Nothing will shake off those coming winter blues like sitting down with a big bowl of popcorn, your favorite beverage and a remote control tuned into your DVD player and queuing up ROCKETS Magazine's LDRS 26 four DVD set combining over three hours of video, 4,200 still photos and the best rocket launching around.

The Tripoli Rocketry Association's national annual launch, Large and Dangerous Rocket Ships, or LDRS, has become somewhat of a cult event similar to the way that the Burning Man event that takes place on the Black Rock desert has become. LDRS is the premiere high power rocketry launch for hobby rocketry enthusiasts in the world and the following it has enjoyed each year as it moves about the country is nothing short of simply amazing. If there is one must-not-miss event held each year within the hobby rocketry community, it is the LDRS launch.

LAUNCH Magazine's air conditioned tent was a real life saver.

A dust devil, part of the elements at work at desert venues.

Wedge Oldham participating in the group discussion on thermite.

Some of the special effects, showing electronics from Vern Knowles' flights.

Even Pat Gordzelik was put to work, making igniter magic.

The 2007 event was held at Jean Dry Lake in southern Nevada, and at this time of year with all of us getting ready for Old Man Winter, nothing will get your blood moving quicker than watching a desert launch. Either that or it will put your coming cabin fever into overdrive. If nothing else, it will get you in the mood for next summer's launch season.

LDRS 26 was held July 12th through the 17th of 2007 at Jean Dry Lake, which is located just 22 miles south of Las Vegas, making it easily accessible and close to the very best in accommodations that cost less than similar accommodations anywhere else in the county. Las Vegas' proximity also makes the night time a special time in Nevada and makes events held there a real treat. From the paved highway, the lake bed was a two-mile ride on a relatively challenging dirt road to get to the desert playa. The actual launch site was about three-quarters of a mile into the middle of the Jean Dry Lake Bed.

On the up side, this is a great place to launch rockets. It is expansive, with very low sage-brush, making recovery of a rocket reasonably easy, assuming of course that your rocket made it off the lakebed. The down side at the 2007 LDRS were the temperatures. The Las Vegas-area was experiencing a record heat wave, with daily temperatures hovering around 110 degrees Fahrenheit plus. You can forget about all that "it's a dry heat" hooey; hot is hot, no matter how you cut it.

Fortunately for participants and event staff as well, LAUNCH Magazine came to the rescue by providing a 3500-square-foot air-conditioned tent for everyone to get out of the heat and cool off. Everyone present will always remember Mark Mayfield and Deb Martin's goodness for this very special blessing.

The ROCKETS Magazine video team has scored another great success in this DVD set. They just keep getting better every time and this one is a real keeper. Sure they capture the rockets and launches, but this video has some really neat things that I am sure many will enjoy.

One of those extras is the inclusion of on-board video from several of the rockets launched set into a smaller window, perfectly synched to their video of the launch itself. It's very cool to see what is going on in both windows at the same time. On some of the picture-in-picture launches, they were able to take the on-board video full screen, slowing increasing the on-board video's size until it was full screen, showing you beautiful desert vistas below the descending rocket. Vern Knowles has several of his on-board videos included on this DVD set and he has captured some really great "sparky" motors in this manner.

Another great effect is the slow-motion segments. Every watched a launch video and thought, "That would be cool to see in slow motion!" and then fumbled around to rewind and replay the segment? These guys are doing this in their videos for you and it really makes the enjoyment that much better.

One of the great things about LDRS is the wide selection of rockets and motors flown, and this one was no exception. The quality of the workmanship, the professional finishes, the thought-provoking designs that people bring to an LDRS make that part of the magic of being able to attend, and fortunately for those who can't make it, this set of DVDs capture all of it for you to see.

There were so many rockets built by so many great groups that it would be a disservice not to mention them all, but that would exceed the capacity of this review, so I will leave you with the recommendation that if you only get one launch DVD set this year, get this one.

If you like scale models, get this set. If you like upscales, get this set. If you like hybrids, get this set. M motors? N motors? Clusters? Multi-staged rockets? There was not one thing I was left longing to see when I finished watching the ROCKETS Magazine LDRS 26 DVD set. It is always a pleasure when something comes together as well as this one did. Order yours today and I think you join me in saying, "Great job!"

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