Comrades:

My nephew and his troop worked on their Space Exploration merit badge together. Today was launch day and the boys needed two successful flights to qualify. We used a different field from our usual park launch. This field usually has either cotton or corn, but today it was a magnificent rocket-launching area. Not a single failure of the Estes "starters". Only a few pictures.

Picture 1 is the view to the northeast showing my nephew's general purpose scouting rocket he build as a Cub Scout. After being used for 50+ science fair launches, glider launching and just-for-fun launching, it is well-used and reliable.

Picture 2 is the launch view to the southeast

Picture 3 is my Empire Nike-Ajax. We had some pad tip in the soft earth but it got off alright on a D12-3. Some recovery damage, but I'm already working on it.

Picture 4 is my nephew's BMS/Alway Arcas that also flew twice. A3-4T with recovery within 30 feet of the pad.

We also launched my rescue Alpha and TLP Hellfire. Both flew well. The other scouts flew various mostly pre-assembled rockets. While I understand, a part of me wishes they had built them old-school, cutting and gluing on balsa fins and painting them.

We had fun.

Attached Thumbnails

       

__________________
NAR 79743
NARTrek Silver
I miss being SAM 062

Awaiting First Launch: Too numerous to count
Finishing: Zooch Saturn V; Alway/Nau BioArcas; Estes Expedition; TLP Standard
Repair/Rescue: Cherokee-D (2); Centuri Nike-Smoke; MX-774
On the Bench: 2650;
Dream Stage: 1/39.37 R-7

The last three times I did the Space Ex MB for Troop 464, I had them build the Alpha. Let me tell you that the attention spans and fine motor controls in the fingers of kids today and the last 10 years are abysmal. The only ones who did well are those whose fathers made them help with work around the house/farm that required attention to detail and tool use. Otherwise they are dangerous with an exacto knife AND glue. I had to give up using CA glue to attach the fins. Dang near all of them would squeeze out half a tube on the fin root and end up attaching it to their fingers.

The lack of fine motor skills I attribute to not being taught cursive writing. The home school/private/parochial school kids still were taught it, but the Illinoisy public schools abandoned it for almost 10 years starting in 2004 or so.

Joe, I totally agree with you about the fine motor skills of the kids but I gotta tell you some of the dads I've worked with in scouting are not a whole lot better. No tool skills. Really no underlying mechanical skills of any kind. There's no chance they could teach their kids if they have no frame of reference. I wouldn't give some of these dads an E-Xacto knife much less their kids. And don't get me started on following instructions. . . .

__________________
NAR 79743
NARTrek Silver
I miss being SAM 062

Awaiting First Launch: Too numerous to count
Finishing: Zooch Saturn V; Alway/Nau BioArcas; Estes Expedition; TLP Standard
Repair/Rescue: Cherokee-D (2); Centuri Nike-Smoke; MX-774
On the Bench: 2650;
Dream Stage: 1/39.37 R-7

Those kids' dads are the Nintendo generation. They passed that "skill set" to their kids who carry it on with Playstations and X-Boxes.

__________________
I love sanding.

That's a nice looking field. Nice looking beyond the field, too.

__________________
Bill Eichelberger
NAR 79563

http://wallyum.blogspot.com/

I miss being SAM 0058

Build floor: Estes - Low Boom SST Semroc - Marauder, Shrike, SST Shuttle

In paint: Canaroc - Starfighter Scorpion Centuri - Mini Dactyl Estes - F-22 Air Superiority Fighter, Multi-Roc, Solar Sailer II, Xarconian Cruiser Semroc - Cyber III

Ready to fly: Estes - Solar Sailer II Semroc - Earmark

Amen, brother! Not a very typical sight (or ‘site’) east of the Mississippi!

Earl

__________________
Earl L. Cagle, Jr.
NAR# 29523
TRA# 962
SAM# 73
Owner/Producer
Point 39 Productions

Rocket-Brained Since 1970