Stepping up - From black powder motors to 24/29mm composite motors
You're currently flying black powder rockets with 18mm motors of A - C impulse and maybe you've flown a few 24mm D and E impulse motors. You've decided you want to move up to the composite motors. But are you really ready to do so?

Stepping up to composite motors may not seem like a big deal to many people, but the fact is, it IS a big deal. Small black powder motors and the rockets that use them are pretty easy to use and very forgiving but things still go wrong from time to time. That's not such a big deal with a $20 rocket weighing a few grams and a disposable motor but it is a big deal with a rocket costing over $100, plus a motor casing costing about the same and a rocket weighing half a kilo or more. You need to know what you are doing and make informed choices through out the construction of the rocket and the selection of a motor. You should have been flying low power rockets for at least a year and have built half a dozen kits before entertaining the idea of stepping up (this is NOT a requirement, just the smart thing to do). Here's some things to consider or ask yourself before you do the deed:

Do you know what the motor codes mean? Do you understand what these codes really mean to any given rocket? If you think 'A 'C' motor is more powerful than a 'B' motor and the 'C' motor makes your rocket go higher' and that's the sum of your knowledge of motors, then you may not be ready to step up. There's more to it than that and not knowing what the motor codes mean and being able to translate that for any given rocket, could land you and your rocket in the proverbial poo. When you step up to mid power, it is more about the motor rather than the rocket so you need to fully understand what an F20 motor is for example, and how it compares to say, an F50 or a G33. Should I use an F20 in this rocket or an F50? Does it matter? And what about my launch pad? How does it fit into the equation, if at all?

What are your construction skills like? How many rockets have you built from kits? You need to build at least half a dozen rockets from kits to really get a feel for rocket construction and for honing your skills - sure, rockets are pretty easy to build, but there are little tricks you need to master (such as getting fins aligned). This is important because if you do not build well constructed, strong mid power rockets then you are asking for trouble. Mid power rockets can hit speeds of over 900km/h and experience G forces that would kill a human - up to 60G's or more in some cases! This sort of stress can rip off fins and cause other damage. Mid power kits need to be built tough and built well.

You don't need to be an expert where motors are concerned before stepping up - that will come, but you shouldn't be clueless either. You need to understand that composite motors are nothing like small black powder motors - they are like comparing a tiger to a household cat. You need to have some construction skill and experience - mid power kits experience forces that would kill a small rocket.

Every part is a jigsaw piece - the motor, the rocket, the recovery device, the launch pad, the flying conditions...and so on. These jigsaw pieces form a bigger picture, being rocketry as a whole, and it is that bigger picture you need to be able to see before pressing the button to launch that mid power rocket. So if you think you can take on mid power without 1)Killing your rocket, 2)Killing yourself, 3)Killing someone else, then we welcome you to mid power! Just keep in mind that you are going to experience some of the pitfalls of mid power from time to time (especially when you start using reloadable motors!) so don't spend a fortune on your first mid power kit because you probably won't have it for very long ;-)

Buying your first mid power rocket
Most people buy the biggest rocket they can find when they step up to mid power. That's fine, but you should understand that you are putting limits on yourself by doing so. Big rockets need big motors. You could buy something like the PML Small Endeavour but you will only be able to fly it on a G64 and nothing else (until you get to level 1). It's much better to buy something smaller that can perform well on F and G impulse motors, and maybe even E motors. Your very first mid power kit should be simple and not too expensive because it's not likely to be around for very long. I recommend Public Missiles kits because they use 'quantum tube' which is a plastic similar to PVC for the airframe and these kits will survive flights (or crashes) that will kill a paper or phenolic airframe. Some kits worth considering are:

Public Missiles

Aerotech

Just about all Aerotech kits are fine, but I personly don't like them very much

LOC/Presision

Of course there are many more kits by many manufacturers (see 'links' page). Shop around on the net.

Stepping up - From F/G to H/I (level 1)
So you want to start flying on the bigger stuff? What do you need to know? A lot! You need to know pretty much everything about rocket motors in terms of what any particular code is telling you and how this relates to any given rocket - by now you should be pretty well versed with this - if you are not, then forget level one for now. You should also have clocked up a number of flights using reloadable motors - this is a requirement (you must have at least 3 G impulse flights under your belt). Your construction skills are pretty solid by now - if they are not, forget level one. You should know about rocket stability - if you haven't designed and built your own rocket yet, chances are you will sooner or later. If you don't know anything about rocket stability and 'center of pressure' means nothing to you, then you are not ready for level 1. You should also be familiar with the laws and regulations regarding rocketry in Western Australia - if you are not, better start reading!

You will know if you are really ready for level one - be honest with yourself. And keep in mind - the bigger the motor - the bigger the price tag - an 'I' impulse motor will set you back around $100 and that's a lot of money to burn in anyone's language.