Just a short update to our discussions regarding the 'dumbing down' of America. Although Gilbert appears to have gone out of the business I did find a few chemistry sets at my local hobby store. They were certainly a far cry from the bunsen burner and lab glassware I grew up with, they all appear to use micro amounts of reagent in pipette tubes. I doubt they will generate the excitement we experienced. BTW, regarding the difficulty in obtaining chemical reagents (unless you're in a qualified educational program or professionally employed at a large industrial company), I came across a relatively new company targeting the amateur scientist, Chemical Resale of Santa Barbara http://www.sb.net/wirehead. It carries only a limited selection and prices seem very high (undoubtedly due to his small volume). Regarding amateur experiments with 'real' rockets, the Fed have passed a plethora of laws effectively resticting what non-governmental bodies may investigate. See 14 CFR PART 101, 22 CFR Sec. 121.16 and 49 CFR Sec. 173.88. I guess I can't play with matches anymore. Thank you Congress. --Steve