Have a Blast Friday, October 1, 1993 9:13:58 PM Homeschool IdeaExchange Item From: Jason(Ripp) Rippetoe Subject: Have a Blast… To: Homeschool IdeaExchange

Cc:

…with model rocketry!

Just last night I was musing about my long-ago youth and suddenly model rockets came to mind. As a young teenager, my brothers and I went through a phase in which we constructed and launched model rockets in a park near our home. When I got to thinking about the subject, it brought to mind a host of educational possibilities.

First, for those of you who’ve never read the ads in the back of an issue of Boy’s Life, I’m going to tell you what model rocketry is. As the name implies, model rocketry involves scale models of rockets that can be launched using disposable one-use engines. The rockets are made of light-weight materials like cardboard, balsa wood, and plastic and after launch either glide back to earth using wings or drift down on a parachute, so they can be used over and over again.

The engines used in these rockets differ from the liquid fueled rocket engines used to lift satellites or the space shuttle into orbit. Instead, the fuel is solid and more stable than liquid fuels, which mades model rockets much safer to use. In other words, though safety precautions must be followed when using any flammable substance, your model rocket isn’t going to explode into a huge fireball like you see happen occasionally on the evening news. When properly supervised, model rocketry is a safe hobby for children as young as eight or so (though yours may be able to handle it even earlier.)

Most model rockets come in kit form. All you need is some glue and a little patience to get started. The model rocket manufacturers classify their kits according to difficulty level, with level 1 being the easiest to construct and level 5 requiring an expert touch. After construction, models can be painted and otherwise decorated for that custom look. Finished models can be as small as five or six inches high to a whopping four feet or more! Engines come in various powers for use according to rocket size. Some rockets have cute “trendy” features such as the ability to carry a child’s “action figure” up and then eject it to drift down using a parachute. Others have clear plastic compartments in which to place hapless bugs, breakaway gliders, or little doohickys for entertainment value.

A proper launching set-up is required for getting your rockets off the ground and you can buy a basic ready-made one for about $25.00. You can make one yourself for alot less. All you really need is a couple of long lengths of wire with alligator clips at both ends, a 6-volt lantern battery, and a length of rigid… well, I’m not sure what you’d call it. Sort of like a coat hanger wire but not so easily bent. Call it a thin metal rod. Pick one up at your local hardware store. The whatever-it-is is attached to a sturdy piece of wood with a flattened tin can nailed on top to be used as a launch platform. I suggest you drop by your local hobby center to see what the manufactured set-ups look like, then use your creativity at home to build your own. Look for books on model rocketry at your library.

Areas for instruction? Well, there’s the construction- motor skills, following directions, creativity in the decoration. Launching- again, following instructions (for safety), physics (a discussion of inertia, thrust, action/reaction, etc.,) chemical changes (from solid into gas, and the associated release of energy,) basic electronics (an electric current ignites the engine.) Flight- gravity, friction, air resistance, rocket manufacturers sell devices which can be used to gauge altitude, trajectory, and apogee of your rocket’s fight. It would be better if your kids made their own out of cardboard. You can get into higher mathematics easily with this sort of information.

Be creative when you use rockets. What happens when you put a larger engine in a small rocket? Is there a great difference in flight pattern based on the angle of launch? How does wind affect flight? What happens when the fins on the rocket are pitched slightly? How does the weight of a payload affect engine performance?

Another interesting aspect of model rocketry is aerial photography. A special nosecone with a camera can be purchased so that after your rocket reaches the apex of its flight, it will take a picture of the earth as it heads back down. It can be interesting to see what things look like from way up in the air, and could lead into a discussion of aerial mapping.

Come to think of it, rockets could be part of a unit study on the galaxy or the solar system. Or rockets could lead into other areas of study as a unit study on it’s own merit. Any creative parent could expand on this theme to great ends.

But bottom line… even if you don’t get into model rocketry on a big scale, there’s a certain thrill at seeing a rocket built with your own hands lift-off and rise into the sky. That alone is enough to get me to encourage you to give it a try.

Postscript: I tried to find the addresses of the two major rocketry companies, but had no luck. Even having someone check a few back issues of Boy’s Life came up empty. So, try to find a local hobby shop that carries rocketry items. Often they sell supplier’s catalogs. One of the big companies is ESTES, and when I was a kid, they gave good service. Other than that, you’re on your own.