LarryBAR99

 I've been inactive of late, dealing with several losses in my family, but am looking forward to the new year.  Among my 2023 New Year's resolutions are: Launch every new rocket in my fleet at least once!  🚀 Consider trying for my Level 1 certification with an H or I engine in my Big Brute with a JLCR (this would allow me to order bigger and more expe$ive engines!) My younger daughter (and fellow geek!) gave me a Jolly Logic Chute Release (JLCR) for Christmas!  This is a really cool gadget that allows me to launch rockets higher but control when their parachute opens so they don't drift to Kansas.  It is 1.2" wide and will fit in most of my recent rockets , including Super Big Bertha Excalibur V2 Silver comet ( an oldie , but one of my favorite 2.6" diameter rockets) Fat Boy (maybe; the compartment is pretty tight) Pathfinder Another recent development was the Estes 2023 catalog came out a couple of weeks ago.  I feel like Steve Martin from "The Jerk...

After a bit of down time I decided it's time to start building some of the old kits I've got stockpiled in my basement.  After reading some reviews on RocketReviews.com I decided to hack an Estes Bull Pup 12D. My kit is a boxed “Explorer Series”, EST 7000 on the box, labeled “Skill Level 2, with altitude of 245 meters (800 ft) on C6-5.  I paid $8.96 at WalMart.  My kit has the contents in a sealed plastic sleeve, with water slide decals and a 12” parachute that needs assembly.  The instructions are for an “Estes Explorer Series Bullpup 12D Flying Model Rocket Kit EST 1972”.  My box contains an Estes/Cox mini catalog with coupons that expired 12/31/98.  The current EST 7000 kit sells for $32.99 retail ($15.32 on Amazon as of 7/26/22). I decided to upscale it from 18 mm engines (B's & C's) to fly on D/E engines per https://www.rocketreviews.com/estes-bull-pup-12d-frank-ross.html  I'll PROBABLY just fly it with B’s & C’s unless I'm launching at ...

It was a beautiful clear Sunday afternoon so I decided to launch some rockets. My wife (and dogs) agreed to come watch me launch for an hour.  First to launch was my Astrocam on a C6–5 engine.  I carefully packed the wadding, folded the chute and turned on the video camera that I left charging for four hours this morning. I angled the rocket slightly into the wind, which was blowing at about 6 to 10 miles an hour from east to west.  The launch was great, but I lost sight of it (below). OpenRocket estimated it would go approximately 900 feet high on a C6-5, and I lost track of it (even with tracking powder in the chute).  We finally spotted it floating on the parachute and then it drifted west of my position and over the Junior High, never to be seen again.  ;-(   I walked around for 20 minutes then drove around for another half hour but without any luck.  I had written my phone number on the nose cone but, unless a neighbor finds it and calls I’ll neve...

February 27, 2022 This kit was purchased in 2000 and designed to fly on D12-5 engines (only).  It's 36" tall and 2.5" in diameter with an 18" parachute.  The current version of the Super Big Bertha is designated a Pro Series II model and designed to fly with bigger 29 mm engines, projected to fly to 1200 feet on an Estes  F15-6. ( https://estesrockets.com/product/009719-pro-series-ii-super-big-bertha/ ).  Not wanting to be embarrassed flying a "wimpy" Super Big Bertha on D engines, I ordered 29 mm engine tubes from Estes and plywood engine mounts from Apogee.  Here are the modifications I'm planning to upscale my 2000 vintage Super Big Bertha: Use a 29 mm engine tube to expand what kind of engines I can use. Use an Estes Pro 29 mm motor retainer set instead of hook & engine block. Hand cut engine mount for 29 mm from extra 2.6X 18 mm cardboard mount.  —><— Decided to buy pre-cut plywood engine mounts from Apogee instead! Cut the 24 mm stuffer...

Long time no post.  Well, I live in the Chicago area, which currently has snow on the ground and more expected tonight.  I almost went to my club's "Polar Bear" launch in January but was concerned the air temperature (the high was 19 F) would prevent my rocket's parachutes from opening.  Estes recommends launching above 40 F when using their plastic parachutes. Rocket-wise, I've been busy updating my blog with pictures from my launches in 1999~2004.  The site I used to host on geocities.com was shut down and all my pictures were pre-digital so I had to find the original prints and scan them to rebuild these memories.  They're linked at the top of my main page under " LARRY'S FLEET ".  I've also added flight pictures from our earlier and pictures and videos from my more recent launches under LAUNCH REPORTS on the main page. I've also done some minor repair work on some of my fleet.  First, the "escape tower" broke off my Mercury...

A couple of months ago my wife asked, "Why don't you join a club to find other people to launch your rockets with?"  Since I always listen to my wife's advice, I joined the National Association of Rocketry  and then joined a local NAR club, the Northern Illinois Rocketry Association .  Yesterday I drove to the far western suburbs for their last scheduled club launch of the year at the East Branch Forest Preserve in Glendale Heights.  First, of course, Google Maps took me to the wrong side of the large park so I had to pull up the emailed announcement and follow the directions to the entrance "about 1000 feet north of the railroad bridge." When I arrived I found a dozen cars parked on the edge of a field, overlooking a large field of open prairie.  Several parents were walking in with their children for a scout group's launch, which NIRA was hosting.  I introduced myself to a couple of club members, including the current president.  It quickly be...

Kit-bashing and resurrecting old rockets from online plans Sometimes I read about a cool rocket that’s no longer made.  Some of these live on at sites like eBay, but I refuse to pay $350 or more for a kit I might lose on the first launch!  Luckily, Estes, Apogee and several other vendors offer PDFs instructions of many of their old or current kits.  Sites like JimZ ( http://www.spacemodeling.org/jimz/estes.htm) , Ninfinger ( http://www.ninfinger.org/rockets/rockets.html ) and occasionally RocketReviews.org provide links to PDFs users have scanned from original instructions, often with scans of fins and decals.  Usually all you need to do to build one is order parts and cut your own fins.  If you need to cut fins, print the fin diagram, spray the back with a removable adhesive like Fast Grab Tacky Spray, press in place and cut the fins through the sheet.  Of course, if you’ve got a spare $2,000 or so you can get a laser cutter and program it to cut your fin...