DELTON, Michigan USA — A weeklong national model-rocketry competition and sport launch known as NARAM-49 will take place in Delton today through Aug. 3.

More than 265 rocketeers will converge on Prairieville Farm for the event, whose name is an acronym for the National Association of Rocketry Annual Meet. The farm is located on Milo Road, west of M-43, about 10 miles northeast of Kalamazoo. The public is welcome to observe the activities.

Model rocketry marks its 50th anniversary this year. Competitive rocketeers from 33 states, the District of Columbia and one Canadian province will compete for 196 trophies, including the 2006-07 National Championship.

Today and Sunday will feature flyoffs to select the U.S. team for the Federation Aeronautique Internationale Spacemodeling Championships in Spain in 2008 -- what organizers call the equivalent of the Olympics for model rocketry.

Rocket flying is scheduled to take place from 9 a.m. to about 5 p.m. each day during the competition. A special night launch, with rockets equipped with light-emitting devices for visibility, is scheduled for 9 to 11 tonight.

Competition events include, on Monday, boost-gliders and streamer duration; Tuesday, rocket-gliders and helicopter-recovery duration; Wednesday, egg-lofting and spot landing; Thursday, Super-Roc competition featuring rockets from 6 to 14 feet tall; and Friday, Scale Altitude, featuring detailed miniature replicas of actual rocket vehicles.

In addition to competition events, NARAM-49 will feature a sport-launch range where more than 100 rocketeers will be flying models for fun. Competition participants may also visit the sport range to fly sport models in between contest flights.

Rocket manufacturer FlisKits will sponsor a rocket-building session in the recreation hall. Many other national rocketry manufacturers will be on hand to demonstrate their products.

The event will also feature musical entertainment, and refreshments and snacks will be available at Prairieville Farm for participants and spectators.

For more information about NARAM-49, go to www.naram.org or www.nar.org.

Copyright © 2007, Kalamazoo Gazette.