| Subject | Date Asked |
|
| Number Of Rocket FIns VS Altitude | 9/29/2009 |
Q: James my question is that "How does the number of rocket fins compare to the altitude?" and also ...
A: Bobby - The main purpose of tail fins is to stabilize the rocket as it flies through the air. The ...
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| level 3 certification | 9/28/2009 |
Q: I'm planning on getting my level 3 cert bit later this year,what is the most cost effective way of ...
A: Donovan - I really can't speculate on how well your smoking tracker might work. The design looks ...
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| kit modifications | 8/25/2009 |
Q: I have a kit for a Mean Machine and would like to make it one body tube section shorter (18"). ...
A: Kerry - With the exception of some additional fin area, the Mean Machine is not much more than a ...
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| Model Rocketry | 6/23/2009 |
Q: How does weight effect altitude on rockets, and can you give me sites pertaining to your answer or ...
A: Bobby - I'll do you one better. Download the following program ... ...
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| Starter | 6/16/2009 |
Q: hey! I'm starting model rockerty And i was looking at some rockets and stuff This is what for sure I ...
A: Alex - Model rocketry is a great hobby, and you will quickly get hooked. My first was an Estes Big ...
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| building a bungee rocket | 6/2/2009 |
Q: Bell, I am 10 years old in 4th grade. This year, all of the 4th graders will have a contest to ...
A: Isabelle – I must say, in all the years I have been answering questions, most are sent to me in a ...
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| Cluster 25%N total impulse | 5/2/2009 |
Q: ...since then i have been shooting rockets to 5600feet its my personal best so far ...and im working ...
A: Donovan - I am a huge fan of using electronics to assist me in a successful launch and recovery. I ...
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| rocket fins | 12/3/2008 |
Q: What do you think would happen if you moved the fins on a rocket to the top, middle, and bottom?
A: Devon - Rocket stability of one of the basics of rocketry design you need to have a good grasp of. ...
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| Re: Got answer-- ejection charge/black powder | 12/3/2008 |
Q: I did some more searching last night and finally came across my answers about how to set up the ...
A: Greetings again, Glenn - You seem to have your path well plotted. I flew a LOC IV for my Level I ...
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| Got answer-- ejection charge/black powder | 12/2/2008 |
Q: I did some more searching last night and finally came across my answers about how to set up the ...
A: Glenn - You are pretty close on your solution. I prefer FFFg (3Fg) powder, but 4Fg works well ...
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| Level 1 certification Model rockery | 11/22/2008 |
Q: I need to find the C/G of my Level 1 rocket. I do not have a level 1 certification yet. How do I ...
A: Bill - You ask questions that are both involved and complex. Here is the best way to tackle them ...
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| mid power rocketry | 11/11/2008 |
Q: i was wondering if you could tell me what i would need to make a custom mid power rocket. i am big ...
A: John - I have a webpage set up at ... http://64.41.64.113/home/tips.html You can look over the ...
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| partial success | 10/31/2008 |
Q: i have had some success on building my own rocket engines, but i can not get enough thrust to fly. i ...
A: Miss Markie - I never dabbled in making my own rocket motors. I have enough problems with ones ...
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| fin can | 10/21/2008 |
Q: We would like to use a fin can for a 3" body tube with replaceable fins. Any suggestions on where ...
A: Esther - My apologies for not getting back to you sooner. It appears my Spam filter is working ...
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| Launch Tower | 9/14/2008 |
Q: I am wanting to design a tower which would be a three railed design and be able to hold small model ...
A: Ali - I have seen many different variations of launch towers. The most popular involve a nippled ...
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| Engine | 8/9/2008 |
Q: I would like to know where to get an Aerotech J-275 rocket motor. And how much would it cost. thank ...
A: Jacob - You can purchase the Aerotech J275 from RocketMotion.com ...
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| Multiple Rocket Engine Launch | 5/19/2008 |
Q: For class i have been challenged to launch an egg 100 feet in the air, have it detach from its ...
