| | [Not displaying correctly? View web version.] | Peak-of-Flight Newsletter #573: | |
Over 60+ year history of model rocketry, there have been a wide variety of ways to install a shock cord into the vehicle. In this article by Curtis Lee, we'll take a look a some of the most common ways the shock cord is anchored (attached) to the body of the rocket. You'll get a listing of both the advantages and disadvantages of each method, so you can decide for yourself which method will be the most convenient for you. | | 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! | Estes Baby Bertha | |
The Estes Baby Bertha is a half-pint version of one of Estes' most popular rockets, the Big Bertha. The short and stout Baby Bertha stands just 13 inches making it an ideal beginner level, building experience. If you've been in rocketry for a while, you'll find that the size and shape will take your mind back to the old Estes Gooney Bird rockets. It is a bit of nostalgia for a modern rocket. |
| Estes Vesta Intruder | |
The Estes Vesta Intruder rocket is more than two feet in length. It is large and intimidating. Claw-like fins, buldging mid-body strakes, and an immense bolow molded nose cone come together to make one truly alien-looking rocket. This Skill Level 3 kit will test your modeling skills, but the results are worth it, especially when you watch it lift-off under the power of those mid-power 24mm diameter rocket motors. On the web page, you can test fly this rocket in the Launch Visualizer to see how it looks and flies from your launch site. Check it out now! |
| Estes Vapor | |
This Estes Vapor flies like a hypersonic missile. It is screaming fast thanks to its low weight and versatility in using a variety of rocket engines. If you like a speedy rocket that vaporizes into thin air when launched, you'll love this rocket. But don't blink when they push the launch button that sends the rocket skyward - or you may only see the smoke trail that was left behind. Make sure you have a whole bunch of friends with you to help you spot the rocket in the sky, or you may never see the rocket again. Get one today, as they are vaporizing off our shelves too. |
| Make Carbon Fiber Tubes | |
Here is an extensive and detailed video course on how to make Ultra-Lightweight Carbon-Fiber Rocket Tubes. They're so light, they give you an unfair advantage in competition. These are the ones that my daughters, Allison and Ashley used in Romania last September at the 2021 World SpaceModeling Championships. Allison was part of the senior Silver Medal winning USA team, and Ashley took home the Bronze Medal in the Jr. Division. The girls were taught how to make their own tubes, so if they can do it, so can you. The training course consists of 5 hours and 42 minutes of video instruction, covering everything I know about how to make a successful tube with a glass-finish using a 2-piece mold. It even includes all the secret techniques and materials, and where to buy them, including where to get the 2-part mold. This course is on the Udemy website, not at Apogee Components. |
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TARC Launch The American Rocketry Challenge (TARC) contest finals are this weekend in Virginia. For this issue's Launch of the Week, I thought I'd try my own luck at the mission of reaching the target altitude of 835 feet and a overall duration between 42-to-45 seconds with two eggs on board. The rocket used is the Apogee EggStorminator that was extended a little bit to accomodate the additional egg. It took about 8 sims to dial-in on the objective, but I had fun doing it. What I don't like about the flight? It took some angling to get the altitude down to the target, and that meant the rocket weathercocked more than I like. It also put the trajectory over the spectator area. So how would you correct these issues? | |
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“Apogee Components is without a doubt the fastest at getting your online order(s) processed and out the door! The most friendly staff and service in the business. Second to none!” -- Michael Duck | |
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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'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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