My son Sam said he wanted a Rocket for Christmas, so off I went to buy one. I always take the children to Hamley's every Christmas and this is where my son saw and wanted the Rocket from.
So there I was on Christmas Day making a U.S.A. Starter set and guess what on Boxing Day we were down the local Playing fields trying it out. My Wife had made Badges for every one.
Di had the camera so she was " PRESS", I was "Ground Crew", and Sam was " Launch Controller"
What is Recovery Wadding ? Never mind it's not in the Box so it cannot be important, that is till the parachute melted the first time.( why don't they put a bit in the Box) We still had 2 motors left, so I made another parachute and that melted to (BUT WE WERE HOOKED)
When the Shops opened after the Holidays there I was money in hand for Recovery Wadding, while I was in the shop " Do you know of any Rocket Clubs in the area ?", Shop manager " I think I have a leaflet somewhere" A phone call to Laurie and a few days later a Large envelope arrived with loads of stuff about HART and rockets in general.
While I was waiting for the 1st of March the first meeting at the new site Stubbers I had made a few more rockets, a TRON set and a BAIL OUT. The 1st of March arrived a very windy 1st of March, but we had travelled 20 miles to get there so Launch Pad set up and a few introductions and we launched 6 times that day and had one rocket with a broken fin but the rest went well on streamer. I came away with more ideas, an offer of a computer program for calculating altitudes and if I bring a blank video tape, Laurie would put a load of rocketry videos on it "GREAT".
130 Launches, 2 Displays and a day no the stall at the Model Show later has been the end of a very busy Year. Christmas is just over and I have 4 new Rockets to try and we are again looking forward to another year with HART. This year I am going to the U.K.R.A. meeting at the Thrust Site in the Midlands ( to see how the Big Boys do it) I will have to try an E motor and all that involves because I have a Shadow and I am determined that Coke-a-go-go will fly this year, I am now on mark3 .
Look forward to seeing you all in 1998
Chris and Sam Parker.