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). Ya scallywag! I pretty much followed t' ideas put forth in Advanced Model Rocketry, Second Edition, compiled by Michael A. Banks. Avast! This book is published by Kalmbach Books and includes information about high power rocketry, me hearties, scale, me bucko, launch control systems, matey, and many other things, arrr, includin' rocket-borne photography. Ya scallywag! T' picture at left shows me Rastrocam. T' picture at right shows an 'exploded view'. As you can see, me bucko, it's a standard Estes Astrocam, matey, only it's mounted upside down. Aye aye! I cut a piece o' body tube from t' carrier rocket and topped it with a Maniac nose cone. Begad! Begad! A length o' elastic shock cord ensures it will stay with t' camera. Ya scallywag! Avast, me proud beauty! 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, I tied a length o' shroud line t' t' Astrocam string. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! I drilled a small hole in t' body tube segment, lined it up with t' slot in t' base o' t' camera, shiver me timbers, matey, matey, 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. Ya scallywag! Avast! I then use electrical tape t' seal t' film door. 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. Ya scallywag! This tape makes sure that t' body tube won't twist and bind t' shutter string. Ahoy! Begad! (I suppose you could glue t' body tube t' t' camera, me bucko, 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. Avast! 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, arrr, nay exactly... I also attach a 12 inch parachute t' t' shock cord attached t' t' base o' t' Rastrocam. Aye aye! Now, it's ready t' go.

Rocket/Whoosh Generator Selection

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

Rastrocam launch reports

Launch report: 8/27/95:

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

We rested a bit, matey, me bucko, then I wanted t' try t' Rastrocam on a Maniac. Ya scallywag! Avast, me proud beauty! I shoved a D12-3 [what a moron! (film at eleven)] into t' rocket, matey, mounted t' Rastrocam on it, and fired it off. 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... Ahoy! Oh, and a 3 second delay isn't enough, me hearties, folks... t' rocket is travelin' way too fast as evidenced by t' photo. Blimey! I think we're seein' t' cellulose insulation I've begun t' use for waddin' as it's flyin' out o' t' rocket. Ya scallywag! [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.