[HN Gopher] Estes Rockets Model Scale 1:100 Replica of SpaceX Fa...
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Estes Rockets Model Scale 1:100 Replica of SpaceX Falcon 9
Author : ArtWomb
Score : 59 points
Date : 2023-04-07 21:03 UTC (1 hours ago)
(HTM) web link (estesrockets.com)
(TXT) w3m dump (estesrockets.com)
| dougmwne wrote:
| What are the regulations around flying these? I remember doing it
| as a kid, but I could also walk to the store as a kid and play
| unsupervised with fireworks.
| bombcar wrote:
| You can start here: https://www.nar.org/find-a-local-
| club/section-guidebook/laws... but basically, don't launch into
| the flightpath of an airport.
|
| (Many model rockets don't get above 500 feet, so they never can
| even get into controlled airspace (usually 1200 ft above ground
| level) unless you're launching at an airport, which can be
| totally legal depending on where you are - most places have
| model rocket clubs and you can find where you can launch)
| rationalist wrote:
| > usually 1200 ft above ground level
|
| When it's not 1200, it is 700 ft AGL (above ground level)
| mwcremer wrote:
| If you are in CA, the real challenge is getting a permit from
| the county Fire Marshal. Please do find a local club instead.
| galleywest200 wrote:
| Oh man, my father and I used to shoot model rockets off as a kid.
| I recall losing one on the roof of the local Middle School once
| and I thought it was the coolest ever.
|
| This price is a little steep, in my opinion.
| acomjean wrote:
| I remember lst century learning that the "c" rocket engines
| although the same size go way way higher and watching the
| rocket and parachute drip over the trees never to be found
| again.
|
| That and "Hobby Wick" which ensured takeoff because those
| electric fired ignitors hardly ever worked right..
| mawise wrote:
| 2015~2016 I spent some time with model rocketry, and SpaceX was
| very exciting to me at that time. I scratch-built a model Falcon
| 9 with the primary goal of actually using a cluster of 9
| motors[1]. I had access to a friend's 3d printer for the nose and
| landing legs. I ordered laser-cut parts for the motor mounts and
| other details like the grid-fins. I even printed out custom
| decals and spent some time on the paint job.
|
| The timing worked out that I got to enter it in the local model
| rocketry club's "sport scale" contest, and the judge dinged me
| for having windows--at that time there was no crew dragon that
| had flown. (I still won the contest).
|
| The rocket has only flown once, but I still have it. Eight of the
| nine A10-3T motors lit, and the chute deployed just before
| hitting the ground. It really could use a shorter delay time but
| you don't have many options with motors of that size.
|
| I had ambitions of building a falcon heavy, but I really wanted
| the boosters to fall off and have the central core continue under
| thrust. Then I had kids and haven't had time for rockets, but I
| still have hopes of doing that build--probably with high-power
| motors--at some point in the future.
|
| [1]: https://imgur.com/PBdyEmA
| grecy wrote:
| Woah, that's awesome.
|
| Do you have a video of it flying? I'd love to see that
| mustacheemperor wrote:
| That is so cool. Thank you for sharing.
|
| Model rocketry is maybe the one thing I miss the most after
| moving to California. Between airspace regulations and wildfire
| risk, I don't think it's something I can really do without a
| long drive to the desert. I guess it probably wasn't really
| allowed for us to go do it in fields in rural New England
| either, but that felt different.
| hcurtiss wrote:
| I loved Estes rockets as a kid. I grew up poor in a rural area in
| the late eighties/early nineties, and kids could show up with
| rockets in strangers' fields. You usually knew if you needed
| permission, and it was always freely granted. While I still live
| in a small town (not my hometown), I find the culture has changed
| a lot, and it's much more difficult to find somebody with
| adequate space who will give you permission to light off rockets.
| And that's with parental supervision. In my experience, the days
| of eleven year old boys with rocket kits are largely over. Just
| another sad facet of a changing America. I'm old.
| sgtnoodle wrote:
| I remember getting one a decade ago for like $30. It wasn't as
| detailed, though.
| NotYourLawyer wrote:
| I _just_ got my kids their first model rocket. This might have to
| be their second.
| bombcar wrote:
| > This scale model rocket can lift payloads to LEO and
| geosynchronous orbits, or even to Mars.
|
| Someone needs to do some copy editing hehe, as they seem to be
| confusing the scale model for the real thing.
