Adventures in Cub Scout Model Rockets

This note details our experience building and launching model rockets at our Space Exploration Winter Camp, January 2012 so as to guide other Packs should they attempt the same. Note that none of us had ever so much as launched a rocket before so experience is not required.

Acquiring supplies

You need at least a month lead time to be safe although we did it less, taking delivery the day before camp is a little nerve racking. Turns out the website AllRocketEngines.ca is run locally in Kitchener and the owner was quite helpful considering the only experience I had was watching the rockets at CCJ'10. Everything was hand delivered to my work and he offered to loan me a launcher and ignition system as a backup.

In the end we settle on the following because the price-per-rocket was best:

• 1 - 24 bulk pack of Estes FireStreak Rockets (no glue, snap together)
• 9 - 3 packs of A10-3T or A3-4T engines (each engine comes with 1 igniter and 1 plug)
• 1 - package of wadding paper
• 1 - package of 6 igniters

Building

Since I had extras, I built one FireStreak to practice and used it to model what to do with the Cubs. We split the pack into at most 6 Cubs per group (other groups worked on Space Exploration badge while 1 Group built rockets with me). The FireStreak, a snap together no-glue kit, were easy to build and we more or less followed the instructions with a few changes.

• Pre cut squares of wadding paper - 2 per rocket
• Start the build with: "You must pay close attention. You only get one kit and if you do not do things in the exact order I tell you, your rocket will be garbage." (still had 1 close call)
• "Yes you must launch your rocket here at camp. Yes you get to get to take them home afterwards."
• Rocket kits handed out to youth WITHOUT instructions to guarantee above
• Hand out 2 squares of wadding paper and one pencil per Cub at build table
• First step was to put their names on the streamer (I'm told that streamers are better than parachutes in winter because parachutes don't always open when its cold)
• Most youth needed help squeezing parts together to they would be tight (trick is to squeeze along edges instead of middle so as to not break them)
• We added masking tape with names onto the rocket cones so we would know whose rocket is whose at launch time
• When putting the elastic into the white tube or trying to stuff the elastic and streamer in the rocket, use the pencil to push things in
• When it came time to put the engine cap on, we had the Cubs put an engine in first.
  • Caps are hard to put on - line the rectangular holes in the caps with the non-decorated fins
  • Turn 1/8 to 1/4 (some will allow much more, some tight) - much easier with a pair of needed nose
  • Each rocket comes with an extra engine cap
• After the Cubs built their rockets, we immediately took them and put them aside
• Reminded Cubs that although, yes, these were toys, they always required adult supervision
• Remind the youth that rockets don't always launch on first try, rockets might be lost on launch
• After all the building was done, another leader and I quickly put in all the igniters so they would be ready to launch (make sure the igniter wires stay separated, different engines use different sized plugs - don't mix and match - fortunately they are colour coded)

1. Label steamer
2. Assemble nose cone
3. Put tape with name on cone
4. Elastic into white tube
5. White tube into one half of rocket body (put assembly on table for next step)
6. Place decorated fins onto assembly
7. Snap in place 2nd half of body
8. Put engine into rocket
9. Place and tighten engine cap on
10. Tie elastic to cone
11. Streamer to elastic
12. Stuff wadding paper (one piece at a time) using pencil
13. Roll streamer tight and hold
14. Stand rocket up, stuff elastic and streamer in while holding streamer tight, stuff remaining elastic then put cone on rocket
15. Place sticker on making sure it does not touch the cone. I think the sticker helps keep it together.

Safety

My training was from observing how things were run at CCJ'10 and talking to experienced rocketeers. I was told the engines are quite safe and require a lot of heat to ignite. The safety information on the package says they can be disposed of by first soaking in water. Keep your rockets dry before launch. Despite my rocket landing in snow. I was able to relaunch it with a new engine immediately so a little wetness won't hurt.

