I moved to Memphis TN from Colorado Springs in 1996. While in Colorado Springs (1991-1996), I joined COSROCS and started venturing into competition rocketry. I'd been involved in rocketry since the late 60s but never with a club. While in Colorado Springs, I also didn't have much time for finishing my rocket builds although I kept building them (cold winters). Not much of an issue when doing competitions....you don't normally detail a competition rocket (other than scale).

Fast forward to 2024. Here I am involved in HP with my local section Mid South Rocket Society (MSRS) and trying to get them interested in older model rockets and competition. MSRS isn't a new section (established in 1996) but it has been through some lean years. Membership is starting to grow as more people see us launching model rockets and HP rockets.

So, what does that have to do with the subject of this thread? Well, in my attempt to expose new rocket people to the old models (FSI, ACE, Centuri, etc), I've climbed through my attic looking for the older kits you don't find anymore. Many I've given as door prizes to entice spectators back to fly with the section (club).

But I've also found old ones I've build over 30 years ago and never detailed. Some are still available today, others are not. Starbase Cruiser was only available in 1995. Luckily, I still have the decals for them. This picture is a few that I've brought down from the attic and completed detailing them this year. Some still haven't been flown but we launch every third Saturday (weather permitting) so I'm taking at least one out each month to fly. You can see the naked one I just found this morning. There are still more to pull down as I go into the fall detailing months.

So, this leads to the questions, what's in your attic (or basement)?

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Don
NAR 53455
"Carpe Diem"

I have a circa 2002 Blast From The Past Space Shuttle built and ready to fly, but it was in an unlucky spot recently and needs some repair. Today I painted my Thrustline Gyroc, a model I'd had around since 2003ish. I doubt that it will fly this coming weekend, but it feels good to finally have a clue as to what it will look like finished. I have two FlisKits birds, the Alien8 and Far Side, unbagged and ready for a build orgy should one materialize. These are just the ones off the top of my head. If I did the whole list it would hint at a mental problem.

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Bill Eichelberger
NAR 79563

http://wallyum.blogspot.com/

I miss being SAM 0058

Build floor: Estes - Low Boom SST Semroc - Mini Aero-Dart, Shrike, SST Shuttle

In paint: Canaroc - Starfighter Scorpion

Unflown: F-22 Air Superiority Fighter, Jayhawk, Multi-Roc, Solar Sailer II, Microsonde 3 Payloader, Aerobee 300, Cyber III, Scrambler

A boatload of vintage Estes astron-era kits and a boatload of vintage R/C pattern aircraft kits I need to start building. Tons OF RC engines and radio sets. Tons of rocket engines and reloads from 1/4A thru I size.
About the only R/C hobby activity I haven't ventured into is turbines, but that's next.
My "attic " is pretty full.
I have a R/C and Rocketry stock from the 70's thru 90s that rivals most small hobby shops of that era.
More than likely I have the world's largest collection of vintage usable Pactra Aero Gloss dope in most colors from 4oz jars to Quarts and spray cans.
The only AeroGloss I don't have is gallon size of anything.
I use only vintage finishes on my projects.

In addition to all the kits I have MANY flyable RC aircraft and rockets. Up through a 1/11 scale EDF F-4 Phantom that has far greater than 1:1 thrust/weight. Yes, it will accelerate vertically.

I fly modern Graupner 2.4Ghz and Futaba 2.4Ghz RC systems along with a vintage Futaba 8JN 72Mhz pattern radio set.


Nice looking FSI Mach-1 Dart you have there.

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When in doubt, WHACK the GAS and DITCH the brake !!!

Yes, there is such a thing as NORMAL, if you have to ask what is "NORMAL" , you probably aren't !
Failure may not be an OPTION, but it is ALWAYS a POSSIBILITY.
ALL systems are GO for MAYHEM, AGITATION, CHAOS, TURMOIL, FIASCOS, AGGRAVATION, INSTIGATION, NUISANCE-ACTION, and HAVOC !

Old beat up, busted up, and junky rockets that I don't really care about are in the attic. The heat would ruin a decent rocket. The rest of my stash is displayed in the room over the garage (with heat and air) and in one of my empty nest bedroom closets.

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I love sanding.

I guess I described my entire hobby hoard, not the attic.

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When in doubt, WHACK the GAS and DITCH the brake !!!

Yes, there is such a thing as NORMAL, if you have to ask what is "NORMAL" , you probably aren't !
Failure may not be an OPTION, but it is ALWAYS a POSSIBILITY.
ALL systems are GO for MAYHEM, AGITATION, CHAOS, TURMOIL, FIASCOS, AGGRAVATION, INSTIGATION, NUISANCE-ACTION, and HAVOC !

In my case, attic has mice in it.
I have trapped between 25-30 mice in the past 3-4 years.

No mice in the attic now, the temperature is over 110F.

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Bob
S.A.M. # 0014

A good place to store your motors then!

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Scott D. Hansen
Ye Olde Rocket Shoppe - Your One Stop BAR Shoppe!
Ye Olde Rocket Plans - OOP Rocket Plans From 38 Companies!
Ye Olde Rocket Forum
WOOSH NAR Section #558

Wow, Don. You do REALLY nice work! You obviously have a real talent for painting. Great glossy finishes, and I don't see a run anywhere. Wish my rockets looked a good as those. BTW the Sprint and Micro look like they will disappear on anything larger than a 'B'.

Don, very nice models!

ghrocketman, good grief, maybe I do not feel so bad now about my collection of hobby stuff!

Re: what is in my attic and basement

First, I cannot imagine storing nice rockets in our garage attic. Definitely an oven in the summer! I did store an Estes Mammoth in the attic, since it is an ARF and I do not really care about ruining the body tube wrap. :-)
My plan at some point is to add an attic fan over the garage to see if that would allow storage of some rockets, and other temperature sensitive items. I have a pull down ladder for this attic, and decked it a few years ago, so it would be nice to store all my rocketry launch gear up there.

I have a basement that has my woodshop, and a finished room that is a craft room. My wife has her sewing stuff, I have my rocket benches. I display or store most of my built rockets in that room, and kit storage is in lidded plastic totes in the crawl space. It is ideal, staying relatively cool year-round. I sold a few kits starting last year, most sealed. They all looked new A few of the boxed kits that had been opened looked brand new, including decals, when I inspected them before sale. Moderate temps and low humidity really make a huge difference. And I have had zero failures with old engines. There are a few issues I have had with newer C11 engines, which had either no ejection, or late ejection (10+ seconds, basically ejection laying on the ground). No D/E/F issues, but also no purchasing of those engines in the past few years, they were all purchased 5 or more years ago. The infamous E9s have proven to be 100% reliable, although I have only used about 15 of them.

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Lee Reep
NAR 55948

Projects: Semroc Saturn 1B
In the Paint Shop:
Launch-Ready:KFD Mini Satellite Interceptor

I haven't had any failures due to "old"engines either.
I flew a 1968 B14-5 last year in an Astron Sprint.
I store my engines in the hobby room of my house under the same atmospheric conditions astge rest of my dwelling.

__________________
When in doubt, WHACK the GAS and DITCH the brake !!!

Yes, there is such a thing as NORMAL, if you have to ask what is "NORMAL" , you probably aren't !
Failure may not be an OPTION, but it is ALWAYS a POSSIBILITY.
ALL systems are GO for MAYHEM, AGITATION, CHAOS, TURMOIL, FIASCOS, AGGRAVATION, INSTIGATION, NUISANCE-ACTION, and HAVOC !