A: Greetings Jason - I would suggest you visit the webpage I have set up for model rocketry ... ...
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| COMPUTER PROGRAMS | 3/13/2008 |
Q: HEY JAMES I JUST GOT MY OLD TANDY TRS 80 OUT OF MOTH BALLS AND TO MY SURPRISE IT STILL WORKS AND ...
A: Chris - Oh my gawd ... a Trash-80? I feel I should get out my Atari 800 and daisy chain the 5.25 ...
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| recovery system | 3/10/2008 |
Q: i have a small rocket(390mm in lenght and 20mm outside diameter with a 2mm wall thickness) and i ...
A: Donovan - Okay, now you are into an entirely different realm here. I assume you are outside the ...
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| After school instructor? | 3/7/2008 |
Q: I am the director of an after school program and would like to include Model Rocketry. Could you ...
A: Greetings Karen - I would suggest you visit the National Association of Rocketry's website ...
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| recovery system | 3/7/2008 |
Q: i have a small rocket(390mm in lenght and 20mm outside diameter with a 2mm wall thickness) and i ...
A: Greetings again, Donovan - Yes, the location of the CG is very important, especially in ...
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| recovery system | 3/6/2008 |
Q: i have a small rocket(390mm in lenght and 20mm outside diameter with a 2mm wall thickness) and i ...
A: Greetings Donovan - If the rocket you have is from a kit, it should have included a recovery system ...
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| PARACHUTES AND FINS | 3/1/2008 |
Q: HEY JAMES ITS ME AGAIN I WAS WANTED TO MAKE HOMEMADE KITS AND SELL THEM I ASKED THE OTHER EXPERT A ...
A: Chris - Anyone can make money selling anything ... just look on eBay. I'm constantly amazed at ...
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| launch controller | 2/18/2008 |
Q: hey james i have a question i have decided to build your model rocket controller with the two nicad ...
A: Greetings Chris - It looks like the best choice for you would be my "economy" launch controller. ...
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| Launching safely | 2/17/2008 |
Q: Is there a way to make a wireless launch button? I s please tell me how.
A: Greetings Brad - With the advances in wireless technology, I have no doubt that the ability to ...
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| launch controller | 2/4/2008 |
Q: hey james i see your model rocket launch controller i want to make one close to yours but i dont ...
A: Chris - I tried using a car battery once when my regular launch controller died. I'm not sure what ...
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| Rocket fins | 12/19/2007 |
Q: My friends and I are building a model rocket and i was wondering what type of fins has the best ...
A: Greetings Aaron - The type of material I use depends on the power and size of the rocket. Most ...
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| rocket materials | 11/27/2007 |
Q: My classmates and I are building a rocket. We are having a hard time coming up with something to use ...
A: Greetings Danielle - I apologize for taking so long to respond. Nasty cold ... what can I say. As ...
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| Multi Stage Model Rocket | 11/4/2007 |
Q: I would like to build a 2nd stage model rocket for physics.. and I am encountered with the question ...
A: Greetings - There are two ways you can ignite a rocket motor inflight: The Estes way, and a more ...
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| rocket fin | 9/27/2007 |
Q: I made some rockets with different fin designs. I wan't to add fins just behind the nose cone apart ...
A: Greetings Veerendra - Without getting into the CG/CP (center of gravity/center of pressure) ...
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| homemade rocket | 9/13/2007 |
Q: i was thinking about making a homemade rocket, with everything homemade except the engine. Do you ...
A: Greetings Alex - The body tube is just one small aspect of the overall rocket. You have the motor ...
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| Plans to make a Launch pad... | 7/9/2007 |
Q: Do you know of any plans for building my own launch pad? The ones from Estes and such are too small ...
A: Greetings D.J. - My apologies for taking so long to respond, it's just been one of those weeks. I ...
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| Altimeters and modified uses | 6/21/2007 |
Q: I'm in need of an altimeter that will take measurements from the diverted airstream a pitot tube or ...
