Any Rocketiers about?

[Gaffer]

I've been toying with the idea of buy one of these rocket kits for some time now (at least 5 years!!) and I've finally decided to get one.

 

Does anyone have any recommendations?

 

Should I go with a bog standard kit or should I venture up to something bigger?

 

(I'm clever with my hands and I'm a precision engineer by trade, have access to a good workshop, but I know nothing about rockets and rocket building.)

 

Any advice would be great!

 

(Awaiting silly comments from Elton and Wordbender! )

 

[ 26. April 2003, 07:23 PM: Message edited by: Gaffer ]

[davidP]

Sorry - posted in the wrong place - oops!

 

[ 26. April 2003, 09:00 PM: Message edited by: davidP ]

[Guest Ferret1959]

When you do finally get this hobby mastered try and launch a hamster and do tests with various engines.

Take some pictures and post them, could be interesting.

[poledark]

Of course the rocket will have to be made very strong....now I wonder what metal you should use.... hmmmmm.....Stainless might be pretty useful.......yep, in your case I would advise stainless..

Den

[chesters1]

made a rocket propelled boat in my youth with a couple of jetex rockets and a stepped hull ,the boating pond in the library gardens in bromley was too small so we used the big lake with the bandstand (did it have a name poledark?) it disapeared at a great speed in a cload of smoke and flame hit something at the far end and crashed into the trees destroying itself .we scarpered the parkie hated us and attacked on sight ,for all we know its still there in small bits, probably the very tame squirrels incorperated it into their nests

the parky was a git he chucked us out on sight :mad: just because we knicked the handle off the pump (err allegedly)

 

 

[ 26. April 2003, 11:06 PM: Message edited by: chesters1 ]

[Scott]

You could start with a water bottle rocket, do a search on the net.

I looked at this a while ago for my kids but they lost interest before I got one built.

You will be surprised just how far you can get a 2l pop bottle up in the air.

 

Scott.

[wirral sea fishing]

I was very nearly an astronaught well my dad said that i would have been shot in to space if it was not for the last pint that he had

 

Sorry had to get that in

[Steve Randles]

Gaffer:

 

Should I go with a bog standard kit or should I venture up to something bigger?

.......

but I know nothing about rockets and rocket building........

Well Gaffer I think you have answered your own question, in the question so to speak...

 

You know it makes sense, kit first then build on that...

 

Good luck mate, dont forget to post the pictures!!

[will this name be ok]

I bought one of the ready made rockets and after about five minutes of assembly (the launch stand) it was ready to go just stick on of the motors on the bottom and away it went great fun. But back to your question why not try getting the starter kit and build one double the size with the precision tools. Whats the worst that can happen.

Dont answer the last part.

 

And here are some planes for the soda bottle Launcher

http://www.cse.ucsc.edu/~karplus/abe/soda-...ttle-rocket.pdf

 

[ 27. April 2003, 01:00 AM: Message edited by: will this name be ok ]

[Paul_D]

I had one once as a kid. Built it without any help from the old man and decided to launce it on it's maiden mission in a snow shower despite the instructions telling me to launch it in warm weather only. Went up brilliantly but the parachute failed to deploy.....It never flew again.