The DARS Fall Classic XI

Mostly Military Models (MMM)

 

 

 

September 16, 2017

In

Gunter 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 years theme is a salute to the military models of the past and military scale models in general.  Missles hit the top of the list here, but there are certainly aircraft, target drones, and other flying objects that the military has used over the years that have been imortalized in models.  This year, we bring back the plastic model conversion rule, allowing thoes models to compete with the classics under specific guidelines.  If you haven’t competed before, fear not!  There are plenty of opportunities to get your Classic on in the Classic Classic and Classic Upscale events.  All the details for each event can be found in the overviews below and in the guidelines document.

All of the fun can be found in Gunter, on September 16 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.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

News and Updates

T-Shirts   Shirts will be delivered to the field on the day of the event.  The cost is $20 for sizes up to XL.  $22 for sizes larger than that.  Please bring exact change or a check written to me.  If you can’t pick up your shirt at the field, please contact me.  Here is the final proof.        

 

Prizes – Our sponsors have been very genrous again this year.  We have over $700 in retail value in the prize we have to give out.  Here is a sample of a few of the prizes.

 

1st Place Military – MadCow 1.6 Jayhawk and a $5 ASP Gift Certificate

2nd Place Military - $25 HobbyTown USA Lewisville Gift Certificate and a 3X3 MadCow Chute Protector

3rd Place Military – Art Applewhite 18mm X-Fire and a Sirius Rocketry thrust ring insertion tool

 

Last Drawing of the Day for the Young Rocketeers – Estes Mammoth Kit from R/C Zone

 

Last Drawing of the Day for contest participants – Sirus Rocketry Erradicator

 

Best in Show – The Launch Pad Nike Hercules dontate by Bob Melton

 

There are many, many , so come on out, enter a rocket, try your luck!

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

This Year’s Event Sponsors

 

 

 

 

asp_logo

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Click on the logos to link to their sites

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

This Year’s Event Line Up
(
for all event details, please see the guidelines/rules document below)

Mostly Military Models (MMM)  

Militaries around the world are constantly pushing the envelope to find a design that will make their weapons better than everyones elses.  These designs are constantly evolving into the latest generation of hardware, which are often shrouded in mystry at their initial release as to not give away the latest breakthough.  This category will salute the designs of military flying objects of all types that were designed as kits in the past as well as scale model rockets.  Plastic model conversion to flying rocket will be allowed in this category with certain stipulations (see the guidlines).  

The Classic Classic
Rockets qualify for this category if the original design of this rocket was introduced in the 60s, 70s, 80s or 90s.  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.


Classic Upscale
Kit based or scratch built models of classic rocket models that are scaled up –or- scaled down.  Always hard fought, and generally the category that generates the Best in Show winner.

 

Best in Show
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.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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, G. Harry Stine, 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 and 90’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 Sirrius Rocketry, Balsa Machining Service, Morerockets.com and 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.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Helpful Links

Guidelines/Rules for all the events Guidelines (If you are going to compete, please read this) 

Store Flyer here

Map and directions to the site Gunter Field

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

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Past Classics Pictures and Reports:   

Event Year

Picture Gallery

Articles

Links

2017

2017 and here

Shroudlines Article

2017 Site

2014

2014

Shroudlines Article

2014 Site

2013

2013

Shroudlines Article

2013 Site

2012

2012

Shroudlines Article

2012 Site

2011

2011

Shroudlines Article

2011 Site

2010

2010 Bill Gee’s pictures

2010 Richard Benavides’ pictures

Shroudlines Article

2010 Site

2009

2009

Shroudlines Article

2009 Site,

2008

2008  

 

2007

2007

Shroudlines Article

 

2006

2006@Windom

Shroudlines Article

 

2006 NSL

2006@NSL

Sport Rocketry Article pg1  pg2

 

2005

2005

Shroudlines Article

 

 

Back to the DARS Home Page