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STARK COUNTY, Ohio USA — Steve Eves loves tinkering in his garage near Uniontown. "You never grow up," Eves said. "Your toys just get more expensive." Steve hopes that the latest toy, which he's been working on for the past year will go from zero to more than 500 miles per hour in less than a second. It's a 36-foot model rocket, a 1/10 scale replica of the Saturn V rocket that propelled the Apollo 11 crew to the moon in 1969. And yes, Eves does plan on lighting his model rocket candle. The launch could take place by next Spring. Eves used aircraft-grade plywood and fiberglass resin to create the shell of the rocket. He plans on using eight, 4-foot motors and one 7-foot motors to power the rocket. Eves estimates the motors will take 200 pounds of fuel to generate the 8,000 pounds of thrust needed to lift the 1,800 pound rocket and launch it nearly one mile into the air. If Eves' rocket flies, many in model rocket circles believe it would be the heaviest hobby rocket ever launched. Five parachutes will be stored inside the rocket to bring it back to earth after it separates into three pieces. Eves, 50, said he's been fascinated by rockets and space ever since Neil Armstrong walked on the moon. Now he is hoping to make his own history. "The guys at work decided that rocket man was my new nickname," Eves said. Copyright © 2008, WKYC-TV NBC News.
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