89AKurt

Thank you. I was a kid when doing bureaucratic red tape didn't give me PTSD. Reminded me of launches I forgot all about. That holder was designed around the drafting light mount that I saved, black steel rods saved from mom's estate. Taking Slo-mo video is the best way to take screenshots, but uses up camera storage in no time flat. Never have attended a sanctioned launch. Since I seem to have lost interest with competing in model contests, a new chapter may open for me. Finished that LSR, but I sure blew it with the chrome. It's not AK Interactive's fault, my first coats were too much paint that coagulated bad, and there was no saving it, and I'm not going to sand all that again. The complex design also invited screwing it up with sanding and finishing, couldn't see things until it got painted. I was so bummed, that this is what I wanted to show, will look okay from launch control and then at speed. I'm planning to drive to Kingman soon, there is a dry lake bed that a rocket club uses, I just want to check it out and launch the 3 last builds, since I better not here because of drought. My goal is to set up a forced perspective glamor shot. Then I will attend an official launch to send the ones I was always afraid of losing.

Writing Haiku subscriptions

I figured out everything was still in the que, but I chopped in half and was successful.

I found out there is a limit on pictures for one post. 🤬 So this is continued..... I love eBay, got a new Interceptor nose cone and revived a favorite. I have parked my OCD about getting a perfect (and never attained) finish, but from launch control it looks great. While I was at it, upgraded with missiles too, did add the cannon barrels. Here is another one I missed out on when I was young. I was born about a month after Alan Shepard launched into space. *Had to* "weather" it. Managed to recover in one piece! Did my first dusk launch. Which inspired another design of mine called Twilight. One light is a modified fishing bob, the other is a bicycle valve cap, the third nosecone option is for the altimeter. I have hundreds of pictures now, but will stop here today with the current project, which I was hoping to start a new OT with. First drew a design Feb. 1983 based on 'The Blue Flame', since I still have the drafting board set up, drew the new design first. I have painted two colors so far, have a bunch of masking to do now. I'm not happy with the sanding/sealing job, but I know myself that when I futz with anything it gets worse, just finish it and send it. My goal this summer is to build the Semroc Mars Lander (cottage industry reproduction of the classic Estes kit), then go camping in southern Utah and find a Martian landscape to take some glamor pictures. I'm also looking forward to attending a launch to see how advanced the hobby has become, those guys use GPS and other technology to track their birds. I'm also pleased to see others on this forum are into rockets. Now everyone who sees this post, knows why I haven't been active since GSL.

Thank you for starting this OT dedicated to my current obsession! 😁 And thank you Russell for the tag! What inspired me to reignite my passion, was seeing the Estes Model Rockets group on Fakebook, and so many from my generation who have done the same. I didn't do anything for decades, didn't even have most on display, the way I got rebooted was to fix what was broke (always the shock cord), and update accordingly. Start off with my display cabinet, not much real estate on top. Made a display mount for the Big 3 of my designs, made as a teen. Still had the cardboard range box, which has been upgraded to an ABS box found at the local swap meet, a guy has all kinds of boxes. Got another box just because it was yellow, so all the motors aren't scattered around. When I was a teen, built the Saturn 1B but never launched it, and never will. I also built the Comanche3 and the F.S.I. Dart which supposed to break the sound barrier, never launched too, but I may join my first organized launch in Kingman on a dry lake bed to send those. Here is the Space Shuttle, launched a few times and didn't imitate the Columbia demise, so it's a museum display. Here is my pool table, that I haven't played on for over a year. I also haven't been on the mountain bike (in the background). Got the helmet so I don't have to borrow one doing RallyCross. Got the borescope at an auction. I know it looks like a boy cave, don't have a wife whining about my hobby. I counted launches on the data sheets, about 250 times! The record is 22 launches for one rocket (destroyed the last time). I had only ONE unbuilt kit, forgot about it until I was going through the box in the storage attic. Had just the fins started, so that made it uncollectible to be sold for HUGE $ on eBay. 😆 Done! And then I ruined being able to say I finished my stash*, by buying a bunch of kits that I never could afford as a kid, now I'm self-retired and debt-free, screw it I'm getting what I want! (this is not all of them either!) *Can anyone tell I don't mean it? 😏 Here is an example of my updated recovery system. Using sewing elastic from Hobby Lobby instead of the rubber shock cord (they can't make rubber that lasts anymore). I bend a wire into a loop, which is glued inside the mount, each end of the cord has fishing line snaps (now my favorite section at Sportsman's), so now I don't need to rip out the old mount to replace the cord. Whoops, this one is with the balsa cone and eyelet, the plastic cones get a snap on that end. Here is the Maxi V-2 built as a kid, updated with more fishing line swivels, successful launch. Built this just for the Estes altimeter, had the payload section from a rocket lost last century. Odyssey has always been a good flier, despite the questionable aerodynamics of the nosecone. I built this around the can, no fins to speak of, ended up destroying it because of too long a delay. I will build a better version. Thanks to the digital photo revolution, I could try a different angle for a launch. ...

I'm impressed!

went on strike

docudrama series season

I just wasted two hours on a post for the new model rocket thread, and was shown an error, GONE! Sometimes I hate Technology so much..... 🤬

like a Dwarf

Very cool! IMHO all rally cars should be weathered to some degree, well done. A similar car that I built: Heller: Renault 5 Turbo rally

underwater without any

American fries now!

A gentleman who builds real cars (current project is Speed Racer) and restores exotics, makes resin models, name Jim Simpson. He is a Fakebook contact of mine. Think he did a Saita so I will try to remember to double check. I'm blown away by Anton's post above, amazing what 3D printing is doing for our hobby.

Since I'm using rockets to pull myself out a bad slump (have not done anything since the last GSL), and paint goes bad sitting around, I'm digging Alcad paint. John Terresi is a master with it, it's always a hit & miss on getting a decent result. I also found a nail "polish" that is supposed to be chrome, but looks like aluminum when airbrushed, but it's about 100 times more durable.

Wish y'all would quit hoarding the snow! 😜 There is a weather pattern sending all moisture north of Aridzona, been way over 60 days since we got measurable precipitation, and nothing but teases forecast.

shoved up a

Is it true the Titanic sub was being run by a game controller? The reset button malfunctioned, I think. 😏

I ditched my cable in 2008, and used the TV for target practice. I went through the barfly/poolshark stage several years ago, never got better than average Joe let's take you money at the tournament. I have an 8' pool table that hasn't been played on....... gosh..... when was that?

with good aim

Very cool project for a friend! Looking good.

Lucky! It's been over 60 days since AZ got precipitation.

when I contribute

One of my daughters is a video game addict. Since she got out of the Navy last year, all she has done is play video games, zero ambition to improve her life much less take advantage of the military funding education to become marketable for employment. So I have to ask, how many of you used just your video game ninja skills as a resume to get a job that pays more than Minimum Wage? The only time I played a video game, kids gave me Need For Speed, I managed to open the last level, "won" that. That was on a desktop using the up/down/sideways keys. Then I thought "that's it? What do I have to show for it?"

I should join a model rocket forum, because I'm possessed/obsessed about them now. The only unbuilt kit I had, started on the fins then put away 45 years ago. You would think I would rest on my laurels for finishing it, but no........ I'm getting kits I missed out on last century, the last one is the Mars Lander by Semroc not in the picture. I did get a car model when I went to Phoenix to get motors. Last one completed, intended for twilight launches. Someone gave me a rocket of the Battlestar Galactia fighter built really bad and water damaged, but the nose cone was repurposed. See any automotive influence?