Verna
Rocket Babe
Tom,
General stuff first:
Rocketry absolutely is a great family fun time as well as a great classroom tool from 5th grade through college level engineering. Our kids started going with us at age 5 and building their first simple kit at 6. Now their kids are starting to build and fly. Randy has been building and flying since July 1968. Some people love it for life.
There are 2 national organizations: Tripoli (TRA) and National Association of Rocketry (NAR) website National Association of Rocketry The main difference is that TRA is dedicated to HPR ONLY. I won’t say anything here about HPR, that’s down the road for a beginner.
NAR covers low/midpower & HPR. To get started I always recommend NAR. If at some point you want to get into HPR or HPR EX and making your own engines then TRA. I like to watch TRA but I like my fingers, eyes, etc. so I don’t make my own engines. You can buy safe HPR engines but those engines like the rockets are expensive.
Do NOT try and make your own engines. Safe engines can be purchased at any hobby shop, Michael’s Hobby Lobby etc. Each engine pack has the safety code inside. Read and follow it like your life depends on it.
Since you have prior experience I’ll try to be brief and answer your questions.
First builds: Low & midpower kits skill level ranges level 1-5 with 1 being easiest. Ready To Fly kits (RTF) can be assembled in 5 minutes.
For an adult I’d start with a couple of level 2 kits, just a simple 3 fins and a cone. They’re cheap; require modest skills, any adult can build one. Build and fly a few times then move up. After you’ve done 1 or 2 you’ll know if you really like the hobby and want to do more and spend the money.
After a couple of kits and flights look for a level 3 or 4 kit that is really interesting to you. The main difference between levels is the number of parts, amount of sanding, trimming, alignment, etc. and of course dressing. (Paint,decals, etc.)
Once you’re comfortable with single engine skill level 3-4 kits it’s time to try something more challenging like staged, payload, clustered or my personal favorite, anything that’s clustered, staged and has a payload. Once you’re an accomplished builder you can move on to scratch building and maybe even building your own pads and equipment. Some people get very elaborate with their equipment and rockets. Name something and it’s probably been done. The sky really is the limit.
Once you’ve done some or most of that you will have a very good understanding of the basics and developed some real skills. You’ll understand functionality, adhesives, techniques, etc. I don’t recommend sinking a lot into any hobby until you’ve gotten your feet wet. Low & mid power is not very expensive averaging $4-$15 per flight after the equipment & rocket expense. You should be able to get a basic pad, kit and make your first flight for $45-$75 depending on what you get. After that the basic cost is just supplies like engines and wadding for more flights.
Hobby Lobby frequently has a 40% off coupon that can save you a ton of money getting started. For your first rocket look for a rocket that comes with a pad and controller.
The Do list: Start cheap until you know if you really want to get serious. Visit the NAR website and take some time looking at everything. It will take a few minutes. You’ll find a page that lists more than 100 club locations nation wide. Follow the Model rocket safety code to the LETTER. Take your time and enjoy things as you go. Use some common sense. Take your time.
Don’t list: Don’t attempt to make your own engines. Don’t get discouraged. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Don’t buy anything off of EBay until you have some experience, you can spend a lot for almost nothing.
List of kits to consider: Any NASA rocket from the Jupiter missile to Saturn V and everything in-between are considered must haves for any serious rocketeer but there are many classic kits from the 60’s & 70’s that are re-released from time to time.
Clubs are great, if there is one near you that is fun to fly with. Like many forums I could name, clubs have good and bad points. They provide better equipment and a place to fly and… insurance if you join NAR. They can also be very political and a pain if the officers are all about themselves. You have to visit one to know.
You will need to check local fire codes once you're ready to fly. They vary from place to place and can carry some heavy fines if you violate the codes. However, finding a place to fly isn't that hard but requires a little research.
As a side bar, rocketry provides several natural segues into photography, video, electronics, astronomy, science and math if you want to also work those subjects into your experience. Personally, having been a math major, I enjoy the math and working with jr. high and high school students through rocketry but you don’t have to understand any of it to enjoy building and flying.
There are many rocketry websites selling everything you’ll ever need. We know most of the online suppliers personally from many years in the hobby and can recommend several great vendors.
Our website is www.vernarockets.com take a few minutes and click through the pages to get a good idea of what can be done and what’s required. The first 3 pages are about the book series but the rest is about rocketry with many photos and build articles. You get an idea of what low & mid power is about.
One last thing; rocketeers love making anything fly and I do mean anything. If you have enough thrust and a little guidance it can fly!