A: I would suggest you get in contact with Adept Rocketry at ... http://www.adeptrocketry.com/ ...
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| home made rocket tips | 5/11/2007 |
Q: I am from India and there no stores supplying rockets kits so please suggest some home made methods ...
A: Greetings Sarang - I have never delved into making my own rocket motors, as they can be very ...
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| starters | 5/3/2007 |
Q: My friend tommy and i are trying to launch a rocket we made, It has a e engin, but we dont have any ...
A: Greetings Mason - Personally, I wouldn't try alternate ways to ignite a rocket motor. Getting more ...
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| Launch Controller | 4/8/2007 |
Q: My question. What kind of launch controller do I need for those engines? Can I use my Estes launcher ...
A: Greetings Todd - Trust me, this is NOT a stupid question ... quite the contrary, it's one that I ...
|
| cluster rocket | 4/4/2007 |
Q: i am building a 5 ft, 5l b rocket that has a diameter of 4 inchs and i am using 4 E rockets. i ...
A: Greetings Richard - Forgive my tardiness at answering your question. You might want to rethink the ...
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| Deployment charges | 3/23/2007 |
Q: Does anyone make deployment charges or do you have to create your own? I would like to have a dual ...
A: Greetings David - Most people find it's easiest to make their own charges. I use a specified ...
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| Rocketry Motors | 2/10/2007 |
Q: i was wondering what all components are in the model rocket engine so i could make one for the next ...
A: Greetings Matthew - Personally, I never got into making my own rocket motors. I found even the ...
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| Motor Mount | 1/25/2007 |
Q: i still cant find one please help mehi, i am a student building a hypertek rocket and i cant find a ...
A: Jorge - Many sites don't list everything on their websites. I would recommend you call one of the ...
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| High Powered Rockets | 1/23/2007 |
Q: I have bought two books to help me build my rockets, and they have been worth every cent. Would ...
A: Bob - So, you're 15 huh? I wish you luck. High-power isn't a hobby that is cheap. I once ...
|
| Motor Mount | 1/22/2007 |
Q: i am a student building a hypertek rocket and i cant find a good motor mount so what would be a good ...
A: Greetings Jorge - Personally, I've never launched a hybrid rocket before, so I have no personal ...
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| Recovery System | 1/22/2007 |
Q: For A Rocket built in highschool, how would you arrange eveything?Materials?
A: Greetings Jules - I assume by "everything", you mean the sequential layout of the recovery system? ...
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| Rocketry Motors | 1/21/2007 |
Q: I'm in a class called princable of tecnology and I am not sure where to get an engine
A: Greetings Brandon - I assume you mean "principles of technology" (please check spelling and ...
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| Rocket Engine Help | 12/2/2006 |
Q: I just received a North Coast Rocketry Big Brute. From what I understand the F62-4 or G70-5 engines ...
A: Greetings Joseph - Yes, I am a huge fan of Aerotech, as their motors are the choice of serious ...
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| home made rocket body | 12/1/2006 |
Q: Many years ago, I taught rocket flight to Jr high students and we would make our own rockets from ...
A: Greetings Robin - I haven't made my own rocket bodies, so I have no experience in this particular ...
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| high atitude record info request | 11/15/2006 |
Q: I would like to know what is the world record for altitude and max speed for ametuer or ...
A: Greetings Josh - I would suggest you visit the Tripoli Rocketry Association website ...
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| rocket fin | 10/26/2006 |
Q: i am currently stuck trying to calculate a thickness for our fin design. If there is anywhere you ...
A: Greetings Greg - I have made a few high-powered rockets, but none that have attempted an altitude ...
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| Fin Design | 10/13/2006 |
Q: Right now, i am currently working on designing a hybrid rocket single stage, motor size is roughly L ...
A: Greetings Bruce - As luck would have it, I happen to have two shareware programs on a rocketry ...
