Charlie Pack writes: This is the Rocket Jets Ride which I built for an exhibit which ran from October 2005 through January 2006 at the Museum of American Heritage in Palo Alto, California. It is based on an original design by “Dr. Prune” of the Girders and Gears web site (plans can be found at www.girdersandgears.com).

This whimsical model has no known prototype. It represents a growing interest in rockets, space travel and speed in the 1950s, 60s and 70s. The tower with its three fins is said to slightly resemble the Space Shuttle. The four rockets with their two large exhaust stacks are reminiscent of hot-rod cars. In my version of the model, I have relocated the A-47 motor with gearbox to an external housing. To help compensate for the inertia of the rotating top section of the ride, I fixed a flywheel made from BNs and a BT to the motor’s high speed shaft and weighted it with bolts, nuts and washers. The top of the external housing can be removed for service by removing 4 screws which go into captive nuts (Meccano collars). A set of Meccano 3:1 bevel gears is used inside the tower base instead of equivalent Erector parts to improve reliability. The motor power cord is connected to an electronic timer and pushbutton. When a kid (of any size!) pushes the button, the model runs for about 2 minutes and shuts off automatically. A ground fault circuit interruptor is included and the motor is properly grounded for safety. I have re-designed the rockets and added a ticket shack and boarding steps for more interest. Children enjoy giving their pennies rides in the tail pipes!