Duane Boldt's Page
AKA: RoboRocketry
Location: Tucson, AZ
Certification Level: L2 NAR
Club Memberships: NAR,SARA
Favorite Rockets: Doug Stout 4" ARCAS, PML AMRAAM 4, Semroc Saturn 1B & SLS Brighton, Madcow Arcas HV
Biography:
- Software engineer for over 20 years and still lovin' it.
- Maintain and host http://RoboRocketry.com and related blogs and video sites.
- Enjoy building and flying rockets with my kids and other students from their schools.
- Taught rocketry classes at elementary and middle schools for the last 8+ years and have enjoyed it very much.
- In 2009, started Sonoran Science Academy - Broadway's RoboRocketry Club. Members are working on completing their NARTREK Cadet certificates and designing their own rockets.
- 2010 Robert L. Cannon Educator Award with Sonoran Science Academy
- In 2010, started BASIS Tucson Middle School RoboRocketry Club. Members are working on completing their NARTREK Cadet certificates and designing their own rockets.
- Completed NARTREK Silver and working on Gold Level myself.
- Have managed to fill our house with rockets over the last several years.
- Passing on a love of rocketry, robotics and technology.
Favorite Quote:
"Let's fly high where only eagles dare!"
Personal Home Page: http://RoboRocketry.com
Club Home Page: http://www.sararocketry.org
RocketReviews.com Pages:
2010-09-18
Madcow Rocketry Arcas (Fiberglass)
Flight
Nice smoky black flight. A delayed ignition and late ejection. Recovered great, but quite a walk. Unfortunately, the Apogee Altimeter One broke even following instructions on its 1st try. :-( - H97-M - SARA [More]
2010-08-28
Semroc Earmark (Kit)
Review
Brief: Humorous rocket poking fun at government earmarks. You should get a good laugh out of the
manual.
Construction:
1 - Nose Cone (BC-722)
1 - Screw Eye (SE-10)
1 - Kevlar ®
Thread (SCK-24)
1 - Body Tube (ST-765)
3 - Fins (FA-19)
1 - Thrust Ring ... [More]
2010-08-26
Custom Rockets Razor (Kit)
Review
Brief: Easy to build, nice performing tube fin rocket.
It has parachute recovery and flies on 18mm motors.
Construction:
1 - BT-509 yellow body tube
1 - PC-50 nose cone
6 - tube fins
1 - 12" parachute
6 - TD-6 tape disks for parachute
1 - SL-72 shroud ... [More]
2010-08-25
Dr. Zooch Ares I-X (Kit)
Review
Brief: Great flying, single stage Ares I-X ant-scale model with parachute recovery.
Construction:
1 - 7.75" T-20 body tube
1 - 3.75" T-50 body tube
3 - 1.oo" T-20 body tubes
1 - 3.oo" T-20 motor mount tube
1 - pre-weighted balsa nosecone
3 - ... [More]
2010-08-22
Semroc Earmark
Flight
Another great one. - A8-3 - SARA [More]
Semroc Earmark
Flight
Great flight. Actually, have been flying this as stock without streamer or parachute. It is landing just great with no damage on the soft grass where we are lauching. - A8-3 - SARA [More]
Semroc Earmark
Flight
Nice flight and a cool little rocket. Read the instruction manual for this. The Semroc guys have a good sense of humor! - A8-3 - SARA [More]
Custom Rockets Razor
Flight
Another good flight. Great on this little motor. - A8-3 - SARA [More]
Custom Rockets Razor
Flight
Another nice flight! - A8-3 - SARA [More]
Custom Rockets Razor
Flight
Great flight. This thing really flies high on just an A motor. - A8-3 - SARA [More]
Dr. Zooch Ares I-X
Flight
Perfect flight on a another B6-4! - B6-4 - SARA [More]
Dr. Zooch Ares I-X
Flight
I really like this motor with the rocket. Just awesome. - B6-4 - SARA [More]
Dr. Zooch Ares I-X
Flight
Looked to be right at apogee. This is a nice looking rocket and flew great. No damage at all even to the LES. - A8-3 - SARA [More]
2010-08-05
Checkered Flag Models Rocket Rack (Kit)
Review
( Contributed - by Duane Boldt - 08/05/10)
Brief: Good quality rocket rack kit for storing and working on various sized rockets.
Works well for model rockets with 1/8" launch lugs up through 4'-5' high power rockets with 1/4" launch lugs.
