Beginner Model Rockets: Ideas and Suggestions

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around beginner model rockets, focusing on ideas and suggestions for getting started in the hobby. Participants share their experiences, recommend resources, and express their interest in designing and building rockets.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested
  • Homework-related

Main Points Raised

  • One participant seeks ideas and suggestions for beginner model rockets, expressing a desire to eventually create their own designs.
  • Another participant recommends the "Handbook of Model Rocketry" as a useful resource for beginners.
  • Some participants note the vagueness of the initial question, suggesting that the asker clarify whether they prefer to buy kits or design their own rockets from parts.
  • A participant shares a personal anecdote about their childhood experience with model rockets and the challenges faced, including an encounter with horseflies.
  • Another participant corrects the previous claim about horseflies, stating that they bite rather than sting, and shares a humorous aside about designing a rocket system involving an anti-tank warhead.
  • A participant with a background in Aerospace Engineering expresses confusion about starting to design rockets independently, noting the complexity of building components like nozzles and rocket motors.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the enjoyment of the hobby and the potential for building model rockets, but there is no consensus on the best approach for beginners or the specifics of designing rockets from scratch.

Contextual Notes

Some participants express uncertainty about the necessary knowledge and skills for building rockets, particularly regarding rocket motor fuels and nozzle construction. There are also varying interpretations of the initial inquiry about model rockets.

Who May Find This Useful

Individuals interested in model rocketry, beginners seeking guidance on starting in the hobby, and those looking for resources or personal experiences related to rocket design and construction.

justPAB
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Any one have any ideas or suggestions for beginner model rockets? I eventually want to make my own.
 
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The question seems a bit vague - you can just go buy the kits and build them or buy the parts and design/buld your own. Could you be more specific about what you are asking?

Great hobby, though.
 
I had a couple of these as a kid : http://www.estesrockets.com/ My dad had made a launcher by sticking a some metal rod in a two-by-four.

I abandoned the hobby after being stung in the forehead by a horsefly while retrieving the rocket in the woods. Great hobby sure, but you got to watch out for the horseflies.
 
Dr Lots-o'watts said:
I abandoned the hobby after being stung in the forehead by a horsefly.
Ouch! For the sake of not misleading the youngsters, though, I must point out that horseflies don't sting. They bite, and usually take a noticeable chunk of flesh with them when they leave. I point this out only because someone who is allergic to insect venom has nothing to fear (other than pain) from these particular pests.
By the bye... I designed a really nice rocket system, but I don't think that it is appropriate to discuss it here since it involves an anti-tank warhead...

(It was originally an anti-gopher warhead, but one thing led to another... you know how that goes...)
 
Last edited:
russ_watters said:
The question seems a bit vague - you can just go buy the kits and build them or buy the parts and design/buld your own. Could you be more specific about what you are asking?

Great hobby, though.

Well I'm majoring in Aerospace Engineering and I remember back in high school I did a project with my engineering class and put together some rocket kits and launched them. It was fun, but I kind of want to design my own. My confusion is that back then, I had a professor that told me what to do, (not to mention, putting together a kit is not that difficult) but now, I'm working on my own and have not yet started my "core" classes for AE, so I don't know where to start. The thing is, it takes a lot of work to build a nozzle from scratch; I don't know what fuel goes into making a rocket motor for the model. I can research all these through google, however, I would like your input. I see this board has a lot of experienced people; who better to ask? :)
 
Danger said:
(It was originally an anti-gopher warhead, but one thing led to another... you know how that goes...)

:smile:
 

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