General

Another idea is a Frick-n-Frack drag race using A8-0 motors. I have launched mine successfully in my front yard using that motor combination.

One idea is launching a few small rockets simultaneously with two 80' crepe paper streamers attached to two of the fins. I've done this a number of times; the rockets get to only about 100', and it is always a crowd pleaser. Another idea is to launch the Fliskits UFFO rocket with twelve 80' crepe paper streamers. This is also a crowd please. I've done this a number of times as well, including at the golf course in 2019 as part of the 50th anniversary celebration of the Apollo moon landing. I do have pictures of both types of streamer launches, but it will take me some time to dig them out.

From Google Maps, it looks to be about a trapezoidal (almost square) area roughly 1300' by 1450'. It's now a golf course in Auburn named Pakachoag. By NAR rules (safety code launch site dimensions), that puts it at G impulse or lower, and there are numerous trees in the course. However, you can do a lot with a G impulse motor!

If we created one to launch, it would need to conform to all of the safety requirements. So probably no metal except maybe engine casings but then again we need to look at the size of the potential launch field, tree proximity, number of people that might attend, how much space we'd need just for safe distance from launch pad, etc. I'm not sure it's feasible given the size and impulse that may be required to get it off the ground. I'm not sure there's enough field available for that. It needs to integrate well into an event that may be about a launch, but isn't only about launching.

Do you envision this full scale Nell to be a working model that can be launched? And if so would it be made of metal like the original? ...but fly with a solid rocket motor as opposed to on liquid oxygen & gasoline?

We had our weekly meeting last night at Goddard's house in Worcester. It's a work in progress, but pretty cool to be there. Goddard was born there and lived most of his life there. His wife stayed there until her death. Not many of their possessions because WPI and Clark auctioned them off after her death. Sad.

There is a new National Space Trail being created with memorials to be installed across the country. They are focusing on Massachusetts right now and several markers have already been installed including in front of Goddard's house. You can find deets here: https://www.nationalspacetrail.org/

It currently looks like it will be a week long celebration so that WPI can be included (spring break). Auburn will have 2 events, one on Saturday the 14th for families to rededicate Goddard Park and the second event on the 16th at the launch site. They asked me to handle comms between Auburn and CMASS. They may want launches of some sort on both days but I can tell you that Goddard Park is tiny. Not sure that will be feasible.

For the 16th, we are hoping that Clark will bring out the original launch stand to Auburn for the events. I will push pretty hard for that one. Currently an idea has been floated for 100 rocket launches on the day including a full scale of Nell. In the time frame they want, this is not going to be possible or fun unless we launch volleys of rockets. For the finale, I thought it would be really cool to start with Nell and then proceed through the rockets that got us to the moon in order with the Saturn V as the final flight. I told them that we are mulling the idea of a full scale replica of Nell, but that there is nothing certain yet.

I was also told that Estes has created a kit for the 100th anniversary and that it is in production. I think that I will also be involved in driving that effort. The details weren't available but I think it was to be a smaller scale Nell kit but not certain.

There is a desire by some in the group to pursue some sort of world record for launches that day and involve rocket clubs around the country. It's not really something that I want to own, but we'll see.

As an aside, Charles Slatkin, the owner of the house offered CMASS the space for our meetings if we'd like. He really wants to see the space get used. If we are interested, I can arrange for it.

Here are some links to news and event pages:

https://goddard100th.org/

https://thewondermission.org/

https://nss.org/the-goddard-100-student-contest-celebrating-a-century-of-rocketry/

Happy to answer any questions.

Pete

It's on my calendar, but not on the EcoTarium calendar yet....

https://ecotarium.org/calendar/

Robert Goddard's Nell rocket was 11' 3" tall. A full scale model will be quite the project. Anyone have any sources for scale drawings etc.? Scale up the FK model?

Here's that article from NASA for their 2003 Nell rocket engine replica project...

2003 NASA Nell Rocket Engine Replica Project

It's great to have an Auburn resident (Peter) who is on the committee for this historic event!

When I spoke to Steve Coleman (Auburn fire chief and committee member) and Charles Slatkin (independent rocketry education/outreach advocate and committee member), they described a number of exciting ideas for the Auburn event on March 16th. One major thing that seemed missing, though, was a launch of a full-size Nell model. There are several people who have the scaled-down Fliskits model, but I think it would be a lot more impressive to launch a full-size model. I'll be looking forward to Peter's report back from the meeting tomorrow on this idea, and I hope there are some CMASS members like Kolya who are interested in building it.

