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The Huntsville Concrete Rocket
eric writes: "Students at the University of Alabama in Huntsville have designed and launched the world's first concrete rocket. Video of the launch can be found on their site" Look to the bottom of the page. What's next? Concrete cell phones? I could use a cell phone that could float.
There was a whole article about this in the New Scientist a couple of months ago, it's not on their site but I seem to recall it mentioned concrete planes too...
I'm a model rocket enthusiast as well. You're right--there are rules for specific model rockets (1 pound or less, no use of metal, et al.) The National Association of Rocketry set these rules.
But there is such a thing as amateur rocketry, which has a different, more complex set of rules. I don't want to talk much more about this since I don't participate, but these people have massive rockets that fly to substantial heights with very high impulse engines. I don't know if the NAR is the sanctioning body for these people, but, provided they follow the rules for these devices from whatever body provides them, it shouldn't be a problem.
Otherwise, people like Dick Rutan and other amateur rocketry fans would have a very hard time trying to win the X Prize (http://www.xprize.org/).
Vos teneo officium eram periculosus ut vos recipero is.