Avid rocketeer seeks like-minded people in Melbourne

[marsboy]

G'day, I've never been a member of any rocketry clubs but have been flying model rockets of up to E power at Haye's Paddock in Kew for years. If you ever visit there, there's a couple of trees that have been slowly digesting a couple of once beautiful birds for months now. Anyway, although I usually bring my girlfriend along as a spotter (she's MUCH better than me, especially with high-alt launches) and my brother or a couple of friends, it'd be great to finally meet some other rocketeers because sometimes I feel like I'm Hearn's Hobbies' only rocket customer! In the last six months I've really gotten into Aerotech F and G kits and while I still try to get to Haye's Paddock every nice sunny Sunday (the people there now know me as "the Rocket Man!) to fly my (usually C6-5) rockets, the thrill of seeing the supersonic "Mustang" reach 1000m or the firery, slow ascent of the "G-Force" five-foot goliath rocket literally takes my breath away. After reading a little of your forum, I get the idea that Dandenong Wetlands is not suited to Mid-Power but I've flown several G-powered birds from there and with one exception, have recovered all of them succesfully and beautifully. When you spend as much as $65.00 on a single expendible G motor, you want that bird back! I have a cart for carrying the (very heavy) car battery and field kit but it's just too expensive to fly these birds too often. If any of you ever come across an Aertotech "Tomohawk" scale sounding rocket on the lake island, PLEASE let me know! Losing a $30.00 Estes rocket to a rocket-eating tree is hard enough but after spending $170 and two weeks of building on an Aerotech rocket it's truly heart-breaking! Anyway, so that's me. I live in North Fitzroy and work at a big liquor store. My girlfriend (soon to be wife) has let me comandeer an entire room of our house to our great hobby so I've got a great workshop where I spend a LOT of my time. I don't believe in skimping on any details and whether I'm building an Estes "Quark" or an Aerotech "Astrobee D" (still a virgin), I use the same level of care and attention - especially when it comes to painting, PATIENCE is a must for that nice, mirror-smooth finish.

[andrew scott]

Hi,

marsboy welcome to the forum.

commander an entire room of our house

some of us can only commander a bookcase and some a 2 car garage

Haye's Paddock in kew ? not my best place to fly, I use to go there in the 80's.

The Dandenong Wetlands Park is where we go to fly, we can do G's.

but we like to fly A-F's there we like to keep to the casa limit of 399.99998 ft

we mite start flying at the wetlands in march, all this hot weather will have
made all that grass drier than a match. Yo krusty is it

so when is next scheduled launch?


marsboy your more than welcome to join us down at wetlands when start flying

marsboy just send a PM or E-mail to mmrg@dodo.com.au


andrew

[krusty]

and work at a big liquor store.

Hi Marsboy! Welcome

Liquor You're more than welcome to attend any launch - to fly, watch or simply bring the beer

I understand about taking over an entire room.... I have an over-abundance of rockets in my little unit. I've even gone as far as turning one bedroom into a workshop to house my metal lathe (which I use to make some specialty rocket parts). My kitchen bench houses a band-saw (useful for cutting plywood fins) and I'm sure there's a drill-press hidden under the rubble here somewhere

I've tried the whole finishing rockets to look better than a showroom merc. I've started using 'Finishing Epoxy' on my fins and even with just a single coat, makes them look very nice

If you want better prices on motors, give The Hobby Man a call in Dandenong, they carry a good stock of A-E black powder motors and can order in F/G composite motors, too, at prices that give Hearns a run for their money.

Krusty

[The Wombat]

Welcome.

[Kryten]

Welcome to the forum, Marsboy

My girlfriend (soon to be wife) has let me comandeer an entire room of our house to our great hobby

Lucky b******

[whipfest]

Welcome Marsboy !

Hook up with the other boys down there. It's much more fun than doing it by yourself.

[marsboy]

Thanks for the warm welcome, guys!
I guess I've tried to hook up with other rocketeers because although I've been in and out of rocketry over the years (I'm now 32), I'm probably more into now than I've been. It's nice to know that I'm not the only one who lets off the odd G motor at Dandenong Wetlands but you're right, all that grass would be tinder dry at the moment! Although there really is little chance of a fire, at the moment, given the horrific bushfires and all, I'm not sure how bystanders would react to a group of people letting off rockets in the current environment. March sounds great though. I'd LOVE to get together for a launch so I'll keep up to date with this forum.
Thanks, guys,

[rocket_troy]

...and when your ready to progress to HPR you can join Tripoli which conduct about 4 launchers a year up in Serpentine. Contact either myself or David Boyd to find out more when you're interested.

Troy.

[skippy]

Welcome Marsboy.

You will find the MMRG members at the wetlands have a wide range of interests. There is sure to be someone like myself to ensure the rocket eating trees are well fed and leave your birds alone.