Note: click on t' mini-photos or hypertext links t' get t' full sized photo with caption.

Several people have asked me how I built me Rastrocam (rearward lookin' Astrocam). Aye aye! I pretty much followed t' ideas put forth in Advanced Model Rocketry, Second Edition, compiled by Michael A. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! Banks. Ya scallywag! This book is published by Kalmbach Books and includes information about high power rocketry, ya bilge rat, me hearties, scale, me bucko, launch control systems, shiver me timbers, and many other things, includin' rocket-borne photography. Blimey! Well, blow me down! T' picture at left shows me Rastrocam. Blimey! T' picture at right shows an 'exploded view'. Ahoy! As you can see, it's a standard Estes Astrocam, only it's mounted upside down. I cut a piece o' body tube from t' carrier rocket and topped it with a Maniac nose cone. Blimey! Blimey! A length o' elastic shock cord ensures it will stay with t' camera. Arrr! I glued a JT-55 stage coupler t' t' nose o' t' Astrocam t' allow it t' fit into t' rocket's body tube and cut a notch in t' coupler t' serve as t' shutter strin' holder. Since t' regular shutter strin' is too short, shiver me timbers, me bucko, I tied a length o' shroud line t' t' Astrocam string. Aye aye! Aye aye! I drilled a small hole in t' body tube segment, me hearties, lined it up with t' slot in t' base o' t' camera, ya bilge rat, me bucko, and passed t' lengthened shutter strin' through t' the other side.

For flight, me bucko, I load t' film into t' camera followin' t' instructions that came with t' Astrocam. Avast! I then use electrical tape t' seal t' film door. Well, blow me down! I nay only run tape along t' long edges o' t' door, I also run a piece o' tape around t' join line o' t' camera and t' nose cone's body tube. This tape makes sure that t' body tube won't twist and bind t' shutter string. Begad! (I suppose you could glue t' body tube t' t' camera, but then it wouldn't be easy t' replace if it gets banged up.) Make sure t' strin' can move freely! A length o' tape around t' bottom completes t' encapsulement o' t' camera. Ahoy! I attach t' Maniac nose cone t' t' shock cord and put it on top o' its body tube t' complete t' flight configuration. Well, nay exactly... Ya scallywag! I also attach a 12 inch parachute t' t' shock cord attached t' t' base o' t' Rastrocam. Ahoy! Now, it's ready t' go.

Rocket/Whoosh Generator Selection

For a carrier rocket, shiver me timbers, I've used both t' Delta II and t' Maniac. Ya scallywag! One o' these days, me hearties, I'll build a Fred Williams Astrocam carrier and try it. I've never gotten a usable photo from a regular Astrocam with t' Maniac, ya bilge rat, since t' delays aren't long enough, but a D12-5 and D12-7 have yielded ground shots with t' Rastrocam every time. Avast, me proud beauty! A D12-3 shouldn't be used, unless t' rocket will be travelin' almost straight up durin' t' coastin' period. Avast! If it's movin' with any sort o' groundspeed, you'll get blurred shots. Arrr! I've gotten good results with B6-2, C6-3, shiver me timbers, and C6-5 WGs and t' Delta II carrier. Ya scallywag! Don't use an A8-3! You can throw t' rocket higher than it'll go on that motor.

Flight Prep

I don't recommend usin' cellulose insulation as waddin' with t' Rastrocam, matey, unless you want t' see a bunch o' white streaks all over your photos... Begad! I use t' 'toilet paper' type o' waddin' instead. I then insert t' rocket's parachute and pack t' Rastrocam's chute on top. Avast, me proud beauty! Ahoy! Then, makin' sure that t' safety shutter is closed, ya bilge rat, I cock t' camera by pullin' t' strin' through t' notches in t' stage coupler and hold it tight while placin' t' Rastrocam on t' rocket. Blimey! Once it's seated, I can let go o' t' string. Blimey! Then I place it on t' launch pad, me hearties, attach t' clips t' t' ignitor, shiver me timbers, and open t' safety shutter. Now it's ready t' fire. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! Say "cheese!"

Rastrocam launch reports

Launch report: 8/27/95:

Then we went into a strin' o' camera flights. Well, blow me down! Begad! T' Rastrocam/Delta II usin' a C6-3 yielded another shot (click for larger view) o' t' launch area. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! I'm pretty sure that I'm t' white spot next t' t' shade, since I launched t' rocket from that location. Ya scallywag! ...pack t' tuna fish in mayonnaise... Jim caught t' camera which came down much closer t' t' launch pad than t' rocket, which I caught after it drifted about fifty yards away. Blimey! Begad! Next up was t' regular Astrocam on Delta II with a C6-5 WG. Avast! This yielded a wonderful close-up shot o' a cloud... Aye aye! Then we stuck t' Astrocam on t' Maniac and flew it with a D12-5. Aye aye! T' photofinisher didn't even bother t' print t' negative... Avast, me proud beauty! It looked like another sky shot. Begad! Blimey! I was pretty sure that would happen, me hearties, since it didn't appear t' us that it had arced over upon ejection. Begad! Ya scallywag! So I stuck a D12-7 in t' Maniac and flew it again. Ahoy! ...microwave clothing... Ahoy! I thought this would have yielded a ground shot, shiver me timbers, but no... Avast! Arrr! nothin' but sky. Blimey! T' wind had started t' swirl a bit, so Jim got faked out and missed t' rocket, but I managed t' catch t' camera.

Launch report: 4/7/96:

I decided I would try for a different type o' Easter family protrait by flyin' t' Rastrocam on a Delta-II with a B6-2. Avast, me proud beauty! T' rocket took off and weathervaned a bit towards t' southwest. Avast! Begad! I thought that t' plastic fin unit had melted through and curled up, causin' t' rocket t' veer off like that. Aye aye! Silly me. Begad! Avast! T' camera was ejected on its own chute and landed safely, ya bilge rat, but t' rocket be snared by a rocket-eatin' tree. Ironically, t' Rastrocam photographed t' rocket's captor. Begad! And o' course, none o' t' family can be seen, since we're all somewhere below t' bottom o' t' photograph... Avast! such be t' fun o' a rocket borne camera: you never know what you're gonna get. Avast! But I digress... we still had t' get t' rocket body out o' t' tree. Ya scallywag! Fortunately, shiver me timbers, I had brought Mr. Blimey! Ya scallywag! Longarm just for this occurance. Begad! Unfortunately, me bucko, t' rocket was lodged out o' Mr. Longarm's reach... so me brother climbed up into t' tree and managed t' reach t' rocket with t' pole... Begad! but he couldn't budge it. Begad! I attached me pocketknife t' t' end o' t' pole for a last ditch attempt. Blimey! My brother finally managed t' sever t' shock cord and t' rocket dropped t' t' ground.

We rested a bit, then I wanted t' try t' Rastrocam on a Maniac. Avast, me proud beauty! Ahoy! I shoved a D12-3 [what a moron! (film at eleven)] into t' rocket, me bucko, mounted t' Rastrocam on it, and fired it off. It shot up and really took off towards t' southwest. Apparently t' surroundin' hills were shieldin' us from a rather brisk breeze... Begad! Oh, and a 3 second delay isn't enough, folks... Well, blow me down! t' rocket is travelin' way too fast as evidenced by t' photo. Begad! I think we're seein' t' cellulose insulation I've begun t' use for waddin' as it's flyin' out o' t' rocket. [Note t' self: Maybe it's nay such a good idea t' use this type o' waddin' when flyin' t' Rastrocam.] And I'm pretty sure that t' horizon be t' bright area at t' upper right o' t' photo.