SOUTHERN COLORADO ROCKETEERS

At the last meeting, the members scheduled our first NAR sanctioned launch. We have chosen the date of August 16, 2003 for the launch, hoping the added attraction of the Colorado State Fair will be something else participants can attend when they are in the area. The time of the launch will be at 9:00 A.M. with events to be held at Pueblo Motor Sports Park just off H. W. SO West. This will be at our usual launch site.

Events chosen include: A streamer duration, C egg lofting, B boost glider, and C helicopter. It has been recommended we try duration events first, since these are the easiest to conduct. Basically all we need is a stopwatch and some sharp-eyed trackers.

The SCORE vice president learned that in order to register the contest we have to have a name. Any ideas will be welcomed if the president has not already chosen one to speed up the online sanctioning process to get things moving.

The vice president of SCORE has a copy of the Contest Directors Guide which outlines how these contests are to be conducted. The position of contest director will be our fearless leader Jason Unwin, and other essential positions need to be filled.

Here are the required positions for any launch: Contest Director, Range Safety Officer, Launch Control Officer, Timers /Trackers, Judges, Data/ Results Coordinator. A detailed list of duties for each position will be provided at the next scheduled meeting. The handbook shows there can be crossing over of some of these duties, so we do not have to have a separate person fill each and every position. For example, a contest director may also serve as the range safety officer, as well as being on the contest jury. According to the handbook three people can staff small to moderate sized launches. See you at the next meeting for more.

ST. LOUIS ARCH IS HIGH POINT OF LAUNCH

For those of you who have not been a NAR member for very long, about a year ago Sport Rocketry, the magazine of our national organization, featured an article about a club launch which included a "St. Louis Arch". You probably have seen the giant steel arch in St. Louis Missouri, at least in photographs, and know it is a huge spectacular site which stands out in the city skyline. What one rocket club did was to duplicate this arch effect by attaching a long role of crepe paper streamer to a model rocket, launching it, and watching as the rocket's path in the sky created an a curving shape like an arch. Our section president in particular has always been intrigued by this effect, and decided to try to duplicate it at our last launch, January 18, 2003.

The first attempt at making the arch did not go as planned. An Estes Generic E2X, armed with a B 6 4 took ofd too fast for the tape holding the streamer to keep the streamer roll attached to the rocket. The streamer roll did not unwind as expected, came loose, and fell to the ground.

Undaunted, and seeking a rocket with a slower liftoff', a second attempt was made with an Estes Big Bertha, that stalwart first lady of model rocketry we all know and love. Even she could not make it happen.

In steps Bill Moore, our member at large, with a rocket he designed, called the Ogre. The Ogre is a local legend, and will go down in our section archives as the tallest, meanest, ugliest rocket ever to fly. Picture an Estes Mean Machine, then multiply its length times two, paint it with a spiral paint job of two shades of slimy green, then top it all off with a wooden nose cone painted with a leering set of shark teeth, and you can imagine what it looks like. It's something you would not want to meet. in a dark alley, nor even in a shady corner of the troposphere.

Ogre roared into the sky on an Estes E 9 with the roll of streamer steadily unwinding , and arching over gracefully. Unforgettable!!!!

YOUNG BUILDERS COMPETE FOR DURATION

been an ongoing tradition at our monthly launches to set up a make it take it program for young people to build a rocket, take it to the launch area, and launch it. Special thanks is given to Estes and Guest for helping to make this possible.

In the year 2001 alone 299 people participated in building rockets and then launching them at the monthly launches. We thank the Pueblo Weisbrod Aircraft Museum for providing us with an educational, spacious, and fun place for conducting these activities. There is always something interesting to see, so if some people finish their rockets sooner than others, no one ever gets bored.

For the January Launch, ten people participated in the make it take it, building the Estes Maniac Rocket, and competing to see whose rockets could stay in the sky the longest on B size engines. Ribbons were awarded. First place went to young Bjorn with a duration of 28.23 seconds, second to Ryan 27.71 seconds, third to Tyler, with 27.1 seconds.

ROCKET MEMORIES OF HOW IT ALL STARTED

From time to time members of our section like to talk about how we started the hobby of model rocketry, and what we remember about the early days. Many of us started building rockets years ago, gave up the hobby for awhile, and then became what has been termed "born again rocketeers." Although we know the future of our hobby resides in the minds of the young people who come to our launches and who build those rockets, there is still room to remember some of the past in this newsletter.

High Power Rocketry Magazine recently printed a biographical article about the president of the national organization we are affiliated with, Mark Bundick. Mr. Bundick recalled his first. rocket was an Estes Streak, which was a rocket similar to the Mosquito we see today, but used standard engines. His father was a director at Wallops Island, a famous rocket test range. Tell us your rocket memories.

SCALE BASHING, USING KITS TO BUILD SCALE

Most of our section members are familiar with the book by Peter Alway, available at the N.A.R. website called Scalebash. What this book describes is how to use existing model rocket kits to build scale models of real rockets. This makes it possible to build and launch rocket models which are interesting, but for one reason or another no one has decided to produce them or they have gone out of production. some history and background, along with scale data and plans to add to the experience. We will try to use available rockets without having to make or order extra parts. The editor says "we" because it is hoped other people out there will make a contribution.

The rocket featured this month is the Patriot. Estes built large scale and mini versions of this rocket over the years. This rocket was the star of the Gulf War and many people remember CNN news broadcasts depicting this Kuwait dual between the Scud manufactured and originally designed in Russia, versus the Patriot. The Patriot is an evolutionary advance over the Hawk missile, which had a similar function, but depended more on bigger wing like dins to help it glide to its target.

If you are local and want to see a Hawk missile, one was recently restored and placed on display at our affiliate, the Weisbrod Aircraft Museum at the airport, Pueblo, Colorado.  Be sure to check it out if you can.

The kit selected was the Estes Viking.   It is low priced, still available, and makes for an easy conversion.

VIKING PATRIOT CONVERSION

1. Step 1: Do not glue insert into nosecone until the end. You have to add clay for stability.

2. Use 4 Fin Guide, not the other configurations.

3. Before marking tube, shorten it to a length of 6.5". (Step 3 of instructions)

4. Use full size fin pattern below to modify fin in kit.

5. Rest of instructions, no change.

6. Add enough clay to nose for stability. Seal clay in with epoxy. Glue insert.

PATRIOT MISSILE DATA
MIM 104 PATRIOT

Type: single stage, low to high altitude missile system. Manufacturer: Raytheon. Weight: 1,984 lb. (900 kg.) Dimensions: length 17.0 ft. (5.2 m.); diameter 16 in. (41 cm.). Powerplant: single stage solid propellant rocket motor. Performance: maximum speed Mach 5; range 43. 5 99 miles (70 160 km.); minimum range 1.9 miles (3 km.)

Maximum altitude 75,500 ft. (23,000 m.); time of flight 9 210 seconds. Warhead: high energy blast with proximity fuse; 200 lb. (91 kg.). Guidance: command guidance with track via missile and semi active homing. Platform: four round mobile trainable semi trailer. The scale of the scale bash conversion is approximately 1/25.