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| Home Made model rockets | 10/3/2006 |
Q: I teach at a school and we are making home made rockets. I do a lot of model rocketry my self out of ...
A: Greetings Jeremy - I know several hobby stores that carry packs of motor mounts and clips. I know ...
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| rocketry lessons | 9/25/2006 |
Q: Do you know of a rocketry expert or instructor in New Jersey?
A: Greetings Melissa - Boy do I have a site for you ... http://www.sojars.org/ The South Jersey Area ...
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| Launch towers | 7/9/2006 |
Q: I am contemplating the construction of a model/mid power launch tower to eliminate the use of lugs. ...
A: Greetings Paul - Yes, launch towers are expensive and have a much tigher tolerance in the design. ...
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| Aerotech engine launching | 7/7/2006 |
Q: I have a question about aerotech engines and how to launch them. I have no aerotech experience at ...
A: Greetings Rich - Realize that the picture I have posted on the site depicts the "coppertop" igniter ...
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| gyroscpes | 7/3/2006 |
Q: I am interested in any information regarding use of gyroscopes in model rocketry
A: Greetings Jerry - I have read of them being used in the larger projects ... "M" and higher motors. ...
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| 4 stage model rocket | 6/6/2006 |
Q: James, I have just completed building my 4-stage model rocket. I built it out of 2 estes cc express ...
A: Greetings Steve - You definitely have much greater ambitions than I. I never dabbled in ...
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| Speed | 5/23/2006 |
Q: I have a starter rocket and it has a engine a tube, fins, and a cone at the top, I have everthing to ...
A: Greetings Josh - Realize one thing when it comes to rocketry: ADDING anything to a rocket will ...
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| Model Rocketry and regulations | 5/22/2006 |
Q: I have a assignment in class and i need to know who regulates model rocketry? Also my teacher asked ...
A: Greetings John - Normally I don't answer homework questions, as you are supposed to find these ...
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| Launch Box | 5/14/2006 |
Q: I have nearlly completed the control box found on your web page(with a few slight changes), i found ...
A: Greetings Harlan - The key merely allows you to have something to remove to disable the controller ...
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| Smoke Trail | 5/4/2006 |
Q: I would like to have a smoke trail come from the centre tube of my rocket.I have built my own rocket ...
A: Harlan - Just for the record, High-Power doesn't start until you reach "H" motors. E, F and G are ...
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| Smoke Trail | 5/3/2006 |
Q: I would like to have a smoke trail come from the centre tube of my rocket.I have built my own rocket ...
A: Greetings Harlan - I haven't found a reliable way to get smoke trails from my rocket. Everything I ...
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| Clustering | 4/25/2006 |
Q: Yet another question from myself, It reguardes the Saturn V on your web site, ...
A: Harlan - I had a set of engine mount rings made for a five cluster motor from the custom precision ...
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| Fin And Body Tube Selection | 4/24/2006 |
Q: My Question is, What would be the best fin material to use for a scratchbuild rocket that is powered ...
A: Harlan - My personal favorite for fin material is called G10 phenolic. If you look on some of the ...
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| Launch Controller | 4/23/2006 |
Q: it is the one with the two Ni-Cd battries. My question is how did you get the wires to stay inside ...
A: Greetings again, Harlan - I switched the battery connections to some generic connectors I got at ...
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| Cluster Engine Rocket | 4/23/2006 |
Q: I am wondering if 3 C11-3 engines could lift a 325gram rocket, say 1000' or around that... What ...
A: Greetings Harlan - At your age, with a limited budget, I'm sure you would like to hear the word ...
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| gap staging (urgent) | 3/19/2006 |
Q: Do i absolutly need that hole in the body tube to vent the gas?
A: Greetings Kurt - When it comes to staging using closely spaced motors, there are many atmospheric ...
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| overweight rocket | 3/12/2006 |
Q: I have a model rocket that's 50 grams above the recommended amount of weight the engine can lift. ...
A: Greetings Kurt - There are many variables you haven't given me, such as the maximum weight, so I ...
