Past Photos of the Month

January 04 Photo of the Month

Mike Luna peers into his level 3 rocket.

He used a door peephole to see in.

August 03 Photo of the Month

So, how strong are your fins?

This is the fin section of Thunderball 1 after it crashed. The airframe was crushed to the middle centering ring. Standing on the rocket here are Jim Cornwell, Robin Meredith and Mark Clark. Shortly after this we replaced skinny Jim with Ron Z and the fins supported 820 lbs!

Fins are 1/2" birch plywood with two layers of 9 oz. carbon fiber on each side. Tube had carbon on inside only and was foam filled. This was the first "conventional construction", i.e. plywood, cardboard, plus fiber, rocket we had made for an O motor and it was way overkill. For Thunderball 2, launched on a ARM P6500, 1/4" plywood was used and only one layer of carbon. Tube had 2 external wraps of 4 oz carbon. It was still strong enough that Heidi could stand between the fins and bounce it off the floor.

Thunderball 1 had 3 launches, an O with a bowling ball, an M for a L-3 cert flight and the doomed launch on an M Skidmark. The altimeter did not like the popping and ejected early.

This part is on display at the Extreme Rocketry offices along with other famous wreckage.

April 03 Photo of the Month

Museum at Huntsville.

December 02 Photo of the Month

Norm Egolf's scratch built 71/2" Big Gumby rocket on a Ron Zeppin red flame N2000 motor. Good boost and motor but at apogee the line between the booster and payload sections failed. Main 'chute at 1200' saved payload, booster will need a lot of repair.

More pictures of this rocket at December '02 Monthly page.

Photo by Dan Hawrylkiw.

November 02 Photo of the Month

L5300