Bill Simon Sky Hook

[Carl@Semroc]

We made 100 special Sky Hook kits for NARAM-52 when we heard that Bill Simon would be there. Bill signed many of them for visitors to our booth on Sunday. Before Bill left, he signed one additional Sky Hook. We cannot determine who to present it to, so we will have a mini contest to find it a home.

Post your best story or reflections about the Sky Hook here. We will come up with some rules and judging criteria as we go.

[LeeR]

Carl,

First, I want to thank you for everything you, Sheryl, and the rest of the crew at Semroc do to offer the model rocketry community so much. It was a pleasure to meet all of you on Sunday at NARAM.

My best Sky Hook story is probably what happened that day in your booth. I saw Sheryl, who was sitting down, and said hello, and then I saw someone standing near me, who I thought was you, so I introduced myself, and said "Nice to meet you , Carl." The gentleman in the hat said " Nice to meet you, too, but I'm not Carl, I'm Bill Simon". :o What a surprise -- and certainly not the response I was expecting. I had actually met Bill years ago when he had given a tour of Estes to a group of 4 of my friends back in 1966, when I was just 13.

Next Sheryl told us that you were giving out commemorative editions of the Sky Hook, with Bill's 60s-era picture on it (since it was his design), and asked if we would like one.

What a great thing to do for many of us that visited. And I am surprised you had one left. I am sure your offer draws some good stories and pictures from this group.

[Doug Sams]

Post your best story or reflections about the Sky Hook here. Here's mine, a story I've told a few times, now copied from another current thread:

My original fleet of 10 or so included the Sky Hook along with a couple of Alphas, a Midget, a Mark, a Bertha, a Scout, a Sprite and a couple Streaks.

Back around 1972, in the spring of 5th grade, my dad gathered up all my birds and prepped them for a demo launch at the school, out at midfield of the high school football stadium. Mrs Brooks 5th grade science class, along with the other two classrooms of 5th graders, came out to see the demonstration.

As I recall, the Sky Hook ended up on the roof of one of the school buildings, 2 stories up. The custodian retrieved it and gave it back to Dad.

At the time, it was one of those things I sorta took for granted, but nearly 40 years laters, I have come to appreciate more and more those little things my dad did for me.

Sometimes I find myself overwhelmed and too busy to do everything my kids ask. But when I reflect back on events like this, it motivates me to reprioritize and find the time to answer those requests so that I can in turn give my kids a few more memories they can someday reflect back on.

...

The Sky Hook's not all that significant in my story, but the question conjures up this memory for me.

Doug

.

[sandman]

I flew my Skyhook SLS with a payload section added on at NARAM 47.

The payload section held a captive grasshopper.

Unfortunately it spit the motor out past the engine hook and lawn darted right behind Vern and Gleda Estes.

They and you, Carl, signed it and it now sits on the shelf in my office. Yes...the grashopper is still inside. :(

It was up for the "Prang Award" but was beat out when Chan Stevens PNC Tomcat crashed into a trailer on the filed.

I never got anything for second place. :mad: So I deserve to win now! ;)

The second picture is it's replacement.

[jadebox]

Post your best story or reflections about the Sky Hook here. We will come up with some rules and judging criteria as we go.

Here's my story ...

In the not-to-distant future, I received a white box in the mail. I noticed the familiar "Semroc" logo on the side of the box. Carrying the box into the house, I asked my wife if we were expecting anything from Semroc. She shook her head and handed me a knife which I used to carefully cut the packing tape and open the box. Inside, nestled in the comforting "ghost poo," I found a Sky Hook model rocket kit. As I removed it from the box, I noticed a signature on the header card. Holding it up to the light, I saw the signature, "Bill Simon."

-- Roger

[sandman]

Here's my story ...

In the not-to-distant future, I received a white box in the mail. I noticed the familiar "Semroc" logo on the side of the box. Carrying the box into the house, I asked my wife if we were expecting anything from Semroc. She shook her head and handed me a knife which I used to carefully cut the packing tape and open the box. Inside, nestled in the comforting "ghost poo," I found a Sky Hook model rocket kit. As I removed it from the box, I noticed a signature on the header card. Holding it up to the light, I saw the signature, "Bill Simon."

-- Roger

Oh...you weren't expecting it!

