5 ms·

There are people building missiles as a hobby? Sounds fun.

akiselev 4y ago
You can go see the most impressive ones launch at the annual BALLS event [1] in Blackrock desert several weeks after Burning Man. The FAA closes off the airspace around the desert which allows the really powerful rockets to fly. [1] http://www.tripolimn.org/events/balls/ http://www.tripolimn.org/events/balls/
- pengaru 4y ago
  This makes me wonder what else of interest occurs in that desert throughout the year? Is there anything preventing someone from just camping there year-round to enjoy the spectacles?
  - nofunsir 4y ago
    BLM will kick you off public land when pay to play permit holders show up.
  - mlindner 4y ago
    It's not that desert, but instead in a near by desert in Arizona: https://bigsandyshoot.com/ https://bigsandyshoot.com/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_h3HAv9ra9Q https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_h3HAv9ra9Q It's where all the private individual owners of the biggest military equipment you can buy in the US go to shoot their equipment that would be basically illegal to shoot anywhere else. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R02emks3BoQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R02emks3BoQ I like this one where they shoot a ball turret from a bomber from a different year: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_TaK0WZj2k https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_TaK0WZj2k
  - rurp 4y ago
    There are limits to how long you can camp in a single spot on public land, but no law against travelling around and camping in different areas as long as you want.
chasd00 4y ago
Guidance is a big no no because it’s bad for the whole hobby. We basically self govern so not to cause problems. People work on active vertical stabilization systems which is basically guidance for going straight up. No one attempts guidance to a specific destination because it’s a good way to put the whole hobby at risk. However, the skill and know how is there. People are putting passive stabilized rockets to 280k feet in black rock. A guy in Austin have active stabilization working above mach 1. It can be done within the hobby but no one wants to do it.
- blhack 4y ago
  That is really sad.
- adanto6840 4y ago
  What's the best online venue/forum for one to read & learn more about this hobbyist scene?
  - chasd00 4y ago
    An example of high altitude amateur flights. Granted this guy is more or less a legend in the hobby, definitely not the run of the mill. https://www.rocketryforum.com/threads/project-mesos-a-two-stage-flight-to-293-488-ft.175175/ https://www.rocketryforum.com/threads/project-mesos-a-two-st...
  - BenjiWiebe 4y ago
    The rocketry forum. Dot com.
- nl 4y ago
  There are GPS guided model airplanes which are absolutely nothing like cruise missiles because they fly so much slower. There are ducted fan model airplanes which are absolutely nothing like cruise missiles because they aren't GPS guided.

You can go see the most impressive ones launch at the annual BALLS event [1] in Blackrock desert several weeks after Burning Man. The FAA closes off the airspace around the desert which allows the really powerful rockets to fly. [1] http://www.tripolimn.org/events/balls/ http://www.tripolimn.org/events/balls/

pengaru 4y ago
This makes me wonder what else of interest occurs in that desert throughout the year? Is there anything preventing someone from just camping there year-round to enjoy the spectacles?
- nofunsir 4y ago
  BLM will kick you off public land when pay to play permit holders show up.
- mlindner 4y ago
  It's not that desert, but instead in a near by desert in Arizona: https://bigsandyshoot.com/ https://bigsandyshoot.com/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_h3HAv9ra9Q https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_h3HAv9ra9Q It's where all the private individual owners of the biggest military equipment you can buy in the US go to shoot their equipment that would be basically illegal to shoot anywhere else. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R02emks3BoQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R02emks3BoQ I like this one where they shoot a ball turret from a bomber from a different year: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_TaK0WZj2k https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_TaK0WZj2k
- rurp 4y ago
  There are limits to how long you can camp in a single spot on public land, but no law against travelling around and camping in different areas as long as you want.

chasd00 4y ago

Guidance is a big no no because it’s bad for the whole hobby. We basically self govern so not to cause problems. People work on active vertical stabilization systems which is basically guidance for going straight up. No one attempts guidance to a specific destination because it’s a good way to put the whole hobby at risk. However, the skill and know how is there. People are putting passive stabilized rockets to 280k feet in black rock. A guy in Austin have active stabilization working above mach 1. It can be done within the hobby but no one wants to do it.

blhack 4y ago
That is really sad.
adanto6840 4y ago
What's the best online venue/forum for one to read & learn more about this hobbyist scene?
- chasd00 4y ago
  An example of high altitude amateur flights. Granted this guy is more or less a legend in the hobby, definitely not the run of the mill. https://www.rocketryforum.com/threads/project-mesos-a-two-stage-flight-to-293-488-ft.175175/ https://www.rocketryforum.com/threads/project-mesos-a-two-st...
- BenjiWiebe 4y ago
  The rocketry forum. Dot com.
nl 4y ago
There are GPS guided model airplanes which are absolutely nothing like cruise missiles because they fly so much slower. There are ducted fan model airplanes which are absolutely nothing like cruise missiles because they aren't GPS guided.