Rocket Boy

Rocketman (Ky Michaelson) built the flying rockets used in the Movie October Sky and to celebrate that excellent movie, released a kit reminiscent of the Auk rockets. If you haven't seen October Sky, I highly recommend it. It will be enjoyed equally by non-rocketeers. For those who like to read, the book Rocket Boys by Homer Hickam, which inspired the movie, is even better.

Anyway, when I saw the ad in the new Rocketman catalog at Springfest 1999, I had to buy one. Aside from its association with October Sky, the rocket had an unusual tail made of turned aluminum to represent the nozzle. Learning how to make a real De Laval nozzle is an important point in the movie and this large aluminum turning makes a spectacular addition to the rocket.

The rocket sat waiting until November, when I got a chance to start building it.

The Pictures

The Kit

Like other Rocketman kits, this is a novel design composed of P.M.L. components. The construction is simple and well thought out. There were no issues to building the kit.