I hope this helps.
General stuff first:
Rocketry absolutely is a great family fun time as well as a great classroom tool from 5th grade through college level engineering. Our kids started going with us at age 5 and building their first simple kit at 6. Now their kids are starting to build and fly. Randy has been building and flying since July 1968. Some people love it for life.
There are 2 national organizations: Tripoli (TRA) and National Association of Rocketry (NAR) website National Association of Rocketry The main difference is that TRA is dedicated to HPR ONLY. I won’t say anything here about HPR, that’s down the road for a beginner.
NAR covers low/midpower & HPR. To get started I always recommend NAR. If at some point you want to get into HPR or HPR EX and making your own engines then TRA. I like to watch TRA but I like my fingers, eyes, etc. so I don’t make my own engines. You can buy safe HPR engines but those engines like the rockets are expensive.
Do NOT try and make your own engines. Safe engines can be purchased at any hobby shop, Michael’s Hobby Lobby etc. Each engine pack has the safety code inside. Read and follow it like your life depends on it.
Since you have prior experience I’ll try to be brief and answer your questions.
First builds: Low & midpower kits skill level ranges level 1-5 with 1 being easiest. Ready To Fly kits (RTF) can be assembled in 5 minutes.
For an adult I’d start with a couple of level 2 kits, just a simple 3 fins and a cone. They’re cheap; require modest skills, any adult can build one. Build and fly a few times then move up. After you’ve done 1 or 2 you’ll know if you really like the hobby and want to do more and spend the money.
After a couple of kits and flights look for a level 3 or 4 kit that is really interesting to you. The main difference between levels is the number of parts, amount of sanding, trimming, alignment, etc. and of course dressing. (Paint,decals, etc.)
Once you’re comfortable with single engine skill level 3-4 kits it’s time to try something more challenging like staged, payload, clustered or my personal favorite, anything that’s clustered, staged and has a payload. Once you’re an accomplished builder you can move on to scratch building and maybe even building your own pads and equipment. Some people get very elaborate with their equipment and rockets. Name something and it’s probably been done. The sky really is the limit.
Once you’ve done some or most of that you will have a very good understanding of the basics and developed some real skills. You’ll understand functionality, adhesives, techniques, etc. I don’t recommend sinking a lot into any hobby until you’ve gotten your feet wet. Low & mid power is not very expensive averaging $4-$15 per flight after the equipment & rocket expense. You should be able to get a basic pad, kit and make your first flight for $45-$75 depending on what you get. After that the basic cost is just supplies like engines and wadding for more flights.
Hobby Lobby frequently has a 40% off coupon that can save you a ton of money getting started. For your first rocket look for a rocket that comes with a pad and controller.
The Do list: Start cheap until you know if you really want to get serious. Visit the NAR website and take some time looking at everything. It will take a few minutes. You’ll find a page that lists more than 100 club locations nation wide. Follow the Model rocket safety code to the LETTER. Take your time and enjoy things as you go. Use some common sense. Take your time.
Don’t list: Don’t attempt to make your own engines. Don’t get discouraged. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Don’t buy anything off of EBay until you have some experience, you can spend a lot for almost nothing.
List of kits to consider: Any NASA rocket from the Jupiter missile to Saturn V and everything in-between are considered must haves for any serious rocketeer but there are many classic kits from the 60’s & 70’s that are re-released from time to time.
Clubs are great, if there is one near you that is fun to fly with. Like many forums I could name, clubs have good and bad points. They provide better equipment and a place to fly and… insurance if you join NAR. They can also be very political and a pain if the officers are all about themselves. You have to visit one to know.
You will need to check local fire codes once you're ready to fly. They vary from place to place and can carry some heavy fines if you violate the codes. However, finding a place to fly isn't that hard but requires a little research.
As a side bar, rocketry provides several natural segues into photography, video, electronics, astronomy, science and math if you want to also work those subjects into your experience. Personally, having been a math major, I enjoy the math and working with jr. high and high school students through rocketry but you don’t have to understand any of it to enjoy building and flying.
There are many rocketry websites selling everything you’ll ever need. We know most of the online suppliers personally from many years in the hobby and can recommend several great vendors.
Our website is www.vernarockets.com take a few minutes and click through the pages to get a good idea of what can be done and what’s required. The first 3 pages are about the book series but the rest is about rocketry with many photos and build articles. You get an idea of what low & mid power is about.
One last thing; rocketeers love making anything fly and I do mean anything. If you have enough thrust and a little guidance it can fly!
I hope this helps.
