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About Airplanes & Rockets

Kirt Blattenberger, Webmaster - Airplanes and Rockets

Kirt Blattenberger

BSEE - KB3UON

My Engineering Web: RF Cafe

Carpe Diem! (Seize the Day!)

Even during the busiest times of my life I have endeavored to maintain some form of model building activity. This site has been created to help me chronicle my journey through a lifelong involvement in model aviation, which all began in Mayo, MD ...

Airplanes And Rockets Copyright 1996 - 2026

All trademarks, copyrights, patents, and other rights of ownership to images and text used on the Airplanes and Rockets website are hereby acknowledged.

My Main Modeling Websites

Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) - Airplanes and RocketsAcademy of Model Aeronautics

Tower Hobbies logo - Airplanes and Rockets

Tower Hobbies

Horizon Hobby logo - Airplanes and Rockets

Horizon Hobby

Sig Manufacturing - Airplanes and Rockets

Sig Mfg

Brodak Manufacturing - Airplanes and Rockets

Brodak Mfg

Estes Gemini DC Rocket

Estes Gemini DC Rocket - Airplanes and Rockets

Sally Blattenberger launching her Estes Gemini rocket in Loveland, CO - Airplanes and Rockets

Sally Blattenberger Launching Her Estes Gemini DC Model Rocket

Sally recovering her Estes Gemini rocket in Loveland, CO - Airplanes and Rockets

Sally Catching Her Estes Gemini DC (Loveland, CO)

The Estes Gemini DC rocket was Sally's second rocket, the first being a Zinger. She did most of the building, and I did the paint job. The balsa grain was filled with clear dope that had talcum powder mixed in, then the paint was Testors spray enamel. The spiral was created by wrapping two pieces of 3/4" wide masking tape side-by-side, then removing one of them.

Below is a photo of Sally Blattenberger (now Cochran) launching her Estes Gemini DC rocket in the big field behind our yard in Loveland, CO (circa 2002). That's her mother, Melanie, crouching down in the background. 

... and here she is catching it on the way down. The recovery system is unique in that there are two parachutes, each of which are contained in the two short tubes on the rear end of the rocket. There are holes between the engine tube and the two parachute tubes for the ejection charge to pass.

 

Here is a list of my other rocket models.

 

 

Estes Gemini DC dual parachute recovery system

Estes Gemini DC Rocket Dual Parachute Tubes Packed

Model Aviation Magazine, AMA - Airplanes and Rockets