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| Black powder engines | 3/5/2006 |
Q: I wanted to know if estes booster stages are black powder ones and not the compisite, because a ...
A: Kurt - All Estes motors are made of black powder. Composite motors are made of amonium ...
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| Air powered rocket engones | 2/25/2006 |
Q: Do you have any ideas for a simple design for an Air powered rocket engine, that will fit in an ...
A: Greetings Elizabeth - I'm not sure exactly what you mean by "air powered rocket engine." I have ...
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| Rocket Science and Physics | 3/13/2005 |
Q: I am doing a science project for my fourth grade class on Rocketry. I want to answer the Question " ...
A: Greetings Eddie - Since there are very few rocket motors made that are exactly twice as powerful as ...
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| 4 stage rockets | 3/3/2005 |
Q: I have been working with model rockets for about 5 years now and was looking in to getting a new ...
A: Greetings Jake - I have seen a high-powered two stage rocket that screamed off the pad and easily ...
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| Rocket Motors | 2/26/2005 |
Q: James: Thanks for taking my question. Do you ever use Red Phosphorous in preparing rocket motors ...
A: Greetings Michael - I have never used any additives to get a tracer effect on my rocket motors. ...
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| parachutes | 1/10/2005 |
Q: what four materials for parachutes on a model rocket work best? Example: nylon, cotton, silk, etc.
A: Greetings Jake - Actually, the best material for the panels is call rip-stop. It is the material ...
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| reloadable motor case dimensions | 12/27/2004 |
Q:
A: Greetings Opie - Here is a link to Aerotech's website ... http://www.aerotech-rocketry.com/ They ...
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| about the rocket | 12/20/2004 |
Q: hi how are you doing i am doing a project on rockets and i found your idea on the web and i was ...
A: Greetings Ryan - I assume you are referring to the Saturn V model? Yes, I had extensive plans but, ...
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| Casing | 12/9/2004 |
Q: My team is competing in a 2 stage-high powered rocket competition. We are allowed to use H and J ...
A: Greetings Vishal - I have a webpage set up at ... http://64.41.64.113/home/tips.html Scroll down ...
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| Model Rocketry | 11/30/2004 |
Q: Can you teach my how to test the stability of my model rocket before I fly it. Also, can you teach ...
A: Greetings Kevin - You have asked a lot of question, so I will answer them in turn. I have a ...
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| Launch Controller | 10/7/2004 |
Q: ------------------------- Followup To James Bell, Your website has been very helpful - ...
A: Greetings Everett - Your launch controller electronic schematic looks very good to me, although I ...
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| Fin Tapering | 9/30/2004 |
Q: I've read several books that say model rocket fin's should be tapered radially ( i.e. tip edge ...
A: Greetings again, Bart - When I started making rockets, I wanted those edges perfectly shaped to ...
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| Iigniters | 9/29/2004 |
Q: Just getting back into Model Rocketry after being absent from it for about 20 years. Need advice ...
A: Greetings Everett - Now THAT is a question I can sink my teeth into. I started with the Estes ...
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| Fin Tapering | 9/27/2004 |
Q: I've read several books that say model rocket fin's should be tapered radially ( i.e. tip edge ...
A: Greetings Bart - The technique I use to sand an edge onto a fin depends on the fin material. I am ...
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| I purchased a North Coast... | 7/2/2004 |
Q: I purchased a North Coast Rocketry Phantom 4000 several years ago. I have never been able to find ...
A: Greetings Scott - North Coast Rocketry went out of business many years ago, along with their motor ...
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| What materials can you use to male a model rocket? | 4/17/2004 |
Q: Bell Our school is making model rockets out of scratch. What is the material that will give you ...
A: Greetings Daniel - There are many materials available to make model rockets. While some try to ...
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| Direct Staging | 4/5/2004 |
Q: I read a prior email where you answered a similar question to mine about staging, and claimed it was ...
