January Space Derby
What is it?
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Another popular family-son project is the space derby. It's like the pinewood derby except the models are miniature rockets. The rockets "fly" along a heavy line that hangs in the air. They're driven by propellers powered by rubber bands.
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Construction
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Space derby rocket The space derby kit consists of a balsa wood block, propeller assembly, rubber bands, plastic sheet (for fins), and a mounting bracket. The wood block comes out of the box with a drilled out center hole. The block is carved into the desired shape, sanded and painted. The mounting bracket and fins can be added either before or after painting. The rubber band is inserted through the center hole with one end on the propeller and the other held in a cross-piece at the rear.
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The Race
The completed rockets are wound up with as many as 100 or more turns on the propeller and suspended on a string from a separate bracket with the propeller held in place. Two, three or four string lanes are typically used. The rockets are held in place and launched when the mechanism releases the propeller.