You must have received mine by mistake! :rolleyes:

[ghrocketman]

The only thing better than an occasional prang is a POWR-PRANG.
Just one more reason to buy/build ANOTHER rocket.
The BEST POWR-PRANGG I ever saw was a 2-stage flight on a friends Cobra 1500 with a booster when I was a freshman in college.
Booster was a 27mm FSI E60-0, upper stage was FSI F7-?.
It boosted fine, but the F7 was not sufficient to keep it going skyward. About 2 sec into the F7 burn it was pointed solidly downward to ol' terra-firma. Pranged UNDER POWER; high-quality rocket destruction at it's FINEST. He was not NEARLY as amused as I was.
Unfortunately I had a C5-3 cato destroy a vintage Mars Lander about 50' into the air. When it let loose my Mars Lander was blasted into about 50 pieces. Sounded like an M-80. Naturally my buddy thought this was hilarious after his prang and to this day I still suspect him of maybe whacking my motor with a hammer to crack the grain prior to that flight; that was a prank we BOTH used to pull on other unsuspecting "friends" at public launches.

[hcmbanjo]

My Sky Hook Prose - Based on a true story

Back in the Spring of 72,
Estes mailed out Model Rocket News.
They announced there’d be a Craftsman Contest,
With merchandise prizes, all won by the best.

I built a Sky Hook as best I could,
My entry featuring stained balsa wood.
With walnut stain brushed on nose cone and fins
I had hoped to place or maybe to win.

I boxed it, mailed it, not again to see,
All entries now property of E. Industries.
For results I’d waited, and waited some more.
When a letter from Penrose arrived at the door.

It announced second place and I was surprised,
To win 25 dollars in rocket supplies.
Never knowing where that Sky Hook would go,
"Till I traveled to NARAM in Orlando.

Dane Bowles was there as an Estes rep.
I asked him where the old entries were kept.
I asked of my Sky Hook, Who could possess?
He said: “It's in Penrose, on Vern Estes desk!”

I don't know if the Sky Hook really ended up on Mr. Estes desk or if Dane Bowles was just trying to give me a great answer.
Still, it's a true story.

Carl's first posting about the Sky Hook reminded me I have a kit upstairs, already started.
I've decided to build and stain it like my 1972 Craftmanship Contest entry with the clear, walnut stained fins and nose cone.
You can follow the build progress on my blog, listed below.

[Ltvscout]

Aw, crap. We have a winner...

:)

[5x7]

Aw, crap. We have a winner...

:)

Until the guy who won First Prize posts!

[stefanj]

I remember that contest. I didn't enter because I knew my work was crappy, but it was fun looking at the instructions for packing the models.

$50 at the time was a fortune!

[hcmbanjo]

Here's how my Sky Hook looked when sent to the Estes Craftsmanship Contest back in 1972.

What I thought was a great paint scheme then is different from what I would do now.
Still a fun build, it really took me back.

The whole build thread is on my blog at:
www.modelrocketbuilding.blogspot.com

[hcmbanjo]

I received a surprise package from Semroc today.

To see the pictures, stop by my blog:
http://modelrocketbuilding.blogspot.com/

To Carl and family -
A BIG THANK YOU!

[sandman]

Here's how my Sky Hook looked when sent to the Estes Craftsmanship Contest back in 1972.

What I thought was a great paint scheme then is different from what I would do now.
Still a fun build, it really took me back.

The whole build thread is on my blog at:
www.modelrocketbuilding.blogspot.com

OH, now that looks very sweet! :D

I love the varnished wood!

Very classy looking!

You should have won!

[SEL]

Huh.... I missed this post first time around. My only story is that the Sky Hook was in my first order from Estes, along w/ a Scout, some dope, a couple tubes of motors and a free Gyroc. The scout burned on the pad when some 'big kids' (maybe 14 years old) came along and volunteered to help me get it to launch with matches :eek: . The Gyroc eneded up landing in a tree, and I really don't remember wht happened to the Skyhook other than I did launch it a few times. Was always one of my favorites. Years later, I heard of this company called SEMROC that was selling a Skyhook clone. I sent off an email inquireing about it and the proprietor sent back asking my address. A few days later, guess what showed up in the mail at no charge? If I didn't thank you then Carl, I'm thanking you now!

S.

We made 100 special Sky Hook kits for NARAM-52 when we heard that Bill Simon would be there. Bill signed many of them for visitors to our booth on Sunday. Before Bill left, he signed one additional Sky Hook. We cannot determine who to present it to, so we will have a mini contest to find it a home.

Post your best story or reflections about the Sky Hook here. We will come up with some rules and judging criteria as we go.

[Ltvscout]

I received a surprise package from Semroc today.

To see the pictures, stop by my blog:
http://modelrocketbuilding.blogspot.com/

To Carl and family -
A BIG THANK YOU!
I called it! :D