| graupel wrote:
| I love launching rockets with my 11 year old but it's so hard to
| find a good spot these days where you don't end up with a police
| visit (that happened, worked out fine) or a risk of starting a
| wildfire, etc.
| ortusdux wrote:
| I'm quite tempted to buy three and try and hack together a Heavy.
| mulmen wrote:
| Please do. It would be a great project. Model rocket engines
| can't be throttled so your ignition has to be perfect and your
| engines identical. If you do it please share the results with
| us.
| haliskerbas wrote:
| Check out BPS.space who spent 7(?) years exploring exactly
| this!
| askvictor wrote:
| Could you hold it back on the launch pad for a second to
| ensure all engines are lit up prior to lift off?
| hughw wrote:
| Can it land on a spot though.
| askvictor wrote:
| I remember seeing one such project that had flip-out drone
| rotors for the landing. Not quite the same as rockets, but much
| more achievable.
| intrasight wrote:
| It can land on a spot. Probably not the one you intended.
| ceejayoz wrote:
| This one can: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cgm7QPJAplX/
|
| Full vid: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SH3lR2GLgT0
| gleenn wrote:
| This is awesome. Definitely miss building and launching these as
| a kid. Hope young people are inspired to be builders and have
| interest in space and flight!
| JKCalhoun wrote:
| I found a nice rocketry booklet from Estes from 1964 in an
| antique store in Martinez, CA several years ago. I scanned it
| and uploaded it: https://archive.org/details/model-rocketry-
| booklet/mode/2up
|
| Pretty cool, I think. You can pull down the PDF if you like.
|
| Covers the physics of model rocketry, shows you how to build a
| wind tunnel, talks about recovery, lifting capabilities,
| rocket-powered gliders, multi-staging, clustering, determining
| altitude.... (Stereotype humor on 2nd to last page depicting a
| Chinese man - near Peiping - holding an American model rocket.)
| bombcar wrote:
| I remember having fun with them, but also having less luck than
| I would have liked with building them (though it improved after
| I started letting the glue fully dry before launching).
| Launching without a nosecone after a failed recovery was
| instructional, too.
| m463 wrote:
| I loved estes model rockets as a kid. I remember they had a
| model for "rich folks" that could launch an egg inside. Really
| rich folks could get the one with the 8mm camera.
|
| I was poor and could only launch a few times. My go-to rocket
| was a "park toy rocket" I could fill with water, pump up
| manually, and launch over and over.
| dkresge wrote:
| Oh how I drooled for that Astrocam 110.
| LanceH wrote:
| We eventually opted for dowels and engines. We would cut off
| match heads to make a fuse.
| logicallee wrote:
| This looks great and is at a reasonable price. I tried to buy it
| but it only ships to Guam, Puerto Rico and U.S. whereas I'm
| abroad now. I got as far as the checkout though. Nice homage and
| looks fun to play with.
| ceejayoz wrote:
| Man, they're hosing folks on the price here. Twice the cost of
| their Saturn V; most of the rockets are $20-40. It's a cardboard
| tube with some plastic molding.
| bombcar wrote:
| It's a "collaboration" with SpaceX vs a direct copy of a freely
| available Saturn V.
|
| They know what they're milking - as it is, that thing costs
| more than the Lego Saturn V did at launch, and almost as much
| as you can get it now after-market.
| toomuchtodo wrote:
| It's the Tesquila premium!
|
| https://teslatequila.tesla.com
| ceejayoz wrote:
| You can get a Blue Origin New Shepard for $35.
| https://estesrockets.com/product/007315-blue-origin-new-
| shep...
|
| (Even if it looks like it belongs in a bedside drawer...)
| ortusdux wrote:
| I like the twist-lock engine holder design!
| lordnacho wrote:
| It costs a lot of money to develop a toy rocket that can also
| land itself.
| wmf wrote:
| You mean Full Self Landing (beta)?
| oh_sigh wrote:
| It's no great tragedy to be hosed on the price of something
| that no one has any need to purchase.
|
| Would it be better if the price was $30, they sold out their
| inventory immediately, and then the models were available from
| scalpers on amazon for $149?
| ceejayoz wrote:
| I suspect there are plenty of kids out there who are fans of
| SpaceX who can't afford $149 for $20 worth of parts. It's
| kinda sad that these'll mostly be going to folks who will put
| them on shelves.
|
| If they sell out at $30, do another production run and sell
| more rockets to more people.
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(page generated 2023-04-07 23:00 UTC)