Unsurprisingly, model rocketry is a niche hobby. That said, there are a number of shops across the UK (bricks and mortar, as well as online) that sell components for the typical small black powder rockets that one can launch from a playing field (A-C class). The building and flying of large model rockets represents a much smaller subsection of this already very small market, which certainly limits the availability of components.
Through internet searches, and with the recommendations of colleagues, I have come across a handful of UK suppliers and thankfully have managed to procure almost everything I have needed from the UK. As expected, the US has a lot more choice.
The Retailers
Wizard Rockets: This was a new retailer for me. Though they don’t have the widest selection of scratch-build parts, they do have some key components I really struggled to find elsewhere.
Black Cat Rocketry: The lion’s share of my components came from Black Cat Rocketry. Perhaps it was just luck that they produce and stock the size and type of components for which I was looking, but they certainly seemed to have the widest selection of scratch-build parts.
The BOM
| Component | Retailer |
| Phenolic 3″ Body Tube | Black Cat Rocketry |
| 24″ Parachute | Black Cat Rocketry |
| 29 mm Aluminium Threaded Motor Retainer | Black Cat Rocketry |
| Centring Rings (Laser cut from Baltic birch plywood) | Black Cat Rocketry |
| 29 mm Phenolic Motor Tub | Black Cat Rocketry |
| Nomex blast shield (wadding) | Black Cat Rocketry |
| Anti-zipper kit | Black Cat Rocketry |
| Kevlar? Nylon? Recovery Harness. TBD. | Black Cat Rocketry |
| Aluminium Rail Guides | Black Cat Rocketry |
| Trapezoidal Fins, hand cut from 3mm plywood | |
| 3″ Nose Cone (LOC) | Wizard Rockets |
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