Larry Brand's Page

2010-05-08

Review
OctoPod was created to test how well an 8-tube HPR tubefin would perform compared to the 5-tube, 6-tube and 7-tube tubefin rockets I have described previously on EMRR. Everybody at the field kept telling me "so if you say in your articles that 6 is better than 5, and 7 is better than 6, why ... [More]

2010-04-15

Scratch Golden Acorn (Scratch)

Review
( Contributed - by Larry Brand - 04/15/10) Brief: Golden Acorn is a modification of the 3" "H-Pod XXL" I mentioned in my March-April 2010 SPORT ROCKETRY article. It is a long-skinny version of the 7-tube tubefin "H-Pod" described in an earlier EMRR construction ... [More]

2009-12-07

Scratch The Walrus (Scratch)

Review
( Contributed - by Larry Brand - 12/07/09) Brief: "The Walrus" is an extreme stubby version of my 7-tube tube fin "Dwarf King Mk. 7" presented earlier on EMRR. Being lighter and stubbier, it uses a LOC 5.5" cone and can be flown on G-motors at smaller ... [More]

2009-10-17

Scratch Dwarf King 4.0 (Scratch)

Review
Brief: This is a lighter, more affordable 4" version of of the 5.5" Dwarf King Mk.7 (7-tube tubefin) I presented earlier in EMRR. This design has the lowest drag coefficient of any tubefin I've built to date, Cd=0.68-0.70; it also differs from my big 5.5" Dwarf Kings in ... [More]

2009-09-05

Scratch Sardo XXL (Scratch)

Review
( Contributed - by Larry Brand - 09/05/09) Brief: This is a simple research rocket used as a reference "typical" tubefin design in an upcoming article on tubefin aerodynamics. The body is just a 3" postal mailing tube. Because its very easy and inexpensive to build and ... [More]

2009-08-15

Scratch Dwarf King (Scratch)

Review
( Contributed - by Larry Brand - 08/15/09) Brief: 5.5" Dwarf King is a simpler, cut-down version of the huge and fat K445-powered tubefin I presented in ROCKETS Magazine . It has the option of being built with either 6 tube fins (Mk. 6) or seven tube fins (Mk. 7). Both versions can ... [More]

2009-07-10

Scratch ElCheapoCerto (Scratch)

Review
( Contributed - by Larry Brand - 07/10/09) Brief: I designed this odd, little 5-tube tubefin with one purpose in mind: as an ultra low-cost, quick-building L1 certification for 14 year old rocketeers under the new NAR junior cert program. After spending so much effort figuring out how ... [More]

2009-07-07

Scratch G-Pod (Scratch)

Review
( Contributed - by Larry Brand - 07/07/09) Brief: G-Pod is a downward extension of my "Pod" series (see " H-Pod " in EMRR). It is a stubby tubefin design for 29mm F-G power that is about the size of an Estes FatBoy. Actually, it started life as an experiment to try ... [More]

2009-02-24

Scratch Tea-Bird 4.0 (Scratch)

Review
( Contributed - by Larry Brand - 02/24/09) Brief: Tea-Bird 4.0 is the 4" upscale version of the tubefin "Tea-Bird" model (made from Crystal-Lite(tm) ice tea containers) I presented earlier on EMRR. I originally designed it as "Tea-Bird 38", but after a few ... [More]

2008-11-02

Scratch Funnel Vision (Scratch)

Review
Funnel Vision was designed as part of an effort to create a cluster rocket giving fully stable flight in the event of partial ignition failure. It was built as a finless design inspired by David Roy's "Drag Demon" as described in his July 2001 Sport Rocketry article. The rest of the ... [More]

2008-10-16

Estes E-Pod (Kit)

Review
( Contributed - by Larry Brand - 10/16/08) Brief: This is a 100% kitbash of the Estes stormcaster, so I'm calling it a "scratch" build. I cut up the parts of the C-D powered stormcaster to create an E-powered tubefin (it also flies on C-D motors). "E-Pod" is ... [More]

2008-07-03

Scratch H-Pod (Scratch)

Review
( Contributed - by Larry Brand - 07/03/08) Brief: H-Pod is an extension (downward) of the I-Pod/J-Pod/K-Pod series of HPR tubefin designs I presented in the March 2008 issues of Sport Rocketry and Rockets . Like its big brothers, H-Pod uses 7 tubefins instead of the customary 6. Being 3 ... [More]

2008-05-14

Scratch Tea-Bird (Scratch)

Review
An all-plastic tubefin for 29mm motors. This tiny (15" tall) and extreme-stubby tubefin was inspired by a plastic container of Crystal Light instant iced tea packets I was looking at one day. Sitting next to it on the pantry was a 2.6" Estes Executioner my kids gave me for Fathers Day last year. I ... [More]

2008-04-12

Vaughn Brothers Blobbo 24mm (Kit)

Review
( Contributed - by Larry Brand - 04/12/08) Brief: This is an up-motor modification of the now OOP Vaughn Bros Blobbo. The only change I made was to replace the 18mm motor mount with a 24 mm tube and the corresponding 2.6"-24mm centering ring of 1/8" aircraft plywood. I ... [More]

2007-12-11

Estes Super Neon (Kit)