A: Greetings again, Sinan - First, I would experiment with the two motors, and see if the hollowed out ...
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| Indirect Staging | 3/28/2004 |
Q: A few friends and I are participating in the Team America Rocketry Challenge. Last year we competed ...
A: Greetings Philipp - I love questions from people who realize a REAL rocket project isn't something ...
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| finding Altitude | 3/3/2004 |
Q: I was wondering if you knew how to find the altitude that a multi-stage rocket would go with the ...
A: Greetings Andrew - Drag factors are always a dynamic thing. It varies with temperature and ...
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| Staging | 12/20/2003 |
Q: Im wondering if it is possible to have a Estes D12-0 engine on the lower stage light a Estes E9-4 ...
A: Greetings Andrew - Any Estes "0" delay motor should be able to light another motor on top of it, ...
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| Homemade model rocket | 9/30/2003 |
Q: i was thinking of building my first "Homemade" Model rocket using Estes model engines and some Pvc ...
A: Greetings Raymond - That is a good question. Many people think of various different things that ...
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| North Coast Rocketry | 1/26/2003 |
Q: I was into model rocketry a couple of years ago and then when other things happened I got out of it ...
A: Greetings Ron - Yes, Estes did discontinue their line of motors sold under the name of North Coast ...
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| E engine ignition | 12/3/2002 |
Q: Why is it that an E engine requires more energy to ignite than a A-D engine? Are the igniters for ...
A: Greetings again, Tony - It is not the size of the motor that requires a different igniter, but the ...
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| Model rocketry | 10/26/2002 |
Q: James Bell, I am an amateur rocket modeler. I think of myself as an absolute beginner, for I ...
A: Greetings Andrew - You seem to have been bitten by the rocketry bug about as hard as I was when I ...
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| Fin design | 10/15/2002 |
Q: I have built a number of Aerotech rockets and am currently building the Initiator. I have read in ...
A: Greetings Radic - Yes, putting a knife edge on any fin will considerably improve the aerodynamic ...
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| Altitude | 6/29/2002 |
Q: How big of a field do I need for rockets that attain an altitude of 1500ft? I have a fairly big ...
A: Greetings Dave - According to the National Association of Rocketry's Safety Guidelines, the minimum ...
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| Launcher designs | 5/14/2002 |
Q: James, I am building a new launcher box for igniting my first multi engine rocket. What I am ...
A: Greetings Joe - Boy are you in luck. There are many questions I get over and over, so I set up a ...
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| model rockets | 2/14/2002 |
Q: I am in the fourth grade and am doing a science fair project on model rockets. I was wondering if ...
A: Greetings Matt - There are many ways to fold a parachute, but the one I have found to be most ...
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| Launcher Lugs | 12/6/2001 |
Q: Scratch built 4" Rocket 52" High CP 12.808 from aft. Would like to use two 3/8 lugs CG about 1.5 ...
A: Greetings Ernie - I like to keep my launch lugs small but strong. I use copper tubing (nice and ...
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| rocket ground control system | 12/5/2001 |
Q: Bell, I would like learn where I can find the necessary information both in introduction and in ...
A: Greetings Elif - There are a multitide of websites out there that give lots of information. I have ...
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| CP/CG on oops on motor mount of PLM Quasar | 11/29/2001 |
Q: James, After building many rockets I got to building my cert. 1 rocket the PML Quasar. I goofed, I ...
A: Greetings Mike - A half inch on the motor mount shouldn't make enough of a difference on the CP/CG ...
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| Recovery + Quest web address | 11/8/2001 |
Q: Firstly, is there any kind of tracking devices I can use to help me locate my rockets after flight ...
A: Greetings Radic - Yes, there is a company which specializes in electronics for rockets ... Adept ...
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| smoothing of body tube | 10/23/2001 |
Q: What do you use to fill in the spiral seams of cardboard body tubes to make the body tube smooth?
A: Greetings David - That's an easy question. I use Elmer's wood filler, although any wood filler ...
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