The DARS Fall
Classic No. 9
Sci-Fi Spectacular
October 19,
2013 Frisco, Texas
The Fall
Classic is The Dallas Area Rocket Society’s annual contest that is part air
show, museum visit, and science lesson all rolled into one! The contests are simple and fun... The
rockets are classic and cool. Did we
mention that there are prizes?
This year’s
theme event will focus will be rockets based on science fiction books,
television series, and movies. The
images from science fiction have spurred the imagination of many a rocketeer
and scientists to wonder what could be possible and what is out there? This year you can get your geek on and bring
out your best sci fi rocket to compete and have fun. The sci fi madness creeps across all
categories, since many manufactureres in the 60s, 70s, and 80s made kits based
on science fiction movies of the time, and any of those can be upscaled. Full size R2D2, anyone? If that doesn’t do it for you, move into the
starship category and pick any sci fi space ship that strikes your fancy from
any time period. Just bring along an
picture to line up your story on what it is you built. By all means, if you are going to complete,
please do read the guidelines
below.
All of the
fun can be found just off Preston Road, just down Pather Creek, on October 19, 2012
from 10am to 4pm. If you are new to the
event, please take a look around and be sure to check out the articles and
pictures from past events at the bottom of the page.
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This
Year’s Event Sponsors
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Click on the logos
to link to their sites
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Schedule
of Events
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Time |
Event |
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8:30 |
Arrive and set up |
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10:00 |
Launching rockets begins! |
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Begin registration |
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11:00 |
1st Young Rocketeers Drawing |
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12:00 |
2ndYoung Rocketeers Drawing |
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Polls Open - Voting Begins |
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1:00 |
Star Wars vs. Star Trek |
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3rd Young Rocketeers Drawing |
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2:00 |
4th Young Rocketeers Drawing |
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3:00 |
Polls Close |
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Final flights for points must be
complete |
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5th Young Rocketeers Drawing |
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3:30 |
Winners Announced/Prizes Awarded |
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4:00 |
Tear Down/Pack up |
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This
Year’s Category Line Up
(for
all event details, please see the guidelines/rules document below)
Sci-Fi Spaceships 
The theme event for this year will be based on models of science fiction starships from books, movies, or telivision. They can be scratch built, kit, or plastic model conversion (PMC). All models are eligible for flight points, but PMC models must fly and have a stable flight to be eligible. Unstable or unflown PMC models will be disqualified from the competition.
The Classic Classic
Rockets
qualify for this category if the original design of this rocket was introduced
in the 60s, 70s, or 80s. This category
is open to originals, clones, and re-issue versions of the rockets from these
eras. Ninfinger.org can be an invaluable
resource here, as they have list of all Estes and Centuri rockets made, as well
as many of the catalogs they appeared in.
Rockets are judged by the public, so sometimes it pays to match the
original, and sometimes not. Bonus
points apply to this category for providing year of introduction documentation,
including old catalogs. Flight points
also apply and if you happen to have a Sci Fi model, that will get you a point
as well.
Classic Upscale
Kit based or scratch built models of classic rocket
models. Flight bonus points apply for
this category as do Sci-Fi points for upscales of those classics. Star Trek, Star Wars, Buck Rogers, Battle
Star Glactica, and Space 1999 were all well represented back in the day.
Best in Show
This one is always hard fought and exciting. This award goes to the rocket judged best in
show by the voting public. All rockets
in all categories are eligible to win best in show.
Young Rocketeers Prize Drawings
Once again this year we will be holding drawings for the
young rocketeers for some great prizes.
Rocketeers 14 and under are eligible.
You must be present to win.
vs 
This time it’s personal... We
settle this here and now. The event to
determine who will rule supreme in the galaxy.
The event is essentially a fly off
between the competing factions on the field.
At 1:00 pm, those who wish to fly their Star Wars and Star Trek models
will put them on the pads for all to see, and luanch vollys until one stands
supreme. Club members vote on their
favorite flight from the event.
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What’s
a Classic?
Much of this
is in the eye of the beholder. Generally
Classic rockets are considered to be those designs that appeared early in the
hobby when everything was new and anything was possible. That certainly includes the 60’s when Vern
Estes, Lee Piester, and others created kits, motors, and components to build
safe and reliable hobby rockets. It
includes the 70’s, since that is the decade where the competition between Estes
and Centuri was the fiercest and other constructors began come on line. We include the 80’s in our competition as
there were still many great designs that appeared in that decade that would be
a shame not to represent.
These Classic
designs continue to be popular with the old timers in the hobby that grew up
with them, as well as those that came into the hobby beyond these decades. The evidence for this shows up with events
like Estes re-release of Classics like the Orbital Transport, Red Max, Scissor
Wing Transport, Interceptor, and the Classic Series. It is also shown by manufacturers like
Semroc, Q-modeling, and many others that continue to fill the demand for these
classic kits and parts. The fact that
the Big Bertha has been made continuously since at least 1965 (the shape
appeared as the Ranger in 1962) probably says it all.
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Helpful
Links
Guidelines/Rules for
all the events Guidelines (If you are going to compete, please read this)
Map and directions
to the site Frisco Field
This
year’s store flyer
Tips for building
your own Classic Cloning the
Classics by our departed friend James Gartrell
Three Classic
must-have sites Ninfinger.org JimZ’s
Rocket Plans Ye Olde Rocket
Plans
The Hall of Fame
winners of past events The
Hall of Fame
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Past
Classics Pictures and Reports:
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Event Year |
Picture Gallery |
Articles |
Links |
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2012 |
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2011 |
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2010 |
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2009 |
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2008 |
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2007 |
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2006 |
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2006 NSL |
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2005 |
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