The 2023 FAI World Championships for Space Models is being held in Austin, Texas, in July of 2023. This is the first time in more than 30 years that the event has been held in the United States.
Hosted by the National Association of Rocketry and the Academy of Model Aeronautics and sanctioned by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale, the event runs from July 1 through July 8.
The Contest Events are:
Altitude (S1A single stage for Juniors, S1B two stage for Seniors)
Parachute Duration (S3)
Rocket Boost Glider Duration (S4)
Scale Altitude (S5B for Juniors, S5C for Seniors)
Streamer Duration (S6)
Scale (S7)
Radio Control Rocket Glider (S8D for Juniors, S8E/P for Seniors)
Now you can fly the rocket that launched a thousand memes! The rocket that also blasted William Shatner (“Captain Kirk”) into space, is now a scale flying model from Estes.
Using a C6-3 or C5-3 engine, the Blue Origin New Shepard from Estes reaches an altitude of about 400 feet where the parachute deploys to return the booster and capsule to earth.
The Universal AstroCam by Estes is now available at JonRocket.com. The AstroCam is a small high-definition video camera that you can attach to your rocket to capture the sights and sound of a launch from the rocket’s viewpoint.
The Universal AstroCam quickly attaches to your rocket using two straps and a small piece of tape. After the flight, it is just as easily removed for use on another rocket. The camera’s compact and lightweight profile means it has minimal impact on the trajectory of your flight and can be used on almost any rocket.
The AstroCam’s chrome finish makes it easy to spot high in the sky while the camera hood protects its view from any glare. Despite its small size, the AstroCam records high-quality video footage and incredible audio. It easily detaches from the rocket and attaches to any USB port on your computer for easy video file management.
Launch Lab’s Bullet Bobby draws its inspiration from a video game villain from the 1980s and from Estes’s line of “Goonybird” model rocket kits. Featuring high-quality parts including a strong, 3D-printed nose cone and a nylon parachute, the Bullet Bobby flies on 18mm motors.
We have just debuted the updated JonRocket.com web site. With a more modern look and a responsive design, our new online store will help you shop for model rocket products.
The new site doesn’t, yet, implement all of the features of the older site. But, we are working to restore them. One big thing that is missing is access to your Rewards Points. The web site is keeping track of your orders, so you will continue to earn points with every purchase. But, right now you can’t view your Rewards Points or exchange them for gift certificates. We will have this, and other, functionality restored soon.
JonRocket.com is celebrating its tenth anniversary with a sale and a special double Reward Points offer to thank our wonderful customers for helping us reach this milestone. Today through July 11, 2019, hundreds of rocketry products are on sale and all orders will earn double the usual number of Rewards Points.
The special sale prices are only available on items in stock and the specials are updated each evening based on the remaining stock. So, shop early to save more.
The National Association of Rocketry’s annual convention comes to the Space Coast in 2019.
JonRocket.com will be onhand with a selection of our products on display and for sale in the vendor room. The Vendor Room will be open to attendees and the general public from 8:00am to 6:30pm on Saturday March 2.
Registration is required to attend NARCON events, but is not required to visit the Vendor Room.
For more information about the convention, please visit the NARCON 2019 web page.
Here are reasons why you should be excited about the new BT20-H body tube.
The BT-20H is thicker and more durable than a standard BT-20. The inside diameter of the BT-20H is the same as the inside diameter of a standard BT-20 body tube, 0.710 inches (just a hair over 18mm). But, the wall of the BT-20H is about 60% thicker – 0.021 inches thick versus 0.013 inches for a plain BT-20. This extra thickness makes the tube much stronger.
The BT-20H is perfect for 18mm motor mounts. A rocket’s motor mount can take some abuse as you insert and remove motors and during flight from the thrust of the motor and the ejection charge, so the extra strength of the BT-20H makes it a good choice in motor mounts for standard size motors. The inside diameter of the BT-20H is the same as the BT-20, so you can use a standard 18mm thrust ring. Standard engine hooks also work and there’s less chance of the tube tearing in the slot you make for the top of the hook. A more robust engine mount made with a BT-20H is perfect for use with the powerful 18mm composite D motors from Quest.
You can use standard centering rings. Even though the outside diameter of the BT-20H is larger than the BT-20’s, you can still use standard BT-20 centering rings. The inside of a standard centering ring can easily be sanded (or peeled) to fit the slightly larger diameter of the BT-20H.
You can use standard nose cones.Standard BT-20 nose cones fit the BT-20H tubes. Because the BT-20H is slightly larger in diameter than a BT-20, there might be a small lip around the end of the body tube.
The thicker BT-20H provides better heat resistance than thinner BT-20 tubes. Being more resistant to the effects of the motor’s ejection charge makes the BT-20H a better choice for motor tubes and, especially, for stuffer tubes.
BT-20Hs are easier to work with. Being thicker and more durable makes the BT-20Hs easier to cut and less likely to be crushed during construction of a rocket.
The BT-20Hs open up new possibilities. A stronger body tube allows for more complex designs such as rockets with strap-on boosters or extra-long “super-rocs.”
NARCON 2018 will be held February 23 through 25, 2018, in Houston, Texas. JonRocket.com will be there as a vendor.
NARCON is the National Association of Rocketry’s annual convention. The three-day event features guest speakers, technical presentations, and a banquet on Saturday night. A special feature for the 2018 convention is the option to tour Space Center Houston with rocketry enthusiast and aerospace historiography, John Pursley. Pursley will lead a very special “walk-around” tour of the Saturn V on display at the Johnson Space Center, highlighting elements of the multi-year conservation project in which he participated.
