TOP THREE QUESTIONS FOR BEGINNERS
Question #2: What happens if a model rocket lands on a car or
a building structure?
Obviously a model rocket can scratch or damage the
paint on a car or land on a roof but often the question really
is intended to ask “but will the car explode or catch fire?”.
Once again, the answer is "no!".
Model rockets do not carry any type of pyrotechnical charge
or flammable substance that could cause a car or house to
explode or catch fire on impact. In addition - due to the types
of materials used to construct model rockets - the total weight
of the model rocket insures that any damage to cars, houses, convents, etc would
be cosmetic at the worst (of course the Safety Code negates this
worry by requiring an appropriately sized field for launching).
Below you will find a diagram which illustrates the typical
flight profile of a model rocket. It is important to remember
that the “powered flight” stage of a model rocket is quite short
- making the possibility of a model dropping onto a car or house
and causing a fire by “simmering” highly unlikely.
Also important is to remember that a key element of model rocketry is
successful, controlled recovery. Every model rocket is made to carry a
device (whether streamer or parachute) that deploys in flight
and works to slow the rockets descent back to earth. During this
“controlled recovery” phase the rocket motor is considered
“dead” as all of the materials used for combustion have been
exhausted.
