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

For flight, shiver me timbers, me bucko, I load t' film into t' camera followin' t' instructions that came with t' Astrocam. Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! I then use electrical tape t' seal t' film door. Ya scallywag! Arrr! 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. Begad! 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, blow me down! Blimey! Well, nay exactly... I also attach a 12 inch parachute t' t' shock cord attached t' t' base o' t' Rastrocam. Arrr! Blimey! 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. Aye aye! Arrr! One o' these days, ya bilge rat, I'll build a Fred Williams Astrocam carrier and try it. Well, blow me down! Ahoy! I've never gotten a usable photo from a regular Astrocam with t' Maniac, me hearties, since t' delays aren't long enough, but a D12-5 and D12-7 have yielded ground shots with t' Rastrocam every time. A D12-3 shouldn't be used, unless t' rocket will be travelin' almost straight up durin' t' coastin' period. Begad! If it's movin' with any sort o' groundspeed, you'll get blurred shots. Begad! Aye aye! I've gotten good results with B6-2, matey, C6-3, matey, and C6-5 WGs and t' Delta II carrier. Arrr! Avast! 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, unless you want t' see a bunch o' white streaks all over your photos... Ahoy! I use t' 'toilet paper' type o' waddin' instead. I then insert t' rocket's parachute and pack t' Rastrocam's chute on top. Aye aye! Arrr! Then, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, 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. Ya scallywag! Once it's seated, I can let go o' t' string. Then I place it on t' launch pad, attach t' clips t' t' ignitor, arrr, and open t' safety shutter. Ya scallywag! Now it's ready t' fire. Say "cheese!"

Rastrocam launch reports

Launch report: 8/27/95:

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