World Scout Jamboree, Chelmsford, Essex, 6 August 2007

HYLANDS PARK, Essex UK — Records were set by the 21st World Scout Jamboree held at Hylands Park, Essex, through August 7 when 42,000 scouts celebrated 100 years of scouting. But none are as forward-looking as the project to put scouting firmly in the 21st century by building and launching a world record number of model rockets.

That's a whole lot of commotion.

New record surpasses old one set in May.

VIDEO: Aboard a Scout record setter.

MORE ON THE STORY:
• SLIDESHOW: Photos from the event

Scouts from around the world built 1050 model rockets during the World Scout Jamboree and broke the standing world record by mass launching 1029 rockets all at one time.  Only 23 stayed behind.
 
"The current record stands at 960-odd models," explained Paul Lavin, owner of modelrockets.co.uk and a SETPOINT Science and Engineering Ambassador. "We smashed that record with a considerable  margin."  Scouts from the UK, Taiwan, Ireland, Denmark, Peru, Austria, Serbia and many other countries assembled models provided by Ripmax Ltd and modelrockets.co.uk. "The scouts have been launching them sixty at a time as a dress rehearsal all week which was pretty cool," said Lavin. "It's an impressive sight but twenty times that number blasting off all at once was awesome."
 
The model kits were produced by industry leaders Estes and Semroc Astronautics, both long standing model rocket producers. According the National Association of Rocketry in the US, over 400 million model rocket have been launched since the hobby was invented in 1957 - with no fatalities. "Flying model rockets is safer than a walk in the woods - something no scout would shrink from," explained Lavin.
 
Scouts have always been hands-on hobbyists, according to Bob Spokes, head of the Elements: Fire activity centre at the World Scout Jamboree encampment. "In the UK we have an Astronautics Activity Badge that recognises a scout's knowledge about space science and their skill at building rocket models that can travel thousands of feet in the air at speeds up to 300 miles per hour," explained Spokes. "And it's just plain fun, too!"
 
Model rockets are propelled by small motors containing black powder made by Estes. Model rockets are built to fly and recover gently to Earth so that they can be flown again many times. Model rockets are NOT fireworks. The rockets used at the World Scout Jamboree record have flown at least once before in the run-up to the big mass launch.
 
"Nothing can excite an interest in science, maths and engineering more than a model rocket," claims Lavin. "Building and flying a model rocket may be a small first step for a scout but 26 of the first 29 astronauts were scouts. Eleven of the 12 men who walked on the moon flew model rockets when they were young... you never know how far kids with model rockets will follow their dreams."
 
modelrockets.co.uk is Europe's largest model rocket retailer. They specialise in school and youth group rocketry and classic, vintage Estes kits. The Model Rocket Shop Ltd is affiliated with Deepsky Rocket Shop Ltd, now in its 8th year serving the European High Power Rocketry (HPR) and complex model rocket community.
 
ADDITIONAL NOTES:
 
1032 rockets launched off one button. Guinness Book of World Records paperwork in progress. (Technical rocket science stuff:  Mostly A8-3s were used with a smattering of B6-4s, C6-7s, a couple of D12-3s and an E9-4)
 
Even with lots of help, the project took a while. modelrockets.co.uk have been working on it since January ... building models intensively for a week at the WSJ ... prepped for a day and a half... and all over in a few seconds.
 
Paul Lavin is co-chairman of Blast Off!, a BMFA-affiliated national rocketry club with an emphasis on rocketry for youth organisations and beginners. He is also prefect of Tripoli Prefecture #116.
 
Thanks to:

• World Scout Jamboree 2007 people (over 1000 of 'em contributed, but especially the stellar organising team)
• Ripmax Ltd (kits and launch apparatus components)
• Deluxe Materials Ltd (glue)
• Pratt Hobbies (launch control)
• Semroc Astronautics (kits)
• Jewsons (building materials)
• modelrockets.co.uk (rocket motors, initiation, personnel)
• University of Hertfordshire (verification and safety supervision)
• Essex County Fire and Rescue Service (for keeping a watchful eye)
• Scout Association (for 100 years of excellent youth work)

Launch monitored by Blast Off! (BMFA), Tripoli Rocketry UK Ltd, NAR and UKRA.

08-08-2007 10:36 PM  #1
jsrockets New Member   Joined: Aug 2006 Posts: 2	Wish there was more data..... As a contributer to the current (or last) record held by a scout group here in Austin I know that there are some requirements that need to be met. It's not good enough to just get them in the air. They only count if they reach at least some altitude (can't remember if it's 400 or 500'). Based on the picture it looks like at least some didn't make anywhere near that kind of mark. There is a time limit from first lift off to last liftoff (can't remember if it was 3 or 5 seconds). All 965 that went up here in austin were off the pads in less than a second from start to finish. Oh well if they beat our record good on them! Jeff