Rocket Contest Results!
- The contests rocket was launched at Oscoda High School at 11am on Sunday August 18. The rocket went 633 feet high and landed 372 feet from the launch pad.
- The $500 top prize winning guess of 633 feet was by Ben McGuffey of Atlanta, Georgia. Ben bought his ticket at the Oscoda Canoe Marathon. His wife is from Michigan and he was on his annual visit to her parents Au Gres home. His son works for Rocket Dynamics at Cape Canaveral and the son also made a guess, but Ben’s guess was the only guess right on. Ben is looking forward to needling his son about that. He is inclined to donate the prize money back to Rotary.
- The $200 second prize of 634 feet goes to Brian Olech of Livonia, MI, who has a condo in Oscoda. He purchased his ticket at the Tawas Farm Market in July. By coincidence, Brian’s wife taught contest organizer Rick Ruth’s kids at Divine Child in Dearborn, MI in the 90’s. The Olech’s are always willing to support local education. Olech’s are inclined to donate the prize money back to Rotary.
- Third Prize thanks to his guess of 636 feet is the backup rocket and it goes to Ed Samulski. Tracy Stoldt also guessed 636 feet, but Ed’s tiebreaker guess of landing 342 feet from the launch pad was closer than Tracy’s. Ed was visiting his brother’s cottage on Big Island Lake and stopped at the farm market on his way home. He plans to donate the rocket back Rotary. The nearest guess in the other direction was 628 feet by Rene Henrickson.
- Entrants were advised a prior contest winner was 549 feet, but that actual height was highly dependent on weather. This year’s rocket was no different than last year, and used the same Estes E12-4 engine. The rocket is aimed upwind slightly, and after the parachute opens the wind blows the rocket down wind a long way - hopefully not into the trees! The wind at launch was predicted as NNW at 12mph, and normally the wind cocks the rocket flight even more into the wind than it is aimed – resulting in more sideways motion and less altitude. This year a longer 6 ft ¼” launch rod guide rod was used, allowing the rocket to get up to a faster speed before the wind could act on it. The result was less wind cocking upwind and a more straight up flight.
- The Tawas Area Rotary and Oscoda Rotary would like to thank everyone who took a chance on how high the rocket would go. Funds will go for youth development in local schools. Past contest proceeds have helped send high school sophomores and juniors to the Rotary Youth Leadership camp in Harrison, for scholarships, and donations to school robotics teams. The annual contest is in its fourth year and raised approximately $1600 this year if the prizes were taken – if winners donate prizes back, it will raise $2400.
- Questions? Call Rick Ruth 313-910-5809 or email rick@ruthconsulting.com
