Engineering forum/place to converse with peers

[AlextheBodacious]

I'm an avid model rocket builder, but hate those little pre-assembled kits. I like to figure out systems and schematics on my own, how it will jettison spent boosters, what type of fuel for ignition. I guess you could say I'm the real KSP engineer. I have all these rockets and countless more planned, but no one to conceptualize these with. I'm looking for some sort of place where I can talk about the coring or the body material, or someone to do this with. So, does anyone here like building actual, civilian rockets? Are there those that like the real-life version of KSP and can, in fact, be bothered to strive for it?

[DerekL1963]

Small kits or HPR?

[BlazingAngel665]

Hey Alex,

I'm an avid rocket engineer as well. A couple of online resources I like:

http://www.rocketryforum.com/

https://www.reddit.com/r/rocketry/

If you enjoy talking about things in person, I recommend you find a local National Association of Rocketry (NAR) or Tripoli Rocket Association (TRA) chapter. These groups host launches and are always happy to share experience.

Finally, feel free to PM me. I've build rockets from scratch for about three years (custom body tubes, custom motors, custom electronics, everything but the parachutes). I'm currently on the MIT Rocket Team, and we build rockets from scratch all day long.

Fair warning though, experimental rocketry is very dangerous, and depending on where you live, highly regulated. Make sure you are well versed in hobby rocketry and high powered rocketry before trying the leap to custom propulsion. In real life money is a concern, so we try to use models to reduce the number of unplanned disassemblies, so it isn't very much like Kerbal Space Program at all. There is also, of course, no piloting. Guided rockets require a lot of paperwork to fly.

Good luck