2nd Edition - Bakken Museum outreach report (5/15/2004)
Well today's outreach project went pretty well over all. I
arrived a little after 10AM and started to set up a table full of
rockets. I also made a couple general rocket info displays on two of
those cardboard science project display boards. I laminated my
"Rockets of the World" and Apogee Components Saturn 1B
poster. I do this enough, I though that I would make something a
little more permament to use. I also had some "Rocketry
on the Web" handouts, MASA apps, and a couple NAR apps.
I basically had three groups that lingered around for quite a
while after they showed up First a Boy Scout troop around 11AM, then
a Girl Scout troop and a 8 year olds birthday party around 2PM.
I had more questions from volunteers at the Bakken and several
parents that from the kids. Many built Estes rockets when they were
kids. The stomp rocket caught their eye right away since The Bakken
buys a lot of stuff from Ax-man, including stomp rockets. I was a
pretty laid back easy going day.
The kids were building turkey baster powered rockets out of foam
parts, paper, ribbon, etc. And trying to launch them at the end of
the room.
I did my first launch a little after noon. I flew 2 of the 4
"disposable" 10.5 mm MicroMaxx rockets that I built
earlier this week to go about 55 - 60 feet up and land within 50
feet of the pad up to 15 mph winds. ( You gotta love Rocksim!) I
used one of my Estes Porta Pads and a Electrobeam controller. Both
of these rockets worked perfectly and landed within 25 feet of the
pad, with 0 degree tilt. ( I might have discovered a new spot
landing rocket!) Next I flew my stomp rocket on a 1/2A6-2. I had an
extra strong( and LOUD) ejection charge that startled everyone.
My next launch was around 3PM. I had my biggest turn out for this
one. I launched all 4 MicroMaxx rockets this time. I had one stuck
streamer and one misfire. They also landed within 25 feet or less of
the pad. I launched one other rocket at the second launch. Many of
the volunteers never saw a helicopter rocket fly, so I used the
heloroc design I built for B HD in WI. This rocket was a little
heavy for a high altitude on a B6-2,with about a 12 second total
flight time, so I gave it a try. The wind all day was light, 5 mph
or less. There was a little wobble to the flight and it
weathercocked some. The blades deployed okay but the rocket wound up
in the top of a 60+ foot tree. Oh well minor loss.
We went back inside to answer more questions and to pack
up. I also looked around the musuem for a while. There's a lot
of neat stuff there. I even got to see the Frankenstein Show.
I left around 430 PM. It was a fun time for everyone.
[Mike Erpelding]
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