swierczekml
04-17-2011, 10:08 PM
Hi All,
My first rocket back in 1972 was an Estes Avenger, and I flew it many times over the decades. It's spent time on a few roofs and in a few trees, but I always managed to get it back, and, amazingly, I still have it. Needless to say, it's now retired and, though rough-looking (I painted it with a brush!) after nearly 40 years, it now occupies a place of honor on my rocket shelf.
I've always loved the classic lines of the Avenger, so a few years back I decided to build a clone exactly in the style of the catalog where I first saw it (no brush paint this time!). I wasn't planning to ever fly it, but my son convinced me to take it to MDRA's Red Glare X launch last weekend, where I flew it with the same B6-0 to B6-4 combination (Estes was out of B6-6's at the time) that I first flew my original on back in '72.
The flight was perfect (unlike the original which landed on a roof!), and Chris at Rocketry Live got a great picture of it staging. Check it out here:
http://tinyurl.com/42qaa7n
Needless to say, the photo was a great conclusion to a great flight!
-MarkS.
My first rocket back in 1972 was an Estes Avenger, and I flew it many times over the decades. It's spent time on a few roofs and in a few trees, but I always managed to get it back, and, amazingly, I still have it. Needless to say, it's now retired and, though rough-looking (I painted it with a brush!) after nearly 40 years, it now occupies a place of honor on my rocket shelf.
I've always loved the classic lines of the Avenger, so a few years back I decided to build a clone exactly in the style of the catalog where I first saw it (no brush paint this time!). I wasn't planning to ever fly it, but my son convinced me to take it to MDRA's Red Glare X launch last weekend, where I flew it with the same B6-0 to B6-4 combination (Estes was out of B6-6's at the time) that I first flew my original on back in '72.
The flight was perfect (unlike the original which landed on a roof!), and Chris at Rocketry Live got a great picture of it staging. Check it out here:
http://tinyurl.com/42qaa7n
Needless to say, the photo was a great conclusion to a great flight!
-MarkS.