for school and group activities using the Gnome kit. (Since most fairies are invisible except to the clairvoyant, and prefer to be called "the little people" or "the little folk," a kit name like "Little 'Un" [somewhat reminiscent of "Lil' Herc," the name of Centuri's little tumble recovery kit] would be appropriate for the "Phantom"-type 'invisible Gnome' demo/display kit.) Even though Estes doesn't (yet!) offer the Little 'Un kit, it wouldn't be hard to create one, 'kit-bashing' it using a Gnome kit and a few extra and different parts.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jadebox
There is one step in the build where a knife is used to create a slot for the engine hook. We had the kids take a break then while the adults did that step.
That was prudent, but--depending on the kids' ages (I used an X-ACTO knife in the first grade [for plastic kits and model rockets, with my father's supervision])--it would be easy to make a "safety knife" that uses a single-edged razor blade as the knife blade. The single-edged razor blade could be screwed down or nailed down (using small nails, like those used on screen door "furring strips" of wood, to hold the screen in place) onto a block of wood, with a corner of the razor blade protruding 1/2" or so over (beyond) the edge of the block of wood. Two lengths of wooden sticks or strips (or wide--say, 5/8"--wooden half-dowels) could be glued to the block on either side of the razor blade corner, protruding past it. This would enable the kids to safely cut slits in body tubes (or in motor mount tubes, depending on the kits being built), to accommodate the motor clips' forward "tangs." The wooden block would be easy to grasp and hold, and the glued-on wooden sticks, strips, or half-dowels would protect their fingers from the blade while enabling them to easily cut the slits in the body tubes (or in the motor mount tubes, depending on the kit type being built by the school class, club, or other youth group).
Quote:
Originally Posted by jadebox
There isn't much room for creative finishing of a Gnome, but we did give the kids Sharpies to personalize their rockets and had them write their name on their rockets.
Not with the kits "as-is," no. But the Sharpie markers do provide good latitude for creativity. Other options--which could be used along with Sharpie markers--would be stencils. These--and the Sharpie markers--could also be used with (although the following could also be utilized either with or without stencils) masking tape, to create roll patterns, rings, stripes, spirals, etc. Plus, custom decal sheets (water transfer and/or self-adhesive)--even ones from plastic model airplane kits--provide all kinds of insignia, lettering, numbers, stripes, and so on, which make even 3FNC and 4FNC rockets look all "jazzed-up."
Quote:
Originally Posted by jadebox
I don't recall any real issues with packing the streamers. We always had adults to help if a child had problems.
Thank you for confirming my experiences--personally and with school classes I've helped. Even with BT-5 size rockets, including the Gnome, there is no "only ONE right way" to pack the recovery system. The streamer can be rolled into a cylinder, or folded into one (or combinations of rolling & folding the streamer can be used), and--unless it's a very cold day (which also makes polyethylene parachutes remain "plastic wads"; lightly powdering streamers and 'chutes on such days prevents that)--the streamer will deploy nicely. Ditto for the shock cord; I've folded them (and seen them folded) in many different ways, and unless they're tightly jammed into the body tube (the adult supervisor can see and point that out, suggesting a looser arrangement), they also deploy properly.
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Black Shire--Draft horse in human form, model rocketeer, occasional mystic, and writer, see:
http://www.lulu.com/content/paperba...an-form/8075185
http://www.lulu.com/product/cd/what...of-2%29/6122050
http://www.lulu.com/product/cd/what...of-2%29/6126511
All of my book proceeds go to the Northcote Heavy Horse Centre www.northcotehorses.com.
NAR #54895 SR
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