Personal Launch Report - ROC - 2013-05-11

[gdjsky01]

As you can read, if you've been keeping up, I have gotten in quite a few launches in the past 5 weeks. Five launches in six weeks. Hey the first two months were a wind blow out. Making up for lost time.

Due circumstances which are just awesome, the first thing I did was walk over to Whats Up Hobbies and pick me up a CTI 38mm 6XL casing. I like the CTI Classic propellent. Yes it's boring, but its generally less than the other loads, and Isp seems pretty good. Good performance for less money.

So I am standing in line and Carvac and Bandman44 start giving me a load of carp about wimping out on a Classic. They taunted me relentlessly threatening thuggery and to steal the 6XL casing and run away with it, until finally I was shamed into the long walk of shame back to the 6XL bin and forcing me into a 1115-J530 IMax. :rant: :y: :neener:

:grin:

 

[gdjsky01]

No doubt about it, I love the Rocketry Warehouse Formula 98. Not sure who the designer was, but for a simple 3FNC they hit the mark nicely. It's large enough to have a presence but small enough to lug and load by myself. And its a rugged and reliable performer (well so far with three flights on it).

So I am waiting for launch and I hear the back pads arm... okay... waiting for the PA... and I JUST BARELY hear... 5... 4... and I am thinking "Holy $$$t"... trying to get the camera ready... sure enough... off it goes...

Sexy...

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Pretty flame...

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Interesting flame no?

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Recovery was unfortunately over the crowd. :bangpan::bangpan: But was safe. The Archetype Cable Cutter again worked flawlessly and deployed the Rocketman 6' (2m) chute at 500 ft (150m). The rocket landed behind the potta potties. The perflite stratologger was beep out 4298' (1300m) :y: :surprised: Yikes. Way over my 3500' (1060m) estimate.

This was BTW my largest motor launched since my L2 J275 back in 1999

 

[gdjsky01]

Many of ya seen the never ending year long build saga of the Starchaser 2.6 over in the scratch built forum. The good news is even after all those fins and pods, it flys pretty darn straight and true.

So far she's been fed a steady diet of CTI 24mm F motors. A F79, F30, and now a F85. The F85 is 74ns (92%) F. Almost a full F.

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The Fat Jew Boy(tm) in the RC Today Show Tee is your's truly...

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Nice long flame... notice after putting a 10lb (4,5kg) rocket over the crowd I have 'adjusted' my angle big time. (I was not the only one BTW. But I made sure to change the angle. And ROC pads suck at angle changes.)

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Recovery was done at apogee either by the RR2 Mini or the 8 second delay on the motor. Landing was soft and not far. Appreciated since it was now in the low 90's (33C) (calm to 5mph... winds tho) After the flight I noticed the charges are taking a toll on the inside of the tube... the RRC2 beeped out 882' (268m).

 

[gdjsky01]

Work had been a bit hectic. So I didn't get home very early most nights of last week. Three rockets were the best I could muster. Given the throughput, and how I was dealing with the heat after a long walk, it turned out to be just the right amount of rockets.

The Gladiator was loaded with an AT H180-M cut to 8 seconds. The Gladiator 3 is about 2 pounds (900g) and much of that is nose weight.

I forgot AGAIN to clip on the Altimeter Two... :bangpan::bangpan::bangpan::rant:

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Notice the OUTBOUND angle... :grin: I would pay for that

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​

Deployment was pretty much spot on at a ROCKSIM guessimated 2000' (610m). And then it nicely drifted in the upper level winds northwards away from the flightline. I took my eye off it for a moment and.... you guessed it... I never saw it again. :cry::cry::eyeroll::surprised: But I was in luck. Someone else had and pointed it out to me on the ground already about a 1/2 mile (800m) away :cry:.

My FitBit (and therefore wife who keeps track of it online - like a leash :roll was happy happy happy. I was not... I trudged on ... and on... :tongue::cry:

Alls well that ends well. Me, the rocket, and full (now empty) bottle of water made it back and I was bushed. I am still trying to get used to being a diabetic and it causes lots of ups and downs till things get 'adjusted' right. And I was down... I packed up fat, dumb, and happy... 1400 more ns in the bag!


