Doug's Rockets R.I.P. Fleet Wrecked and lost rockets One of the first rockets I built when I resumed rocketry, eventually testosterone judgement got the better of this Yankee when it flew away on too much motor. My first upscale, the sustainer of this 1.6x Big Midget (Bidget) was lost in the sun at NARAM 45 in Evansville, Indiana, in 2003. Also lost at NARAM 45, this modified Big Betty landed irretrievably in the saw grass and took with it my 24/40 motor case My Big Daddy met its demise when it ejected the motor instead of the nosecone.  Not only was the rocket wrecked, but a 24/40 case was lost as well Not satisfied with stock constuction, I just had to modify this Quest DCY Clipper for D power along with filling it with foam.  The result was that it wrecked.  Twice.  I have two more in the queue.  But I think I'll built one of them stock This cone stabilized rocket turned out to be not so stable.  It's very embarassing doing loop-de-loops on an L1 attempt...in front of hundreds of people...at an LDRS I got my Level 1 on this LOC HiTech H45 back in 2002, and had several more successful flights with it.  After adding an electronics bay and a new payload bay, I flew it on hyrid motors.  On her second hybrid flight, the lower airframe separated and came in flat, hitting hard enough to destroy it.  This 6x upscale Midget (upper stage only) was my first Level 2 attempt.  Alas, I learned a lot about airframe volumes and ejection charge sizes when she lawndarted with a nosecone that was too tight (and a motor that was too loose). The Quark, like the Mosquito, is often overpowered. This one is now but a memory. Not satisfied with the looks of this Skywinder's stock, E2X nosecone, I put lots of work into it to give it a great finish.  On its maiden flight, it threw a rotor blade and hit hard.  The resultant kink in the airframe doomed it to the junkpile. The Stridget was an early quasi-clone of the Estes Midget.  The tweaks included a 13mm motor mount (vs. 18mm stock) and stretching it some - hence the same Stridget - to make a little extra room for the recovery system.  A middle stage was later added, and she flew away to heaven on a ill-fated 3-stage flight with an inexperienced tracking crew. The original Tuber met its demise when the sustainer failed to light and she lawn-darted in a concrete parking lot.  Ouch! This rocket was custom designed, using Rocksim, to fly on Apogee D3 motors.  She was last seen heading west near Justin, Texas. This was another Level 1 attempt.  The I69 motor let go as soon as the button was pushed, rupturing the motor tube and airfame.  The rocket never left the pad, being totalled on its maiden flight.   This X-24 Bug met its demise on a C5-3.  The extra thrust resulted in the aft airframe collapsing into the motor exhaust thereby burning away the fins. 12-23-2008