Customer Reviews

50 Model Rocket Projects for the Evil Genius

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Despite its peculiar title, this book is worthwhile for those who wish to get more out of model rocketry than your average kit-builder. Welcome emphasis is placed on building parts from "scratch" as an alternative to simply buying "off-the-shelf". This approach to the hobby serves as an excellent transitional step from model rocketry to amateur experimental rocketry (AER), for those who later wish to pursue the ultimate in scratch-built rocketry. This book encourages the reader to explore beyond the conventional, through projects such as a self-made wind tunnel, launch controller, rail launcher, rocket cameras, flight computer, apogee sensors and other sensor projects. Details tend to be minimal, although this is likely intentional, leaving the reader to gain more benefits (and rewards) from the projects by using their own resourcefulness. A couple of nice touches to the book are the numerous historical accounts relating to various aspects of rocketry, and the emphasis placed on the importance of math to the rocketry hobby.

The evil genius series of electronic hobbyist books tends to be a mixed bag of quality. Sad to say, this is not one of the better books in the series. It is way too elementary for any adult remotely interested in the science behind the hobby. For example, the chapter on rocket math is junior high school level and the chapter on the flight computer was woefully inadequate. The book is also short on explanations in general, and I found the illustrations to be lacking. If you want a really good book on model rockets, might I suggest the updated version of the "Handbook of Model Rocketry" by Stine and Stine. The senior Stine, G. Harry Stine, was a range safety officer at White Sands Missile Range who built and flew various model rockets in the 1950's and then devised a safety code for the activity based on his experience at the range. The instructions and diagrams are very clear, and the authors go the extra mile with technical details that are missing in Harper's book. The following is the table of contents for the Evil Genius book on rockets:

Chapter 1: History of Rocketry
Chapter 2: Rocket Science
Chapter 3: The Model Rocketeer's Workshop
Chapter 4: Model Rocket Stability
Chapter 5: Constructing Model Rockets
Chapter 6: Recovery Systems
Chapter 7: Launching Model Rockets
Chapter 8: Rocket Math
Chapter 9: Model Rocket Photography
Chapter 10: Model Rocket Movie Cameras
Chapter 11: Rocket Mail
Chapter 12: Introduction to the Flight Computer
Chapter 13: Educating with Model Rocketry
Chapter 14: Model Rocket Clubs
APPENDIX A: MODEL ROCKET SAFETY
APPENDIX B: INTERNATIONAL LISTING OF MODEL ROCKET CLUBS

This is an excellent place for the young evil genius to start thinking about rockets - with one exception.

First the exception. The first project is 'Making Black Powder.' DON'T. Black Powder is extremely sensitive. The slightest spark from a buildup of static electricity and you no longer have black powder, just a boom. Too many people have been killed by black powder to play with it. DON't, just DON't. On the next page he starts talking about commercially available rocket engines. Start here.

The book is a combination of descriptive information along with detailed projects. Perhaps the Evil Genius should start with a couple of kit rockets (such as the FREE model rocket you can order), but then this book will move him along to the next step. If nothing else, the armchair rocketeer will find the book to be fascinating reading.

I am a rocketeer and I have really enjoyed all of the "evil genius" series, so this was a huge disappointment to me. To say this book is for complete rocket beginners is giving it too much credit. This book is not even a good introduction for a rocketeer that has never launched a rocket in their life. There is absolutely nothing about mid or high power rocketry. For instance the only discussion of igniters is on the Estes/ quest type igniter and how to correctly insert them into an Estes rocket motor. The book claims to describe making a hydrogen fuel rocket which is basically filling a plastic pipette with hydrogen and oxygen and igniting it. By the way, you need a tesla coil to ignite the mixture. I'm sure every budding rocketeer has a tesla coil lying around. There is absolutely nothing in this book that can't be found on the internet for free! Do your self a favor, if you are new to rocketry get the Handbook of Model Rocketry (NAR Official Handbook) by Harry Stine. Harry Stine's (father of model rocketry) book has everything this book has and much more. This book assumes you are a child that will hurt yourself and has great advice like never aim rockets at people, or making a rocket engine in irresponsible. I found the other books in the evil genius series challenging and thought provoking. This book is just pretentious and pedantic.

I read the book through from cover to cover in one evening and put it into the waste paper recycling bin. I would not even give it away. The first project was, essentially, "Here are the proportions of sulphur, potassium nitrate and charcoal. Now, make some gunpowder." (This is not a literal quotation from the book, but my restatement of what it comprised.) No discussion on how to mix it or what to do with it after you made it. The rest of the book also was sorely lacking in content, detail and instructions. I feel the author was inadequately experienced in model rocketry. He did, however, have a reasonable knowledge of the history of the development of rocket technology.