The Hobby of Model Rocketry

Constructing and flying a rocket model is a superb pastime and it is nowhere near as expensive as most people think. The really exciting aspect of the hobby is that there are two halves to the pastime. First, you get to construct your rocket and then you get the excitement of launching it up into the sky with your friends and family watching the big launch.

To build a model rocket you do not to have lots specialist tools or knowledge and it really is a simple craft to master. The beginner can obtain inexpensive kits from any one of the well-known makers and they usually cost only twenty or thirty dollars at the most.

The model rocket kits that one can buy differ in difficulty through a number of skill levels. The Level One model kits are for beginners and take only several minutes to make while Skill Level Five kits may take several weeks to construct and would require a lot of craft techniques and skills. So, one can begin making model rockets at the entry level and work up to the more complex rocket kits a bit later.

Constructing and launching rockets is a perfectly safe hobby and it is one that everybody can enjoy. It is usually recommended for anyone aged ten years old or above, and an adult’s supervision is recommended during the launch of a model rocket for children who are not yet aged twelve years.

The basic parts of a model rocket are a tube of cardboard, fins cut out from balsa or plastic, a nose cone and a parachute. To that basic rocket one adds an engine, which is usually sold separately. In addition to that you will need a launch pad and launch controller, which are also sold separately and are known as the launch system. Even though this might seem like a lot of equipment that one is required to get, constructing and launching rockets is really quite an inexpensive hobby to take part in.

You can start out by launching easy, almost ready to fly rockets, which need very little construction skills and will only take a few minutes to assemble. It won’t take long and you will quite likely be launching your first ever model rocket.

You can then progress through the various skill levels to the very complex rockets that can take weeks to build and require a lot skill and care in building them. Even at the very highest level of model rocketry, though, the components and the kits are still relatively inexpensive.

Building and launching model rockets is something that the whole family can do together, whatever skill levels they are at, it’s extremely exciting, and it won’t break the bank!