HARPENDEN, England UK — Deepsky Rocket Shop and SpaceCAD have teamed up to reduce the number of lost model rockets from common recovery failures. With most rocket kits, you can almost certainly get one perfect flight out of the standard recovery setup. With care and luck you can get two, three or more. However, the down side of a recovery problem often means the loss of the rocket.

"We just hate to see kids cry — or grown-ups either! That's exactly what happens when the rocket that they spent hours assembling and painting falls out of the sky because the knicker-elastic shock cord fried or the plastic parachute melted because paper wadding was poor protection or the weak bin-liner chute material and cotton lines couldn't handle the shock of an early or late deployment," notes Paul Lavin, manager of Deepsky Rocket Shop.

Deepsky has added SpaceCAD to its offering to answer important safety questions. With SpaceCAD, customers can check their rocket and find answers to these vital questions:

• Can my rocket fly safely with a payload?
• Should I use a longer launch rod?
• Will the rocket weathercock? Become unstable?
• Do I need a bigger parachute?
• Will my rocket fly higher?
• What is the best ejection delay?

SpaceCAD helps rockets fly better and more safely. To increase the chances of a successful recovery Deepsky has created Recovery Upgrade Kits to minimize the chances of a crashed rocket due to the common causes of recovery failure:

• Kit A: Quality 10-12 inch nylon chute with strong nylon lines, a fireproof NOMEX® ejection shield, a swivel link and a length of 200 pound test braided KEVLAR® cord
• Kit B: Quality 14-15 inch nylon chute with strong nylon lines, a fireproof NOMEX ejection shield, a swivel link and a length of 200 pound test braided KEVLAR cord
• Kit C: Quality 16-18 inch nylon chute with strong nylon lines, a fireproof NOMEX ejection shield, a swivel link and a length of 200 pound test braided KEVLAR cord
• Kit D: An appropriately sized quality nylon chute (or two!) with strong nylon lines, a fireproof NOMEX ejection shield, a swivel link and a length of 200 pound test braided KEVLAR cord

These kits are quick to fit to most model rockets and will eliminate the most frequent causes of recovery mishaps. Free technical advice is always available for particular applications.

As a special introductory offer, Deepsky Rocket Shop will knock £5 off the price of SpaceCAD when purchased with any Recovery Upgrade Kit before the end of May.

Here are more Deepsky tips for a successful flight every time:

• Don't eject your motor instead of the parachute — secure it!
• Check the nose cone fit — not jammed in tight or too loose
• Fold the chute properly. Don't forget wadding!
• Pack the chute lines in after the chute.
• Eliminating tangles on the ground prevents them in the air!
• Make sure the chute can slide out easily. Use lots of talc.
• Keep your knots knotted with a dab of glue.
• Use a long harness so the nose cone doesn't damage the body
• Inspect the chute harness and attachment point after flight
• Use masking tape "frangible" links to absorb deployment shock
• Whenever you modify your rockets, check that your improvements are safe with SpaceCAD

Deep Sky Rocket Shop may be found at: http://www.deepskyrocketshop.co.uk/
SpaceCad may be found at: http://www.spacecad.com/

NOMEX® and KEVLAR® are registered trademarks of E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company in the United States.