ECayemberg
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- Joined
- Jan 21, 2009
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It always starts with a story…
Some things take time to percolate; this one certainly took its time!
Long before there were Junior Level 1 certifications, there was a boy who poured over issues of High Power Rocketry magazine (HPR) lusting after rocket projects that would have to wait until he hit adulthood. Fortunately that boy has since been able to build and fly most of the projects and more; but a few planted seeds remained ungrown. One of those undeveloped projects originated with an article in the December 1995 issue of HPR. Ken Goldstein, President of the LIARS at the time, wrote a neat article entitled What’s the Frequency Kenneth about a unique project that incorporated VHF tracking, hybrid propulsion, and most notably for this thread, a portable rocket that broke down into sections that fit within a 27” suitcase, allowing for easy transport from the East Coast to the West Coast for LDRS XIV at Black Rock. Not to mention; the project shared the title of one of the greatest songs of the 90's...and Ken's shorts were pretty rad! I was intrigued by the suitcase rocket idea, and tucked it away for another day.
A few years later in 1998, the Vaughn Brothers announced they were releasing upscaled versions of two of their popular 2.6” kits. The Blobbo would grow to 5.5” in diameter while the Javelin would grow to 4” in diameter. I dig the Blobbo (have a 2.6” in the fleet), but really like the classic lines of the Javelin (have a 2.6” Javelin in the fleet too!). The Javelin 4.0 was definitely on the “want list”.
Ruby and Jim from Discount Rocketry are supremely nice rocket people whom we had the pleasure of neighboring with at Airfest 23 in 2017. Being the nostalgic nut that I am, we inevitably discussed the Vaughn Brothers line that they picked up from Jerry and Mike and continue to offer VB kits today. Go buy a Blobbo, darnit! They mentioned a few old fins in a box on the shelf which piqued my interest. Sure enough, there was a complete set of 2.6” Javelin fins and a single 4” Javelin fin. Naturally, the 2.6” Javelin was built shortly thereafter, and the 4” fin tucked away for future use.
The venue change for LDRS 40 was the spark that finally lit this fire. I was interested in the event under OROC’s hosting, however the historical portion of Lucerne seems quite fitting for the 40th anniversary of Tripoli’s annual gathering. Several options exist for convenient access, I’ve never been to Lucerne, and I have a few west coast friends that I’d love to hang out with on their home turf! The early June timeframe works better for my family’s schedule as well. Pencil it in!
Putting it all together: Where am I going with all this banter? I want to construct a rocket that I can pack in my suitcase and fly out to events like LDRS40 at Lucerne. But that’s not all…
If you’ve flown with me before, you may know that I’m not a one-and-done-dude. Attending a launch for me is a busy experience…I’ll be doing a lot of flying, working on the range, and visiting…I might relax a little in the evenings. So, I need this project to be more than just a portable rocket. At LDRS33 at Bong in Wisconsin, I flew the entire alphabet A through N using multiple airframes with the family and had a blast doing so. Let’s narrow the scope for LDRS 40. The challenge is to fly the High Power alphabet (H-M) on a single airframe.
Enter the Travelin’ Javelin.
Some things take time to percolate; this one certainly took its time!
Long before there were Junior Level 1 certifications, there was a boy who poured over issues of High Power Rocketry magazine (HPR) lusting after rocket projects that would have to wait until he hit adulthood. Fortunately that boy has since been able to build and fly most of the projects and more; but a few planted seeds remained ungrown. One of those undeveloped projects originated with an article in the December 1995 issue of HPR. Ken Goldstein, President of the LIARS at the time, wrote a neat article entitled What’s the Frequency Kenneth about a unique project that incorporated VHF tracking, hybrid propulsion, and most notably for this thread, a portable rocket that broke down into sections that fit within a 27” suitcase, allowing for easy transport from the East Coast to the West Coast for LDRS XIV at Black Rock. Not to mention; the project shared the title of one of the greatest songs of the 90's...and Ken's shorts were pretty rad! I was intrigued by the suitcase rocket idea, and tucked it away for another day.
A few years later in 1998, the Vaughn Brothers announced they were releasing upscaled versions of two of their popular 2.6” kits. The Blobbo would grow to 5.5” in diameter while the Javelin would grow to 4” in diameter. I dig the Blobbo (have a 2.6” in the fleet), but really like the classic lines of the Javelin (have a 2.6” Javelin in the fleet too!). The Javelin 4.0 was definitely on the “want list”.
Ruby and Jim from Discount Rocketry are supremely nice rocket people whom we had the pleasure of neighboring with at Airfest 23 in 2017. Being the nostalgic nut that I am, we inevitably discussed the Vaughn Brothers line that they picked up from Jerry and Mike and continue to offer VB kits today. Go buy a Blobbo, darnit! They mentioned a few old fins in a box on the shelf which piqued my interest. Sure enough, there was a complete set of 2.6” Javelin fins and a single 4” Javelin fin. Naturally, the 2.6” Javelin was built shortly thereafter, and the 4” fin tucked away for future use.
The venue change for LDRS 40 was the spark that finally lit this fire. I was interested in the event under OROC’s hosting, however the historical portion of Lucerne seems quite fitting for the 40th anniversary of Tripoli’s annual gathering. Several options exist for convenient access, I’ve never been to Lucerne, and I have a few west coast friends that I’d love to hang out with on their home turf! The early June timeframe works better for my family’s schedule as well. Pencil it in!
Putting it all together: Where am I going with all this banter? I want to construct a rocket that I can pack in my suitcase and fly out to events like LDRS40 at Lucerne. But that’s not all…
If you’ve flown with me before, you may know that I’m not a one-and-done-dude. Attending a launch for me is a busy experience…I’ll be doing a lot of flying, working on the range, and visiting…I might relax a little in the evenings. So, I need this project to be more than just a portable rocket. At LDRS33 at Bong in Wisconsin, I flew the entire alphabet A through N using multiple airframes with the family and had a blast doing so. Let’s narrow the scope for LDRS 40. The challenge is to fly the High Power alphabet (H-M) on a single airframe.
Enter the Travelin’ Javelin.