AboutDave Landgraf Expertise I will be happy to take on questions about low-power rocketry in general, including rocket design, operating characteristics of blackpowder motors, low-power motor selection, rocket construction, aerodynamics, parachute and streamer duration competition, boost glide (and a little rocket glide), egg loft, altitude competition, and scale competition. I can help you with Barrowman stability calculations, but I am not a rocksim user. I know the basics of mid-power rocketry and small composite motors but I don't fly them much (I'd rather stretch my money by sticking with low-power). I believe I can explain many concepts in a way that just about anyone can follow (and maybe even over-explain?). I absolutely do not mind "newbie" questions one bit; the only bad question is the one you don't ask!
Experience I have flown model rockets for some 40 years, including a few early years of NAR competition. I have been active at the local club level as well as in the NAR. I enjoy designing and developing unconventional designs (the kind of thing you look at and say "it won't fly!").
Organizations National Association of Rocketry
Publications Model Rocketry (magazine)
Education/Credentials I am an aerospace engineer who has worked professionally in the field for over 30 years. I have worked often with local school, church, and scout groups to lead introductory build-n-fly sessions.
Thanks!
And if you have any suggestions of good starter kits that incudle everything, then please let me know
(under 100$)
thanks
ANSWER: Hi Alex,
Wow! I am impressed with your enthusiasm! You picked a great hobby, and you sure have started off big!
First, your motor choice is a very good one. Motors in the "A" impulse class are excellent for first flights, especially in the rocket kits you are looking at. These motors will get you good performance but should not loft the rockets so high that you lose them if they drift downwind. "A" motors are also excellent for launching from relatively small fields where you do not want a high flight (so you can get your rocket back). And Quest motors have a thicker trail of tracking smoke so you can watch the flight a little more easily. That 25-pack is a good, economical way to buy motors.
If you want to know which rocket is better, I would have to say they are both great kits. The Astra 1 will give you a taste of working with balsa fins; you will be able to judge for yourself, after you build the kit, whether you prefer balsa or plastic. One thing I do like about the Astra 1 is that it is a little bigger in diameter which will make it easier to prepare for launch, and to see it in the sky.
The Starhawk is also a very good kit. While I don't personally happen to like plastic fins, I must admit that the plastic fin unit in this kit makes for a fast assembly. Plastic fin units are also usually very durable, so if your rocket lands on something hard there is less chance of getting fin damage (compared to balsa fins). The Starhawk has a smaller body diameter which generally means (for the same motor power) less drag, less weight, a little higher speed, and higher altitude. The smaller body diameter will be a little harder to see in the air, and it might be a little more difficult to squeeze all the recovery parts into the rocket before launch, but it is going to give you a thrill when you launch (get READY to snap your head back)! I would suggest using bright colors to paint that one so it shows up well after it lands.
Your plan to order an extra kit, right up front, is a good idea. Quest has some very good prices on rocket kits and supplies, and you found some bargains.
I'm sure the kits will come with instructions for pre-launch preparations, but just to ease your mind, I'll tell you it is simple and easy. You insert the motor into the rocket aft end, and then you insert the protective ejection wadding through the front. For the bigger Astra 1 rocket, you will probably want to use about four to six squares of wadding. You do not want to pack them in hard, when they are in position they should still have a little room to flex and to fill the inside diameter of the body tube. (The wadding acts like a little piston to fill the tube cross-section and block the hot ejection gas, so you want it located between the front of the motor and the recovery system.) If you use a stick or dowel to insert the wadding, do a test-poke before you load the wadding to see how much room (lengthwise) there is inside the front end, and then add wadding to form a loose plug that is 1 to 1 1/2 times as long as the body tube diameter. The wadding should be positioned all the way down on top of the front of the motor, and you should have plenty of room in front for the recovery system to slide in next. Fold the parachute and slide it in, followed by the parachute shroud lines and the shock cord. Last, the nose cone should fit snugly on top and should seat all the way down so the shoulder lines up with the body tube.
Your Starhawk has a smaller body tube, and should only need three or four squares of ejection wadding to make a good piston seal. Then you will roll up the streamer and insert it, followed by the shock cord and nose cone.
You will need a launch stand and a launch controller (the electric-powered part that triggers the motor igniter) if you do not already have this gear. Quest offers some good equipment for this, as well as other companies like Estes. You will want to look for a "starter special" that has all the parts you need to get started for around $20 to $30: a launch stand and launch rod, a launch controller, a beginner model rocket kit, and usually a couple motors. You should be able to find starter specials for sale by internet vendors, at your local hobby shops, and at stores like Walmart, some Target stores, and craft stores like Hobby Lobby, some Michaels, and others (I am trying not to show favoritism here and only tell you about one store). Often you can find starter specials on sale at Hobby Lobby, or use one of their discount coupons (check their website every week!)
Come on over to The Rocketry Forum (http://www.rocketryforum.com/) or YORF (http://www.oldrocketforum.com/) where you can join in for free and ask more questions and learn just about anything you want to know about rocketry. Welcome to the hobby!
Dave Landgraf
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QUESTION: Actually, the first kit (the Astra kit) comes with the launch pad controller, ect.
And does Hobby Lobby sell model rocket things? And if it does can you give me a link to the stuff online?
ANSWER: Hi again, Alex,
I'm not sure that the Astra kit is anything more than just a model rocket kit. The price and the product description indicate to me that this is only a rocket:
Every Hobby Lobby store I have been in had a pretty good assortment of model rocket kits (Estes) and motors (also Estes). They used to sell a brand name called "Custom" but not any more. Look in the back of the store, usually in the aisle next to the plastic model kits. They also sell sheet balsa, basswood, and hobby plywood (for fins), and Xacto knives, blades, and supplies, and balsa blocks, and lots of other related tools and supplies, and if you get really deeply involved in model rocketry, they sell resin casting kits (to make your own custom nose cones).
The online Hobby Lobby websites have a slightly different list of items than they sell in their stores, so I get the impression they have sort of two different retail operations. But if you want to check for weekly discount coupons, try:
Yes, that Astra set does look like it is a "starter special" with all the other equipment you need. It might even include a motor or two to get you started.
The motors you were considering were Quest motors in a bulk pack. I don't think Hobby Lobby sells Quest motors, and I am pretty sure the closest Estes motors they sell (A8-3?) are more expensive by about a dollar per motor. The bulk pack looks to me like the smart way to go.
Is it better to buy online or at a local store? Many people have discussed this, and there are some hidden factors involved (you might not care about them but other people do). If you simply look for the lowest price, you will often find it online or by mail-order because those people don't have to pay for a retail store building. But if you only buy from internet vendors, your local hobby shop loses the business base it needs to keep the doors open. If you pay a couple extra dollars at a local store (compared to buying an item online), you are basically subsidizing them and helping them stay in business.
Is this a bad thing? I don't think so, especially if you ever need help, or advice, or an item that you don't want to wait a week for (while it comes through the mail). There is a value to having a local hobby shop available that you can't put a dollar value on. You have to decide for yourself how important that might be to you.
Right now, I'm guessing that you only really care about the price, and you will probably find the best deals on the internet (if you dig around long enough). You just need to search for vendors that offer free shipping, or order enough items at once to make the shipping charges worthwhile. Online shopping has its own kind of problems.
I hope that information helps! (And I know all that "philosophical" talk about shopping might be way more than you were interested in!)
