DARS December Launch

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pyrobob

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I'm really starting to get antsy and my son's Stomp Rocket can only do so much.

Who's coming with me????

[video=youtube;r7ObPFtGijw]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7ObPFtGijw[/video]
 
But I'm not going to waste an hour and a half driving in to Ft Worth, on to Dallas, and out to the launch. One way.

Not when I can walk 1 minute out to my side yard and launch.

You guys need to find a field somewhere "in the middle" like Arlington. We went through this some years back....I think the Dallas view of "close to Ft Worth" ended up at Mtn Creek College in Grand Prairie. We need to do a little better than that (IMHO)
 
Looking forward to it! I got quite a few rockets scheduled for this launch.
 
Started building an Estes D Region Tomahawk with my son today. Hope to have it together in time for the launch. I've never had the chance to experiment with 24mm composite motors and this would be a good candidate to do just that.
 
Started building an Estes D Region Tomahawk with my son today. Hope to have it together in time for the launch. I've never had the chance to experiment with 24mm composite motors and this would be a good candidate to do just that.

Drag Race!!!!!!!! F39s at high noon!
 
But I'm not going to waste an hour and a half driving in to Ft Worth, on to Dallas, and out to the launch. One way.

Not when I can walk 1 minute out to my side yard and launch.

You guys need to find a field somewhere "in the middle" like Arlington. We went through this some years back....I think the Dallas view of "close to Ft Worth" ended up at Mtn Creek College in Grand Prairie. We need to do a little better than that (IMHO)

I hear the bounty program is back on to find a low/mid power field since our Frisco field is getting urban sprawled upon. I tried to get the Garland parks department to let us fly, but no joy. In a picture perfect example of urban sprawl like DFW it is going to be very difficult to launch anywhere, but on the periphery. I am sure if you can find a field for a club launch people will show up, kind of a field of dreams thing...if you find it, they will launch. High power, like Gunter, is especially difficult since we have two major airports.

Anyhow, sweet that you have yard for launching, but few have a yard (or waiver) for the big stuff, so on to Gunter I will go.
 
Well, it ain't called the Dallas Area Rocket Society for nothing! Besides, the Gunter site is only twenty minutes from my house so it works for me. In fact, I'm the pioneer who found it! :neener:
 
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Well, it ain't called the Dallas Area Rocket Society for nothing! Besides, the Gunter site is only twenty minutes from my house so it works for me. If fact, I'm the pioneer who found it! :neener:

Thanks Ted for finding the Gunter site. I think it's top notch using a variety of metrics.
 
I hear the bounty program is back on to find a low/mid power field since our Frisco field is getting urban sprawled upon. I tried to get the Garland parks department to let us fly, but no joy. In a picture perfect example of urban sprawl like DFW it is going to be very difficult to launch anywhere, but on the periphery. I am sure if you can find a field for a club launch people will show up, kind of a field of dreams thing...if you find it, they will launch. High power, like Gunter, is especially difficult since we have two major airports.

Anyhow, sweet that you have yard for launching, but few have a yard (or waiver) for the big stuff, so on to Gunter I will go.

I was thinking about the F39's but after seeing your cluster of F24's I'm not sure if I can make up my mind.... What kind of altitude would you expect with this kit and either of these motors? Without much though, would say pretty darn high. However, it's actually a pretty big rocket and those are far from full F's (I think...).
 
I was thinking about the F39's but after seeing your cluster of F24's I'm not sure if I can make up my mind.... What kind of altitude would you expect with this kit and either of these motors? Without much though, would say pretty darn high. However, it's actually a pretty big rocket and those are far from full F's (I think...).

I would say pretty darn high is about right, but at least we have a good sized field for the effort. F24 sounds good too, I am partial to white motors. Let me know if you you'll be ready and which motor so I can load it up the night before.
 
So, we finished up the Estes D Region Tomahawk today except for paint. When I first saw how the kit was designed with the really long motor mount and forward bulkhead coupler centering ring thing, I thought it was simply to provide a small amount of volume so that the 24mm ejection charge would be more than adequate. This wasn't a natural assumption, it was just the only thing I could think of prior to the build that would require such a design. Well, once the fins were attached to the 'fin can' which was already attached to the lower body tube it became rather clear why it was designed this way - CG - the fin can assembly is really heavy! The "upper payload" created by the design forces the recovery hardware to be far forward and therefore moving the CG forward. Clever.
 
