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(High Power Rocketry - March 1998 - page 34 - by Sunny Thompson and Bob Sisk) 

     Dennis Hill, the new East Carolina prefect, helped me out by flying a Kosdon I410 Dirty Harry Product Review demo motor in one of his rockets.  This motor reminded me of a Vulcan I500ss except that it was reloadable and much cheaper to fly. This I410 offered plenty of punch and plenty of smoke. It picked Dennis' rocket up with no trouble and sent it on a beautiful flight. The rocket deployed at apogee and came back under a full 'chute. Dennis came back with a big smile on his face.  Thanks for the help Dennis!

     You know, I couldn't let Dennis have all of the fun. I got back into flying with a vengeance by loading up a Kosdon J1000 and putting it in a LOC Magnum-sized rocket named Blue Bird. Blue Bird was actually a scaled down 5.5-inch diameter Bruiser EXP. I flew it out of a ten-foot tower launcher that Bill Davidson (Sr.) build and brought down from New Jersey just for Small Balls 002.

   The RSO counted it down and pressed the button.  The motor lit almost instantly. There was a loud roar, a big flame, and she was gone. The motor stayed on for just under one second and kicked my eight and a half pound rocker up to 3,000 feet like it was nothing. A guy standing next to me said, WOW! A guy standing next to me said, WOW! I think WOW was a pretty accurate description of the motor. The guy standing on the other side of me said . . . well, never mind what he said (expletive deleted). The rocket popped at the top and a nine foot Rocketman parachute came out and opened up. While I was watching the rocket come down, another fellow came up and said, "Now that's a motor!"  Indeed it is, my friend. Personally, I've always felt that a five-foot flame looked just about right under a six-foot rocket.

   I really like this motor! I really like this motor! When I decided to get another one before the last one comes down I know it's a good motor.  Three people tried to get a photo of the rocker coming out of the tower; one actually did. The other two got some very good photos of a very empty tower. The Kosdon J1000 is definitely a "no waiting" kind of motor. In the right ride, this motor could do the Mach thing without even trying. Almost makes me wish I lived out west where you don't have to worry about hitting anything because there ain't nothing to hit.

   Some of the pictures of Kosdon motors that were sent in by readers have been included with this article. Unfortunately we didn't have enough room to publish all of them. We burned a total of five Kosdons and every one worked perfectly! (New guys and girls take notice: All motors will fail sooner of later so don't think these or any other motors are absolutely perfect. This is no such thing!) One more thing . . .Someone complained to me at a recent launch that the graphite nozzle on a Kosdon motor caused him to "get his hands dirty." Give me a break! Give me a break! Get a towel and wipe your hands off, OK?