#craftsmanship events

[contestrockets]

Finishing A Concept Scale Model

I literally did most of the building on this model 5 years ago. Then I got deterred because I couldn't decide how to do the clear plastic fins and I wasn't sure I'd done a good job on the stringers. Anyway, decided the second part didn't matter and I'd just do the fins. I bought plastic fin material from the clearance bin at TAP Plastics, along with the necessary glue. If it looks funny, I left most of the protective plastic covering on, I'll pull it off right before I turn it in for judging. I went for 6 fins. With plenty of noseweight (put in 5 years ago), it should fly straight. 

I modeled it on the drawing of the Nova in the Spaceship Handbook (pictured). Some more information here: http://www.astronautix.com/lvs/nova.htm

[contestrockets]

Recycling

Sometimes you just have no excuse, but you haven't built a new model for an event in years. This model is about 15.5 years old. It is a MX-774 and is ready to fly in Sport Scale this weekend http://rgc.name/prcb/meets-current.html#6

[contestrockets]

N-1 For the Moon and Mars: The Soviet Superbooster

The entire history of the N-1, from its origins for missions to Mars & Venus, to the abrupt change to “beat the Americans to the moon!"

Want to get a book about one of the best Scale subjects out there? If you've got the money, you can also grab out-of-print copies of some of ARA Press's other books on Concept Scale subjects. Help out this kickstarter from a fellow contest rocketeer!

[contestrockets]

SpaceX kit seen in the wild

As indicated in this previous post, the SpaceX Falcon 9 and Dragon rocket kit has started shipping and I saw one in the wild. I didn't get a chance to examine it up close but it looked very nice and flew quite well. I managed to get a liftoff photo of someone's kit at the new year's eve DART launch. They didn't enter it in the contest, but it was still a cool rocket.