Mark Kulka's PageAKA: Mark II, Rustic Rocketeer Location: Tupper Lake, NY Certification Level: L1 NAR Club Memberships: NAR, ASTRE #471 Favorite Rockets: Estes Astron Sprite, Semroc SLS and Deci-Scale series, FSI Nova and others, Art Applewhite Cinco, Biography: I avidly pursued the hobby as a kid in the 1960s, but hung up my microclips "temporarily" when I went off to college. I always planned to resume it again when time and circumstances permitted. Finally did so, 33 years later. Wow, had things changed. Very fervid backwoods BAR since 2004; NAR member since 2006. Level 1 cert. in 2011. I particularly enjoy building clones and reproduction kits of classic model rockets that I had longed for back in the 1960s, as well as those that subsequently came and went during my long hiatus. Those old designs are new to me! I missed a lot of great stuff and I am happily working to catch up. I enjoy and pursue the entire range of modern hobby rocketry, from micros to high power. If it's powered by a reaction motor, it's good. One of my ongoing projects is to build clones of every model rocket design that Flight Systems, Inc. produced during its 27 year history. I have also been building reproductions of many of the Estes "Mini Brutes" from the 1970s and 80s. My focus isn't all on the hobby's storied past, though; I am keenly interested in current and new designs, products and developments in the hobby in the present day. I greatly enjoy talking about all aspects of the hobby with fellow enthusiasts on rocket web forums and online social network sites. I am constantly getting blown away by the skills and creativity of fellow rocket people today, both the young and the "mature." I am particularly impressed by the level of sophistication and depth of knowledge of many of the young members of the hobby today, and the willingness to "pay forward" (along with the wit and humor!) that is demonstrated by the the older members.
Favorite Quote: Rocketry Without Pity. In the forest, no one can hear you sigh.
Club Home Page: http://www.astre471.org/ RocketReviews.com Pages:
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2012-05-24FSI Nova (Clone) Flight Second and last flight for this one. Breezy at ground level and really breezy aloft. Great flight, but the wind carried it into the woods at the northern edge of the farm. After 3.5 hrs. of bushwacking, ran into a farm hand who directed me where to look for it. Found at the top of a very tall pine... [More]
2012-05-23Excelsior Rocketry - Der Fat Max Flight Nice flight, with a bit of weathercocking. (Not too bad, though.) Recovery system deployed normally, but the ejection charge burned a small hole in my Nomex shield and fused a spot of the nylon chute to the shield, preventing the chute from opening. Consequently, a fast recovery with minimal... [More]
FSI Eos (Clone) Flight 1st time on an F. Very straight and very high. Long walk to recover it. Fantastic flight. - F35-8W - Northwood School Launch, Gabriels, NY [More]
2012-04-14Estes Mini Brute Combo Javelin (Clone) Flight First flight of this rocket. Very straight and impressively high considering the windy conditions and the motor selected. Full streamer deployment and a bit of a drift on the wind during the long descent as a result. This rocket would surely go well out of sight if it was launched on a full A. -... [More]
Estes Mini Brute Combo Super Flea (Clone) Flight Great flight. Break-apart recovery. - 1/2A3-2 - ASTRE [More]
Estes Astron Cobra (Clone) Flight First flight on B6s. Still went wicked high and wasted no time getting there. Long descent and relatively long drift on 15" nylon chute. Love this rocket. - 3xB6-4 - ASTRE [More]
Excelsior Rocketry - Der Fat Max Flight Another epic flight, this time on a black powder D12. Incredible height. Angling the rod slightly with the wind worked out well, with a straight, very high flight and a landing within arm's length of the pad. (The only flight pf the day to land so close.) This overachieving rocket always delivers... [More]
Art Applewhite Rockets 6 inch Flying Saucer "Smiley" Flight Powerful, high flight from this premium OOP Quest motor, probably the best black powder C6 ever made. Very smoky with ample soot residue (easily wiped off). - C6-3 - ASTRE [More]
FlisKits Just Past Due Flight Significant weathercock, but otherwise a decent flight. Payload section popped off and much of the shock cord deployed, but the streamer was not fully extracted. Used a foam plug for wadding. - 1/8A-1 - ASTRE [More]
Art Applewhite Rockets Stealth 18mm Flight Motor ejected with a louf "pop" at apogee, despite being a booster motor. Spinning during ascent and recovery. - Est C6-0 - ASTRE [More]
2008-12-30FSI Nova (Clone)  Review Brief: Sport rocket with pass-through transition. This is a clone of FSI's third rocket model as it appeared during the first half of the 1970's.
Construction: The following parts were all obtained from Semroc Astronautics:
ST-1160 (6") - lower body tube
ST-8F90 (9" cut to 8") - upper body... [More]
2008-12-01Scratch Micromaxx Spool Rocket (Scratch)  Review
(Contributed - by Mark Kulka - 12/01/08) Brief:
To a 3-year old with a hammer, everything looks like a nail. And to the rocketry-obsessed at any age, everything
eventually looks like a rocket. A chance trip to a craft store yielded the ideal material for a small spool... [More]
2007-07-22Art Applewhite Rockets Turbo Delta Flying Saucer 18mm (4") (Kit)  Review
Brief:
A new version of Art's popular 18mm Delta Saucer that has been streamlined in profile and in price. After seeing how
this new version flies, you may have to revise your notions about the potential performance of UFO-style rockets.
Construction:
This kit was tucked in as a... [More]
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Mark Kulka
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