History

Early model rockets built by industry pioneers consisted mainly of cardboard tubing and lightweight woods, usually balsa or basswood. Most parts were scratch-built, or altered from materials available in other industries or hobbies. Manufacturers made kits available using paper tubes, balsa sheet for fins, heavy paper for centering rings, and balsa turned nose cones. Kits were assembled using household adhesives and tools to construct them. As popularity grew, it became more feasible and economical to use injection molded, and blow-molded plastic parts for nose cones, fins, motor retention and accessories. Currently, some models utilize high quality aircraft plywood, phenolic impregnated tubing and fiberglass sheeting. Fiberglass airframes and other high tech components are considered standard fare in some aspects of the world of high powered model rocketry. As we look forward, more and more hobbyists bring the collective experience and knowledge from the industries and professions that they know, and combine them with what everybody else brings to the table to progress the hobby and industry, the techniques and materials, and the passion and friendship that holds this hobby together.

Construction Materials

The materials used in rocketry seem to include parts from every industry. For low powered rockets, it could be paper tubes, cardboard or chip-board centering rings and perhaps even fins, balsa sheet, and light plastic or light wood like balsa or bass, cotton string for shroud lines connected to a plastic sheet for a parachute, with a long rubber cord for a recovery harness. Stronger materials are required for larger rockets, with larger motors, higher thrust, and greater stresses. Tubes made from Phenolic resin impregnated paper, PVC, or fiberglass and carbon fiber. Fins made from G10 fiberglass or imported high grade plywood, all wrapped with epoxy resin and "space-age" materials previously thought of as unobtainable. Recovery harnesses considered over-rated to scale a mountain with, and parachutes seeing a second chance at life after being discarded as no longer suitable or over-aged for man-rated use, or use in dropping military vehicles from airplanes. From cotton swabs and toothpicks to the most technologically advanced adhesives, rocketry combines your resourcefulness with what you know, and your willingness to learn about what is new, and everything in between to create and maintain your next obsession.