• You need open space with at least 30 feet radius (more is better to recover rockets)
• If there is a chance of people walking into the range, you must place leaders/adults on pathways to stop them while launching is in progress
• Launch only under light breeze conditions with clears skies appropriate for your rocket (higher the rocket goes, better visibility you need)
• If in dry grass conditions, there should be a tarp under the launch area and you should have a fire extinguisher on hand
• Establish a safe zone for Cubs to watch from
• "You must pay attention even if your rocket is not launching and follow instructions or you will be sitting (pick boring location far away) and I get to keep your rocket"
• Warn them what will happen; rocket will shoot up, engine will shut off, a brief pause and the streamer will deploy
• "If the rocket starts to fall towards you, DO NOT SCREAM, DO NOT PANIC, you will have a few seconds to simply move out of the way."
• "If the range master yells SCATTER, this means a rocket has failed to deploy its streamer and you should run away from the rocket area"
• "DO NOT RUN TOWARDS THE LAUNCH PAD or LAUNCH STATION" (I never underestimate what the goofy cubs will do in their quest to act extra goofy)
• "ROCKET ENGINES ARE HOT" do not handle them by the body, just pick them up by the cone and bring them back to X
• "If your rocket lands in the safety zone, do not retrieve it until we tell you to do so"

Launching

We setup and tested our launch rig (it was the first use for most of the equipment) while the Cubs were away. Turns out the first battery (I had a loaner from a friend who used it for his rockets) was old and only good for one launch - make sure you have a strong battery (spare doesn't hurt either)

• Setup launch pad and adjust to ensure rods are straight up (doesn't have to be perfect)
• Make sure launch pad is stable
• PlaceMark off minimum 15-30 feet distance
• Run wires/extension cords with some slack to launch station
• A: One leader in charge of launch system (stays with it at all times)
• B: one leader setup rockets

• B: "Battery is clear?" or "Launcher is safe?"
• A: puts safety cap on battery or removes key from launch system
• A: "Battery clear"
• B: brings up to 4 rockets to pad and sets them up - reads off names of who is going to launch in what order
  • Bend the igniter wires into Vs so there is less chance the clips slip off
  • Make sure the igniter wires or clips aren't shorted out by metal blast shields
• B: returns to launch station
• B: "Range is clear"
• A: launch system harmed (battery cap removed)
• First Cub called to launch system, instructed how to launch
• Countdown 3..2..1
• Cub leaves launch station and returns in safety zone and may recover rocket if it lands outside of launch area
• Repeat for next 3 Cubs
• B: "Battery is clear?"
• A: puts safety cap on battery or removes key from launch system
• A: "Battery clear"
• Cubs now allowed to recover rockets - all retrieved rockets are returned to launch center, once cool, engines are removed (pliers are handy here)

Comments / Future

We intend to do this at our 100th Anniversary Camp in June and hopefully by that time we will have built a push button launcher but the kids were fine with just pressing two wires to the battery terminals.

Yes we had failed launches ... that's why we have extra igniters. 17 rockets had 2 failures. Have extra igniters and engines just in case.

FireStreaks are suitable for Beavers and Cubs. My setup comes to $10/rocket (taxes included), assuming I will sell/use the left overs. I have lots of left over wadding paper.

I found other bulk packs that are worth considering

• Razor 12 rocket bulk pack. Uses tubes for fins. Some glueing required. I would use B6-4 engines and replace parachute with streamer (about $1) for less drifting away. About $10.18 per unit including engine, streamer, taxes (April 12, 2012 pricing).
• Alpha III 12 rocket bulk pack. I'm guessing two 30 minute assembly periods with a break in between and after to let glue dry. Probably better for Scouts. I would use B6-4 engines and replace parachute with streamer (about $1) for less drifting away. About $12.29 per unit including engine, streamer, taxes (April 12, 2012 pricing).
• Starhawk 25 rocket bulk pack. This was the CCJ'10 rocket! Some gluing required but not much. Uses a streamer instead of a parachute. Again I recommend B6-4 engines. About $8.68 per unit including engine and taxes (April 12, 2012 pricing).

Extra B6-4 engines in bulk work out to around $2.60/engine with tax. Don't forget extra igniters if the engine bulk pack did not include them!

We had a loaner rocket that took a C engine which we launched afterwards. Quite impressive! Even with light breeze we had quite a trek to recover it due to the parachute! I don't recommend a C engine for youth unless you have acres of clear field.

Equipment Available for Loan

If anyone is interested in borrowing our 4 rocket launch pad (recently upgraded with better blast shields) or launch system, feel free to contact me. All I ask in return is that you consider loaning us any good games/equipment for our 100th Anniversary link camp in June 8th-10th, 2012. I'm willing to coordinate left overs so you can sell them to other Packs/Sections.

Do you have an activity that is neat and was successful to your Pack? Why not share it with North Waterloo?

Philippe Bertrand
Akela, 1st Elmira Cub Scout Pack
philippe.bertrand@sybase.com
January 27th, 2012
Updated April 12th, 2012

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