[Not displaying correctly? View web version.] | Peak-of-Flight Newsletter #533: | Since the dawn of our hobby, many of us have dreamed of becoming the first amateur hobbyist to escape the confines of our planet. The goal is an admirable one, but is it even possible? What would it take? In this issue, we'll discuss the some of the limiting variables: the dominance of the rocket equation, the material strength and weight required, the minimum amount of funding needed, and what a potential success could look like. Special Notice: To perform some required server changes, ApogeeRockets.com will be down on Thursday, October 29th. This outage will last a minimum of several hours, but could last the entire day. Follow us on Facebook for up-to-date notifications. Orders placed by phone on October 29th (during the shutdown) could be delayed, but will ship out by October 30th at the latest. Thank you in advanced for your patience and understanding. | Read the rest of this week's article, either on a downloadable PDF for printing out, or on our website (great for viewing on your phone)! Previous issues of our newsletter are found at our archive page. |
Check out the latest products to hit Apogee's shelves! The Apogee X-15 | In the 1960's, the X-15 was a game changer, shattering records and opening up a whole new understanding of hypersonic travel and rocketry applications. We've tried to replicate some of the greatness that the X-15 represents in this scale model. In this kit you will find high quality components, vacuum-formed fairings and canopy pieces, laser cut balsa fins, wedge-shaped vertical tail pieces, incredibly detailed instructions, pristine water-slide decals, an ejection baffle to help protect the parachute from heat damage, and a display stand to show off your completed rocket. Note: The rocket went on sale at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Oct 27. We sold out of the first batch in less than an hour. We made far more rockets than we normally make on a first run of kits, and we did not anticipate the extra demand. We're making more already! Give us another day or two to replenish. |
The Amarok | The Amarok, a mid-power size rocket was inspired by “The Amarok,” which is a mythological wolf in Inuit culture. It is lightning quick and ready to rip the sky apart. Powered by 29mm diameter motors, this rocket is easy to build, and makes a great first mid-power rocket for those that want something a little bigger and more impressive. It utilizes laser-cut basswood fins, through-the-wall fin tabs, a blow-molded plastic nose cone and several vinyl decals. It also includes an ejection baffle to eliminate the need for wadding. You'll love this ferocious looking rocket that is durable and stands out on the launch field. |
The FlameThrower | IT'S BACK! The DynaStar FlameThrower rocket is inspired by a rifle bullet - and it's about that fast too; it uses a two-engine cluster to accelerate it skyward. With two motors, it produces twice the amount of flame, twice the amount of smoke and twice the thunderous noise compared to a regular single-engine rocket. The kit features a blow-molded plastic transition, nose cone, and laser-cut basswood fins. Catch a glimpse of this speedy rocket now. |
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Mach I - Messier 76 | The Messier is a high-power capable rocket made from fiberglass components. It features a 3-inch diameter fiberglass nose cone with an aluminum tip. The simple 3FNC design becomes a classic choice when you are using all fiberglass components and at a scale such as this. It will definitely get attention on the launch field. This rocket is a nice choice for those people that are looking for a rocket that can be used to achieve a Level 2 high-power certifications. |
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Mini-Windlance Glider | The Mini-Windlance is a competition style 13mm boost-glider rocket made for 1/2A through A-size engines. It's a simple design, intended to fly great and can be assembled quickly. At ejection, the pop-pod, which carries the engine, falls away from the glider to lessen the weight so the glider hangs in the air longer. This is a great entry level boost-glider type rocket. |
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| I highly recommend Apogee for all your rocketry needs. Not only do they have great product selection but the amount of information available through their videos has taught me so much. Every order I have placed in the evening has been filled and shipped the next day and received within a few days. Apogee has made getting back into rocketry easy. I have gone from building small rockets to preparing to get my Level 1 and 2 certifications. Their kits are great. I have built the Flame Thrower, Quad Runner, Zephyr and Omega from them. All great kits. I have also built several small rockets from the plans they make available. The rewards program is outstanding. With their reward credits and cash back on my card its a double win. Its hard for me to look for my rocketry needs anywhere else as they have earned my customer loyalty. Louis Santoni Goldendale, WA, United States | |
We're looking for someone to write a definitive guide to selecting igniters, controllers and batteries for rockets. We'd love to have a newsletter article on that topic, because we get lots of inquiries about it. Is that you? Do you know how many e-matches can be set off in a cluster by a 3.7v 400 mAh battery? See our Newsletter Guidelines on how to submit an article on this topic and get paid up to $350 for your time. | |
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I need help with generating the bi-weekly newsletter articles since it takes a lot of effort to put them together. And I'm willing to pay big bucks for your help. So ask yourself, are you looking to earn some extra money? I'm now actively seeking writers for articles to appear in this newsletter. And I want unique and cutting-edge articles because that is what you want to read, right? I realize this, so to get articles from outside writers that have the same level of quality, I'm going to have to pay a lot of cash to make it worth it for them. So I've come up with a compensation package where I'll pay up to $350 for good how-to articles. Are you a writer, and does that interest you? That is a lot of cash! Far more than you'll get by writing for other magazines. And with over 23,000 worldwide subscribers, if you write for the Peak-of-Flight Newsletter, you'll gain a lot of notoriety. Writing for the Peak-of-Flight Newsletter is a great way to show off your rocketry projects and your technical expertise, at the same time as helping out other rocketeers. Imagine how great you'll feel knowing that you made a difference to the hobby. If you're interested in writing, see the guidelines on our site. | |
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