Robert, cool to hear your working on D-Region with your son. That's the one build I remember working hard on as an early teen.... And finished as best I could.

Wish I could make the December launch, but I'm call that weekend. Maybe January! Hoping to have the Binder Tyrannosaur done by then.

Anyone want to be on my L2 cert team?
 
I plan on making it out and it is great to have a site close to Dallas. I haven't flown a rocket in some time I hope I remember how to do it.
 
I plan on making it out and it is great to have a site close to Dallas. I haven't flown a rocket in some time I hope I remember how to do it.

Pointy side up, fiery side down, push button...

Look forward to meeting you.
 
Robert, cool to hear your working on D-Region with your son. That's the one build I remember working hard on as an early teen.... And finished as best I could.

Wish I could make the December launch, but I'm call that weekend. Maybe January! Hoping to have the Binder Tyrannosaur done by then.

Anyone want to be on my L2 cert team?

Too bad. We definitely need to get something on the calendar for the new year so stay tuned.
 
I hate to miss it and I would be there, but instead I will be in Norfolk, Va at my son's college graduation from Old Dominion university...:)

Scott was a DARS member back in the 1990s and flew a fair amount. He and I went to NARAM in 1996 and had a great time in Evansville, In. (He was 11 then and is finishing college after a stint in the Navy.)

While in VA, I am going to shamelessly get him and my 4 year old grandson a nice new Estes starter set for Xmas and see if he will become a BAR..:)
 
I hate to miss it and I would be there, but instead I will be in Norfolk, Va at my son's college graduation from Old Dominion university...:)

Scott was a DARS member back in the 1990s and flew a fair amount. He and I went to NARAM in 1996 and had a great time in Evansville, In. (He was 11 then and is finishing college after a stint in the Navy.)

While in VA, I am going to shamelessly get him and my 4 year old grandson a nice new Estes starter set for Xmas and see if he will become a BAR..:)

Sounds nice and congratulations with you son's college graduation. Engineer?
 
My son is looking to launch the Tomahawk tomorrow close to my folks place in Rockwall. I'd really like to try out a 24mm composite motor that I have in my personal stash dating back around 10 years ago. They no doubt have a Copperhead igniter. Provided they're in good shape, what's the chance they'll work using the standard Estes AA battery(s) launch controller???
 
But I'm not going to waste an hour and a half driving in to Ft Worth, on to Dallas, and out to the launch. One way.

Not when I can walk 1 minute out to my side yard and launch.

You guys need to find a field somewhere "in the middle" like Arlington. We went through this some years back....I think the Dallas view of "close to Ft Worth" ended up at Mtn Creek College in Grand Prairie. We need to do a little better than that (IMHO)

It is a bit over an hour for me from the south side of Fort Worth. I think it is well worth the drive around once a month or thereabouts.

I agree it would be crazy to drive that far to launch by yourself, but it is worth the trip to see all the other rockets fly and to hang out with the other rocket guys. Plus, you get to buy motors from Pyrobob's excellent pile of motors right there at the launch!

Let me know if you would like to ride out there with me sometime next year. Would enjoy the company!

Having said that, I agree it would be great to have a site, particularly a HP site in Tarrant county. I am doing a little looking around.
 
It is a bit over an hour for me from the south side of Fort Worth. I think it is well worth the drive around once a month or thereabouts.

I agree it would be crazy to drive that far to launch by yourself, but it is worth the trip to see all the other rockets fly and to hang out with the other rocket guys. Plus, you get to buy motors from Pyrobob's excellent pile of motors right there at the launch!

Let me know if you would like to ride out there with me sometime next year. Would enjoy the company!

Having said that, I agree it would be great to have a site, particularly a HP site in Tarrant county. I am doing a little looking around.

A Tarrant Country site would be excellent!
 
Had a successful launch of the Tomahawk today on an E9-4 that I bought back in 2003. It was a great flight that landed just next to a row of trees that had previously eaten our Amazon rocket. The altitude was very reasonable, something shy of 1000 feet I'm sure. I bet the composite 24mm F's would put it shy of 1800 feet. Oh, did I mention I have a 24mm F101 motor???? The things about 5" long!
 
A bunch of local guys picking up motors from me in the past few days. Should be a great launch in Gunter in a couple of weeks!
 
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