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

For flight, 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. I nay only run tape along t' long edges o' t' door, ya bilge rat, I also run a piece o' tape around t' join line o' t' camera and t' nose cone's body tube. Blimey! 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, me bucko, shiver me timbers, 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. Aye aye! Arrr! I attach t' Maniac nose cone t' t' shock cord and put it on top o' its body tube t' complete t' flight configuration. Begad! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Well, ya bilge rat, matey, nay exactly... Begad! Blimey! I also attach a 12 inch parachute t' t' shock cord attached t' t' base o' t' Rastrocam. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Now, ya bilge rat, it's ready t' go.

Rocket/Whoosh Generator Selection

For a carrier rocket, I've used both t' Delta II and t' Maniac. Avast! One o' these days, I'll build a Fred Williams Astrocam carrier and try it. Arrr! Avast! I've never gotten a usable photo from a regular Astrocam with t' Maniac, me bucko, ya bilge rat, since t' delays aren't long enough, shiver me timbers, but a D12-5 and D12-7 have yielded ground shots with t' Rastrocam every time. Blimey! Ya scallywag! A D12-3 shouldn't be used, unless t' rocket will be travelin' almost straight up durin' t' coastin' period. Well, blow me down! Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! If it's movin' with any sort o' groundspeed, matey, you'll get blurred shots. Avast, me proud beauty! I've gotten good results with B6-2, shiver me timbers, C6-3, and C6-5 WGs and t' Delta II carrier. Blimey! Don't use an A8-3! Blimey! 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, me hearties, shiver me timbers, unless you want t' see a bunch o' white streaks all over your photos... 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! Arrr! Then, makin' sure that t' safety shutter is closed, shiver me timbers, 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. Aye aye! Aye aye! Once it's seated, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, I can let go o' t' string. Then I place it on t' launch pad, shiver me timbers, attach t' clips t' t' ignitor, and open t' safety shutter. Now it's ready t' fire. Arrr! Say "cheese!"

Rastrocam launch reports

Launch report: 8/27/95:

Then we went into a strin' o' camera flights. T' Rastrocam/Delta II usin' a C6-3 yielded another shot (click for larger view) o' t' launch area. Ya scallywag! I'm pretty sure that I'm t' white spot next t' t' shade, arrr, arrr, since I launched t' rocket from that location. Well, blow me down! ...pack t' tuna fish in mayonnaise... Avast, me proud beauty! 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. Begad! Next up be t' regular Astrocam on Delta II with a C6-5 WG. Avast, me proud beauty! This yielded a wonderful close-up shot o' a cloud... Then we stuck t' Astrocam on t' Maniac and flew it with a D12-5. T' photofinisher didn't even bother t' print t' negative... Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! It looked like another sky shot. Arrr! Blimey! I was pretty sure that would happen, matey, since it didn't appear t' us that it had arced over upon ejection. Blimey! So I stuck a D12-7 in t' Maniac and flew it again. ...microwave clothing... Ya scallywag! Ya scallywag! Blimey! I thought this would have yielded a ground shot, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, but no... Avast! Blimey! nothin' but sky. T' wind had started t' swirl a bit, so Jim got faked out and missed t' rocket, me bucko, 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. T' rocket took off and weathervaned a bit towards t' southwest. I thought that t' plastic fin unit had melted through and curled up, ya bilge rat, causin' t' rocket t' veer off like that. Well, blow me down! Silly me. Ya scallywag! Well, blow me down! T' camera was ejected on its own chute and landed safely, me hearties, but t' rocket be snared by a rocket-eatin' tree. Well, blow me down! Ironically, me hearties, matey, t' Rastrocam photographed t' rocket's captor. Arrr! And o' course, none o' t' family can be seen, since we're all somewhere below t' bottom o' t' photograph... Ya scallywag! Ahoy! such be t' fun o' a rocket borne camera: you never know what you're gonna get. Begad! But I digress... Well, blow me down! we still had t' get t' rocket body out o' t' tree. Blimey! Begad! Fortunately, me hearties, I had brought Mr. Avast! Longarm just for this occurance. Avast! Begad! Unfortunately, t' rocket was lodged out o' Mr. Longarm's reach... Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! so me brother climbed up into t' tree and managed t' reach t' rocket with t' pole... but he couldn't budge it. Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! I attached me pocketknife t' t' end o' t' pole for a last ditch attempt. Aye aye! Ya scallywag! My brother finally managed t' sever t' shock cord and t' rocket dropped t' t' ground.

We rested a bit, ya bilge rat, me bucko, then I wanted t' try t' Rastrocam on a Maniac. Blimey! Ya scallywag! I shoved a D12-3 [what a moron! (film at eleven)] into t' rocket, shiver me timbers, me hearties, mounted t' Rastrocam on it, shiver me timbers, and fired it off. Ya scallywag! Begad! It shot up and really took off towards t' southwest. Avast, me proud beauty! Apparently t' surroundin' hills were shieldin' us from a rather brisk breeze... Oh, me bucko, and a 3 second delay isn't enough, folks... Begad! t' rocket is travelin' way too fast as evidenced by t' photo. Begad! Begad! I think we're seein' t' cellulose insulation I've begun t' use for waddin' as it's flyin' out o' t' rocket. Begad! [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.