Construction:
Parts in ... [More]
2010-07-31
Estes Mini Max (Kit)
Review
Brief: Smaller version of Estes' classic Der Red Max kit. It has a balsa nose cone, waterslide decals,
streamer recover and is powereed by Estes 13mm Mini Motors. The model was built and the review submitted as part of the
2010 EMRR Challenge for the "Hit List" component.
... [More]
Estes Long Mini Max (Kit)
Review
( Contributed - by Duane Boldt - 07/31/10)
Brief: This is a modified Estes Mini Max with a 4" longer body tube, inverted fins and Kevlar ®
shock cord connected to the motor mount. The model was built and the review submitted as part of the 2010 EMRR
Challenge for the "Hit ... [More]
2010-06-22
National Geographic Rocket Science (Book)
Review
( Contributed - by Duane Boldt - 06/22/10) This is Rocket Science by Gloria Skurzynski is a nice overview of rocketry from Chinese black powder and fire arrows up through modern rockets like those built by SpaceX. This was a pretty short read with lots of nice pictures of the hostorical rockets ... [More]
2010-06-07
Apogee Books Creating Space (Book)
Review
Brief: Creating Space by Mat Irvine illustrates the history of the Space Age through models. It is a 352 page book with a forward by Sir Arthur C. Clark.
Chapters:
Early Dreams
Wartime Experiences
Optimistic Times
Man in Space
The Missile Connection
One Small Step
Gone ... [More]
2010-05-29
Pratt Hobbies EIGHTPACK (Electronics)
Review
( Contributed - by Duane Boldt - 05/29/10)
Pratt Hobbies makes a real nice multiple pad launch controller for a reasonable price. They sell the SIXPACK regularly on their site. My kids' school needed a controller for their classroom and rocketry club launches. We had build two 4 pad racks and ... [More]
2010-05-26
FlisKits Goddard L-13 (Kit)
Review
( Contributed - by Duane Boldt - 05/26/10)
Brief: Dr. Robert H. Goddard built the first successful liquid fueled rocket, "Nell", making
history on March 16th, 1926.
This review is of FlisKit's sport scale model of Dr. Robert H. Goddard's highest flying rocket, known as
... [More]
2009-12-15
Scratch Last Point (Scratch)
Review
( Contributed - by Duane Boldt - 12/15/09)
Brief:
The "Last Point" is my last rocket for the 2009 EMRR Challenge. It is a scratch built, staged rocket using
13mm motors.
Construction:
Parts List:
1 - 15 3/4" BT55 Body Tube (Sustainer)
1 - 2 ... [More]
2009-11-30
Sunward Aerospace Penguin (Kit)
Review
Brief:
The Sunward Penguin is a unique, short stubby kit that flies on C-D 24mm motors. It comes with an 18" parachute.
It also has nice plywood centering rings.
Modifications:
Kevlar was used for shock cord attached to motor mount. Modified paint scheme.
Construction:
... [More]
2009-11-19
Sunward Aerospace Mini Moondance (Kit)
Review
Brief:
The Sunward Mini Moondance is an easy to build Level 1 rocket kit. It has four bat wing shaped fins and uses streamer
recovery. It flies high and straight.
Construction:
The kit contains the following:
1 - 8" Body tube
1 - Plastic nose cone
2 - Engine ... [More]
2009-11-18
Estes Astrobeam (Kit)
Review
Brief:
The Estes Astrobeam is a very simple kit to put together. It doesn't take more than 15 minutes depending on what you
use for glue. It is a pretty cool, inexpensive way to get into night launches.
Construction:
Parts included in this kit:
1 - Four fin plastic fin ... [More]
2009-11-09
Estes Renegade (Kit)
Review
Brief:
The Estes Renegade kit is a very sharp looking 2-stage kit that looks great in any fleet. It looks good on the shelf
and it looks good in flight and staging. It flies on 18mm motors and used tumble recovery for the booster and a
parachute for the sustainer.
Construction: ... [More]
2009-11-08
Estes Gnark (Kit)
Review
( Contributed - by Duane Boldt - 11/08/09)
Brief:
This is a Stage Bash that was used as an entry for the 2009 EMRR Challenge. This 2-Stage rocket was created from an
Estes Gnome kit and Estes Quark kit.
Construction:
The following parts from the two kits were used:
1 Gnome ... [More]
2009-10-27
Scratch Astrox Icarus (Scratch)
Review
( Contributed - by Duane Boldt - 10/27/09)
Rocket Name: Astrox Icarus
Rocket Height: 24 1/8 inches and Width: 9 inches and Weight: 7.1 ounces (10.2 with motors)
Motor Mount: 1st Stage: 24mm 2nd Stage: 24mm
Recovery System: 1st Stage: Tumble 2nd Stage: ... [More]
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