More photos here: Including exclusive photos of bandman44 launching a rocket, with ELECTRONICS, and wait for it... getting it back!! :rofl: :grin: Ok ok a low blow... actually it was a great flight!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/jeffgortatowsky/sets/72157633458649305/

 

[CarVac]

The imax flame sure is beautiful.

And I wasn't there when anyone threatened confiscation of casings...

 

[Madison Alum]

Nice launch shots and a beautiful looking day!

 

[JAL3]

You've posted some great pics on your recent outings.

I'd like permission to go through them all and harvest some for the galleries.

 

[gdjsky01]

Permission granted. You can either harvest them from the page, download them from flckr (I place no restrictions on them - assuming I remember to change the default flickr licensing), or you can request the originals.

Best wishes.
Jeff

 

[robbdm]

I believe Gary Tortora may have designed the Formula series for Rocketry Warehouse

 

[o1d_dude]

I believe Gary Tortora may have designed the Formula series for Rocketry Warehouse

I'm pretty sure that's the responsible party, too.

Great photos, Jeff.

I like the Gladiator and enjoying seeing it fly.

 

[bandman444]

Including exclusive photos of bandman444 launching a rocket, with ELECTRONICS, and wait for it... getting it back!! :rofl: :grin: Ok ok a low blow... actually it was a great flight!

Ouch...

And what a magnificent flight it was! 10,444ft! And it was recovered successfully intact. Two stage next month!


2013-05-11-ROC-0044.jpg by InDanaPt, on Flickr

 

[qquake2k]

Man, you desert mongers have it made! What a lovely launchsite! Great report and photos as always, Jeff. I absolutely love the Gladiator. I might have to build me one of those!

 

[JFlagg]

Man, you desert mongers have it made! What a lovely launchsite!

Yes, Lucerne is pretty nice this time of year and in the fall. Not so many say that in August or December, for that matter. It's hard to beat a dry lake for fire safety and visibility.

It was a beautiful day to launch and even my neighbors on the flight line were an acceptable bunch.

 

[qquake2k]

Yes, Lucerne is pretty nice this time of year and in the fall. Not so many say that in August or December, for that matter. It's hard to beat a dry lake for fire safety and visibility.

It was a beautiful day to launch and even my neighbors on the flight line were an acceptable bunch.

I figure if you can put up with Jeff, you can put up with anybody. :lol:

 

[CarVac]

Yes, Lucerne is pretty nice this time of year and in the fall. Not so many say that in August or December, for that matter. It's hard to beat a dry lake for fire safety and visibility.

It was a beautiful day to launch and even my neighbors on the flight line were an acceptable bunch.

But last December was just about the best launch day ever! It started out incredibly cold, but it turned into a sunny 65 with zero wind.

 

[gdjsky01]

Absolutely true. I always look forward to the Nov, Dec, Jan, and Feb launches. Yes they can be awful. But when the W stays away, and it does sometimes, and the lake bed is not a lake, most of the time, I like the cold better than the heat. I can always put more clothes on, I can only take so many off before I am arrested. :y:

I am far more likely to skip out on the Aug and Sep launches because of the heat.

I figure if you can put up with Jeff, you can put up with anybody.

True dat! I be an arse hole. I was not next to CarVac however because I was scared of him and bandman444, The hoodlums. :wink: I was parked next to my buddy from Big Bear on the back row. ROC had a 45 car flight line. A little long. So I parked in the back.

 

[JFlagg]

But last December was just about the best launch day ever! It started out incredibly cold, but it turned into a sunny 65 with zero wind.

I don't live too far off but I can't remember if I went in December or not. Probably not. Sometimes schedule things just get in the way.

But yeah, we have some really nice days up here in the Winter, they just are not all that common.

 

[qquake2k]

Hey Jeff, did the decals come with the Gladiator, or did you have Mark make them?

 

[gdjsky01]

The letters came with it.
The fins and everything else, I did on a hobby grade vinyl cutter.

 

[qquake2k]

The letters came with it.
The fins and everything else, I did on a hobby grade vinyl cutter.

What kind of vinyl cutter do you have?

 

[gdjsky01]

Roland Stika SX-8. Wife bought it for me years ago as a birthday gift.