Back In The Day Part 7: The Original Griffin

Earlier in the day, I posted a new-build clone of one of my old fleet designs - the Griffin-2.
This evening I found the only existing photo of the original Griffin rocket....

This pic was taken in December of 1976.  The previous final flight of the Griffin had resulted in a crash that badly crunched the body tube just above the engine mount.

Rather than scrap the model and part it out for other projects, I cut out the broken section, glued in a couple of nose blocks, and bent some coat hanger wire to fashion a 'Rocket-Thru-The-Head' gag prop.

I wore the device to many a Skywatchers/ROMAR club meet, to the delight of the spectators, and to the consternation of my fellow rocketeers!

Here, the device is helping me to decide whether or not I should launch my A-20 Demon on such a cold and somewhat blustery day. 

Nowadays, of course, I would not even think of stooping to such levels of silliness in my advanced age.....

Cheers!