When I lived in Dallas, I had the pleasure of hanging out with numerous individuals, some more dubious than others, but all of whom enjoyed a sincere love for the hobby of high power rocketry. My first opportunity to participate in a major event was at the Heart of Texas I launch in July of 1995. There I met two of the individuals pictured below.

While attending this event, I learned about the high winds of Texas launches, and in an effort of frustration trying to keep my sun awning up, I proposed to my immediate neighbors that we tie the tarp between our two vehicles.

That was where I met Eric Green and Kevin Danheiser, pictured first and second in the photo. Their GMC Jimmy was identical to mine, which made the awning mating all the better.

We were all high power neophytes then, so I was excited when Eric forwarded to me photos of their recent project, Team SWAG, short for "Scientific Wild Ass Guess"!

I asked Eric to tell the story in his own words.

"Casey Baker, Kevin Danheiser & myself, Eric Green, decided in early 1996 after attending numerous launches together to build a project rocket based on the "38 Special" built by fellow DARS members Doug Fleming, Rex Rutledge & Reid Williams (HPR, January 1995).

Our main objective was to build a "big but not too big" project that might actually catch the attention of the "big guys" at the rocket field. We wanted to do a big mid-air blast, air-start rocket."

"I got out the LOC catalog & fired up my $29.00 CAD program. Next thing I knew there were motor mount plans consisting of a core 54mm tube surrounded by eight 29mm tubes all inside of a 5.5" LOC airframe shooting out of my printer.

Parts were purchased and construction began. Mr. Danheiser assembled the upper payload section containing the Adept altimeter & shock cord attaching points while Mr. Baker completed all the necessary filling, sanding, priming & painting.

Our original idea was to boost on an AeroTech I284 & four H180's then airstart four H128's."

"However after adding the extensive carbon-fiber/epoxy fillets inside & out at the fin/body/motor tube joints, heavy duty nylon webbing sheathed shock cords, 2 lbs of lead to the nose cone (to bring the CG up) etc., the rocket weighed in at 18.5 lbs. without motors, which was about 5 lbs. heavier than planned.

So, we decided that for the first flight we would just blow the whole cluster of motors off the pad."

"The Heart of Texas 1996 Launch was our target date for completion and we just made it.

The day before the launch I had the SWAG lettering cut and I installed it just before we started prepping. Everything went as planned, the motors INSTANTLY powered up at ignition and cut loose with a scream and blast that sent the SWAG to 3974' AGL."

"Both 'chutes deployed sucessfully and the rocket was recovered about 100 yards south of the pad. All we need now is a suitable launch sight to try out our original plan. Hmmmm... Maybe someday..."

I was impressed with the ingenious method they used for positive motor retention. This is Eric's comments:

"Our original motor mount was a really flimsy aluminum plate that warped from the motor heat.

I used a CAD program I got at Best Buy to draw up a new one. Casey has a friend with a machine shop who milled out this little number for us. He made TWO of them and DIDN'T EVEN CHARGE US FOR IT!

We used this mount when we flew it at the Texas High Power launch in Allen, Texas in February 1997. I got my level 2 certification with a K1100 to 2600' AGL and it didn't even discolor the mount."

A fine project if I ever saw one, and one that utilizes the talents of several who share the costs together. It must have been a great experience seeing the fruits of their efforts pay off.