Review
Super Neon is an updated 2007 re-release of an older kit. It is what I would call a "fantasy" tubefin in that it has decorative stub fins supplementing the 6 tubefins that provide the actual stability to create a futuristic appearance. The packaging highlights its "Space Age Tubular Fins". ... [More]

2007-12-08

Scratch PencilPushr (Modification)

Review
I cut up an Estes No. 2 Sky Writer and used the components to build a altitude-seeking model with an altimeter bay. PencilPushr was built specifically for the NARTREK Advanced task of achieving at least one-half of the Class "C" NAR altitude record for E-motors of 1128 meters set by James ... [More]

2007-07-04

Scratch Da Bomb (Scratch)

Review
Originally, I built Da Bomb to only test a way of preventing tubefin flutter in HPR tubefins (Yes, Virginia, there is tubefin flutter). The experiment worked great, and the byproduct is a neat, cheap, and very small sport rocket for 38mm motors good for F-I power. It would make a good ... [More]

2006-12-08

Madcow Rocketry Skipper (Kit)

Review
Brief: Skipper is a 29mm 3FNC rocket of traditional but interesting design that has 3 rather tiny ply fins positioned above a beautiful balsa boat tail. Like the entire Madcow product line, it is a deluxe kit that includes virtually everything but glue and paint--you get sanded balsa ... [More]

2006-10-15

Madcow Rocketry Momba (Kit)

Review
Photo Courtesy of Mad Cow Brief: The Momba by Madcow Rocketry is a new kit for F-G motors. The Momba kit is a conventional 4FNC design deluxe product featuring full through-the-wall fins mounting to motor tube, laser cut fin slots, and what has to be the ... [More]

2006-09-07

Scratch 1/20 Bell X-1 Glamorous Glennis (Scratch)

Review
I have built a 1/20 model of the Yeager Bell X-1, "Glamorous Glennis" as a prototype for scale competition. Although it needs more work in the details department, it is dimensionally spot-on exact 1/20 scale. It flies very well on Aerotech E30 motors. It was simply constructed by using the ... [More]

2006-05-23

Scratch BottleBat 3.0 (Scratch)

Review
( Contributed - by Larry Brand - 05/23/06) Brief: I have scaled down the "BottleBat" tubefin rocket I presented a few of months ago in Sport Rocketry magazine from 4" diameter to 3" diameter. This allows it to be constructed from the more available 3" postal ... [More]

2006-02-14

Scratch Fahrenheit XL (Scratch)

Review
Fahrenheit XL is a scaled-up 38mm version of my PVC tubefin rocket, Fahrenheit 62/5 . It is designed to fly on any H-I motor and has flown extremely well on CTI J330 power, so its suitable for L1 and L2 attempts. Like all tubefin designs, it is stable, wind resistant, and very quick and easy to ... [More]

2005-10-03

Scratch Chopped Goblin 4.0 (Scratch)

Review
( Contributed - by Larry Brand - 10/03/05) Brief: I built a 4" diameter upscale of the old Estes Goblin that is very similar to the "3x Goblin" Dave Hanson reported on this website a few years ago. I used it for my L1 flight. I decided to repair some minor zipper ... [More]

2005-09-07

Scratch CrackPipe (Scratch)

Review
( Contributed - by Larry Brand - 09/07/05) Brief: CrackPipe is the fourth of my experiments in using PVC plumbing conduit for rocket construction. It is basically similar to the " Pipecleaner " I presented in this site earlier, but is shorter, lighter, and has very au ... [More]

2005-07-28

Scratch Little-Big Rocket (Scratch)

Review
( Contributed - by Larry Brand - 07/28/05) Brief: Little-Big Rocket is a fantasy rocket design--my fantasy being that Estes and LOC would someday collaborate on a product that could be a sort of a transitional training rocket that could be built and flown by a father and child and ... [More]

2005-06-16

Ellis Mountain Rocket Works 29mm Single-Use Family (Kit)

Review
Ellis Mountain makes a family of 29mm single use H and I power motors covering the 50-275 Newton average thrust range. They are reasonably priced and extremely easy to use. The photo shows (from top to bottom) an I69-10, a H275-6 (also available in 10 sec delay), a H101-4 (also available in 8 sec ... [More]

2005-05-16

Scratch Back-Up Box (18V launch controller) (Scratch)

Review
( Contributed - by Larry Brand - 05/16/05) Brief: The Back-Up Box is a simple, low-cost launch controller anyone can build. I built it as part of a NARTREK Advanced project. It can fire any kind of igniter and is entirely self-contained, operating on 18V instead of the usual 12V. It is ... [More]

2005-05-11

Scratch Pad Stik (Launch Pad) (Scratch)

Review
( Contributed - by Larry Brand - 05/11/05) Brief: Some years ago, I saw an article mentioning a rocket launch pad made from a surf-fishing rod holder, which is a short length of PVC tube cut to a sharp bevel for sticking into beach sand to hold the fishing pole and freeing the ... [More]

2005-04-12

Revell F-16C (1/48) Plastic Model Conversion (Plastic Model Conversion)

Review
This is a plastic model conversion (PMC) I did of the Revell 1/48 scale F-16C for the "Advanced" NARTREK program. It was fast and easy to do. It is also a great first PMC to try because the kit comes already painted in USAF "Thunderbirds" colors. Because of this, it has less emotional ... [More]

Larry Brand