# 2026-09-14 - Model Rocket Nostalgia
       
       I've enjoyed reading nostalgic posts in gopherspace.  For example,
       John Pumford Gree's post Old Radio Magazines Spark Joy [1].
       Speaking of "sparking" joy, i'll write about model rocketry.
       
       As a kid i enjoyed constructing and launching model rockets.  BiMart
       sold Estes kits and parts.  Sadly, i don't remember which specific
       models i bought but i think i used a "Solar Launcher".  It was
       powered by 4 AA batteries.
       
       I'd assemble the rocket at home, which usually involved glue, paint,
       and decals.  After it dried out, then i would plan a launching.  At
       first my parents supervised, and later i launched rockets
       unsupervised with friends.  It had an element of crafts, and an
       element of pyromania.
       
       Today i discovered a collection of Estes Rocketry Catalogs [2].  I
       also found an archive of Model Rocketry magazine [3].  Just for fun,
       i am also including links to the Handbook of Model Rocketry [4], the
       rec.models.rockets FAQ [5], and a paper about the physics [6].
       
       In the same park where i launched rockets, i've seen a young man
       operating a small UAV drone with goggles for a video feed. I suspect
       these are taking over the niche once held by rockets.
       
       It's interesting to compare and contrast.  A UAV with goggles &
       video feed goes for about $600.  Estes' Mini Alpha Starter Set is
       currently on sale for $13.50.  This includes the rocket, launcher,
       4 engines, and 4 starters.
       
       A rocket is brutally minimal in comparison to a UAV's capabilities,
       but taking an active interest could keep it fun.  One could detail
       the rocket, model the physics, estimate the altitude reached, and
       maybe even segue into sliderules [7].
       
       tags: bencollver,technical,nostalgia
       
       # Footnotes
       
 (TXT) [1] Old Radio Magazines Spark Joy by John Pumford Gree
       
 (HTM) [2] Estes Rocketry Catalogs
       
 (HTM) [3] Model Rocketry Magazine
       
 (HTM) [4] Handbook of Model Rocketry
       
 (HTM) [5] rec.models.rockets FAQ (2018)
       
 (HTM) [6] Physics of Slender Finned Vehicles (PDF)
       
 (HTM) [7] Sliderules For Rocketeers (PDF)
       
       # Tags
       
 (DIR) bencollver
 (DIR) nostalgia
 (DIR) technical