Model Rockets in the Young Sheldon Finale

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In early March of 2020, we received an email from a member of the crew producing the CBS TV show “Young Sheldon.” The email requested a quote for two out-of-production kits, the Estes “Young Astronaut Club” Cadet, that we were selling and asked if we had any other products that were from the time period represented in the show.

A spin-off of the popular TV show “The Big Bang Theory,” “Young Sheldon” is set in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The show follows Sheldon Cooper, a naive child prodigy with extreme intelligence, strict routines, and zero social filters, starting at age nine as he skips grade school to attend high school and college in East Texas.

The email didn’t give us any clue as to how the products were to be used in the show, so Bracha and I assembled and painted two of the Cadets. We sent the two built rockets along with a few other older rockets we found and two of the Cadet kits unassembled in their bags to the show’s address in California.

I replied to the email and described what we were sending. I received a “thank you” email in response which said that even if none of the rockets we sent would work as the prop they needed, they might show up as set dressing or find their way home with one of the show’s young actors.

We received that email on Friday, March 13. A few days later, we saw a news article saying that Warner Brothers was shutting down production of several TV shows including “Young Sheldon” due to the COVID-19 crisis.

Months later, at the beginning of November, we saw a commercial for the upcoming episode of “Young Sheldon,” the first air after the shutdown and the first of the new TV season.

For a brief second, you can see Sheldon opening a wrapped package to reveal that his High School graduation gift is a boxed Estes Explorer Aquarius model rocket kit.

That was not one of the things we had sent to the show. The scene of Sheldon opening the gift is not in the final episode and neither are the rockets that we sent.

The kit was not one of the things we had mailed to the show. And the scene of Sheldon opening his gift did not appear in the episode.

We did not spot the rockets that we provided in that episode..So, we started looking in the background while watching the show just hoping to spot a familiar rocket or two. While some rockets were seen on a shelf in the garage where Sheldon would retreat to play with his train set, they were there in earlier episodes.

We had to wait a few years until the final episode of Young Sheldon aired in May of 2024. As Sheldon prepares to move to California, he is scene packing up things from a shelf in his bedroom. And there they are ….

In Sheldon’s left hand, he grabs one of the Estes Cadets that Bracha and I built. Also on the shelf are a few other rockets including an Alpha III, which may be the one we sent, and an Astrocam 110 that we did provide.

Dog Star Rocketry Kits Now Available

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At JonRocket.com we love unique model rocket kits and three new kits from Dog Star Rockets are definitely different.

The Mini Thor’s Hammer, Switchblade, and Dark Pegasus kits are now available in our online store. The kits contain high-quality parts including laser-cut balsa and detailed assembly instructions.

Dog Star Rockets Mini Thor’s Hammer

At JonRocket.com we love unique model rocket kits and three new kits from Dog Star Rockets are definitely different.

The Mini Thor’s Hammer, Switchblade, and Dark Pegasus kits are now available in our online store. The kits contain high-quality parts including laser-cut balsa and detailed assembly instructions.

Our New Parachute Selection Tool

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JonRocket.com’s new Parachute Selection Tool helps you browse our selection of hundreds of parachutes from several manufacturers to chose the right ‘chute for your rocket.

Enter the approximate weight of your rocket and the web page displays parachutes of the appropriate size to return your rocket safely to the ground.

Check boxes on the side of the page make it easy to narrow down the list by manufacturer, material, shape, and color.

While the Parachute Selection Tool helps you find a parachute, you will still need to determine which is the best choice.

The color, of course, is mostly just a matter of taste. But you might consider how the color will affect visibility of the parachute in the air and on the ground.

The material is important mostly because it affects how tightly the parachute packs to fit inside your rocket. Plastic, Mylar, and Thin Mill parachutes are able to fit in a smaller space which is important for smaller rockets or if you wish to use a larger parachute for a slower descent in a fragile rocket or one used for parachute duration contests.

The shape of the parachute can also be a matter of taste but also affects how stable the parachute and rocket are during descent. If they are more stable, there is iess concern that the rocket will sway under the parachute and hit the ground harder. So, you may be able to use a smaller parachute allowing the rocket to fall faster and drift less.

Standard parachutes usually have a hexagonal or octagonal shape. More expensive ones, such as Top Flight’s Crossfire, are made of individual gores giving the parachute a hemispherical or semi-elliptical shape. This results in a higher coefficient of drag and a more stable descent.

X-Type parachutes offer better stability. Unlike round parachutes, which tend to swing the rocket side-to-side, the X-form design allows air to vent consistently through its corners which eliminates the swing. This keeps the payload dropping straight down relative to the moving air mass and lessens the possible impact when the rocket reaches the ground.

Rocketarium

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In addition to products from larger companies like Estes and Quest, we sell model rocket kits from several smaller manufacturers such as Rocketarium.

Marc Slabbinck’s Saucer

Marc Slabbinck started Rocketarium. We knew Marc as the guy building and launching really impressive large, high-power saucers at our local rocketry club launches.

Marc started an online rocketry store in 2008 and soon started producing and selling rocket kits that he designed and produced himself.

The year 2013 marked several milestones for Rocketarium. The company released one of the most unique rocket kits ever, the Retro Rebel. The company was acquired by Pavel Denau of Denau Hobby Supplies. And JonRocket.com began selling Rocketarium kits.

In addition to a few odd-rocs like the Retro Rebel, and a handful of sport models like the Maxtermind, Rocketarium produces an extensive line of scale kits.

You can shop for Rocketarium kits at our online store:

https://jonrocket.com/shop/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=1_38_107

FAI World Championships for Space Models Returns to US For First Time in 31 Years

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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)
  • Helicopter Duration (S9)
  • S2/P World Championships Open International Cup

For more information, visit:

https://www.nar.org/site/wsmc-2023/

Estes’s Blue Origin New Shepard Flying Rocket

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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 New Shepard rocket is now available from JonRocket.com.

 

Universal AstroCam Video Camera for Rockets

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Estes Universal AstroCam

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 Rocketry’s Bullet Bobby

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The Bullet Bobby

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.

The Bullet Bobby is the latest addition to JonRocket.com’s online catalog of model rocket kits, parts, supplies and accessories.