As Howard indicated in his post below, myself and three other CMASS members are working with the Worcester Ecotarium on its celebration event scheduled for March 14-15, 2026 (the Auburn anniversary event is on March 16th). The Ecotarium has a small field, where we hope to launch the Fliskits and other smaller models. We're also going to have a display table inside the Ecotarium building.

I'll update this message thread as plans develop.

I am now on the Auburn committee for the celebration planning and execution. My first in person meeting with the committee is tomorrow night. I will report back here on progress and decisions.

As far as participation, I am happy to provide any local support and also own the FK Nell kit. In case of rocket eating trees, we should probably have a backup or two. I am also building a scale stand for the kit.

Definitely interested in a full scale Nell.

Additionally, there is a lovely paper written by NASA back in 2003 about their reconstruction of the Nell. It includes a great breakdown of the engine itself. It would be pretty cool to have a demonstration of how the liquid rocket itself works. This could be just a simple 3d printed cutaway or, if people are feeling ambitious, a metal demonstrator.

A few of us have been trading emails about the 100th anniversary of the Goddard launch recently and we thought we would update the thread here and see if anyone else in CMASS might be interested.

There are actually two events associated with celebrating the anniversary: the Ecotarium and the Auburn Celebration. The Ecotarium will be held on Saturday, March 14th 2026 and Sunday, March 15th 2026 and the Auburn celebration is on the 100th anniversary itself (Monday, March 16th, 2026) and is being organized by Charles Slatkin and others. The Auburn event I believe will have a rocket launch held on the Pakachoag Golf Course at the actual Nell launch site which is indicated by a granite marker adjacent to the ninth fairway of the golf course.

For the Ecotarium event, currently Bruce Fishbein is working with Dave Kress, Al Berry and Dave Doyle who have have met a couple times to strategize about setting up a table/display on model rocketry inside the Ecotarium, and (weather permitting) launching Dave’s Nell model and Al’s L13 model using the small field owned by the Ecotarium. They are planning to visit the Ecotarium next Saturday, September 13th to meet with the CEO, scope out the field, and discuss the next level of detail. They may also stop by the Auburn golf course to see the monument since it’s not too far from the Ecotarium.

The Auburn celebration is being organized by Charles Slatkin who contacted me recently as Claude Maina and I helped him organize a demonstration launch on the golf course for him in the past. He apparently has some ambitious plans for the Auburn event which are well underway with the planning. The one thing they’ve asked about is whether it’s possible to have a full-scale Nell model that could be launched as part of their celebration. Anybody interested in a fun rocket project?

Let’s use the forum here to share ideas and help pull off a spectacular event.

Hey there. I live in Auburn and have been talking to the head of programs in Auburn about participating in their celebration of the 100th anniversary as well. I'm happy to participate in discussing how and where we help out.

You can reach me directly at peter.chestna@gmail.com

I've sent an email to the address listed on the FlisKits website (July 10th). FlisKits@yahoo.com

I asked if there was any information on future stock of their Nell kit FK-SC003, and mentioned that CMASS was interested and that the 100th anniversary of Goddard's flight was coming up....

Haven't received a response yet....

Thanks for the suggestions!

Does someone have e-mail/other contact information for Jim Flis at Fliskits? If so, I'd like to reach out to him.

Also, can Alberton or anyone else who is interested in participating please send me an e-mail at bruce.fishbein@outlook.com with your contact information (e-mail address)? That way, I can contact you separately to arrange a discussion on this.

Thanks!

--Bruce

If you reach out to the owner of FlisKits and explain the situation, he may be willing to put a few kits together. Mention CMASS.

I have very little experience at all with engaging the public with rocketry. Interestingly, FlisKits offers a model rocket kit of Goddard's Nell rocket, but it seems to be out of stock. Anyone know of an available kit?

Hi Alberton,

Thanks for your interest in this project! Have you had any experience engaging the public on model rocketry? For example, through scouts or school groups?

Let's see if there is additional interest in this from CMASS folks over the next week or so, and then I'll set-up a video call to consider what we could propose to the Ecotarium.

I think remote engagement on your part should be okay.

Thanks again for your interest.

This sounds like fun and something worth doing. I'd be willing to help out however I can. I'm in NH so much would have to be remote work, except for any attendance next March. Ya, any actual rocket flights would have to be limited to B impulse rocket motors like Bruce mentioned. Can a (small) replica of Goddard's rocket fly on a B solid rocket motor? Can it be simulated in RockSim?

Alberton Berry

NAR #74527 L1