Anybody ever do model rockets as a kid or with their kids?

[bugnut]

Anybody ever get involved with these high flyers either as a kid or with their kids?  I always thought those things were really cool, and my dad got a real kick out of them, too.  We launched them off at the end of my fifth grade year, that's one of the last things I can remember of grade school.  Everybody loved it.  Of course, I will admit I've lost my fair share of carefully crafted rockets due to a gust grabbing the parachute upon its apex of flight   I'm sure at one point there was many a rooftop with a casualty of nature's interest in obtaining these soaring wonders of plastic and cardboard.

Stripped66 (jason), you remember that gas powered helicopter I had that landed in the cemetery that one night?  We were brilliant flying that thing into the pitch-black night sky (free flight, and all).  LMAO!

[werksberg]

In my Composites, Fiberglass & Plastics ROP, I have them (except this years class which was a bunch of dead beats...) design and make their own "Model Rocket Race Car".

They have to make a blueprint (should take 2 weeks, they still would try & even start 2 months later...) with showing the top and side, take a block of PUR foam and shape it to the blueprint, resin coat it, let it cure, sand it, wax it, vacuum form PS sheeting over the mold, make a wood chassis mold, vacuum form PS over that, injection mold the wheels....then paint, fully detail the car and assy. it!

Then, the last night of the first semester, we have an "open house" car show (people's choice) and then we set up a dragstrip down the hallway with alum. plates and mig wire. It runs about 100 yards and they cover that in a little over 3.5 seconds powered by solid C60 rocket motors (I buy out of my own pocket)!

This is at night, under the lights, Flames, smoke and speed at RHS in the OC! Be there! Be there! ....Sorry, got into a "Larry" mood there....

In the first few years, I made a Bug and then a Ghia. I'll take some digital pictures of them tonight at the class & post them here later......

[bendig]

Got involved with the kids for a few years. Started out with a slew of Estes, then met a couple of pyro's at work and it went downhill from there. These guys were into the big stuff and talked me into going to a two day meet in the California desert. Even went and watched Mark and Brian from KLOS launch a turkey! There is a big difference going from Estes black powder to the solid propellant motors. Snapped quite a few heads when we used to launch at Mile Square Park. When you have the Tim Allen syndrome (more power), where does the toy part stop and the real begin? http://www.the-rocketman.com/content12.html

[Tom Simon]

 http://www.the-rocketman.com/content12.html

very cool site...

[werksberg]

Dang, I knew I forgot something on Tuesday night!

[The Inspector]

Did the rockets with both my boys when they were growin up. Did the CO2 race-cars on a guide string at "The Boys Club" here in I.B. when I was a kid. Dang, that a LONG time ago.

[ErikTheRed]

Just last year I bought an Estes launch kit and a couple rockets, built em with my daughters and took em out to a field by the airport to let em rip. We had a "blast". The dogs have managed to chew up one of the rockets and the other is MIA. We still have the launch pad, so we'll be building another one soon and taking it out. My daughters got quite a kick outta it!

[werksberg]

Here's the rocket powered Bug & Ghia......

[marty hiskey]

i did them for awhile. also built many a estees rockets. got really into painting them. i built their biggest rocket at the time they had was the mean machine. stood over 6' tall. you could imagine the looks i got when i took that and launched it from the neighborhood school field. it had a 2' parachute and when i launched it the wind grabbed the chute and took it three blocks away and landed  in some old people's frontyard tree. when i went to get it i knocked on their door the women went and got her husband and he would not let me get until i could prove to him it was not a missile. me and my friend where cracking up after we got it. damn those things where fun makes me want to go and get one and shoot it off at one of the local fields. 2 years ago i broke my leg and was stuck in the house for 2 1/2 months in the winter so i built 2 of those guillow balsa and cloth planes. those are really fun to build. gave them to my nephews for their bedrooms.

[Kafertoys]

Hey Bugnut
      My 5th grade teacher was real big in to modle rockets and we would lunch his during class time as something educational was ment to be learned.  I'm sure I wasn't the only one from that class that got into modle rockets after that class.