Rocket, Model, is a miniature rocket patterned after military or space rockets. Model rockets fly the same way as do the giant space rockets. But models weigh less than 31/2 pounds (1.5 kilograms), and many of them measure only 8 to 24 inches (20 to 61 centimeters) long. Model rockets are also known as space models.
The engine of a model rocket produces its power by burning a specially manufactured solid fuel. Model rockets can rise as high as 2,000 feet (610 meters) in a few seconds, traveling as fast as 300 miles (480 kilometers) an hour. Some kinds of model rockets carry a payload. A payload is any small cargo, such as a miniature camera or a radio transmitter. A few model rockets have two or more sections called stages assembled on top of one another. Each stage has an engine that starts to operate when the previous stage's engine burns out.
Large numbers of young people and adults build and fly model rockets as a hobby. Most rocketeers build their first rockets with kits sold by hobby stores.
Model rocketry is a safe hobby, but four main rules must be followed at all times. (1) Rockets must be powered by factory-made engines. (2) Rockets must be built of such lightweight materials as cardboard, plastics, and balsa wood, with no metal structural parts. (3) Rockets must be launched with electrical equipment from a distance of at least 15 feet (4.6 meters). (4) The launching device must be pointed within 30 degrees of vertical. In addition, payloads should never include a live animal or a flammable or explosive substance.
